Monday 17th June – Sunday 23rd June 2024
Picturesque coastal towns and villages, green pastoral fields, soaring cliffs, wild barren landscapes, the crash of the ocean, the laugh of a local. Ireland is romantic, authentic, a home away from home where both old and modern seem to cohabit seamlessly on a small island in the middle of the sea. Packed with history and tradition your days are spent exploring the island of Ireland’s famous and off the beaten track sites of natural, cultural and political interest. A world renowned food scene means your evenings are spent dining in style and with the promise of a pub just around the corner, music and laughter are never far away. Your trip to Ireland will surprise and delight you but the people of Ireland will stay with you, long after your journey has taken you home.
Arriving in Ireland today, your guide will meet you at Belfast airport and together you will make your way to your hotel for the evening. You’ve had a long day, so check in, get settled, and tonight your guide will join you for a welcome dinner. Adventure begins tomorrow!
Overnight: Bushmills | The Bayview Hotel
Room Type: x1 classic twin
Meals Included: Dinner
Name:
David Lawless
Contact Number: +353 86 856 2537
Meeting Place: Belfast City Airport | Meeting Time: 17:45
David will meet you in the arrivals hall, he will have a sign with your name on it.
Restaurant: Bayview Hotel
Reservation Time: 19:30
Tonight your guide will join you for dinner at your accommodation.
This morning, head to meet a local expert for a behind the scenes look at one of the coastline’s most intriguing sites at Carrick-a-Rede. Carrick-a-Rede is a unique coastal attraction in Northern Ireland, featuring a suspended rope bridge that offers stunning views of the surrounding cliffs and sea. As you embark on the cliff walk, you would be able to witness the sheer natural beauty of the area, including stunning waterfalls, diverse birdlife, and rugged cliffs. The cliff path itself is narrow and winding, which adds to the thrill of the experience. Finish your day at the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site the Giant’s Causeway – octagonal columns of rocks created by feuding giants or volcanic activity – myth or science, you decide!
Overnight: Bushmills | The Bayview Hotel
Room Type: x1 classic twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Activity: Private Carrick-a-Rede Rope Tour
| Start Time: 10:00 | Approx Duration: 2 hrs
Please wear outdoor clothing & footwear. You will be walking approx. 3km.
Restaurant: Gray's Hotel
Reservation Time: 13:00
Website: https://graysbushmills.com/
Lunch is pre-booked for you.
Activity: Giant's Causeway Tour
| Start Time: 15:00 | Approx Duration: 2 hrs
We recommend Tartine or The Bushmills Inn. We are happy to make reservations for you in advance.
This morning, sail along the Causeway Coast to Rathlin Island. The history of the isle is entwined in folklore, the best known being that of Robert the Bruce, who, when driven from Scotland in 1306, is said to have found inspiration to reclaim his crown by watching a spider’s perseverance when building its web. Today, Rathlin is home to Northern Ireland’s largest bird sanctuary and also three enchanting lighthouses. Enjoy exploring the salt-stung cliffs, ancient woodlands and secluded beaches with your knowledgeable guide. Learn about the island’s history of shipwrecks, before returning to the mainland in the golden glow of the afternoon.
Overnight: Bushmills | The Bayview Hotel
Room Type: x1 classic twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Activity: Ferry to Rathlin Island
| Start Time: 10:00 | Approx Duration: 0.5 hrs
Please wear comfortable hiking clothes & footwear. You will spend the day exploring the island, if it is raining you may want to pack a spare pair of clothes. Your return ferry is at 4pm. Keep an eye out for those Puffins!
We recommend The Tides in Portrush. This would require a taxi that should be paid for locally and can be organised by your hotel.
Checking out of your accommodation this morning, it’s time to head to Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. Enjoy the ultimate Titanic day out with a White Star Premium Pass which includes the award-winning guided Discovery Tour, entry to the Titanic Experience and SS Nomadic, the last remaining White Star vessel. Belfast has been the scene of bloody battles and civil strife for hundreds of years. This afternoon, you will meet a local who has lived through turbulent times from war to peace and together you will explore the murals dotted around the city, framing an understanding of Northern Ireland’s dramatic past. As the sun begins to set, grab some dinner with your guide in one of Belfast’s many award winning restaurants.
Overnight: Belfast | The Merchant Hotel
Room Type: Deluxe x 1
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Tour of Titanic Belfast
| Start Time: 11:00 | Approx Duration: 2.5 hrs
Activity: Belfast Black Cab Tour
| Start Time: 15:00 | Approx Duration: 2 hrs
Restaurant: The Thirsty Goat
Reservation Time: 18:30
Website: https://thethirstygoat.co.uk/
Heading south this morning, your guide will drop you at your 5* hotel. It’s time to say goodbye, but the adventure isn’t over yet! Later today, enjoy your afternoon tea delicacies, and good conversation, and tap along to some fabulous 1950s jazz. This is afternoon tea with a difference, onboard a converted double-decker bus! Board your vintage Routemaster bus in the historic Temple Bar. Soak up the nostalgia as your host gets the conversation started, the music begins, and a classic afternoon tea is served.
Overnight: Dublin | The Merrion Hotel
Room Type: Garden wing x 1
Meals Included: Breakfast
Activity: Vintage Tea Trips
Start Location: St Stephens Court | Start Time: 13:45 | Approx Duration: 1.5 hrs
Booking Reference: #206375667
Phone: +353 (0)1 255 1777 | Website: https://www.vintageteatrips.ie/
The meeting point is only a 5 minute walk from your hotel: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HLdVeyiVFwSj9Gbk9
Dublin Castle Constructed in the early thirteenth century on the site of a Viking settlement, Dublin Castle served for centuries as the headquarters of English, and later British, administration in Ireland.
Dublinia See Dublin from a new perspective as you travel back to the heart of the old city at Christchurch. Walk where Vikings walked, find out about Dublin’s rich past and even climb an original Medieval tower.
14 Henrietta Street When you enter 14 Henrietta Street you’ll experience over 300 years of city life in the walls of one address. By connecting to the personal stories of those who called 14 Henrietta Street home, the building’s hidden histories are revealed. See the house, hear its stories and discover the layers of Dublin history within its walls.
National Gallery of Ireland At the corner of Merrion Square West and Clare Street, the recently renovated National Gallery is a treasure trove of permanent and temporary art exhibitions. Highlights include Ireland’s National Portrait Collection, the Yeats Archive and stained glass by Harry Clarke.
We recommend The Winding Stair, Sole Seafood & Grill or The Boxty House (a modern take on tradtitional Irish food).
Immerse yourself in a captivating journey through Ireland’s rich history with a day of exploration that spans from past to present. Begin your adventure at the EPIC museum, where the story of the Irish diaspora comes to life. Afterwards, set on 46 acres of leafy squares, cobblestone walkways and historic buildings, Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s Oldest University and home to The Book of Kells. Join a group walking tour of the campus before viewing the Book of Kells and Old Library ( self guided).
*We apologise that we were unable to obtain tickets for you this afternoon to Kilmainham Gaol, however we do hope that you will enjoy a highly informative guided tour of 14 Henrietta Street as an alternative. 14 Henrietta Street is a social history museum of Dublin life, from one building’s Georgian beginnings to its tenement times, the history of urban life in connected over 300 years to the stories of the people who called this place home.
Tonight, immerse yourself in the vibrant Temple Bar area, known for its lively pubs, restaurants, and live music. Have dinner at one of the many traditional Irish pubs and soak up the lively atmosphere.
Overnight: Dublin | The Merrion Hotel
Room Type: Garden wing x 1
Meals Included: Breakfast
Activity: EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
Start Location: EPIC Museum | Start Time: 10:00 | Approx Duration: 1.5 hrs
Booking Reference: TBK9JYRD (Weil)
Phone: +353 (0)1 531 3688 | Website: https://epicchq.com/
Activity: Trinity College Dublin / Book of Kells
Start Location: Trinity College | Start Time: 12:00 | Approx Duration: 2 hrs
Booking Reference: #443564453
Phone: +353 18962320 | Website: https://www.visittrinity.ie/book-now/
Please arrive 10 minutes in advance of your tour time.
Activity: Kilmainham Gaol
Start Location: Kilmainham Gaol Museum | Approx Duration: 1.5 hrs
Phone: +353 1 4535984 | Website: https://www.kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/
We will forward tickets on the 15th of May, as booking is not open until then. You may need to take a taxi here.
* Activity cancelled due to tickets selling out. Please see alternative activity.
Walking route notes from The Merrion to EPIC and then to Trinity College: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jB2M5Gs1mSUbywxs9
We recommend Boeuf & Frites, The Church or Agave.
Activity: 14 Henrietta Street
Start Location: 14 Henrietta Street, Dublin | Start Time: 00:00 | Approx Duration: 1 hrs
Booking Reference: 143514699
Phone: +353 1 524 0383 | Website: https://14henriettastreet.ie/
Tickets attached below
It’s time to say goodbye to Ireland today. Your private airport transfer will connect you with your chosen airport today for your departing flights home or onward travels. We hope you had an amazing experience!
Meals Included: Breakfast
Supplier: Dublin Chauffeurs
Pick Up Location: The Merrion Hotel | Pick Up Time: 07:50 | Approx Duration: 0.75 hrs
Phone: +353 (0)87 233 8396
Justin or one of his drivers will meet you in the lobby of your hotel.
2 Bayhead Road, Portballintrae |
Bushmills |
Co. Antrim |
BT57 8RZ |
Northern Ireland
Phone: +44 (0)28 2073 4100
Web: bayviewhotelni.com
16 Skipper Street |
Belfast |
Co. Antrim |
BT1 2DZ |
Northern Ireland
Phone: +44 (0)28 90 23 4888
Web: themerchanthotel.com
Upper Merrion Street |
Dublin |
Co. Dublin |
D02 KF79 |
Ireland
Phone: +353 (0)1 603 0600
Web: merrionhotel.com
Contact Number: +353 86 856 2537
Music and the outdoors are my big obsessions. I grew up in Dublin but I took every opportunity to get out into the hills. The mountains of Wicklow provided endless options for hiking and biking, leading small groups of friends in the hills since my teens.
I worked in IT for over twenty years before taking a sabbatical in 2011 to go travelling for a year. Upon returning, I quit in 2013 and moved to the west coast for a change – which turned out to be the best decision I ever made. I’ve been working as a guide since 2016, and now live in Sligo, get to cycle its back roads, walk its hills, swim at its beaches, and play music with a bunch of good friends.
Monday 17th June – Sunday 23rd June 2024
