Best of Ireland

Join a licensed guide to explore Dublin’s finest sights. Walk through Phoenix Park, Europe’s largest walled city park, home to red deer and the Phoenix Column. Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where Ireland’s patron saint once baptized converts, and see O’Connell Street and Parnell Square. At Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest university, enter the Old Library’s Long Room to view the Book of Kells, an illuminated 9th-century manuscript of the four Gospels, famed for its intricate Celtic designs.

Be Irish for a day! Experience firsthand how Irish farmers tend to their land and animals. Learn all about traditional Ireland: speak their native language, dance a jig, bake your own bread, or play the bodhran, a traditional Irish drum made from goatskin.

Explore EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin’s Docklands, the original departure point for countless Irish emigrants. This interactive museum guides you through their reasons for leaving, the impact they made worldwide, and the enduring connections among Irish communities across the globe.

Walk a mile in the shoes of an Irish emigrant. Uncover personal accounts of the circumstances that forced these inhabitants out of the country. Reflect on the feelings you would have felt in their shoes and discover how their departure shaped the history of Ireland.

Meet Galway, the lively bayside city often compared to San Francisco, on a walking tour led by your Tour Director. Begin at the Spanish Arch, built to protect the docks where Spanish traders once moored their ships. Continue along Quay Street, lined with colorful shops, cafés, and pubs that capture the city’s Bohemian charm. Visit St. Nicholas’ Church, Ireland’s second-largest medieval parish church, crowned by its distinctive pyramid-shaped spire. Conclude in Eyre Square, the heart of Galway life, where locals gather amid green lawns, historic monuments, and fountains celebrating the city’s maritime heritage.

Venture outside city limits in search of Ireland’s mystical nature. Visit the surreal town of Connemara where ancient Irish is softly spoken. Sense her haunting nature as you survey the jagged coastline of rocky beaches, twisting roads, rippled bogs and windswept heather. Next stop, Kylemore Abbey. Tucked inside a hidden valley along the lush banks of Lough Corrib Lake, it’s like a vision from a fairytale dream. Outside you’ll discover the look, feel and scent of a real Victorian garden. Inside, you’ll find a larger-than-life residence run by an order of Benedictine nuns, and one of the most prestigious international schools in Europe. The infamous prose Yeats wrote while gazing at the river says it all, “peace comes dropping slow”.

Venture to the edge of Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher, where sheer rock faces rise 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Layers of sandstone and shale color the cliffs, while O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly at the summit, offering sweeping views. With waves crashing below and Ireland’s brilliant green landscape spilling toward the sea, this is one of the country’s most breathtaking natural wonders.

Discover Limerick, Ireland’s third-largest city, where modern energy meets medieval heritage. Wander lively streets and riverside paths, then visit King John’s Castle, a 13th-century fortress with commanding views. Step into St. Mary’s Cathedral, one of Ireland’s oldest churches, to experience centuries of living history.

Get a feel for Ireland’s emerald beauty on an excursion around the Iveragh Peninsula on the panoramic coastal route, Ring of Kerry. Along the 112 miles of breathtaking views, you’ll spy 360 degrees of the vast Atlantic Ocean, the Lakes of Killarney, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks (Ireland’s tallest mountains), and every shade of green known to the Emerald Isle.

Mountain sheep have dotted the hills around Killarney for centuries. Visit a traditional Irish sheep farm to meet these fluffy locals up close. Please note: During winter months, this activity will be replaced with a visit to the Bog Village.

Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, blends rich history with vibrant culture. Explore the Book of Kells, Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedrals, and the medieval streets of Temple Bar, where centuries-old walls and lively pubs capture the spirit of the city.

Stop for a visit to Blarney Castle, the medieval stone structure built on solid limestone around 1466. (The slivers of windows served as a defense, enabling Lord Blarney and his men to shoot arrows at invaders while staying protected from within.) Climb the spiral staircases to the top of the castle to kiss the Blarney stone. Legend promises that if you lean backwards and kiss the stone upside-down, you’ll be granted the “gift of the gab” (the privilege of babbling questionable commentary for seven years). Before you leave, wander the path to Rock Close to ponder the druidic circle of mystical stones. Enter Lord Blarney’s dungeon if you dare.

Watch as dancers leap, skip, and slide their way through lively Irish jigs. Hear musicians on fiddles, flutes, and pipes bring traditional Gaelic music to life. Experience the best of Irish culture and heritage during this unforgettable Irish folklore evening.