5 Day Ireland Self Drive Vacation South West Tour Package – IRL – ABY03

Welcome to Dublin. After you pick up your car, transfer to your hotel. Spend the remainder of the day soaking up the atmosphere of this exciting city which includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, with the “Spire” at its centre and the General Post Office, scene of the 1916 Easter uprising as well as many elegant Georgian squares. Why not visit some of its many attractions such as the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College or the Old Jameson Distillery. Overnight: Dublin area

This morning depart Dublin and travel south through the rich midland pastures of Kildare to where you can visit the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens just outside the town of Kildare. The Irish National Stud is home to where some of the best racehorses in the world were bred. The Japanese Gardens are situated in the grounds of the Stud Farm and were created between 1906-1910. They are designed to capture the beauty and power of the Irish landscape in its rawest form. Continue South passing through Cashel where you can visit one of the most important ecclesiastical sites in Ireland – The Rock of Cashel, which rises dramatically from the flat countryside of Tipperary. This site has the best set of varied monuments in any Irish site. The rock is crowned by a group of buildings, both ecclesiastical and royal, including a round tower, a 13th century Romanesque chapel and the beautifully restored Hall of the Vicar Choral. Continue on to Killarney located among spectacular mountains and lakes for overnight. Overnight: Kerry area

Today tour the Ring of Kerry, one of Ireland’s loveliest districts. Poets, painters, writers and musicians have all tried to convey the beauty of this area. Mountains, valleys and lakes blend into a palette of scenic splendour. A delightful day includes a drive along the broad, dramatic coastline of the Iveragh Peninsula and through the charming villages and towns of Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Waterville and Irish-speaking Sneem. Near Killorgan you can visit the Kerry Bog Village Museum. Here you will enjoy a step back in time to the early 18th century to recapture the way of life as it would have been at that time; peat, or turf as it is usually called in Ireland, is harvested from bogs and is still used as domestic fuel. On your return journey to Killarney you can stop by Muckross House, a magnificent Victorian mansion and one of Ireland’s leading stately homes. Overnight: Kerry area

Leave Killarney this morning and travel north through County Kerry and stop in the picturesque village of Adare, with its pretty mustard coloured thatch cottages and medieval abbey. Continue to the Medieval City of Limerick where you can visit the Hunt Museum which houses a unique internationally renowned private collection of over 2,000 original works of art and antiquity. Leaving Limerick and drive through the midlands to Birr. Visit Birr Castle Demesne where you can explore the gardens, which feature collections of rare trees and the tallest Box Hedge in the world. You will also have the opportunity to view the Great Telescope, which was constructed in the 1840s and for 70 years was the largest of its kind in the world. The Demesne also features the Galleries of Discovery Ireland’s Historic Science Centre. Continue to Dublin. Overnight: Dublin area.

Departure Travel to Dublin Airport for return flight home.