Tuesday, June 22: Meet up in Dublin. Free day with loads of options. (See Dublin handout.) Check in to Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin’s historic gem and one of the sites where the 1916 rebels met to plan the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule: https://www.wynnshotel.ie/

Wednesday, June 23: Board our luxury coach for a day trip north into County Meath, "Ireland's Ancient East". Enjoy a guided tour of the 11th century Trim Castle, where “Braveheart” was filmed. Lunch in Navan. Tour Brú na Bóinne and Newgrange, the Stone Age passage tomb in the Boyne River Valley that predates the pyramids of Egypt. Swing by the Hill of Tara, the inaugural site and seat of the High Kings of Ireland. On a clear day (fingers crossed) you'll be able to see 16 of Ireland's 32 counties!  Sleep in Dublin.

Thursday, June 24: Leave Dublin to head north across the border into Northern Ireland and Belfast City. Split into small groups for Black Cab Tours of Belfast, where your driver will explain the history of “The Troubles”, the political/cultural/religious divide which still impacts some daily lives. Visit the Titanic Museum and learn about the building of the Titanic in Belfast’s Harland and Wolff Shipyard. Sleep in Belfast: Grand Central Hotel. https://www.grandcentralhotelbelfast.com/

Friday, June 25: Take a day trip through the breathtaking Glens of Antrim to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Giant’s Causeway, and 16th century Dunluce Castle, the seat of The House of Greyjoy in “The Game of Thrones.” Swing by Crosskeys Inn Pub in Toomebridge, Ireland’s oldest thatched pub dating to at least 1654, on the way back to Belfast City for traditional Irish music by award winning local musicians and enjoy dinner and the old-world hospitality of Vincent Hurl and his family. Sleep in Belfast.

Saturday, June 26: Check out of The Grand Central Hotel to drive west. Lunch in Derry, the only intact walled city in Ireland, and take a walking tour of its early 17th century walls. Learn about the plantation of Ireland, the Apprentice Boys, and the Siege of Derry aka Londonderry. On to Donegal with a stop at Grianán of Aileach, a stone fort dating to the 6th or 7th century atop the Greenan Mountain on the Inishowen Peninsula with a stunning view of the surrounding countryside. The site’s significance in Irish history predates the fort itself and is referenced in the annals of Irish mythology and folklore. Sleep in Donegal Town at Millpark Hotel. https://www.millparkhotel.com/ Enjoy our first group dinner in the Republic of Ireland. 

Sunday, June 27: Take a day Trip from Donegal Town west to Glencolmcille Folk Village via the charming fishing port of Killybegs, and the spectacular Slieve League, whose cliffs are three times the height of the Cliffs of Moher. Sleep in Donegal Town.

Monday, June 28: Check out of Millpark Hotel and drive south into County Sligo. Stop at Mullaghmore to view Classiebawn Castle, the “country house” of Lord Mountbatten. Drive Gleniff Horseshoe. Enjoy a sheepdog demonstration, hold a baby lamb, and play with puppies at Atlantic Sheepdogs. Visit the Drumcliff grave of William Butler Yeats in the shadow of Benbulbin, Sligo’s mystical and iconic flat top mountain. Check in to Glass House Hotel in Sligo Town for dinner.  https://www.theglasshouse.ie/

Tuesday, June 29: Cruise on Lough Gill on The Rose of Innisfree. Take a guided tour of Shedd Distillery (home of Gunpowder Gin). Sleep in Sligo town.    

Wednesday, June 30: Check out of Glass House Hotel and drive south into County Mayo to Westport via the Foxford Woolen Mills to learn about weaving in Ireland and, perhaps, purchase some beautiful blankets or sweaters. The National Museum of Ireland that features a history of country life in Ireland is our last stop for the day. Sleep in Westport at Castlecourt Hotel. https://www.castlecourthotel.ie/

Thursday, July 1: Swing by Croagh Patrick after breakfast to climb the (easy) steps to St Patrick’s statue for a spectacular view of Clew Bay and its 365 islands. Spend the afternoon on a guided trip to Achill Island, the site of the filming of “The Banshees of Inisherin” with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Learn about Grace O’Malley (Granuaile), Ireland’s 16th c. pirate queen who ruled the seas off the west coast of Ireland and was a contemporary and rival to Queen Elizabeth. Upon return to town, enjoy music at Matt Malloy’s Pub in Westport. Sleep in Westport.

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Friday, July 2: Leave Westport for Dublin Airport via Athlone and Sean’s Bar, said to be the oldest pub in Ireland, dating to 900 AD. Check in to Clayton Hotel, Dublin Airport, enjoy a farewell group dinner, and plan your next visit ​plan your next visit, as Ireland ALWAYS Beckons! https://www.claytonhotels.com/dublin-airport/

**Tours are subject to modification due to unforeseen circumstances, weather conditions and/or your interests!**​