Book any of our wonderful self-drive vacation packages before the 15th of June 2024 to receive a FREE UPGRADE from Economy to Compact AND 15% discount off your tour price!
This offer cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts or special event packages.
Stephanie was an amazing source of help, assistance and knowledge for our first trip to Ireland. She kept us informed of the every changing covid rules as well as adapted to our many - at least three- Read more »
Staff was extremely attentive and very flexible when it came to organizing our trip. All questions were answered quickly and in great detail. When some aspects of our selected trip had to be altered d Read more »
Stephanie at Irish Tourism booked our trip- she was wonderful to work with. I am picky about my rooms - when we booked the trip I requested more spacious accommodations and paid accordingly. We had Read more »
This Best of Ireland Tour, our most popular tour, can be accessed using any of the Irish Airports and is an 8 night tour based on Ireland’s most famous sights including Trinity College and Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, Powerscourt House & the Waterford Crystal exhibition in the South East, Blarney Castle and the Cobh Heritage Centre in Cork, Killarney and the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher and the ‘Burren Landscape’ of County Clare as well as the Aran Islands and Connemara in County Galway and Ireland's most visited attraction, the ancient Megalithic Tombs at Newgrange, just 45 minutes north of Dublin.
Depending on the airports used, the stopovers outlined below may vary in order but the same route will be covered.This tour will leave the traveller with a wonderful array of memories of the diverse scenery and cultural differences that they will encounter from one side of the country to the other. While the accents and dialects of the spoken word will vary greatly while journeying from County Dublin in the East of Ireland to the western counties of Cork, Kerry and Clare, the one unchanging constant will be the level of friendliness, humour & welcome that you receive throughout your travels.
While the suggested tour itinerary clearly outlines how you will be able to visit many of Ireland’s most historical locations and attractions, make sure to take time-out to get to know the local people and their culture.
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your London hotel. Take a panoramic tour of London with a local guide. Visit Kensington Palace, Queen Victoria’s birthplace and former home of Princess Diana. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group at your hotel before a free evening for independent dining.
Enjoy an independent day of sightseeing with tickets for the Original London Hop-On, Hop Off city tour. Explore St. Paul’s Cathedral with your enclosed admission voucher. (B)
Travel through the Cotswolds, ¬ filled with rolling hills and charming villages. Stop for photos before arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Enjoy free time in Stratford for lunch and some independent exploration before heading to your hotel in York. (B, D)
Take a walking tour of central York and visit York Minster. Drive through the lush green scenery of northern England and cross into Scotland. View the ruins of Melrose Abbey. Celebrate with a traditional Scottish banquet and entertainment this evening. (B, D)
Tour Edinburgh with a local guide, Scotland’s capital city, famous for its medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town. Tour Edinburgh Castle to view the Crown Jewels of Scotland. August 9 and August 16 departures will attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B)
Take a tour of St Andrews the “Home of Golf.” Enjoy some free time before traveling on to Pitlochry for lunch. Proceed to Aviemore, a popular resort town in the Highlands. (B, D)
Cruise along Loch Ness; perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of the legendary Nessie. Drive though the Highlands and visit Stirling Castle before going to your hotel in Strathclyde. (B, D)
Stop at the Robert Burns’ Birthplace Museum to learn about the famous poet. Drive to the Cairnryan port to travel by ferry to Belfast, where you will dine in your hotel. (B, D)
Drive through the scenic Nine Glens of Antrim. Visit the Giants Causeway, hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Return to Belfast for a panoramic tour of the city. Enjoy free time for dining independently. (B)
Depart for Donegal, where you will enjoy some free time and lunch independently. Visit Knock Shrine, a pilgrimage site where an apparition of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared. Depart for Galway and take a walking tour of the city with a local guide. Return to your hotel for dinner there. (B, D)
Drive through the stunning scenery of Connemara. In Cong, take a short walking tour to see locations from the “Quiet Man.” Have lunch at Eddies of Clonbur, then travel to Galway via Maam Cross. The afternoon is free to enjoy Galway on your own. (B, L)
Drive through the Burren and visit the Cliffs of Moher, and take a ferry across the River Shannon. Stop at John B. Keane’s Pub, where the famed playwright wrote his famous works. (B, D)
Visit the 19th-century Muckross House and Gardens. Take a scenic drive along the highlights of the Ring of Kerry before stopping in Kenmare for lunch and some free time to explore. Travel to a traditional farm to see highly-skilled sheepdogs herd sheep. Enjoy a free evening in Killarney. (B, L)
Visit Blarney Castle and kiss the “Stone of Eloquence.” Visit Cobh and learn of this colorful town’s connection to the Titanic. Enjoy a walking tour of the historic city of Waterford with a local guide. (B, D)
Tour the famous House of Waterford Crystal to see how its famous glassware is made. Visit the Dunbrody Famine Ship to learn the history of Irish emigration. Enjoy a night of traditional Irish entertainment and cuisine at Taylors Three Rock Pub. (B, D)
Tour Dublin, then take a walking tour of Trinity College and see the 9th-century Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s ¬ nest cultural treasures. Explore Dublin independently for the remainder of your day. (B)
Sail to Holyhead in Wales. Discover the town of Conwy and take a guided walking tour of its famous sights. Tour Conwy Castle with free time to explore on your own. (B, D)
Head south through Snowdonia National Park, stopping in a traditional Welsh market town, where you’ll have some free time for lunch. View the stunning scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Enjoy a panoramic tour of Cardiff before heading to Cardiff Castle, where you’ll enjoy a tour followed by an elegant banquet. (B, D)
In Bath, visit the hot springs and the ancient Roman Baths. Stop in Glastonbury with its historic sites. Enjoy free time to explore and have lunch. Take a scenic drive through Devon, across Bodmin Moor and into Cornwall to your hotel in St Austell. (B, D)
Travel to Marazion and see St Michael’s Mount, a remarkable tidal island. If the tide allows, walk out across the causeway. Travel to the artistic community of St. Ives for a walking tour. Browse the picturesque ¬ fishing village of Mevagissey. (B, D)
Visit the stone monoliths at Stonehenge. Take a tour of Salisbury, a medieval city famous for its cathedral, which houses one of the original copies of the Magna Carta. (B, D)
Head to Windsor for a walking tour with a local guide, then visit Windsor Castle, the Queen’s Residence. Explore independently for the rest of the day and evening. (B)
Your program ends after breakfast. (B) B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner All components of this tour (hotels, visits and attractions) for 2020 itineraries are subject to change until finalized in September 2019. >
Book any of our wonderful self-drive vacation packages before the 15th of June 2024 to receive a FREE UPGRADE from Economy to Compact AND 15% discount off your tour price!
This offer cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts or special event packages.
Below, you will find a price for this self drive tour including your car rental. Pricing for other accommodation and transport options is also available upon request. Please also note that all of our driving tours itineraries and sightseeing guides are available to those wishing to avail of one of our experienced driver guides.
Notes
Your Accommodation & Car Rental Package rate includes an Economy class car eg., Opel Corsa or Fiat Punto.
Included with your car is all compulsory insurances - Collision Damage Waiver insurance (CDW with an excess/deductible), theft protection insurance, location fee of €30, Road fund tax, sales tax at 13.5%, unlimited free mileage, third party liability insurance, 24 hour peace of mind break down cover.
Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.
Please enter your vacation requirements in the form below. If your enquiry requires a more immediate response, please use the Tollfree & International numbers as listed down the page.
For customers based in North America, please note that as we are based in Ireland, we are 5 hours ahead of EST.
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