Irish Road Trip

On arrival at Dublin Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel.  Once settled in, head out into the city and take in the sites and attractions such as the tour of the Guinness Brewery and the Spirit of Docklands boat trip.  A walking tour is also a great way to explore Dublin. Starting at O’Connell Bridge over the River Liffey, which divides the city in two, walk round this grand city’s notable buildings, including Dublin Castle, the Bank of Ireland, the two cathedrals, the Spire of Dublin, and Trinity College University.  Walk on to St. Stephen’s Green bordered by fine houses, where, nearby, you will find typical Irish pubs and restaurants.  Dublin is packed with great restaurants and bars.  From Michelin star fine dining, to hearty pub food; you’ll find something for all tastes and budgets.

Set off west on your drive to Cork.  An hour and a half into the journey make a stop a Kilkenny Castle and Cathedral.  Built in 1195, it was strategically positioned on the River Nore to control this busy junction through which many trade routes filtered.  If peckish, the tearoom is in the original Victorian kitchen.  Continue the drive to Cork where you will check-in to your hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring.

After breakfast, you will start the journey to Galway where there are many attractions and optional stops en-route.  You may choose to stop just outside Cork and “Kiss the Blarney Stone.”  This is a limestone rock on the battlements of Blarney Castle, which if kissed, you will gain you the gift of eloquence, so they say.   Continue onto Limerick for lunch, and follow this with a visit to a very beautiful National Park characterised by a treeless limestone plateau scattered with tombs and dolmen dating back to 2500 BC.  Complete the short drive to Galway.  Galway is a medieval city invaded by the Anglo-Normans in the 13th Century.  In later times it traded extensively with France and Spain (reflected in the city’s architecture).  It is also called City of the Tribes as fourteen merchant families divided and governed the city and all had streets named after them.  Spend the day exploring Galway and sample some of the wonderful restaurants on offer – seafood is a speciality.  The next day, there are many routes for a unforgettable day trip to one of the local national parks to the west and north-west, with spectacular scenery.

This morning, drive across the centre of Ireland maybe stopping along the way to take in some historic sites and a whisky distillery.  Arrive in Dublin in the afternoon and spend the final evening visiting places you missed or going back to the ones you enjoyed.  A concert or a play may be another option.

Today, transfer to Dublin Airport, where you will board a flight to London.