Ireland: Splendors of the Emerald Isle

Arrive in Dublin, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner.

Begin with a privately led exploration of Trinity College, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. View the legendary Book of Kells, one of the finest illuminated medieval manuscripts in existence. Discover more of the city with your expert guide, followed by an afternoon at leisure.

Travel south to the heart of County Kilkenny. Visit a family-owned country pub, meet the owner and his family, and receive a hands-on introduction to the national Irish sport of hurling. Listen to a seannachi (traditional storyteller) spin tales and play music, eat a hearty lunch and learn how to pull a pint of Guinness for a full-on classic Irish pub experience. Arrive at your country resort at Castlemartyr before dinner.

Today, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities. Sample Classic Irish Whiskeys on a premium tour and tasting at Jameson’s Old Midleton Distillery. Play a Round of Golf or Relax with a Spa Experience, taking full advantage of your hotel’s diverse amenities. Visit the Cobh Heritage Centre to learn about the lives of emigrants to America, and visit the English Market in Cork.  Later, dine at Ballymaloe House, one of Ireland’s culinary treasures, for a delectable Chef’s Table experience.

Drive Ireland’s wild southern shore through rugged West Cork to meet a sixth-generation Irish storyteller and join this colorful raconteur for a ferry ride to Whiddy Island. Listen as he leads you on a personally narrated tour of the island and its history, and then stop at a traditional pub for lunch and a pint before ferrying back to the mainland. Proceed to Kenmare and check in to your hotel, set beside rollicking Sheen Falls. Then, savor a Scenic Sundowner, while gazing over the sparkling cascades.

Cross through Killarney National Park en route to the town of Killarney. Ride in a traditional jaunting car for a closer look at the park’s natural beauty. Then, set out on the famed Ring of Kerry for a breathtaking coastal drive, where every turn in the road reveals new and ever-more-stunning vistas. Pause to peruse local handicrafts in the Gap of Dunloe, a ruggedly beautiful valley formed by glaciers and set between two mountain ranges.

Make a personal connection to Ireland when you visit a traditional family farm. Hear about rural life here from family members, and then join them for a home-cooked farm lunch, on this A&K-exclusive experience. Stop in Adare, often voted Ireland’s most beautiful village, before you continue to your majestic hotel.

Journey to busy Galway, gateway to western Ireland, and then on to small, coastal Clarinbridge, where a special tasting introduces you to the quintessential pairing of Guinness stout with fresh Galway Bay oysters. After lunch, drive the coast of County Clare, stopping to stand atop the soaring Cliffs of Moher. Tonight, join your fellow guests for an elegant farewell dinner.

After breakfast, transfer to Shannon Airport and board your onward flight.