4-Night Dublin & Beyond Tour

Day 2

Accommodation

Elegant Stylish Hotel - Dublin, County Dublin

Check in policies:

Check-in time is after 4:00pm on your day of arrival. Check-out time is before 11:00am.

Hotel parking is available on Fenian Street within a 3-minute walk of the hotel. The overnight rate for guests is €15 (in line with our check in time of 4pm and our check out time of 11am). The hourly fee before and after those times is €3 per hour. Guests need a code to access this car park, which can be obtained by our reservations or reception teams by telephone or upon checking in.

Included Unique Activities

Giant's Causeway Day Tour

The Giant's Causeway is truly one of Ireland’s best natural wonders. There was extensive volcanic activity over 50 million years ago, the hot lava cooled resulting in the formation of over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. There are a few examples of this phenomenon around the world but none as impressive as the Giant’s Causeway. Spend two hours exploring this fantastic attraction with its many notable features such as the Giants Boot, the chimney stacks, the Giant's Gate, and the honeycomb. From this viewpoint, you are afforded spectacular coastal and ocean views. You have 75 minutes to explore Belfast or your driver can arrange for a political taxi tour (£15pp not included).

Please note: this tour is over 13 hours

Must-See Sites

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, County Antrim

On The Map: Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is located near the small town of Ballintoy, in County Antrim Northern Ireland. The rope bridge connects the mainland to the tiny island of Carrick in the northeast corner of Northern Ireland.

Spanning a chasm some eighty feet deep is the famous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, it's construction once consisted of a single rope hand rail and widely spaced slats which the fishermen would traverse across with salmon caught off the island to which it leads. The single handrail was subsequently replaced by a two hand railed bridge, and the current, caged bridge was installed by the National Trust during Easter of 2000 as a further safety measure. Although no-one has ever been injured falling off the old or new bridge, there have been many instances of visitors being unable to face the return walk back across the bridge, resulting in them being taken off the island by boat, so not an activity for the faint-hearted!

Giant's Causeway, County Antrim

Location: Bushmills BT57 8SU, United Kingdom. The Giant's Causeway is located in County Antrim on the northeastern coast of Northern Ireland. The Causeway is accessed via Causeway Road that runs north from the main A2 road (connecting Bushmills to the west and Ballycastle to the east).

The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO Heritage site located in Northern Ireland. During the Paleogene period, County Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity. As lava rapidly cooled, unique contraction and fracturing occurred, creating the distinctive hexagonal columns seen today. Irish legend of course has an alternate tale of the Causeway's creation!: The Irish giant Fionn MacCumhaill (Fionn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. One version of the legend tells that Fionn fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Fionn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over him and pretended that the sleeping giant was actually their baby son. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the alleged father, Fionn, must be gigantic indeed. Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by Fionn, and therefore only the Irish coastal steps remain.

Belfast, County Antrim

On The Map: Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is located in the northeastern corner of the country in County Antrim. Belfast is well served by a network of good roads, including the M1 motorway from Dublin City.

Approximately one third of the population of Northern Ireland - about half a million people - live in Belfast. It's setting is very attractive, nestling in a semicircle of hills, where the River Langan enters Belfast Lough. The city got it's name from Beile Feirst  "the mouth of the sandy ford" - and was founded in 1177 when the Anglo-Normans built a castle here. It began to really expand in the 17th century with the development of the local linen and shipbuilding industries (the Titanic was built here).  Sights to see in Belfast City, the Belfast City Hall, built of Portland stone in Classical Renaissance style, dominates the city center.  The Linen Hall Library, founded in 1788 is an absolute delight, a cultural centre with exhibitions, a Theater & Performing Arts Archive and a Genealogy and Heraldry collection. Away from the city center you have the Ulster Museum in the Botanic Gardens, near Queens University which has miles of galleries and exhibitions. This lively and friendly city, with historic buildings standing side-by-side with modern creations is a delight not to be missed.

Overnight Location

Dublin, County Dublin

On the Map: Dublin, Ireland's Capital City is located on the east coast of the country, and is well served by infrastructure linking it to all parts of the Emerald Isle.

Dublin is a lively cosmopolitan city, filled with personality, pizzazz, and culture. You might spend time strolling the streets, soaking up the atmosphere, relaxing in cafes and pubs, or you could check out a world of historical, literary, and musical delights. A return visit to the Book of Kells, Phoenix Park (twice the size of Central Park), Georgian Dublin, Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, the National Museum, Kilmainham Gaol, and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art gallery are all possibilities. Ramble through Grafton Street, a shopper’s paradise, or simply relax and remember this most wonderful tour of the Emerald Isle.

Day 3

Accommodation

Elegant Stylish Hotel - Dublin, County Dublin

Check in policies:

Check-in time is after 4:00pm on your day of arrival. Check-out time is before 11:00am.

Hotel parking is available on Fenian Street within a 3-minute walk of the hotel. The overnight rate for guests is €15 (in line with our check in time of 4pm and our check out time of 11am). The hourly fee before and after those times is €3 per hour. Guests need a code to access this car park, which can be obtained by our reservations or reception teams by telephone or upon checking in.

Included Unique Activities

Food, Folklore & Fairies

Discover how Irish people lived in times past while enjoying a traditional candlelit dinner in O’Sheas Pub. The evening unfolds in an intimate setting above the pub. As you relax between courses, be taken back in time by renowned storytellers, to the fascinating world of Ireland long ago, when the culture was one of the mind, spirit and imagination. Discover how Irish people lived off the land and why the humble potato so influenced our history. Explore their beliefs and superstitions surrounding the otherworld of the fairies. Listen to the magical tales they told as they gathered around the fire at night, and enjoy live traditional Irish music and ballads while having dinner.

Must-See Sites

Dublin, County Dublin

On the Map: Dublin, Ireland's Capital City is located on the east coast of the country, and is well served by infrastructure linking it to all parts of the Emerald Isle.

Dublin is a lively cosmopolitan city, filled with personality, pizzazz, and culture. You might spend time strolling the streets, soaking up the atmosphere, relaxing in cafes and pubs, or you could check out a world of historical, literary, and musical delights. A return visit to the Book of Kells, Phoenix Park (twice the size of Central Park), Georgian Dublin, Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, the National Museum, Kilmainham Gaol, and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art gallery are all possibilities. Ramble through Grafton Street, a shopper’s paradise, or simply relax and remember this most wonderful tour of the Emerald Isle.

Dublin Castle, County Dublin

Since its foundation in 1204, Dublin Castle has been at the heart of the history and evolution of Dublin.  Today, spanning an area of over 44,000 square meters (11 acres), the site contains 2 museums, 2 cafés, an international conference centre, 2 gardens, Government Buildings and the State Apartments (the most important state rooms in the country). The grounds of the Castle are free to explore, as is the Chapel Royal, the Chester Beatty Library, the Garda Museum and the Revenue Museum.  Access to the State Apartments is by guided tour only and tickets may be purchased from the Apartments in the Upper Castle Yard.

Kilmainham Gaol, County Dublin

On The Map: Kilmainham Gaol is located in the west of Dublin City on the Inchicore Road, and just south of Phoenix Park.

One of the largest unoccupied gaols in Europe, Kilmainham has played an integral role in some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland's emergence as a modern nation. The Gaol offers the visitor a dramatic and realistic insight into what is was like to have been confined in one of these forbidding bastions of punishment between the opening of Kilmainham in 1796 and its closure in 1924. Leaders of the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867 and 1916 were all detained here, and names such as Robert Emmet, Charles Stewart Parnell & Eamonn DeValera are synonymous with Kilmainham. Attractions include a major exhibition detailing the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration. Access to the Gaol is by guided tour only, which includes an audio-visual show. Tours may be arranged for visitors with special needs by prior arrangement.

Hours: October – March  9:30am – 5:30pm (last admission at 4:15pm) April & May  9:00am – 6:00pm (last admission at 4:45pm) June, July & August  9:00am – 7:00pm (last admission at 5:45pm) September  9:00am – 6:00pm (last admission at 4:45pm)

Dublin Museums, County Dublin

Dublin has long been recognized as a center of art & culture. The city is literally awash with interesting museums and galleries of all types and sizes. It's impossible to make note of them all, but three of the best are: The Chester Beatty Library: Alfred Chester Beatty, a New Yorker donated a fantastic collection of books to the city of Dublin. Highlights include papyrus scripts, valuable copies of the Koran, Buddhist & Far Eastern literature, as well as early mediaeval manuscripts. National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology: Enter this museum and be transported back in time to almost 7000BC! Gold and other treasures recount a varied Irish history through Christian and pre-Christian times. A range of exhibitions also present artifacts from many other cultures and regions. National Gallery: Here you can admire European works of art from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century. As well as Irish artists, the Gallery also boasts works by Angelico, Goya, Gainsborough & Reynolds, to name but a few.

Christ Church Cathedral, County Dublin

Christ Church Cathedral is a leading visitor attraction and has been a place of pilgrimage for almost 1,000 years. Located in the heart of Medieval Dublin and renowned for its beauty, architecture and exquisite floor tiles, Christ Church Cathedral was founded in 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen. In 1152 it was incorporated into the Irish Church and eventually led by the famous Archbishop and patron saint of Dublin, Laurence O’Toole. The cathedral is home to the famous 12th-century crypt, one of the oldest and largest in Britain and Ireland. The restored crypt houses the important Treasures of Christ Church exhibition which features manuscripts and artefacts that give visitors some impression of nearly one thousand years of worship in the cathedral and nearby churches.The Treasury also plays host to a rare 14th century copy of the Magna Carta Hiberniae.

Day 4

Accommodation

Elegant Stylish Hotel - Dublin, County Dublin

Check in policies:

Check-in time is after 4:00pm on your day of arrival. Check-out time is before 11:00am.

Hotel parking is available on Fenian Street within a 3-minute walk of the hotel. The overnight rate for guests is €15 (in line with our check in time of 4pm and our check out time of 11am). The hourly fee before and after those times is €3 per hour. Guests need a code to access this car park, which can be obtained by our reservations or reception teams by telephone or upon checking in.

Included Unique Activities

Private Glendalough & Wicklow Tour

This private full day tour is an exciting opportunity to explore one of the most famous and enchanting places in Ireland - Glendalough, County Wicklow. Glendalough, 'The Glen of the Two Lakes', is the site upon which St. Kevin founded a unique monastic settlement in the 6th century. 

We pick you up early (but not too early). Meet your tour guide, your local friend for the day, sit back and relax: The fun is about to begin. After a short city tour we will take you along the coast to arrive at Killiney Hill. Here we bring you on a short walk to take in the spectacular views of Dublin Bay (Ireland’s bay of Naples). Enjoy a well earned morning coffee in the beautiful grounds of Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel before we leave the coast and head into the hills.

 At the Sally Gap you will see beautiful, wild country side full of lakes, mountains and boglands. Location for many famous movies incl. “P.S. I love You” and “Braveheart.” Stunning views of Lough Tay, the “Guinness Lake”. We stop in the pretty village of Laragh for lunch, where you can enjoy beef & Guinness stew in a traditional pub or choose from a number of tea rooms and cafes*. At enchanting Glendalough, we will guide you through this 6th Century Monastic site and afterward, you can enjoy time alone to reflect as you take the gentle tree-lined walk to the Upper Lake. Back onboard our luxury coach for a complimentary taste of Jameson Whiskey to toast the day and warm your heart. Sit back and relax as we return to Dublin via the Sugar Loaf Mountain Pass.

*Lunch is not included in the price of the tour

Must-See Sites

Dublin, County Dublin

On the Map: Dublin, Ireland's Capital City is located on the east coast of the country, and is well served by infrastructure linking it to all parts of the Emerald Isle.

Dublin is a lively cosmopolitan city, filled with personality, pizzazz, and culture. You might spend time strolling the streets, soaking up the atmosphere, relaxing in cafes and pubs, or you could check out a world of historical, literary, and musical delights. A return visit to the Book of Kells, Phoenix Park (twice the size of Central Park), Georgian Dublin, Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, the National Museum, Kilmainham Gaol, and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art gallery are all possibilities. Ramble through Grafton Street, a shopper’s paradise, or simply relax and remember this most wonderful tour of the Emerald Isle.

Avoca Village, County Wicklow

On the Map: Nestled in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, Avoca is reached via a network of country roads. 1 hour/ 66km south of Dublin City in eastern Ireland, Avoca is most easily accessed from the N11 road that runs parallel to Ireland's east coast. In Avoca Village, you will find the "Meeting of the Waters" - the point at which the Avonmore and Avonbeg Rivers come together to form the Avoca River. Avoca is home to Ireland's oldest woollen mill, Avoca Handweavers, established in 1723. This family-owned craft design company began at the Old Mill where weavers produced the beautifully woven fabrics which became Avoca's hallmark. In recent years, Avoca became famous for being the setting of the popular BBC soap opera "Ballykissangel".

Glendalough, County Wicklow

On the Map: Glendalough is located in County Wicklow, in the east of Ireland - just 1 hour south of Dublin City. Scenically nestled in the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough is served by a network of small country roads. From the northeast (Dublin), travel on the R755/R756, from everywhere else, arrive from the west on the R756.

Glendalough ("The Glen of the Two Lakes"), is the site upon which St. Kevin founded a unique monastic settlement in the 6th century. Most of what remains of the settlement is in ruins but the Round Tower at Glendalough, built as a refuge from marauding Vikings, is over a 1000 years old and is remarkably well preserved. The site itself is set next to two clear water lakes beneath the sheer cliffs of a deep glacial valley. It is one of the most serene and beautiful places in all Ireland and it is easy to see why the monks picked it for a place of prayer and contemplation. There are a myriad of walking trails throughout the area making it a truly invigorating place to spend the day.

Overnight Location

Dublin, County Dublin

On the Map: Dublin, Ireland's Capital City is located on the east coast of the country, and is well served by infrastructure linking it to all parts of the Emerald Isle.

Dublin is a lively cosmopolitan city, filled with personality, pizzazz, and culture. You might spend time strolling the streets, soaking up the atmosphere, relaxing in cafes and pubs, or you could check out a world of historical, literary, and musical delights. A return visit to the Book of Kells, Phoenix Park (twice the size of Central Park), Georgian Dublin, Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, the National Museum, Kilmainham Gaol, and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art gallery are all possibilities. Ramble through Grafton Street, a shopper’s paradise, or simply relax and remember this most wonderful tour of the Emerald Isle.

Day 5

Depart From

Depart from Dublin Airport, County Dublin

Return to Dublin Airport at least 3 hours prior to your flight's scheduled departure. This will allow ample time to check in for your flight home.

After check-in and passenger security, browse the array of shops on offer at 'The Loop' in Dublin Airport. With an extensive range of stores, bars and cafes, any spare time you have will fly!