Group Travel Experts to Ireland, UK & Beyond

Sights and Sounds of Ireland’s Causeway Coast 8 Nights

DAY 1 Sunday ~ Céad Míle Fáilte Arrive in Ireland this morning. After going through Passport Control, collect your bags and head out into the arrivals area where your very friendly Irish Tour Director will meet you. Once aboard the coach we’ll drive west of the country to Galway. Arrive at the hotel where you will check-in and get ready to explore the vibrant city at your leisure. Dinner is included for you this evening at the hotel. Overnight & Dinner: The Hardiman Hotel, Galway

DAY 2 Monday ~ Exploring the West This morning after breakfast at the hotel, we embark on a tour of Connemara, an ever-changing landscape, majestic mountains, spectacular beaches, the wild Atlantic, mist covered lakes, pre- historic bogs and shady glens. We visit the quaint but lively villages where you have all the convenience of modern everyday alongside an opportunity to step back in time with a relaxed and friendly era. This region in Ireland is also where the native Irish Gaelic is still spoken as a first language. We return to Galway city, where you have the evening to explore further. There are numerous restaurants in Galway. Perhaps taste seafood fresh from the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy a pint while listening to Irish traditional music in one of the local pubs. Overnight: The Hardiman Hotel, Galway – Dinner on own

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DAY 3 Tuesday ~ Knock & Museum of Natural History This morning after enjoying a delicious breakfast we will travel to Knock, Ireland’s largest place of Pilgrimage and take a guided tour. There will be time for private devotion and personal reflection on this Holy Ground. Knock is Ireland’s National Marian Shrine and the site of the Apparition in 1879. The Story of Knock began on Thursday evening of the 21st of August 1879, Our Lady, St Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of the church of Knock, County Mayo. There were 15 official witnesses to the apparition, both young and old, who watched and prayed for 2 hours in the pouring rain. Following our trip to Knock, we will enjoy a cruise and the beautiful scenery of the River Shannon. Departing from the qua y side of Carrick-On-Shannon, dubbed one of Ireland’s premier beauty spots, sit back and relax with tea and scones and revel in the beauty of Ireland’s finest river. Overnight & Dinner: Markree Castle, Collooney Co Sligo

DAY 4 Wednesday ~ Travelling to This morning after enjoying a hearty Irish breakfast we will check out of our hotel and travel north across the border to . Along the way we will stop at The Ulster American Folk Park, where we can immerse ourselves in the story of the brave emigrants who made the journey across the Atlantic to America, hundreds of years ago. Wander through the thatched cottages and log cabins and meet costumed characters who will show us traditional crafts, tell a few stories and maybe even share a bit of their good food. Board a full-scale emigrant ship to www.caragrouptravel.com 2 617-639-0273

Group Travel Experts to Ireland, UK & Beyond

experience the conditions faced by many as they set sail for a new life in America. With 30 buildings and exhibits to explore, the Ulster American Folk Park is a wonderfully unique experience. Once we reach Derry, we check into our hotel and then are free for the rest of the day to relax and unwind. Overnight & Dinner: The Maldron Hotel, Derry

DAY 5 Thursday ~ Historical Sights Refuel on a hearty breakfast this morning as we head out to the and Murals Walking Tour of Derry. Subjects range from the partition of Ireland and the creation of the six-county state, widespread religious discrimination against Irish Catholics, Civil Rights period, 1969 and Bloody Sunday massacre January 1972. Departing from the Tower Museum in the city center, this private tour will take you into the heart of the Bogside district of Derry, the crucible of the modern-day conflict in Ireland. Sights include Corner, Bogside murals, Bloody Sunday Massacre Site and Monument. This afternoon we will visit the Inishowen Peninsula. Whatever happened during that freezing, melting, earth-shifting period billions of years ago, it left Ireland with some impressive scenery: vast valleys, glittering lakes, cliffs hoisted up from the Atlantic. And in Donegal’s Ice Age crown, one diamond glitters just that little bit brighter – the Inishowen Peninsula. At the peninsula’s tip is Malin Head, the most northerly point on the island of Ireland, and the start/end point of the Wild Atlantic Way coastal touring route. No visit to Inishowen is complete without a trip up the narrow, winding road to reach this windswept spot. Stand at the viewing point and you'll be treated to jaw-dropping views and dramatic, unspoiled landscapes everywhere you turn. It’s little wonder the crew from Star Wars saw something out of this world in Malin Head and chose it as a filming location for Star Wars: Episode VIII! www.caragrouptravel.com 3 617-639-0273

Group Travel Experts to Ireland, UK & Beyond

This evening will be very special one indeed, as we enjoy dinner at Soda & Starch in the Craft Village. The rationale behind Soda & Starch was to recreate an eatery in the style of an Irish kitchen and pantry. And the location, right in the heart of Derry’s Craft Village, oozes character, warmth and hospitality creating the perfect backdrop for this restaurant’s traditional culinary experience. Following dinner, we will learn how to make an Irish coffee, then get your dancing shoes on as we are entertained with some lively traditional Irish music. Overnight: The Maldron Hotel, Derry

DAY 6 Friday ~ Giants Causeway and The Glens of Antrim This morning after breakfast we depart our hotel and make our way to the city of Belfast. We journey to the Giant’s Causeway, (one of the filming sites for the series “Game of Thrones”) an amazing geologic formation of approx. 40,000 basalt stone – some as tall as 130 feet, and mostly hexagonal in shape. As Northern Ireland’s Premiere landmark, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll be free to decide for yourself whether the Causeway is a result of accelerated cooling of lava outflows 60 million years ago. Or is it the work of the legendary Irish giant, Finn MacCool, in his attempts to a) woo a distant lady giant, or b) meet a Scottish giant in battle to determine who was the stronger giant? We continue our journey via the 9 Glens of Antrim, known locally simply as ‘The Glens’. It comprises of nine Glens (Valleys) that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. We will stop at Glenarm Castle, and enjoy some refreshments in the Tea Room overlooking the kitchen garden. Then you are in for quite a surprise, as we stroll around the stunning Walled Garden, which is one of the oldest walled gardens in Ireland. Originally created to supply the Castle with its www.caragrouptravel.com 4 617-639-0273

Group Travel Experts to Ireland, UK & Beyond

fruit and vegetables, The Walled Garden is now filled with exciting flowers and specimen plants to interest the keenest garden enthusiast. Dinner and Overnight: The Maldron Hotel, Belfast

DAY 7 Saturday ~ Day Tripping in Belfast This morning after a hearty Irish breakfast, we will enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of this fascinating city, where the peace process has brought a revival of optimism to this city rich in Victorian elegance and blossoming with culture. We’ll see Belfast’s compact center on Donegal Square, which is dominated by the elaborate City Hall, which was officially reopened in October 2009 following its £11m, two-year refurbishment. We’ll drive through West Belfast’s Protestant neighborhood of Shankill Road and the Catholic neighborhood of Falls Road, where large vivid murals painted on the sides of buildings express the feelings that still run deep on both sides. Though the names of these areas were much in the news during ‘The Troubles’ the gate in the Peace Wall between them now stands open. Next, we will take a Tram Ride around Titanic’s Shipyard. The story of the Titanic Quarter comes to life, as the guide fills the tour with local knowledge, and amazing stories of the Shipyard, that are illustrated by photos and video on screens in each tram carriage! We end our tour with a visit to the Titanic Belfast, a state-of-the-art interactive museum provides an unforgettable visitor experience. It tells the story of RMS Titanic, from her conception and launch into the River Lagan in 1911, to the tragic end of her maiden voyage a year later. It was here at Titanic Quarter (the former Queen’s Island) in Belfast Harbor, the ship was built. Enjoy the exhibits at your own pace. www.caragrouptravel.com 5 617-639-0273

Group Travel Experts to Ireland, UK & Beyond

Overnight: The Maldron Hotel, Belfast - Dinner on own

DAY 8 Sunday ~ Tracey’s Irish Bread Making Class Following breakfast this morning (hint - it might be a good idea to keep it light!), we will check out of our hotel and we cross the border back to the Republic of Ireland. Along the way we are in for a real treat, in every sense of the word! We will travel the private home of Tracey Jeffrey for an Irish Bread Making Class. After a traditional Irish welcome of tea/coffee and homemade treats, you will learn how to make Irish Fruit Soda Cake, followed by Potato Bread, and traditional Soda Bread and Traybakes. Then comes the best part – the tasting session! You will take a bag filled with your handmade products, along with all of the recipes that you made in the house.

Making our way to our hotel we will also visit Slane Distillery and Castle in Co Meath. Acquired by US Distillers Brown-Forman in 2015, the company behind Jack Daniel’s, Slane Irish Whiskey is made on the grounds of the legendary Slane Castle, in the rural countryside of the Boyne Valley, Co Meath. This evening we will enjoy a farewell dinner, and our last night in Ireland together. Overnight & Dinner: Dunboyne Castle Hotel, Meath

DAY 9 Monday ~ Slán go Fóill (Goodbye for Now)

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Group Travel Experts to Ireland, UK & Beyond

Pack your bags and head for Dublin Airport where you will board your flight back to the States. Carry on your photos and memories and bring a wee bit of the Emerald Isle home with you. And remember, ‘The Land of One Hundred Welcomes’ will be expecting you back soon….

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