0516AA3 - Pilgrimage to Catholic Ireland 12 days from El Paso

Airline Name Baggage Information
American Airlines http://bit.ly/zRWIZO

Special Package with this Trip :
International departure taxes of $104 plus current fuel surcharges of $400 are included (subject to change).

Tour Code Departure Date Cost per person
AA0516KM 05/16/2023 $4199.00
Trip Details

We depart El Paso to connect with our transatlantic flight aboard a wide-bodied jet. We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner, and breakfast aloft.
We arrive in Dublin and are met by our guide and clear customs. Depending on our arrival time we have lunch on our own at a local Irish pub, then we are taken to our hotel for check in. The remainder of the day is for personal exploration or rest following our overnight flight. This evening we gather for dinner and overnight at our hotel in Dublin.
This morning our city sightseeing tour will introduce you to this capital city with its many historic buildings and delightful gardens. Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral where author Jonathan Swift was once Dean and then visit Trinity College where the Book of Kells, an early Christian manuscript of the four gospels is housed.. Following lunch on our own, we will visit Ireland’s number one visitor attraction that takes you deep into the heart of the world-famous Guinness brand and company. The Storehouse has several floors and a glass atrium that is shaped in the form of a pint of Guinness. On the top floor, you will find the “Gravity Bar” which will provide you with great views of Dublin and a pint of Guinness. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Dublin.
Following breakfast we make our way to Drogheda to the shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett. Here we celebrate Mass at St. Peter’s Church. From here we travel to the Neolithic passage grave site of Newgrange. Older than the Pyramids of Egypt, it has housed the remains of a Stone Age People for 5,000 years. Returning to Dublin and following lunch on our own, the remainder of the day is free time for shopping, exploring, or resting. Tonight, dinner is on our own as explore the many culinary options the capital has to offer. Overnight at our hotel in Dublin.
This morning, it’s onward to visit one of Ireland’s most important monastic monasteries founded by St. Kevin located in Glendalough, also known as “The Valley of the Two Lakes”. We continue to Waterford, a riverfront city of Viking Origins, famous for its hand cut crystal. We visit the House of Waterford Crystal and enjoy a tour of the factory to see the fascinating process of glass blowing and cutting. There will be an opportunity to browse the opulent new store selling the crystal. Dinner and overnight in Waterford.
This morning we leave Waterford and drive along the beautiful south coast. We make a stop in the delightful, picturesque villages of Dungarvan and Youghal, pronounced “Yawl”. We continue towards Cork to visit Blarney Castle. We climb to the battlements of the 15th century castle to kiss the famous “stone of eloquence”. We enjoy lunch on our own, then experience the best shopping opportunity of the tour - The Blarney Woolen Mills - which offer a wide range of Irish merchandise. We continue, driving into the beautiful lake and mountain region of the famous Killarney National Park in County Kerry. We arrive in Killarney, nestled at the foot of the Magillycuddy’s Reefs, Ireland’s highest mountains. Dinner and overnight in Killarney.
Today travel around the Ring of Kerry, one of Ireland’s most popular drives. With its spectacular scenery, unusually mild climate and rapid changes in light and weather, that is a bewitching place of intense beauty. We drive through the remote villages of Cahirciveen and Derrynane, to Sneem, a village of colorful houses grouped around two squares. Set in the spectacular scenery of Molls Gap on the Ring of Kerry, Kissane Sheep Farm is a traditional, working sheep farm with approximately 1,000 mountain sheep and hundreds of lambs. We visit the farm and enjoy its activities such as Sheepdog demonstrations, Sheep shearing demonstrations, and bottle feeding the orphan (pet) lambs in season. Moving on to Killarney National Park we relax aboard a jaunting car as your Jarvey (driver) takes you through the magnificent scenery of the park. The scenery is stunning, and the trap will stop as often as you wish to facilitate your taking photographs. Tonight, we once again enjoy dinner on our own at a local pub or restaurant. Overnight at our hotel in Killarney.
We depart Killarney this morning and drive through the busy market town of Killorgin, and out along the Dingle Peninsula. The peninsula is in Gaeltacht, an area where the Irish language is preserved. It also has some 2,000 sites of prehistoric and early Christian remains. We stop in the thriving Dingle before driving north to the picturesque village of Adare, with a broad main street lined with thatched houses, crumbling ruins, and Gothic style mansions, all set in a bend of the River Maigue. This evening, we join in a fun and feasting at Knappogue Castle or similar. Your medieval-style banquet is served in the Grand Hall of the 15th century castle during which the lords and ladies of the castle transport you in spirit to the Middle Ages with their songs and stories. Overnight in Limerick.
Today we drive to the coast of County Clare to visit the famous Cliffs of Moher. This impressive wall of rock rises to heights of almost 700 feet above the Atlantic and stretches for five miles along the coast. After our visit, we continue to Galway City, the capital of the west, where we check in to our hotel and have some personal time to browse, shop, or do some independent sightseeing before dinner and overnight at our hotel in Galway.
Following our traditional Irish breakfast, we travel to the highlight of our Catholic journey, the Knock Shrine. On August 21, 1879, the Virgin Mary appeared to 15 people from the village. We celebrate Mass here. After our visit we return to Galway for an early dinner at our hotel. Later, we go out to attend “Trad on the Prom”. Ireland’s premier music, song, and dance experience. Dinner and overnight in Galway.
The itinerary today takes us across Ireland from west coast to east coast. Leaving Galway, drive to the midlands into west County Offaly, rich in prehistoric treasures. We sop to visit one of the largest and greatest ecclesiastical centers ever founded in Ireland, Clonmacnoise. Set on the banks of the River Shannon, Clonmacnoise was founded in 545 AD and contains a round tower and the remains of nine churches. After our visit we continue east and stop at the Tullamore Dew Visiting Center, to tour one of Ireland’s premier whiskey distilleries. After the tour, we will have the opportunity to taste 3 of their popular blends. We enjoy lunch on our own at their onsite restaurant before moving on to Dublin. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Dublin.
Following breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our flight home with unforgettable memories to cherish always.