This week-long Ireland travel adventure includes some of the Emerald Isle's most notable places, from sophisticated cities to small towns throughout the quintessential Irish countryside. Attend an "Irish House Party" in Georgian Dublin, featuring traditional Irish music, dance and dinner. Stay at a castle, a manor house and a luxury hotel in the heart of Dublin. Attend a private recital at a cathedral in Cork. Explore the ruins of 6th-century Glendalough with a local guide, and see the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle and the Book of Kells; and enjoy multiple-night stays in one of Ireland's finest castle hotels (Dromoland Castle), a country manor (Hayfield Manor Hotel) and a Dublin landmark (The Westbury Hotel). A week in Ireland is... a week well spent!

Day 1 Welcome to Ireland
Meals D
Tour begins: 6:30 PM at Dromoland Castle. A transfer is included from Shannon Airport to Dromoland Castle, your royal home for two nights. The enchantment begins this evening with a welcome cocktail reception and dinner in the castle.
Lodging Dromoland Castle

Day 2 The magnificent Cliffs of Moher and a day at an Irish castle
Meals B, L, D
Drive today through The Burren, an eerie landscape of limestone outcrops, to the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs, over five miles long, and towering up to 660 feet, reign unrivaled over the Atlantic Ocean coastline, offering amazing views. Sample a taste of country life during lunch in Burren and return to Dromoland Castle, where the rest of day is at leisure.
Lodging Dromoland Castle

Day 3 Ireland travel days continue in Kenmare and County Cork
Meals B, D
It’s on to County Cork today for a two-night stay in an elegant manor house hotel and an in-depth discovery of all things Irish. En route, you’ll stop in Kenmare and enjoy a breathtaking drive over the Caha Pass connecting the Ring of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula. Dine at the hotel tonight.
Lodging Hayfield Manor Hotel

Day 4 A little bit of Blarney, a trip to Kinsale & a private concert in Cork
Meals B, D
Blarney Castle, reputed to bestow the Gift of Gab on hearty souls who climb its ramparts to kiss a magical stone, is the first stop on today’s itinerary. Visit historic Charles Fort, one of the finest examples of a 17th-century fortification in Ireland, and then spend some time in the lovely harborside village of Kinsale. End the day in Cork, where this evening you’re invited to a private recital at St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral before dinner at Hayfield Manor.
Lodging Hayfield Manor Hotel

Day 5 Waterford Crystal, rail to Dublin, and a "house party"
Meals B, L, D
Waterford Crystal has long enjoyed a privileged reputation as among the finest glassware in the world – see how it is crafted on a visual journey of over 220 years of glass making at the new Waterford Crystal center. Then it’s all aboard a train bound for Ireland’s capital city of Dublin. Tonight, enjoy one of Ireland’s enduring traditions during The Irish House Party, a fun-filled evening that includes dinner, Irish music and dancing at the historic Merchants Arch Building.
Lodging The Westbury Hotel

Day 6 Dublin’s fair city
Meals B
Experience an in-depth introduction to Dublin on a sightseeing tour that includes lively O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and beautiful parks. We’ll take you inside Trinity College Library to see the 8th-century Book of Kells, before giving you the opportunity to enjoy the city as you wish. Wander among the stylish shops of Grafton Street, stroll along the River Liffey or St. Stephen’s Green, or experience the grandeur of Merrion Square. Dinner is on your own tonight; Dublin restaurants, and Irish cuisine, have earned high marks on the European culinary scene; there are a lot of restaurants to choose from close to your hotel.
Lodging The Westbury Hotel

Day 7 Secrets of Glendalough
Meals B, D
Travel outside of Dublin into the hills of Wicklow to the ancient monastic settlement of Glendalough via the scenic Yellow Roads. Most of the ruins and sites date from the 10th century and are remarkably preserved; see some of the most significant ones on a guided tour. Return to Dublin midday for time at leisure. Join us tonight for a farewell dinner.
Lodging The Westbury Hotel

Day 8 This one-week Ireland travel days conclude
Meals B
We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home as This one-week Ireland travel days end. Tour ends: Dublin. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Westbury Hotel to Dublin Airport; allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Nights 1 - 2 : Dromoland Castle - Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ireland
The readers of Travel + Leisure named Dromoland Castle one of the top 100 world hotels for 2008, and the readers of Condé Nast Traveler named it to the Gold List for 2008. One of the world’s most famous castle hotels, Dromoland Castle is magnificently steeped in history and tradition. In addition to all the pleasures to be found within the castle, to include the full-service spa and indoor pool, guests can enjoy superb golf, boating, shooting, fishing, tennis, walking and cycling within the extensive grounds of the estate.

Nights 3 - 4 : Hayfield Manor Hotel - Cork, Ireland
Located just five minutes from the lively center of Cork, the Hayfield Manor Hotel has the look and feel of a centuries-old grand residence of the wealthy elite, surrounded by two acres of gracious gardens and ancient trees. Although the atmosphere is one of traditional charm, the hotel’s Leisure Facilities complex is state-of-the-art and offers a lovely indoor heated swimming pool, an outdoor Jacuzzi, gym and steam room as well as extensive spa treatment alternatives to soothe the body and the soul.

Nights 5 - 7 : The Westbury Hotel - Dublin, Ireland
The heart of Dublin is right on your doorstep at The Westbury Hotel, conveniently situated in the center of “Dublin’s fair city.” At this proud member of The Leading Hotels of the World, spacious guest rooms feature air conditioning, custom-designed handmade Irish furniture, 32” flat-screen TV with cable and satellite channels, iron, in-room safe, high-speed Internet access, robes and slippers, Aveda bath products and a minibar. The small gym offers a rowing machine, exercise bike, treadmill, ski trainer and a full set of free weights should you want to keep up with your workout routine. The Terrace Lounge, with its wingback armchairs and comfortable couches, is a delightful place from which to watch the hustle and bustle of Dublin swirl by as you enjoy a coffee or afternoon tea.

INCLUDED
Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, First Class accommodations on the Irish train from Waterford to Dublin, entertainment, special dinners, sightseeing, admissions, porterage and the services of the Tour Director, local guides and drivers are included. Transportation from Shannon Airport to Dromoland Castle is included, regardless of the time you check in to the hotel, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight information at least two weeks prior to the start of the tour. If you are arriving into a local train station please retain a receipt for your transfer and submit it to your Tour Director for reimbursement. Transportation from The Westbury Hotel to Dublin International Airport or to a local train station is also included when you check out of the hotel. Transportation to and from airports and train stations may be shared with other guests.

Hotel Accommodations – The tour price includes all hotel accommodations with private baths. Our standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality may differ slightly from one hotel to another, our commitment to your comfort is unwavering. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are usually two-bedded rooms plus a rollaway cot and are not recommended for comfort. King beds are not available in most hotels; a king-type bed usually consists of two single beds pushed together which are made up separately with one headboard. Some two-bedded rooms may have two single – not full or queen - beds.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.

Tour Director – A Week in… Ireland is conducted by a Tour Director who remains with the group throughout the tour. Your Tour Director is a professional, fully trained employee.

Gratuities Included – All customary gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff and local guides are included.

No Options Sold
– Your Tour Director will assist you with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance but will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed, pleasant experience for you.

NOT INCLUDED
Transportation to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from us for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours
– To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, we will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through us. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. Airport and train station transfers are included for these bookings as described above in Inclusive Prices. If you wish to spend additional nights, please discuss it with your reservations sales consultant or travel agent when you book your tour.

Luggage Responsibility
– Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please ask us about the Travel Protection Product for more information.

Lost luggage is an unfortunate possibility in today's world of airline travel. We suggest that you:
Pack at least one change of clothing in your carry-on bag
Split your items between your suitcase and a traveling companion's suitcase
Do not pack any vital medications or valuables in your checked luggage
Confirm that your luggage is checked and tagged to your final destination at airport check-in
Place your luggage claim tags in a secure place for your flight
File a claim for any missing luggage immediately before leaving the baggage claim area
Secure a case number and contact information for follow-up communications
Make certain that the airline has your onward itinerary Your Tour Director will assist you with airline and other carrier communications, but has no inside contacts to guarantee or expedite recovery of lost luggage. All recovery costs, including the communication costs, are your responsibility. Check your travel protection details for covered expenses.

Personal Expenses such as phone calls, room service, alcoholic and other beverages not specifically included, laundry, dry cleaning, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees and services, airport arrival and departure taxes, individual train and airport transfers (when applicable), and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Tour Director Gratuities - The customary gratuities for the Tour Director and local drivers are not included. We ask that gratuities be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.