|
11 NIGHTS /12 DAYS
DAY 1: Depart USA
You’ll
leave on an overnight flight to Shannon Airport.
DAY 2: SHANNON - KENMARE
Welcome to Ireland. Arrive at Shannon Airport where you will be met by our professional tour guide
meet your Tour Escort and coach.
Depart for Adare, said to be Ireland’s prettiest village. Free time for sightseeing.
Depart
for county Kerry and make a stop in
Killarney, a very popular town for tourists to visit. The Lakes of Killarney
are contained within the Killarney National Park and can be visited on what
is known as a tour by Jaunting Car. Continue on to Kenmare and check in to your
hotel. This afternoon is at leisure for independent sightseeing and relaxing after your flight. Kenmare is famous
for its lace-making and there are several places to see this traditional art. Overnight
Kenmare. (D).
DAY 3: RING OF KERRY
This
morning we depart for a tour of the Ring of Kerry – a ring road that boasts
captivating mountain and coastal scenery dotted with slate-roofed fishing
villages. You will pass through bleak bog lands, high mountainous terrain,
quaint villages and even an Iron Age fort. In the afternoon return to Kenmare. Evening
performance at St Mary’s Church in Killarney. Overnight Kenmare. (B.D.).
DAY 4: BLARNEY- WATERFORD
Today
after a hearty Irish breakfast, we depart
for Blarney Castle and the famous
Blarney Stone which visitors from all over the world flock to see and to
kiss. Kissing the stone is a long-standing tradition, intended to confer a
magical eloquence. It is set in the wall below the castle battlements - the
visitor is grasped by the feet and suspended backwards under the parapet! We
then visit the shops of Blarney Woollen
Mills, where we can buy handmade sweaters and other Irish products. Time permitting; make a detour to the pretty
town of Kinsale. The town nestles between the hills and the
shoreline, a maze of narrow streets, never far from the water and little
changed in many hundreds of years. The town has historical links to the French,
Spanish, British and Americans. It is now a popular yachting centre and famous
for its wonderful restaurants. Continue your journey to Waterford. Arrive at your hotel in Waterford and check in. Admire the
wonderful views of the town from your vantage point. Waterford was founded by the
Vikings in 853 and continued to expand through the growth of local
industry. It has a rich history and some
beautiful architecture. Although
medieval in its layout most of its building are Georgian. Overnight in Waterford. (B.D.)
DAY 5: WATERFORD
This morning make a stop at
the Crystal Factory for which Waterford is famous. The original glass factory was founded in
1783 and its traditions of glass-blowing are still used today. Afternoon at
leisure in Waterford. Some may like to join a historical, yet
entertaining, guided walking tour with Jack Borchell. His tours are highly
recommended by all that have joined him and often finish at the local pub. Evening performance at Christ Church Cathedral
in Waterford. Overnight in Waterford.. (B.D.)
DAY 6: KILKENNY
- DUBLIN
Today depart for the capital city of Dublin.
En route make a stop at Kilkenny, known as Ireland’s
loveliest inland city. Kilkenny is famous for its local black limestone, known
as Kilkenny marble and is also home to Smethwick
beer, brewed in Kilkenny since 1710. Also know for its local crafts you can
visit the local Design Centre where you can see craftspeople in action. Visit
Kilkenny
Castle,
overlooking the River Nore. This is one of Ireland’s
most famous castles, dating from the 12th century and occupied until
1935. It was donated to the nation in 1967 by the descendents of the Butler
family. Overnight in Dublin.
(B.D.)
DAY 7: DUBLIN
Meet
your local guide for a half-day sightseeing tour including all the major sights
such as Trinity College and the Book of Kells, DublinCastle, St. Stephen’s Green, Christ
Church Cathedral and the River Liffey. Lunchtime performance at St Patrick’s
Cathedral in Dublin. Take the time this afternoon
to wander around the centre where Georgian architecture dominates or visit the
famous Guinness Factory. One of Dublin’s most popular tourist
attractions is “The World of Guinness”, the largest brewery in the world. One
can see all stages of brewing, a transport gallery showing how it was
transported to various parts of the country and making of barrels.
Evening
performance at a local church in Dublin, possibly a joint concert with their
choir. Overnight
in Dublin. (B.D.)
DAY 8: DUBLIN – WALES - LLANDUDNO
Meet
your coach for your transfer to Dublin/Dun Laoghaire port. Ferry crossing from one of the above ports to
Holyhead, Wales. Once on land,
you will be met by your UK touring coach. Enjoy the beautiful sights for which Wales is famous as you drive from west to east – rolling
hills and green valleys. Make a stop at Llandudno, a coastal town proud of its
association with Lewis Carroll. Copper was also mined here. Llandudno became
accessible to all as a seaside resort with the invention of the railway. Overnight in Beaufort
Park,
.Mold (B.D.)
DAY 9 NORTH WALES - CONWY
Depart today for a
sightseeing tour of North Wales,
the centre of Welsh language and culture. You will drive along the coast and on
to the historic, medieval town of Conwy.
Conwy is set apart from other medieval towns by its well-preserved town walls
which form an almost unbroken shield around the old town. Visit
Conwy
Castle,
one of the most impressive of the fortresses built by Edward I and a World
Heritage listed site.
Free time for an independent
lunch in Conwy before heading down through the Snowdonia National
Park and
stopping in Betws-y-Coed. This village has been a hill-walking centre since the
19th century. Waterloo Bridge is here, a bridge built by Thomas Telford to mark
victory against Napoleon. Possible
evening joint performance with Cor Ruthin in the town of Ruthin or with Mold
Senior Choir in Mold. Overnight in Mold. (B.D.)
DAY 10: BATH – STONEHENGE- LONDON
This morning will be spent in one of Britain’s
most beautiful cities, Bath. Bath
owes its magnificent Georgian townscape to the bubbling hot
springs of the Roman
Baths. The Romans transformed Bath
into England’s
first spa resort and it regained fame in the 18th century, when many
of the city’s finest Palladian buildings were designed, including Robert Adam’s
Pulteney
Bridge
and the graceful sweep of the Royal
Crescent. The city still retains its fashionable air
with its smart shops and restaurants.
Visit the preserved Baths and the Pump Room, once the social hub of the
18th-century spa. We stop at Stonehenge
on the way to London
to see the prehistoric rock formation. This afternoon continue your journey east to London.
Overnight in London.
(B.D.)
DAY 11 : LONDON
Today we have a full day city tour including
Westminster
Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament, Big
Ben, London Bridge, Downing Street, St
James’s Park and Buckingham Palace for changing of the Guards. At Westminster Abbey where English kings
and queens have been crowned since 1066, we see the Royal
Chapels, which hold the tombs of monarchs from past centuries including
Henry VII, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. We will also visit Poets' Corner to see the memorials to
famous literary figures. We then visit the Tower of London, where you explore William the
Conqueror’s magnificent bastion, which displays almost a thousand years of
English history and the Crown Jewels
Exhibit. Tonight you have a concert
in London. Overnight London.
(B.D.)
DAY 12: RETURN
TO U.S.A
After continental breakfast at hotel. Meet your
transfer coach and depart for Heathrow airport for your return flight to the United
States. (B)
WE RECOMMEND:
an extended stay with an OPTIONAL
DAY TRIP TO STRATFORD , OXFORD and WARWICK CASTLE
Our first stop is the ancient and historic Warwick
Castle which we tour and visit the
museum. Then we continue to Stratford-upon-Avon, home of the playwright William
Shakespeare. We will visit the modern Shakespeare Center,
built next door to Shakespeare’s
Birthplace. We continue with a brief visit to Holy Trinity Church,
the parish church where Shakespeare is buried, located in an attractive setting
near the River Avon. Then we depart through the picturesque
British country side to Oxford,
England’s oldest University
city dating from 1167 and also associated with many
notable literary alumni including such diverse characters as Geoffrey Chaucer,
Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis and Evelyn Waugh. We will take a Walking Tour to view many of the
colleges that make up Oxford, as
well as the Sheldonian Theater and the Bodleian Library. We will also
visit Christ ChurchCollege,
Oxford’s biggest and grandest Renaissance
College, which was founded in 1525
by Cardinal Wolsey, and where Harry Potter was filmed. Overnight London.
(B.D.)
YOUR COMPREHENSIVE TOUR INCLUDES:
- Airfare NYC/Shannon- London/NYC
- Accommodations
in three star hotels
- Breakfast
and dinner daily (B.D.)
- English
speaking guide thought
- Deluxe
private motorcoach
- Comprehensive
sightseeing and admission as per itinerary
- Baggage
handling of one suitcase per person
- Performance
scheduled as per itinerary
- Select
International travel bag and portfolio
|