Day 1 - Depart USA
Board your overnight flight (not included).

Day 2 - Dublin's Fair city
Welcome to Dublin! On arrival at Dublin Airport, your airport shuttle service leaves for the tour hotel at 07:00, 09:30 & 12:00. Later, join your Tour Director for a city tour that brings to life Dublin’s architectural treasures and history stretching back more than 1,000 years. Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1190, tour Dublin’s beautiful Georgian squares, walk the cobbled courtyards of Trinity College to its famed library and see the 8th century Book of Kells. Upstairs in the magnificent barrel-vaulted Long Room, 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books are housed in a procession of oak bookcases. Back at your hotel, join your Tour Director and fellow guests for a Welcome Reception with drink and a light meal.

Day 3 to Day 4 - Cashel, Blarney, Killarney and the Ring of Kerry
Depart Dublin, and pass the famous Curragh Racecourse and green meadows where many of the finest Irish racehorses are bred. Driving south, take in spectacular views of the Rock of Cashel, crowned with medieval buildings, dominating the flat countryside for miles around. Continue to Blarney Castle where you can climb to the ramparts and kiss the magical stone to ensure a lifetime of eloquence. There is also time to shop for Irish knitwear and crafts at Blarney Woollen Mills. Afterwards, head to bustling Killarney. If you fancy a ‘pint of porter’, this town on the lakes is famous for its lively pubs, so why not join in the ‘craic’ tonight. In the morning travel the road that winds around the beautiful Iveragh Peninsula, better known as the Ring of Kerry. It is undoubtedly one of the most magical places in all Ireland. Here mountains, valleys, lakes and sea blend into a landscape that is often breathtaking beyond words. Stopping at Torc Waterfall for photos, there is a chance to join a hike with a qualified guide along the lake shore and past the farmlands of the Muckross Estate, admiring the spectacular scenery. Walk by West Meadow Bay and visit Muckross Abbey. While there are no mountains to climb, walkers should be fit, have good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen and raingear. For those who do not want to join the hike, the motorcoach will return you to Killarney, where the balance of the day is free.(2B,D)

Day 5 to Day 6 - Galway and Connemara
This morning cross the Shannon estuary by ferry and enter County Clare. Stop at the Exhibition Centre and enjoy a walk along the Cliffs of Moher, rising approximately 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic waves. Then travel north across the Burren, a suddenly stark and barren landscape. Drop in for afternoon tea at Rathbaun Farm and meet a Galway farming family as they carry out their everyday chores. Watch as the farmer shears a sheep and maneuvers his flock with the help of his dog. Next, on to tour Galway, “City of the Tribes,” including lovely Galway Cathedral. Tonight your hotel is spectacularly set on the shores of Galway Bay. After a peaceful night’s rest, embark on a superb excursion through a wonderland of rivers, lakes and silent hills. Stop at lake side Kylemore Abbey, a castellated neo-Gothic mansion, occupied today by a Benedictine community of nuns who came from Ypres after World War I. Then travel through bogland and villages to the Connemara Marble Factory and learn of the origin and uses of the area’s splendid marble.(B,D)

Day 7 - Timeless Luxury at Ashford Castle
Celebrate “the gathering Ireland 2013” aboard The Isle of Inisfree on an exclusive scenic cruise of Loch Corrib. The Captain, also the author of “A Voyage of Discovery” , will share his wealth of local knowledge. Lunch and some traditional music add to this unique experience. As you disembark, a lone piper will escort you over the drawbridge to majestic Ashford Castle. Ashford Castle provides a romantic backdrop in superior surroundings, offering guests both relaxation and comfort. There are many opportunities to explore the vast estate pamper yourself at the spa, or simply relax in the castle’s luxurious interiors and enjoy your favourite novel. Dining at Ashford Castle ranks among the finest culinary experiences in the world. Creative cooking, seasonal ingredients and an innovative menu await at your Highlight Celebration dinner tonight.(B,L,D)

Day 8 - Across the Emerald Isle to Dublin
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning and perhaps a stroll on the estate. Then cross the midlands to Dublin where the balance of the day is free for independent activities and maybe some last minute shopping.(B)

Day 9 - Return to USA
Your tour comes to an end after breakfast this morning. Departure transfers arrive at Dublin Airport at 07:30, 09:30 & 11:30.(B)

A stylish outing which stays at the distinguished and luxurious Ashford Castle, all the while showcasing the very best sightseeing and scenery Ireland has to offer.

• A Welcome Reception with light informal meal (WR)
• Enjoy a delicious four-course Highlight Celebration Dinner at Ashford Castle* (D)
• 7 full Breakfasts (B), 1 Afternoon Tea, and 3 three-course Evening Meals with choice, plus tea or coffee (D)
• *Please note that the dress code for Ashford Castle dinner is Smart Casual - jacket & tie for men is required.
• Escorted by a professional Tour Director
• Headsets for all guided visits and walking tours
• Enjoy the unique comfort of Insight’s Luxury air-conditioned 40 seat coach with extended leg room and on-board restroom
• Insight Hotels include all service charges, taxes and porterage
• Insight Traveller Welcome pack
• Airport arrival and departure transfers at scheduled times on Day 1 and Day 8(Should your flights not coincide with these transfers, please make your own way to/from the airport)

• Dublin: Visit St Patrick’s Cathedral and tour some of the elegant squares. Breathe the air thickened by the musty tomes of Trinity College Library and admire the lavish 8the century Book of Kells.
• Cashel: View the famous rock, former seat of Irish kings.
• Blarney: It is said that those whose lips caress the Blarney Stone are bestowed with the power to persuade, flatter and coax. But to do so, you must dangle from the ramparts!
• Killarney: Witness the dramatic mountains. Join a guided hike to Muckross Abbey.
• Ring of Kerry: A delightful excursion around the Ring of Kerry.
• Cliffs of Moher: Stop by the Exhibition Centre and look out to the Atlantic Ocean from the majestic Cliffs of Moher.
• Connemara: Experience the fresh Connemara air during your visit to the turreted neo-Gothic Kylemore Abbey, steeped in history and tales of tragedy and romance.
• Inisfree: Join your captain, a local historian to cruise the serene waters of Lough Corrib. Take in the breath-taking scenery and excellent views of the Connemara mountains.
• Shannon Estuary: Cross by ferry.
• Burren: Drive through the rocky limestone landscape.
• Galway: See the Roman Catholic Cathedral.
• Scenic drives: Wicklow Mountains, Ring of Kerry, the ‘Burren’, Connemara.

Dublin: Clyde Court or Ballsbridge Hotel
Killarney: Killarney Plaza
Connemara: Connemara Coast
Cong: Ashford Castle
Dublin: Clyde Court or Ballsbridge Hotel

• Please ask your Vacations To Go travel counselor for more information.

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* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines.