Day 1:
Depart for Shannon, Ireland.
Day 2:
Arrive in Shannon, Ireland. The first stop of the tour will be Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. The Folk Park is a meticulous recreation of rural life at the end of the 19th century. After exploring the park and this 15th century formidable castle the highlight of the day will be a medieval banquet for which the castle is famous! Banquet dinner and overnight in Bunratty.(D)
Day 3:
The first stop today is the charming village of Adare, which is billed as "Ireland's Loveliest Village" with all its thatched roof cottages lining the main street. Enjoy a pub lunch in Castleisland on your way south. Next the tour takes in the wilds of the Dingle Peninsula. A drive around Dingle reveals fascinating antiquities ranging from Iron Age stone forts to inscribed stones, early Christian oratories and beehive huts. Stops include Dunbeg Fort, Slea Head, Ballyferriter, Kilmalkedar, and Gallarus Oratory Drystone Church. Enjoy a few free hours in the attractive fishing port village of Dingle before returning to Killarney. Dinner is on your own in Killarney. Overnight in Killarney.(B,L) Day 4:
The first stop of the morning is Muchross House, an imposing Victorian mansion that was built in 1843 and overlooks the spectacular Lakes of Killarney. A drive then takes you through the lakes to The Ladies View, made famous by Queen Victoria's ladies in waiting. The drive will eventually bring you to Kenmare, which is the gourmet and lace capitol of Ireland. Afternoon tea will be served at Sheen Falls Lodge with the rest of the day free to investigate the many shops to be found here in Kenmare before finally returning to Killarney. Dinner and music night in Killarney. Overnight in Killarney.(B,L,D) Day 5:
Today's first stop is Blarney Castle in County Cork. If the gift of gab has not been bestowed on you, you may want to kiss the Blarney Stone. The castle itself sits in spectacular grounds and is well worth a visit along with the Blarney Woollen Mills Outlet with it's three floors of wonderful shopping. Then, take in a lovely coastal drive from Cork through Youghal and to Tramore for afternoon tea. Then it is on to Waterford and the Waterford Crystal Factory. The original glass factory was founded in 1783 and visitors can follow all stages of production. Dinner is on your own tonight in the many eateries to be found in Kilkenny. Overnight in Kilkenny.(B,L) Day 6:
This morning some time has been set aside to investigate Ireland's loveliest inland village of Kilkenny before paying a visit to Kilkenny Castle. Built in the 1190's, Kilkenny Castle was occupied right up to 1935. High spots of the tour include the library, the wood-paneled dining room, and the Chinese bedroom. Sumptuous afternoon tea will be held at the Kilkenny Ormonde before your visit this afternoon to Jerpoint Abbey, one of the finest Cistercian ruins in Ireland. Built in 1160, the fortified medieval complex flourished until the dissolution of the monasteries. Dinner tonight is at Kyteler's Inn, a 14th century coaching inn that is haunted by Dame Alice Kyteler. Overnight in Kilkenny.(B,L,D) Day 7:
On the way to Dublin today you will stop at Browne's Hill Dolmen, which has the biggest capstone in Europe - weighing 100 tons. The stone dates back to 2000 BC. The next stop is Kildare and St. Brigid's Cathedral, which commemorates the saint who founded a religious community on this site in 480. Enjoy afternoon tea at the Kildare Courtyard Hotel before continuing on to Dublin. Once in Dublin the rest of the afternoon can be spent sightseeing, shopping, and exploring the many restaurants to be found here. Dinner is on your own in Dublin. Overnight Dublin.(B,L)
Day 8:
Following a late breakfast you will tour the city aboard an open-top tour bus. After the tour you'll want to spend time shopping on Grafton Street or taking in Trinity College and the Book of Kells. You can also visit St. Patrick's Cathedral or Christ Church Cathedral. Meet up this evening for dinner and a night of traditional music. Overnight in Dublin.(B,D) Day 9:
This morning's adventure takes you to the north of Ireland. The first stop of the day is at Newgrange Megalithic Passage Tomb. Newgrange was built about 3200 BC. The kidney-shaped mound covers an area of over one acre and is surrounded by 97 kerbstones, some of which are richly decorated with megalithic art. Afternoon Tea is in Newry at the Canal Court Hotel. Following tea a stop will be made in Lisburn to visit the Irish Linen Centre and Museum, located in a 17th century Market House where in times gone by cottage weavers brought their cloth to sell. The centre tells the story of the Irish linen industry, with skilled demonstrations of hand spinning and handloom weaving and a display of historic linen treasures. Dinner is on your own in Belfast. Overnight in Belfast.(B,L)
Day 10:
This morning is spent in Belfast, Northern Ireland's largest city and one of Scottish Dream Tours' favorite European cities! You will board an open-top bus for a tour of the city. You can get off an on all day long with your ticket. You may want to make a lunch stop at the Crown Liquor Saloon, a flamboyant Victorian drinking palace. Belfast's downtown is full of wonderful shops. Other places of interest are City Hall, The Linen Library, and St. Anne's Cathedral. After
a day of investigating the city the group will meet up for dinner. Overnight in Belfast.(B,D)
Day 11:
This morning's itinerary takes in the Causeway Coast and The Giants Causeway where 37,000 basalt columns extend from the cliffs and into the sea. The sheer wonder and magic of the columns never fails to impress! Next, continue along the coastline of Northern Ireland on your way to Bushmills and the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest distillery in the world! Enjoy a tour of the distillery that ends with a whiskey sampling in the 1608 bar. Experience a pub dinner at the Railway Arms. Overnight in Coleraine.(B,D) Day 12:
The first stop this morning is the Ulster-American Folk Park, which is one of the best open-air museums of its kind! The park has over 30 historic buildings examining why two million people emigrated to the States in the 18th and 19th century. This morning you'll also visit the little border village of Belleek where the world famous Belleek Pottery was founded in 1857. Stop at the Visitors' Centre and Museum for a tour of the facility. Dinner tonight is at Yeats Tavern Pub.
Overnight in Sligo. (B,D) Day 13:
This morning you'll visit the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery. Carrowmore is the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland. The tombs are spread out over 1.5 square miles in the shadow of the Knocknarea and Misgaun Maeve(the name suggests that it was built for Maeve, the Iron Age queen of Connacht) with each monument standing on its own little eminence. Stop for a lovely pub lunch on the shores of Lough Gill before visiting Parke's Castle, a restored plantation castle of the early 17th century, picturesquely situated on the shores of the Lough. After a scenic drive around the Lough you will find yourself back in Sligo for dinner on your own. Overnight in Sligo.(B,L) Day 14:
This morning finds you at Boyle to visit Boyle Abbey, an impressive and well preserved Cistercian Monastery which was founded in the 12th century under the patronage of the local ruling family, the MacDermotts. Although a ruin, Boyle Abbey nevertheless retains its ability to impress the visitor as one of the most formidable of the early Cistercian foundations in Ireland. The day's next destination is Strokestown Park House, an 18th century mansion which has been faithfully restored. It is unique in that it retains its original furnishings, and professionally guided tours allow visitors to browse freely through the stately surroundings. There is also a Famine Museum which uses a combination of original documents and images from the Strokestown Park collection to explain the circumstances of the Great Irish Famine of the 1840's. You are then on your way to Galway, the center for the Irish-speaking regions in the West and a lively university city. The center of the city lies on the banks of the River Corrib, which flows down from Lough Corrib. Experience a traditional pub dinner at Donnellys in Barna. Overnight in Galway.(B,D) Day 15:
This morning you'll travel through the beautiful Connemara National Park in the heart of Connemara; a combination of bogland, lakes and mountains. Along the way, visit Kylemore Abbey sheltered by the slopes of the Twelve Bens. This lakeside castle is a romantic, battlemented Gothic Revival fantasy. Have a fish and chips lunch in Clifden, framed by the grandeur of the Twelve Bens mountain range. Then, return to Galway where you can take some time to investigate the city before checking out one of the many lovely restaurants found there. Dinner is on your own in Galway. Overnight Galway.(B,L)
Day 16:
This morning on your way south you'll visit The Burren, a unique botanical environment in which Mediterranean and alpine plants rare to Ireland grow side by side. In the southern part of the Burren, limestone gives away to black shale and sandstone to form the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. Even when shrouded in mist, the Cliffs of Moher are breathtaking, rising to a height of 650 feet out of the sea and extending for five miles. Then, travel to Ennis with it's narrow streets and quaint shops in every nook. This is, perhaps, the most endearing town in Ireland. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner and a night of traditional music in Ennis. Overnight in Ennis.(B,D) Day 17:
Following breakfast you are off to the Shannon International Airport for the return home.(B) | 
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