Best of Ireland Tour
From $1499 (was $1749)
Per person, double occupancy, excludes roundtrip airfare
12 Days
Passport Required
View Dates and PricesThis program is currently sold out but new dates are coming soon! Call 877-332-6185 for more details.
Introduction
Experience the real Ireland—where myths, history, and the sea collide. The Best of Ireland tour takes you around the entire “Emerald Isle,” providing local travel experiences and the best sights in Ireland. If you’re looking for things to do in Dublin, we start by exploring the capital city with visits to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity College. Stroll through historic ruins at the Rock of Cashel before journeying to the home of the world-famous Waterford Crystal. Heading south, visit Blarney Castle where legend says if you kiss the Blarney Stone, it will give you the “gift of gab.”
Dramatic mountain passes, rugged coastline, and white-sand beaches will mesmerize you on the Ring of Kerry scenic drive. Learn about the history of a medieval fortress at Bunratty Castle, before stopping at the Cliffs of Moher for views of the North Atlantic. Wrap up your trip with a visit to Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our charming local driver guides will show you the true spirit of legendary Irish hospitality on this guided tour. Check out our Travel Blog for more tips and ideas for your Best of Ireland Tour!
Trip Includes
Sightseeing- Dublin
- Waterford
- Cork
- Killarney
- Ring of Kerry
- Galway
- Cliffs of Moher
- Sligo
- Belfast
- Giant's Causeway
- 10 Nights
- Moderate hotels based on twin/double occupancy
- 10 Breakfasts and 5 Dinners
- A professionally trained English-speaking local driver-guide in Ireland who is knowledgeable of the area and will provide you with a wealth of information. Their friendly service will make your trip a memorable experience.
- To and from your hotel room throughout your land tour for one piece of Checked Baggage per person.
Activity Level
Click here for full details.
Trip Highlights
- Visit Waterford and Waterford Crystal factory
- Kiss the Blarney Stone and acquire the "gift of the gab" at Blarney Castle
- Dublin sightseeing including St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the largest in Ireland
- Take one of Europe’s most famous drives, the Ring of Kerry, with its spectacular scenery of lakes and rivers
- See the incredible Cliffs of Moher and Giant’s Causeway
- Visit Titanic Belfast—the world’s largest Titanic experience
Step 1
Airfare to tour:
Step 2
Number of travelers:
| Depart | Base Price | Taxes & Fees | Single Supplement | Triple Reduction | Quad Reduction | Airfare to Tour | Total Price per person | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Click the map to enlarge)
Best of Ireland
Best of Ireland
Tours Starts: Dublin, Ireland
Tours Ends: Dublin, Ireland
Day 1
Depart for Dublin
Your journey begins on your overnight flight.
Day 2
Arrive in Dublin
Arrive in Dublin, capital city of the “Emerald Isle.” If you purchased airline tickets from YMT, a representative will welcome you and transport you to the hotel. Dublin is laid out perfectly for casual walkers, so shops, restaurants, the River Liffey, and many other highlights are easy to explore on foot at your leisure. This evening, relax over a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers and learn about the days ahead. (D)
Clayton Hotel Leopardstown or similar
Day 3
Dublin
This morning, enjoy a tour of the highlights of this richly historical city. See the Bank of Ireland, built in the 18th century to house the Parliament; and Leinster House, where the government convenes today. Visit the famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral, originally built in 450 AD and rebuilt in 1191. The afternoon is at leisure, giving you plenty of time to visit Trinity College, Henrietta Street’s Georgian mansions, or to take a stroll down Grafton Street in the center of Dublin. (B)
Clayton Hotel Leopardstown or similar
Day 4
Dublin to Waterford
Today we head south to the Rock of Cashel—a cluster of historic ruins towering on a hilltop 200 feet above the surrounding plains. We then head to Waterford, the oldest city in Ireland, and home to the famous crystal. Enjoy an illuminating tour of the factory where you’ll learn about the manufacturing process and Waterford’s history. There will be time to browse the gift shop, and marvel at the largest Waterford Crystal collection in the world. (B)
Fitzwilton Hotel or similar
Day 5
Waterford to Killarney
This morning we continue to Cork for a guided Jameson Experience distillery tour of the Midleton Distillery. Learn about history, heritage, and the whiskey production process before enjoying a comparative tasting of Scotch, American and Jameson whiskey. Also included in today's visit is a complimentary drink at the bar! Next, we visit Blarney Castle, one of Ireland’s oldest and most historic castles. You’re free to climb the 125 steps of the spiral staircase to kiss the Blarney Stone, which legend says will grant you the quintessentially Irish “gift of the gab.” Our tour ends today in Killarney, our home for the next two nights. (B, D)
Killarney Oaks Hotel or similar
Day 6
Ring of Kerry Excursion
This morning take one of Europe’s most famous drives, the Ring of Kerry. This long loop takes us through spectacular scenery—lakes, rivers, historical landmarks, and charming villages on the Iveragh Peninsula. Back in Killarney this evening, you’re free to relax at the hotel or explore the quaint town at your leisure. (B)
Killarney Oaks Hotel or similar
Day 7
Killarney to Galway
Today we visit Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, where we’ll see one of the most complete and authentic medieval fortresses in the country. Built in 1425, the castle was restored in 1954 to its former glory. It now houses an exquisitely- detailed living history museum that gives you a taste of what country life was really like in turn-of-the-century Ireland. Next, drive through the scenic Burren area, stopping to view the picturesque Cliffs of Moher, sheer sea cliffs with incredible views of the north Atlantic. Arrive in the Galway area by late afternoon. (B, D)
The Connacht Hotel or similar
Day 8
Galway to Sligo
Today, we travel through the beautiful and rugged landscape of the Connemara region. We’ll visit the palatial Kylemore Abbey, nestled at the base of Druchruach Mountain, which took 100 craftsmen 4 years to complete. Our drive continues through Westport into the Sligo area by late afternoon. (B, D)
Yeats County Hotel or similar
Day 9
Sligo to Belfast
This morning, enjoy a short visit to Belleek Pottery, a porcelain company founded in 1884, for a lesson on its history—with time to buy souvenirs in their store. Next, visit the Ulster American Folk Park, a living history settlement, and learn about 300 years of Irish emigration to America. Continue to Belfast, your home for the next two nights. (B, D only for 2019)
Park Inn Belfast or similar
Day 10
Giant’s Causeway
Today, we’ll enjoy a relaxing excursion along beautiful coastal roads, and take in the stunning scenery of rugged seaside cliffs and the endless Atlantic Ocean. We’ll spend time exploring the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with remarkable rock formations that tower up to 40 feet in the air. The stacks are said to be 50 million years old, and according to myth, were part of a road built by the legendary giant Finn MacCool. (B)
Park Inn Belfast or similar
Day 11
Belfast and Dublin
This morning we visit Titanic Belfast, the $150 million Titanic visitor experience in the city where the unsinkable ship was built. You will see full-scale reconstructions and learn about the Titanic’s conception through to her infamous maiden voyage and tragic end in 1912. The journey continues to the discovery of the wreck, and into the present day with a live undersea exploration center. We will then enjoy a panoramic motor coach tour of Belfast, taking in the impressive Parliament buildings at Stormont, Belfast City Hall, and the murals of the Falls Road. In the afternoon, we drive south to Dublin for our final evening in Ireland, and a farewell dinner at the hotel. (B, D)
Clayton Hotel Leopardstown or similar
Day 12
Depart Dublin for Home (B)
Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tour vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights.
YMT Vacations itineraries may contain suggestions for activities for your leisure time; these suggestions do not constitute a recommendation nor an endorsement of any specific service provider and the decision to participate in any such activities should be made independently.
Watch a short video about this tour!
