Best of Ireland Tour
From $1499 (was $1749)
per person, double occupancy, excludes roundtrip airfare
12 Days
Includes 16 meals on tour
Passport Required
This program is currently sold out but new dates are coming soon! Call 877-332-6185 for more details.
Introduction
Experience Irish culture firsthand with a 12 day escorted tour around the entire country! Ireland vacations are unlike any other because myths, history, and the sea collide on this “Emerald Isle” to give you an unforgettable experience. Your travels will start in Dublin, where your guide will take you to popular landmarks, including the famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral. And Ireland tours would not be complete without a stop at the famous Blarney Stone, followed by a drive through the Ring of Kerry where you will see lakes, rivers, and charming villages.
You’ll have ample time to explore remarkable rock formations that tower up to forty feet in the air at Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experience legendary Irish hospitality with our charming local driver guides or in a warm pub on peaceful evenings while you make friends with a few locals. You may even pick up some Gaelic words!
Rest assured that a guided tour through Ireland with YMT will give you the full Irish experience without the hassle of planning yourself. Simply pack your suitcase, and leave the rest to us.
Check out our Travel Blog for more tips and ideas for your Best of Ireland Tour!
Trip includes
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Hotel Accommodations: Includes 10 nights of hotel accommodations based on twin/double occupancy in moderate hotels.
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Sightseeing: and special events as listed in the tour itinerary.
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Meals: Ten breakfasts and six dinners.
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Service: Your tour is accompanies throughout by a professionally trained Irish driver guide who is knowledgeable on the local area and will provide you with a wealth of information. Their friendly service will make your trip a memorable experience.
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Baggage Handling: 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
- Kiss the Blarney Stone and acquire the ""Gift of 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
*Offers valid for new bookings only and subject to availability. Offer may be cancelled at any time. Please follow the steps below to price your vacation with YMT. When you complete all the steps, please click "Reserve" next to the date on which you would like to travel.
Step 1
Airfare to tour:
Step 2
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| 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 Tour
Best of Ireland Tour
Tour Starts: Dublin, Ireland
Tour Ends: Dublin, Ireland
Day 1
Depart for Dublin
Your journey begins on your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2
Arrive Dublin
Arrive in Dublin, capital city of the “Emerald Isle.” If you purchased airline tickets from YMT Vacations, a friendly YMT 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 exciting days ahead. (D)
Sandymount Hotel 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. Stop at famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral, originally built in 450 AD, then rebuilt in 1191. The afternoon is at leisure and you have plenty of time to visit Trinity College, or Henrietta Street’s Georgian mansions. Perhaps take a stroll down Grafton Street in the center of Dublin. (B)
Sandymount Hotel 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 Cobh, Titanic’s last port of call in 1912, and the departure point for over 2.5 million emigrating Irish, the majority of whom ended up in America. Learn the history of Cobh at the Heritage Centre. 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 or similar
Day 6
Ring of Kerry Excursion
This morning we 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 or similar
Day 7
Killarney to Galway
Our first stop today is 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, we drive through the scenic Burren area, stopping to view the picturesque Cliffs of Moher, sheer sea cliffs with incredible views of the north Atlantic. We 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, though to late afternoon when we’ll arrive in the Sligo area. (B, D)
Hotel Radisson Blu Sligo or similar
Day 9
Sligo to Belfast
This morning, we 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, we visit the Ulster American Folk Park, a living history settlement where we’ll learn about 300 years of Irish emigration to America. Our tour continues east to Belfast, our home for the next two nights. (B, D)
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 & 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)
Sandymount Hotel or similar
Day 12
Depart Dublin for Home
Today, bid farewell to Ireland, taking home a suitcase full of memories and stories to share about your YMT Irish vacation!
Note: By their nature, all tours 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 and visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sites.
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 tours 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!