Tour Overview

‘Excellent’

Your tour begins in Dublin where we pay a visit to the National Museum of Decorative Arts. Here you can catch a glimpse of how Irish people in the past lived through their clothing and textiles. The next day in Dublin we will have a ‘knitting with wire’ workshop and you will be introduced to Tunisian crochet with one of our expert designers. Leaving Dublin, we will head for Connemara in the West of Ireland. Connemara is characterised by coastal coves and bays, fishing villages and by its vast expanse of mountainous scenery. Before we leave Galway we will enjoy a knitting workshop with Anne O’Maille of Ó'Máilles of Galway. Established in 1938, this shop became famous in the 1950s for outfitting the entire cast of the film The Quiet Man. The next two days of your trip will be spent on Inis Oirr (Inisheer), one of the famous Aran Islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay. You will enjoy knitting and dyeing workshops and learn the traditional methods and stitches the Aran Island way! Your time on the islands will include sightseeing and even a bit of Irish music and dance! The next part of the tour takes place in the south of Ireland where we visit the famous Ring of Kerry with its stunning ocean vistas and we will enjoy a knitting workshop with Carol Feller and Liz Spillane. Return to Dublin via the famous Blarney Castle where legend has it if you kiss the stone you will never be lost for words and have as the Irish say, ‘the gift of the gab’!

Departure Dates

  • 18th September 2023
  • 15th April 2024
  • 16th September 2024

What's included

  • Transfers on arrival and departure by private coach (for arrivals prior to 10.30am on tour start date and departures on tour end date)
  • Sightseeing as per itinerary in a luxury coach with an experienced driver and licensed guide
  • Accommodation in rooms with private facilities for 10 nights
  • Irish breakfast daily
  • 5 hotel table d’hote dinners
  • 4 sit down lunches
  • 1 farewell meal in a Dublin restaurant
  • Entrance to the following attractions: National Museum of Decorative Arts and History, Christ Church Cathedral, Kylemore Abbey, Glen Keen Sheep Farm, The Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle
  • Ferry to Inis Oírr, Aran Islands
  • Inis Oírr guided tour
  • Aran Island baking & butter making demonstration
  • Ring of Kerry guided tour
  • Connemara guided tour

Workshops/Knitting Activities Included in This Tour:

  • Knitting with wire workshop with Pauline Gallagher
  • Knitting workshop with Anne O’Maille in Galway
  • Aran Island knitting workshop with Una McDonagh
  • Aran Island spinning & dyeing workshop
  • Knitting class with Carol Feller in Killarney
  • Traditional knitting with Liz Spillane
  • Basket weaving demonstration with Ciaran Hogan
  • Kerry Woollen Mills tour
  • Hedgehog Fibres Studio
  • Important Note: Attractions, Workshops and Demonstrations May Change According to Availability and Scheduling 

Tour highlights

  • Aran Islands
  • Burren
  • Christ Church Cathedral
  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Dublin
  • Ring of Kerry
  • Connemara National Park
  • Galway
  • Kylemore Abbey
  • National Museum of Ireland - Collins Barracks

Overnights for this tour

  • Dublin 2 Nights (Camden Court Hotel (or similar)
  • Galway 3 Nights (Galway Bay Hotel or similar)
  • Inis Oirr, Galway 2 Nights (Quality en-suite B&B on Inis Oírr)
  • Killarney 2 Nights (Lake View)

Accommodation options

  • Optional pre-night packages available should you wish to spend a night or two extra in Dublin before the tour starts. Please see pricing section for details.

Day 1 - Edinburgh & Royal Yacht Britannia

Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Edinburgh hotel. Tour the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former floating home of the Queen on many of her travels. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently.

Day 2 - Edinburgh Castle & City Tour

See the highlights of central Edinburgh including the bustling Princes Street and the 200-year-old Georgian “New Town.” Walk along part of the Royal Mile and visit Edinburgh Castle to see the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The remainder of the day is free to relax or explore. Enjoy a Scottish evening with dining and a lively show with bagpipes, kilts and Highland dancing. The August 9-25 departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade, with their Scottish evening dinner on Day 1. (B, D)

Day 3 - Blair Castle & Highlands

Enjoy a tour of Blair Athol Distillery to see whisky production and sample a dram. In Pitlochry, spend some free time exploring and have lunch independently. Head through the scenic countryside of Perthshire to visit Blair Castle. Continue through majestic Highland scenery to Inverness (Sunday departures) or Nairn (Tuesday departures). (B, D)

Day 4 - Isle of Skye & Armadale Castle

Travel alongside Loch Ness and through the Highlands, pausing for photos at the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle. Cross to the Isle of Skye by bridge and visit Armadale Castle. Return to the mainland by ferry and take the “Road to the Isles” through some majestic Highland scenery, stopping for photos at the Glenfinnan Monument. (B, D)

Day 5 - Glencoe & Rabbie Burns

Enjoy views of the magnificent Highlands as you travel through Glencoe and along the shore of Loch Lomond. Stop in Alloway to visit the poet Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Embark on a short ferry ride to Belfast. (B, D)

Day 6 - Titanic Belfast & Crosskeys Inn

At Titanic Belfast, delve into the history of the famous liner. Walk with a local guide to see the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square and Victorian buildings, including the Opera House and the Crown Liquor Saloon. Your afternoon is free to explore. In the evening, visit Crosskeys Inn for dinner and entertainment. (B, D)

Day 7 - Giant’s Causeway & Derry’s Walls

Enjoy the scenic route of the Nine Glens of Antrim, known for views of mountains, valleys, and coastline. Discover the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns, and pause for photos at the Dunluce Castle ruins. Head to Derry for a walking tour with a local guide to see the 17th- century city walls and the Diamond, the main central square. (B, D)

Day 8 - Glenveagh National Park & Kilronan Castle

Visit Glenveagh National Park where Captain Adair built Glenveagh Castle in 1870. Enjoy a guided tour and stroll the extensive gardens. Spend free time in Donegal and have lunch independently, then head to Belleek Pottery to watch skilled craftspeople create delicate, highly decorative pieces. Travel to the luxurious Kilronan Castle with time to relax before dinner in the castle’s fine restaurant. (B, D)

Day 9 - Arigna Mining & Carrick on Shannon

Visit the Arigna Mining Centre to experience what life was like for a coal miner in the Arigna Valley. Then enjoy some free time in the historic town of Carrick-on-Shannon, situated on the River Shannon. Return to the charming town of Ballyfarnon and relax in your castle hotel before dinner. (B, D)

Day 10 - Cliffs of Moher & Medieval Castle Banquet

Head to Galway and join a local guide for a gentle walking tour. See the narrow streets, the medieval city walls, and Lynch’s Castle. Travel through the Burren, an area of limestone hills that supports a wide range of flora. View the Cliffs of Moher, soaring high above the Atlantic. In the evening, head out to a castle for a medieval-style banquet. (B, D)

Day 11 - Dingle Peninsula & Killarney

Take a ferry across the River Shannon Estuary to discover the Dingle Peninsula. Enjoy the views from Slea Head at the westernmost tip. Stop in Dingle to explore and sip an Irish coffee at the South Pole Inn. Head to Killarney, a town settled beside three lakes in the shadow of Ireland’s highest mountains. (B, D)

Day 12 - Jaunting Car Ride & Ring of Kerry

Enjoy a horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle for views of Lough Leane, Killarney’s largest lake. Travel along part of the Ring of Kerry for breathtaking vistas of mountains, cliffs, and beaches. Head to Kenmare for lunch. Visit a traditional farm and see dogs herding sheep. Return to Killarney for a free evening. (B, L)

Day 13 - Blarney Castle & Dublin

Visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone or stroll through the gardens. Travel through the rich dairy country of Cork and Tipperary, past the gentle slopes of the Galtee Mountains. Arrive in Dublin and enjoy a festive dinner at the Abbey Tavern followed by traditional entertainment. (B, D)

Day 14 - Independent Dublin Sightseeing

Explore Dublin at your own pace with an independent Dublin open-top bus tour and a visit to one of Dublin’s top attractions -- Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or GPO Witness History. (B)

Day 15 - Tour Ends in Dublin

Your tour ends after breakfast. (B) B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner >

Route map

 

Tour attractions

Tour Prices

  • Non-Knitter Partners & Friend

Do you have a partner or friend that doesn't knit? They are welcome to come along, ask our sales representatives about our non-knitter discount!

10 Night Southern Ireland Knitting Tour with the Aran Islands

Notes

Pre Tour Arrangements (Optional/Additional): 

Package A

  • 2 x Pre-Nights at Camden Court (or similar)
  • Arrival Transfer
  • 2 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Ticket
  • Per person sharing one room - €375
  • Supplement if single room is required - €125

Package B

  • 1 x Pre-Night at Camden Court (or similar)
  • Arrival Transfer
  • 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Ticket
  • Per person sharing one room - € 233
  • Supplement if single room is required - €68

Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.

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