North of Ireland Escape

 Escape to the beauty and history of the “Emerald Isle” on your guided tour of Ireland. Enjoy your getaway into the green valleys and sweeping seashores without the large crowds or costs of the “busy” travel season. You’ll begin in the fair city of Dublin. Admire statue-lined O’Connell Street, Dublin’s main thoroughfare, and elegant Georgian squares with their red-brick townhouses and colorful doors behind the wrought-iron fences. You’ll also see Trinity College and St. Patrick’s Cathedral along the way.

Leave the bustle of Dublin for the green landscapes of Ireland’s countryside, and visit Rathbaun Farm. You’ll learn about Ireland’s sheep-farming practices, and try your hand at scone baking in the farmhouse kitchen. You’ll travel on to western Ireland’s colorful harbor city of Galway, with its vibrant shops, cafés, and traditional pubs. On your way to Northern Ireland, pass through Westport, Donegal, and Letterkenny. Then, enjoy a guided walk on Derry’s Old Town walls, and visit the amazing natural formation of the Giant’s Causeway—massive interlocking basalt columns that dramatically extend across the seashore.

Spend two nights in Belfast, with plenty to see in Northern Ireland’s capital city, including the fascinating Titanic Experience. On your way back to Dublin, stop in Carlingford. This Cooley Peninsula town is famous for its oyster farms, medieval buildings, and 12th-century King John’s Castle overlooking the city. Spend the last night of your escorted tour of Ireland where you began, in Dublin. You’ll see why this escape through Ireland’s beauty and history is made even better without the crowds of the high season on your affordable, guided Ireland vacation.