CASTLES AND MANORS

• Set your watch to the lively pace of Ireland’s capital city – the springboard for your in-depth journey through the lush landscapes and enduring allure of Ireland.
• Our exploration of Dublin with a Local Specialist will see us view St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Georgian Squares.
• Spend some time at leisure exploring Dublin’s pretty streets before joining your travel companions and Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner celebrating traditional Irish flavours.

Included Experience: Dublin City Tour

• Our first stop today is Europe’s ‘City of the Tribes’, where you will have an opportunity to see Galway Cathedral and stroll through Eyre Square.
• We overnight at one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories on the shores of Lough Corrib.
• Feel like lords and ladies as you relax in the elegant country quarters of The Lodge at Ashford Castle, celebrating the heritage and hospitality of Ireland.

Included Experience: Stays with Stories and Stroll Through Galway

• Leaving the elegant estate of Ashford Castle behind, our journey takes us to Westport House where we’ll Connect With Locals and indulge in a memorable Be My Guest experience with tales of the Pirate Queen, and enjoy Banoffee and Baileys flavours in the Drawing Room of this stately 18th-century home.
• Our home for the next two nights is one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories – the spectacular Abbeyglen Castle.

Included Experience: Enjoy a Traditional High Tea Hosted in the Drawing Room of a Stately 18th-Century Home near Westport and Stays with Stories

• Drive through the ‘savage beauty’ of Connemara, as described by Oscar Wilde who was inspired by the region’s craggy mountains, shimmering lakes and endless shades of green.
• We visit Kylemore Abbey, a magnificent castellated structure built as a family home and now inhabited by a group of Benedictine nuns.
• Stop for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at an oyster farm.
• Venture into the secret nooks and crannies of its extensive walled Victorian garden before returning to your castle accommodation for a delicious dinner.

Included Experience: Visit Kylemore Abbey and Visit an Oyster Farm

Optional Experience: Visit a Historic Connemara Farm

• This morning, visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, where you’ll Dive Into Culture and witness first-hand how their famous crystal designs are made.
•  Picture yourself living in 1520 alongside the Dunguaire Castle when we later pass through the charming seaport village of Kinvara.
• Next up is an experience you’ll remember for years to come as you watch the UNESCO-listed Cliffs of Moher plunge dramatically into the Atlantic waters below.
• Beyond the endless views you’ll have an opportunity to visit the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience which really brings this natural phenomenon to life in an interactive way, leaving you with a deep understanding of this special place.
• Our home tonight is one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories – Great Southern, a Victorian-styled hotel built over 160 years ago as Ireland’s first purpose-built hotel.
•  The hotel’s Victorian architecture ends the day still dreaming of life many years ago.

Included Experience: Stays with Stories, Discover the craftsmanship of intricate crystal designs at the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory and Cliffs of Moher Visit

Optional Experience: Irish Ceilidh Evening

• Enjoy a slow start to your morning, joining a Local Specialist for a leisurely guided walk at Torc Waterfall, strolling over wooded paths and lakeshore trails.
• We embark on an epic drive next, exploring the enduring beauty of the Ring of Kerry whose enchanting coastal landscapes have inspired writers and poets for centuries.

Included Experience: Seaweed Foraging Walk, See the Ring of Kerry and Torc Waterfall Guided Visit

Optional Experience: Experience a Jaunting Cart Ride / Celtic Steps

• Discover the legacy of St. Patrick when you visit the imposing Rock of Cashel, once the traditional seat of the kings of Munster.
• View its ecclesiastical ruins with a Local Specialist then traverse scenic landscapes to Kildare.
• Here you’ll Dive Into Culture and learn about Ireland’s thoroughbred industry at the Irish National Stud.
• You’ll have a rare opportunity to see the foaling unit, museum and of course the magnificent stallions that continue to make racing history.
• Later today, return to the Irish capital where you’ll inject a bit of the craic into your Farewell Dinner with new friends.

Included Experience: Visit Ireland’s National Stud Farm and Visit the Rock of Cashel with a Local Specialist

• We say a fond farewell to our newfound friends and Dublin today.
• You will be transferred to the airport, where your journey through the ‘Emerald Isle’ comes to an end. Transfers are available.
•  Find out more about your free airport transfer at trafalgar.com/freetransfers.

Departure Transfer: 07:00, 09:00, 11:00