Tour Date
Was From
Now From
Savings
Promotion Code
BOOK NOW
8/12/2012
$3,239
$2,739*
$500
EIR2012
9/23/2012
$3,039
$2,539*
$500
EIR2012
10/14/2012
$2,939
$2,439*
$500
EIR2012
11/25/2012
$2,369
$1,969*
$400
EIR2012
Enchanting Ireland
11 Days

Overview
The landscapes of Ireland have inspired dreamers and storytellers since the days of the druids. This Ireland tour highlights everything that makes the Emerald Isle one of our travelers’ favorite destinations, from the festive pubs of Dublin to the myth-steeped towers of Blarney Castle to the awe-inspiring Cliffs of Moher. You’ll enjoy a visit to the Rock of Cashel, take in the land and seascapes of the Ring of Kerry and step inside the 15th-century Bunratty Castle.

You will visit:
  • Dublin
  • County Cork
  • County Kerry
  • Galway
  • Limerick
Trip costs include:
  • Round-trip air transportation with a major airline and airport transfers
  • The services of a Go Ahead Tour Director
  • A professional local guide in Dublin
  • 9 nights accommodations in well-located hotels including baggage handling
  • Buffet breakfast daily; 3 three-course dinners, including wine or beer
  • Private deluxe motorcoach
  • Personal audio headset and entrance fees to select sites
Optional Excursions:
  • Powerscourt & Glendalough - $79
  • Traditional Irish Evening - $119
  • Castle Banquet Dinner - $125
  • Aran Islands - $99
Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Dublin aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Dublin

Welcome to the Emerald Isle! A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to begin exploring Dublin. At tonight’s included dinner, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Dublin

A local guide leads a sightseeing tour of the city. Drive to Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed public park in Europe. Its grounds include the Arás an Uachtaráin (Presidential Residence). Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, founded by Ireland’s patron saint in A.D. 450, and then visit Trinity College, where you can view the illuminated Book of Kells in the university’s library.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College

Day 4 - Dublin

Discover Dublin at your own pace today. You might choose to quaff the perfect pint at the Guinness Storehouse, stroll through St. Stephen’s Green or explore the Writers’ Museum. Alternatively, join an optional excursion passing through the Wicklow Mountains to visit Powerscourt House. Here you can walk through Ireland’s most beautiful formal gardens, and Glendalough, a romantic glen where St. Kevin founded Ireland’s most important monastery in the 6th century. Attend an optional Traditional Irish Evening tonight.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 5 - County Cork

Leaving Dublin this morning, travel a short distance southwest to County Kildare. Stop at the National Stud Farm, where world-class race horses are bred and trained. Visit the stables, where you are likely to glimpse the thoroughbreds. Continue to County Tipperary where you’ll visit the iconic Rock of Cashel. The commanding stone buildings date back to the 12th and 13th centuries and offer a glimpse into Ireland’s past. Admire St. Patrick’s Cathedral and other well-preserved religious ruins. Later arrive in County Cork, Ireland’s largest county.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: National Stud Farm, Rock of Cashel and St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Day 6 - County Kerry

This morning, visit Blarney Castle. This 15th-century fortress is known above all else for the legendary Blarney Stone, said to grant magical powers of eloquence to those who kiss it—which you can attempt by climbing the steep staircase to the top of the parapet and leaning out of the battlements. Stop in the fishing village of Cobh, which in centuries past often served as a launch site for ships bound for North America. Here you’ll visit the Queenstown Story Museum, whose exhibits tell the story of Irish emigration during the past 150 years. Your Tour Director will introduce you to the city of Cork before continuing on to County Kerry, where dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Blarney Castle, Queenstown Story Museum

Day 7 - County Kerry

Today’s included excursion takes you around the Ring of Kerry, a 112-mile coastal route that covers some of Ireland’s most spectacular scenery. Pass the pristine Lakes of Killarney and gaze across Dingle Bay to Dingle Peninsula. This afternoon, enjoy picturesque views of the Skellig Islands. Then continue to the picturesque village of Sneem, the “Knot in the Ring,” where brightly painted cottages surround the cozy market green. You’ll also stop in Killarney, where you’ll have some free time to explore its quaint shops and galleries.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 8 - Galway

En route to Galway, stop for a visit at 13th-century Bunratty Castle. Then motor on to Galway, Ireland’s third-largest city. For 400 years Galway was an independent city-state—as recently as the 19th century, local citizens were still in the habit of setting their clocks 40 minutes behind Dublin time. Tonight, dine at our optional Castle Banquet dinner (seasonal).
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Bunratty Castle

Day 9 - Galway

With another free day in Galway, you might choose to explore the city’s cultural highlights or cross the River Corrib to see University College. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to the Aran Islands (weather permitting), a rugged region of traditional Irish culture that has remained largely unchanged in recent centuries.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 10 - Limerick

Depart Galway and travel through the limestone plateau known as the Burren. Stop to see the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, which rise 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Later, transfer to Limerick. Overlooked by Woodcock Hill immediately to the north, and the Silvermine Mountains to the east, the city is spread along both banks of the Shannon River. Here, you’ll enjoy an included Farewell Dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 11 - Limerick

A Go Ahead representative accompanies you on the motorcoach transfer to Shannon, where you’ll check in at the airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be provided.)


*Restrictions Apply: Prices are per person based on double occupancy and vary by departure date and gateway. Advertised tour prices are based on departures from NYC. Advertised prices are valid while space is still available on new reservations made between May 9 and June 15, 2012 and when the promotion code is applied at the time of reservation. Not combinable with any other promotional offer. Sales promotions are not redeemable for cash. Changes or cancellations will result in a fee of up to the total tour price. Applicable airline baggage fees are not included and can be found at goaheadtours.com/baggage. Please contact the airline for more information. To view Go Ahead’s Terms and Conditions, visit goaheadtours.com/terms. The tour operator for your trip is EF Cultural Travel Ltd. Please refer to our website for complete terms and conditions. CST 2060043-20.