10 Day Irish Self Drive Suggested Itinerary
Day 1 Private transfer Airport to Hotel
Day 2 Dublin City Tour with your private guide/driver
Entrance to Trinity College Book of Kells Admission
10am is the best time to start for the ½ day citytour, it allows the rush hour traffic in the city to clear a bit and by the time the half day tour is finishing they will be ready for lunch (either back at their hotel or a local restaurant). By 2:00 PM the restaurants won’t be so busy either
You will be taken on a half-day sightseeing tour of Ireland's capital. Dublin has retained its aura of Georgian elegance with many examples of fine architecture. Tour Trinity College, founded in the sixteenth century, where you will certainly want to spend some time in the library viewing the famous Book of Kells.
Day 3 Waterford
Travel from Dublin into the Wicklow mountains, pausing to admire the lovely Powerscourt Gardens, lingering amongst the ancient monastic ruins of Glendalough, visiting the Avoca hand weavers who capture the subtle hues of heather and field in their fabric, and admiring the skill of the Waterford crystal cutters.
Waterford is Ireland's oldest city, founded in 852 by the Vikings. The city is surrounded by water and the medieval city walls are still visible. Reginald's tower dominates the skyline and is more than 1,000 years old. The popular Waterford Crystal Factory is also here.
Highlights: Waterford Crystal Factory, Reginald's Tower, ancient city walls, Waterford Treasures
Day 4&5 Killarney, Muckross Park Hotel & Spa 2 nights, Deluxe Room based on double occupancy with private bath and daily breakfast
Killarney, County Kerry
The highest concentration of ancient sites are in County Kerry. From Killarney you can travel on the Ring of Kerry & see some of Ireland's most spectacular scenery. See the Lissyviggeen Stone Circle, Ross Castle, Muckross House, the 15th century Muckross Abbey and Crag Caves.
Within the National Park is Muckross House-a magnificent Victorian mansion and one of the Ireland’s leading stately homes. The elegantly furnished rooms portray the lifestyle of the landed gentry, while downstairs in the basement one can experience the working conditions of the servants employed in the house.
The gardens at Muckross House are renowned world-wide for their beauty. In particular they are noted for their fine collections of azaleas and rhododendrons, an extensive water garden, and an outstanding rock garden hewn out of natural limestone.Muckross House is also home to a number of skilled craft workers who can be viewed using traditional skills in the crafts of weaving, bookbinding and pottery.
Enjoy a full tour of the "Ring of Kerry" via Killorglin during your stay in Killarney. Great purple mountains compete with carpeted green vales and dramatic seascapes. The mountains are surrounded by a patchwork quilt of stone-framed fields, abandoned fortresses and thriving small towns. This part of Kerry is deep in the countryside, where the urge to sing or hum a lilting tune is irresistible. Quiet meadows, and moorland and dramatic mountains intermingle with a ragged Atlantic coastline of beaches and strikingly beautiful coves. You climb to see Ireland's most spectacular mountain road offering views over golden beaches and returning by Moll's Gap to magnificent views over Killarney's lakes.
Highlights: Ring of Kerry , Lissyviggeen Circle, Ross Castle , Muckross Abbey, Crag Caves
Day 6&7 Galway, Meyrick Hotel 2 night based on double occupancy with private bath and daily breakfast
You begin your journey northwards through Castleisland and Abbeyfeale to quaint Adare, known for it's thatched roofed homes. You travel along the awe-inspiring craggy Cliffs of Moher, soaring 700 feet above the sea below. Move on to Lisdoonvarna, Ireland's premier resort and site of the 'Matchmaking Festival'. Enjoy the remarkable Burren Country, consisting of bare limestone hills which are a botanist's paradise. You travel Corkscrew Hill to Ballyvaughan to Clarinbridge and into Galway.
Galway is a vibrant city full of music, art, sculpture, crafts, literature and poetry. Street performers fill the cobblestone pedestrian streets. Visit the numerous medieval pubs with traditional Irish music. Also visit the impressive Galway Cathedral, Spanish Arch, Eyre Square and the medieval quarter.
Galway is one of the most interesting of Irish towns with its narrow winding lanes, antique shops and quaint pubs. Galway dates from 1124, and for centuries, Galway traded exclusively with Spain, whose influence on the community is very strong. After Galway burned to the ground in 1473, the rebuilding included Spanish architecture. Galway is the main city in the West, known as the City of the Tribes as it was ruled for many centuries by a number of patrician families. It is said that Christopher Columbus stopped here en route to the New World. Visit the Celtic Crystal Factory, known for its colored glass
Highlights: Galway Cathedral, Eyre Square, Medieval Quarter, Traditional Irish music, Spanish Arches
Day 8 &9 Malahide, The Grand Hotel 1 night, Sea View room based on double occupancy with private bath and daily breakfast
Check out of the hotel in Galway, go for lunch locally and then head to Malahide where they can stop off at Malahide Castle for some site seeing and also Malahide Village where there is lots of cafes and shops.
Malahide is one of Ireland’s most beautiful and well known towns and has won many prestigious awards. Situated along a stretch of Dublin bay’s scenic coastline, Malahide boasts a heritage village, national visitor attraction at Malahide Castle, a marina, world class restaurants, cafes, famous pubs, accommodation and conference facilities all along our beautiful sandy beaches. Malahide's ideal location just 10 minutes from Dublin Airport.
Day 10 Private transfer to the airport
Call 1-800-221-2474 9AM - 5PM or Please Email Us For Information
