Day 1 Arrive Dublin

Arrive at Dublin airport in the morning, take a taxi to your hotel and relax (1 hour).

Arrive at Dublin airport in the morning and take an independent coach or taxi transfer to your hotel.  You will be staying in n ideal central location at the Trinity Capital Hotel for 1night. Dublin is a compact city easy to get around by foot or taxi. We recommend picking up your car as you leave Dublin on Day 2.  If you would prefer to pick up your rental car at the airport upon arrival, your hotel does not have complimentary parking available so there would be an additional cost for overnight parking.  Please contact your agent to advise.  (Most all centre hotels charge for overnight parking.)

Day 1 Dublin

Dublin is a lively cosmopolitan city brimming with culture. You could spend your time strolling the streets soaking up the atmosphere, relaxing in its cafes and bars or you could check out its myriad historical, literary and cultural delights. The 8th century illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells, must be viewed. It is on display at the impressive Trinity College, Ireland's first university (founded 1592) in the heart of Dublin. For the rest of your time, it is up to you how much you want to pack in. Phoenix Park, twice the size of New York City's Central Park, Georgian Dublin around Stephen's Green, the National Botanical Gardens, National Museum, Kilmainham Jail and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art Gallery are all highly recommended stops on your tour. Then there's the Guinness Storehouse and Jamieson Distillery.  A visit to Dublin's Temple Bar to experience the lively Dublin pub culture is a must, though many of Dublin's best bars can be found outside this area in the streets and laneways around Grafton Street, the shopper's street of choice.

Day 1 Optional Activities (See Add an Activity section for more information):
Food, Folk and Fairies- dinner and lively entertainment at Dublin's oldest pub
Dublin's Literary Pub Crawl
Historical Walking Tour of Dublin

Day 2 Galway

Pick up your rental car in the city centre and travel west cross country to the quaint city of Galway. (3.5 hours)

In a recent nationwide survey the people of Galway were found to be Ireland's happiest! And visiting Galway City, the capital of their county it is not hard to see why. It is a lively university city of narrow streets, quaint shopfronts, bustling pubs and stunning surrounding scenery. It has always attracted a bohemian mix of musicians, artists and intellectuals and that attitude is palpable as you walk the streets. Galway has been commercially important since the 11th century when it was a centre for trade with Spain and Portugal. In 1477 Christopher Columbus paid a visit. Galway earned the title “City of the Tribes” around that time, when it was ruled by 14 wealthy merchant families. Today it is lively, with loads of things to do, and is so popular that it can get very crowded in summer, especially during the annual Galway Races. The annual Arts Festival also attracts thousands, especially for its street parade, organized by the multi-award winning production company, Macnas. Its famous Druid Theatre produces and stages plays and has toured internationally, winning awards, including Tonys on Broadway.

Day 3 Connemara

Leave the city behind and head west into the wilds of Connemara (1.5 hours).

Northwest of Galway lies the rocky, barren, but breathtakingly stunning region of Connemara. This area is one of the few remaining in Ireland where the native tongue (Gaeilge) is still fluently spoken as a first language. Stop off in the fishing village of Roundstone, where currachs, old style featherweight rowing boats are still in everyday use. The village also boasts an impressive crafts complex, selling everything from teapots and sweaters to traditional Irish music instruments. Clifden, Connemara's capital is well worth a visit and the scenic Sky Road drive just outside town should not be missed.  From here travel north to see the exquisite neo-gothic Kylemore Abbey, nestled in a lush forest on the edge of Kylemore Lake. However long you spend in Connemara you will be constantly enchanted by the ever changing scenery of mountains and valleys, lakes and beaches and bays. This is Ireland's big sky country.

Day 4 Bunratty

Head south around Galway Bay taking in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher on your way to Bunratty, home of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park (3 hours).

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, located just 7 miles from Shannon Airport, is high on the list of Ireland's top visitor attractions. If you want to learn about Ireland and how the Irish lived in earlier times, Bunratty's Folk Park is a must.  Entire houses of various sizes and dates have been taken apart stone-by-stone and reassembled here, along with a school, a pub, a church, a row of shops, and other buildings. What makes it especially enjoyable is watching activities, including scones and bread being made, as well as work being carried out in the little fields. Chat with the staff; they are very friendly and informative. Bunratty's most obvious attraction is its imposing castle which overlooks the river Shannon. Once the stronghold of the O’Briens, kings and later earls of Thomond, it reflects their style and power. Its Great Hall has a very fine collection of 14th-century furniture, paintings and wall hangings and also hosts medieval banquets which anyone can attend with plenty of entertainment as well as food and drink. Finally no visit to Bunratty would be complete without a pint of plain in the world-famous Durty Nelly's Pub located right next to the castle.

Day 7 Optional Activity:
Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle

Day 5 Depart Shannon

Transfer to Shannon airport to catch your departing flight (30 minutes).

Food, Folk and Fairies (Day 1) 3 - 4 hours

An evening of good food and the finest storytelling. Discover how Irish people lived in times past while enjoying a traditional candlelit dinner in Dublin's oldest pub dating back from 1198.  Let us take you back in time to the fascinating world of Ireland long ago when the culture was one of the mind, spirit and imagination and where the unseen world was never far away. More>>

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl (Day 1) 2.5 hours

No city is as rich in pubs and poetry as Dublin, and Dublin’s literary pub crawl is a genius amalgam of both - a 2½ hour walking tour with Wilde, Joyce, Behan and Beckett. This is an award-winning show that crawls from pub to pub with professional actors performing the works of Dublin's most famous writers - Joyce, Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Brendan Behan and many more. More>>

Historical Walking Tour of Dublin (Day 1) 2 hours

Few cities are as steeped in history as Dublin, and a guided walk through the Capital’s streets is without doubt the best introduction to its many delights and stories. History graduates of Trinity College conduct these entertaining historical walking tours of Dublin, exploring the main features of the city's history and visiting its greatest historic sites - Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Old Parliament House, Temple Bar and much more. More>>

Dublin Pub and Brewery Tour (Day 1) Full day or less (duration flexible)

Dublin is not just famous for its rich historical heritage. Dublin is a very vibrant city where people have made an art out of going out on the town. Dublin has a fairly enormous selection of bars yet they are all full on the weekend and much of the week for that matter. The large number of bars allows for variety and that is what you get on this unique tour. More>>

Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle (Day 4) 2.5 hours

Join the Earl of Thomond in the splendour of the main guard of Bunratty Castle for a dinner experience not to be missed! Bunratty Castle, was built in 1425 by the Earl of Thomond. Following his tradition of hospitality, the world renowned Bunratty Medieval Banquet is held twice nightly throughout the year.

Since 1963, the Ladies of the Castle, aided and abetted by the Earl's Butler, have welcomed guests from the four corners of the globe to dine at The Earl's Banquet at Bunratty Castle.  The entertainment provided by the world renowned Bunratty Singers is a fitting compliment to a mead reception, a four course meal, and of course good wine. More>>