GRAND TOUR OF IRELAND SCHOOL TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1 – AN IRISH WELCOME
Cead Mile Failte, welcome to Ireland! Our guide and driver will meet the group at Dublin airport on arrival and take you to your accommodation. Depending on arrival time, the group will enjoy sightseeing in Dublin city.
In the evening the students will tour the Guinness Storehouse and get together for a welcome dinner.
DAY 2 – SIGHTSEEING IN DUBLIN
After breakfast at the hostel/hotel, the group will take a sightseeing tour of Dublin City, admiring its Georgian heritage, learning about the history of 1916 and the GPO in O’Connell Street and enjoying the green spaces of the Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed park in a European capital.
At Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest University, students will be enthralled by the magnificent Old Library and get to admire the fine details of the 1200 year old Book of Kells, a beautiful version of the Gospels illustrated by Irish monks in the 9th century.
Kilmainham Gaol is another must-see in Dublin City, particularly for those interested in history. Opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin, Kilmainham is today an important museum. In addition to many ordinary citizens, some high profile rebels and political leaders were detained in Kilmainham, some even executed such as some of the leaders of the 1916 Rising which paved the way to the country’s independence.
DAY 3 – BOYNE VALLEY AND BELFAST
After breakfast, the group will depart for Monasterboice and the historic Boyne Valley to visit the Hill of Slane, the Hill of Tara and UNESCO-listed Brú na Bóinne, which has the highest concentration of megalithic art in Europe, and where they will visit the passage tombs of Knowth and Newgrange, built over 5,000 years ago.
From Meath the students will continue their trip heading north to Belfast, where they will take a sightseeing tour of the city and visit to the Titanic Experience, followed by a gala dinner for the group.
DAY 4 – GIANT’S CAUSEWAY AND DERRY
This morning the group will travel along the Antrim Coast to the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the island’s great natural wonders. This unique landscape of 40,000 basalt columns was formed by volcanic activity over 50 million years ago.
Following the scenic Causeway Coast our Grand Tour of Ireland School Trip continues towards Derry, also known as Londonderry, which is Northern Ireland’s artistic and cultural hub.
DAY 5 – DONEGAL
From Derry, the group will travel back to the Republic, to admire the wild beauty of County Donegal following the Wild Atlantic Way coastal roads and stopping to visit the Slieve League cliffs and the Glenveagh National park.
DAY 6 – OMAGH AND SLIGO
This morning, the students will travel to Omagh, to visit the Ulster-American Folk Park, a fantastic open air museum bringing to life the history and human stories behind the Irish emigration and diaspora since the Famine days.
The group then travel to Belleek Pottery to attend a pottery demonstration.
DAY 7 – SLIGO AND MAYO
After breakfast, the Grand Tour of Ireland School Trip continues heading back to the Atlantic coast, admiring the stunning scenery of Sligo and exploring Achill Island, a place of breathtaking coastal landscapes.
The group will then travel to the village of Turlough, to visit the fascinating Museum of Country part of the National Museum of Ireland, hosting exhibitions focusing on rural life in Ireland between 1850 and the 1950s.
DAY 8 – CONNEMARA
Today, the group will continue following the Wild Atlantic Way coast road and head towards Connemara, a place of great natural and wild beauty.
In the heart of Connemara, the students will stop to visit the impressive Kylemore Abbey and its Victorian walled gardens. The Abbey was founded in 1920 by a community of Benedictine nuns that escaped their abbey in Ypres in Belgium, during World War I.
In the evening, they will attend a traditional show, featuring the best of traditional music and dancing in lively Galway city.
DAY 9 – GALWAY, CLARE AND KERRY
From Galway, this journey across the Emerald Isle continues along the beautiful Atlantic Ocean as the group today will visit the majestic Cliffs of Moher and the fascinating Burren region with its unique landscapes, biodiversity and archaeology.
DAY 10 – ADARE VILLAGE AND DINGLE PENINSULA
After breakfast, the group will travel to the Dingle Peninsula, where they will explore picturesque Dingle town and some of the area’s most stunning places such as Slea Head and Inch Beach.
On your way to Dingle, the group will stop at Adare Village, one of Ireland’s most picturesque villages with its colourful thatched cottages.
In Dingle, the students will enjoy a cookery lesson to learn how to make traditional scones.
DAY 11 – RING OF KERRY
This morning, the Grand tour of Ireland School Trip takes students to the Ring of Kerry, one of Ireland’s most scenic and classic routes.
Beginning and finishing in the town of Killarney, the Ring of Kerry takes in the magnificent coastline of the Iveragh Peninsula in all its glory, with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, charming villages and breathtaking landscapes.
They will finish the day with a visit to the Muckross Gardens in Killarney National Park
DAY 12 – KERRY AND CORK
After breakfast, the journey across Ireland continues as the group travels to Cork, Ireland’s second city by the River Lee.
We will visit Blarney Castle where they can kiss the stone and learn about the history of this famous fortress. Also in County Cork, they will visit the Titanic Experience in the port town of Cobh formerly known as Queenstown, which was the last departure point for the fated Titanic.
DAY 13 – TIPPERARY AND KILKENNY
Today, the students will travel back to Dublin, stopping along the day to visit two great places in the country’s Ancient East: the striking Rock of Cashel in Tipperary, ancient seat of the kings of Munster; and Kilkenny for a guided walking tour of this lovely medieval city.
DAY 14 – WICKLOW
After breakfast at the hotel in Dublin, the group will travel to Glendalough in the Wicklow National Park, and one of Ireland’s most important monastic settlements.
You will also visit Avoca hand weavers nearby in the Vale of Avoca, which is the oldest working woollen mill in Ireland.
In the evening, the group will enjoy a farewell dinner with entertainment.
DAY 15 – DUBLIN AIRPORT
Today it is time to say ‘Slan’ to Dublin city and Ireland, we hope you enjoyed the Grand Tour of Ireland School Trip.
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