Literary and Culinary Tour in Ireland - 10 Day Private Tour ULIR05

Day 1 Depart USA

You board your flight for the overnight trip to the charming country of Ireland, justly known for its scenery and charming inhabitants.

Day 2 Welcome to Dublin

A thousand welcomes to the Emerald Isle. Your guide will be waiting for your arrival and facilitate your speedy transfer to your waiting car. On the way to the city, your guide will brief you on some of the events we have arranged for you and listen to any suggestions you might have. Soon you will arrive at your hotel, considered to be one of Dublin's finest. You have a chance to relax or take stroll before enjoying a private dinner at the hotel.

Day 3 The Literary and Musical Heritage of Ireland

This morning you are met by your guide who both by car and on foot will introduce you to the historic and cultural portions of Dublin. You'll visit St Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College a renowned center of knowledge and repository of the Book of Kells. After a pub lunch you will embark on a literary tour that will show you areas of the city associated with Ireland's great writers. You'll also spend some time following the trail of Leopold bloom from James Joyce's Classic Ulysses. This evening you'll join two talented musician guides who will both entertain you and introduce you to a number of well known Dublin pubs.

Day 4 The Grand Canal and Georgian Dublin

After breakfast you meet your guide in the lobby to begin an exploration of Georgian Dublin using the banks of the Grand Canal as a road map. As you walk along the canal pathway you not only enjoy the pleasures of the canal itself but learn where Restoration and Georgian Dublin began. Through pointing out various sights your guide will weave a narrative involving literary, artistic and revolutionary connections to the area. At the end of your walk you will be in the old docklands, bringing you into the 21st Century since this area (as in many other cities) has been totally rebuilt as a shopping and entertainment complex. After lunch you have the rest of the afternoon to discover your own personal London. Tonight you have your choice of several fine restaurants for your dining pleasure.

Day 5 The Irish National Stud and the Crystal of Waterford

After breakfast your guide will be waiting to take you out of the city and into the Irish countryside. You are headed to the south of Ireland. It has been said that the Irish have a love affair with horse racing and horse racing has a love affair with the Irish. Today you will see this for yourself as you first visit the town of Naas which is surrounded by three major race tracks. Your next stop will be The National Stud where great thoroughbreds are born. You will tour the facility including The Museum of the Horse before having lunch and heading to the County of Waterford. Waterford the city was founded on the banks of the River Suir and it is a charming city known for its waterside charm but perhaps most famous for the Waterford Crystal Center which you will visit. After your visit you will head to your country house hotel located on the scenic Hook Peninsula.

Days 6- 7 Learning Cooking and Relaxation Techniques

You will spend the next two days alternating between learning the secrets of new Irish cooking and having a chance to relax at the hotel's spa. Owned by celebrity chef Kevin Dundon and his wife Catherine, Dunbrody Country House and Cookery School will stimulate more than just your taste buds. The restaurant cuisine is equal to the best in any European capital. On the flip side, the spa uses food-based therapies to satisfy the inner self. This unique approach makes the Dunbrody experience unforgettable. Along with illuminating cooking lessons, often from Kevin himself, this is the perfect epicurean retreat.

Day 8 The Trip to the Lakes of Killarney

Your journey to Killarney will take you through County Cork stopping at Kinsale for lunch. This quaint fishing town with its narrow cobbled streets leading down to the harbor is sure to captivate you. You will then head through the mountains to the County of Kerry to Killarney one of Ireland's most scenic areas highlighted by its lakes. Your hotel overlooks the lake and dinner this evening is in its aptly named Lake Room restaurant. Dinner with a view.

Day 9 The Gaelic Tradition of Dingle Peninsula

Because of its location on the south west of County Kerry and the one time prohibitive Conor Pass, the Dingle Peninsula stayed true to its Gaelic roots with Gaelic still being the language spoken by moist inhabitants it is also a center of traditional Irish music. All this culture is surrounded by water and stunning scenery selected by David Lean as the location for his production of Ryan's Daughter. The town of Kirrary was fictional and created for the movie but the views are all real. You will climb over the Conor pass into Dingle and then tour around the peninsula stopping for a pub lunch along the way. You then return to your hotel.

Day 10 Return to USA

In the morning you will be driven to Shannon airport for your return flight to the US arriving back that same afternoon.

10 Days: $8,549 per person based on 2 traveling and inclusive of superior rooms in superior hotels, all meals, cooking lessons, spa treatments, personal guides and private car and driver. Airfare is additional and we can assist. Business Class airfare at special rates is available and highly recommended. Friends and family rates: $6,428 per person based on 4 traveling and $5,496 per person based on 6 traveling.

Available year round