Today you leave home behind as you board your overnight international flight to Dublin.

Our local representatives will meet you at the Dublin airport. Stop at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The church was transitioned from a Catholic church to the Church of Ireland over the centuries. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels and a critic of British rule, was a pastor here. Enjoy a pub lunch in downtown Dublin. Travel on to Phoenix Park. Once a private park only for the titled gentry, it now serves the public as both a recreational venue and home to the Dublin Zoo. After a short driving tour of Dublin, we will check in to our hotel for some downtime before dinner on our own. Take the opportunity to wander the streets of Dublin in the late evening light. Perhaps make your way along the River Liffey to the Temple Bar area, where outdoor music can be enjoyed. (L)

Head north and discover the rich history of Celtic life in the Boyne Valley. From the time of the first Celtic influence until the 1169 invasion, the Hill of Tara was the island's political and spiritual capital. It contains several ancient monuments, and according to tradition, was the seat of the High King of Ireland. Walk the grounds of Monasterboice Monastery, where some of the finest 9th century High Crosses can be seen. Founded in 521 AD by St. Buite, the ruins remain a testament to their Christian heritage. Continue towards County Down where you will make a stop at Tracey's Farmhouse Kitchen for a baking experience. Based in Comber, County Down, on the shores of Strangford Lough, Tracey Jeffrey has a beautiful traditional cottage where she provides a traditional Irish bread-making experience. The session starts with a traditional Irish fruit soda cake, a delicious sweet treat with lots of homemade Irish butter. Finish the day in Belfast and check into your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Journey into the soul of Christian Ireland at Downpatrick. See the church and grave of St. Patrick, as well as a visitor’s center that presents the saint’s life and the conversion of Ireland. Then return to Armagh and visit the Church of Ireland Cathedral to St. Patrick here. With foundations dating back to 445 AD, this church represents one of the oldest places of continuous worship in Ireland. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Cross Ireland, stopping to visit Clonmacnoise, an important monastic site and the burial place of kings. Among these ruins are the famous thousand-year-old cross. Three high crosses, two hundred graves and the ruins of a 13th century ring fort also remain. Finish the day in Galway, whose main thoroughfare is lined with buildings that date back to the 15th Century. Christopher Columbus visited the city in search of support for his search or trade routes to India by crossing the Atlantic. Check into your hotel in Galway for overnight. (B)

As you travel through the Burren Region, arrive at the Cliffs of Moher. These sheer cliffs drop 600 feet to the water below. This is the most impressive stretch of shoreline on the west coast of Ireland. The eroded limestone rock through the Burrens has flowers popping up through the crevices. Finish the day in Kerry and check into your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Delight in some of Ireland’s most spectacular scenery as you travel around the Highlights of the Ring of Kerry, traveling through Moll's Gap and Ladies View. After, enjoy a sheepdog demonstration at Kissane Farm. Visit this traditional, working sheep farm with approximately 1.000 mountain sheep and hundreds of lambs. The farm has been run by generations of the family for the last 150 years. Continue to Kenmare for some free time and a lunch break. Return to your hotel in Kerry for your overnight stay (B, D) 

Travel to Cork to visit Blarney Castle and see the fabled Blarney Stone. Legend says that those who kiss the stone acquire the gift of eloquence. You will see the Rock of Cashel, the traditional seat of Irish kings. Here St. Patrick is thought to have converted the King of Munster. The present ruins are from structures built in the 12th and 13th centuries, during the Norman era. Check into your Dublin hotel for overnight. (B)

Today enjoy a visit to EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum. This museum is a state-of-the-art interactive experience located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands, the original departure point for so many of Ireland’s emigrants. It will inspire and guide you on a journey to discover the stories of Irish emigration around the world, from early times to the modern day. Enjoy a free afternoon in Dublin! (B)

We will carry the people, beauty and history of Ireland with us as we return home. (B)