Family Travel – Ireland Forever

8 Days

TAUCK BRIDGES FAMILY TRAVEL

Ireland Forever

TIME OF YEAR – Jun – Aug

Hands-on family fun has everyone’s eyes a-smiling… learn how to Irish Step Dance… explore Dublin by land and water and go on a treasure hunt back in time, from the Viking age to the Middle Ages… ride in First Class aboard a train through emerald landscapes… make pottery, Celtic jewelry and a home-grown Irish dinner… explore scenic Killarney by bicycle… stay in a castle, walk with a hawk, see farm dogs herding sheep… and make new friends everywhere you go.

ONLY WITH TAUCK

  • A farm-fresh cooking demonstration and dinner with entertainment at the acclaimed Ballymaloe Cookery School, set in a 100- acre organic farm
  • Irish dancing and storytelling during a farewell dinner on a working farm

Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, special dinners, sightseeing, admissions, porterage and the services of local guides, drivers, and the Tauck Director are included. Transportation from Dublin Airport to the Conrad Dublin is included, regardless of the time you check in to the hotel, provided you have given us accurate flight information at least three weeks prior to the start of the tour. Transportation from the Dromoland Castle or Trump International Golf Links Hotel to Shannon Airport is also included when you check out of the hotel. Transportation to and from airports may be shared with other Tauck guests.

Age Recommendations – Children 8 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, we have a minimum recommended age for each journey to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.

Rates and schedules are not guaranteed until booked and will vary based on departure date.

Tour begins: 3:30 PM, Conrad Dublin. A transfer is included from Dublin Airport to the Conrad Dublin hotel, centrally located in the heart of the Irish capital steps from St. Stephen’s Green. With a bustling city center and the River Liffey running through the middle of it, the best way to explore Dublin is is by land and water! You’ll get a great introduction aboard a “Viking Splash Tour”… see all sides of the city while traveling aboard a World War II amphibious vehicle – its medieval core and Georgian squares… Trinity College… St. Patrick’s Cathedral and much more. Please join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight, where we kick your off a week of fun on your Tauck Bridges Ireland vacation with Celtic music and Irish step dancing lessons!

MEALS – Dinner

LODGING – Conrad Dublin

The city of Dublin dates back to the 9th century, when seafaring Vikings founded a settlement here. This morning, you’ll hunt for clues to its ancient history – and meet some costumed characters of days past – as you go on a scavenger hunt in the city’s very old streets that ends in Trinity College with a look at the Book of Kells, dating back to the 9th century. Following lunch at a traditional Irish pub in a centuries-old setting, the rest of the day is free to explore as you please.

MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch

LODGING – Conrad Dublin

Continue your Ireland vacation adventure as you travel first class from Dublin on a train bound for the Irish countryside at the southern tip of the Emerald Isle. There, in County Cork, you’ll visit the legendary Blarney Castle, where high up in the battlements await views of green lands… and a chance to lay a kiss upon its famous stone. Be prepared for a backward bend, or two, and a gift – of the gab! After a fitting welcome at Castlemartyr Resort, where you’ll spend the next three nights, Irish eloquence of another kind will be yours to enjoy at tonight’s private barbecue, featuring an Irish storyteller.

MEALS – Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a leisurely morning on the grounds of your Irish home-away-from-home before heading to the Kinsale Pottery and Art Centre for a tour and an artful, hands-on afternoon spent making colorful ceramic pottery and traditional Celtic jewelry. Local artisans show you how to make traditional pottery, helping you hand-build and paint your sculpted piece. You’ll also get to try your hand at Celtic jewelry making using a range of skills covered in today’s class – from design to threading, knotting, fitting crimps and finishing – all in a workshop in the converted stables of the home farm for Ballinacurra House, which dates from the late 1700s. You’ll have some free time to explore the town of Kinsale prior to returning to your resort for a free afternoon before dinner tonight.

MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

LODGING – Castlemartyr Resort

Have fun working up an appetite for a home-cooked Irish dinner tonight by enjoying a variety of outdoor activities at your resort this morning – including golf, hurling, archery*, and pony trap* rides. After lunch, head out to Ballymaloe, the only cookery school in the world located in the middle of its own 100-acre organic farm. Join your culinary hosts for a guided tour of the gardens and the working farm, experience a cooking demonstration by expert chefs… then show what you’ve learned when you pair up and cook your own authentically Irish dinner! After you’ve enjoyed the fruits of your culinary efforts, the fun continues when an Irish musician performs for your group tonight.

MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

LODGING – Castlemartyr Resort

Say goodbye to Castlemartyr and continue your Ireland family vacation through lovely, lush landscapes to Killarney. There’s no better way to explore Ireland than by bicycle, and that’s just what you’ll do today on a bicycle ride along the lakeshore of the world-famous Lakes of Killarney – among the most beautiful places in Ireland. Say hello to the townsfolk during lunch in Killarney, then depart for Newmarket-on-Fergus. Have you ever spent the night in a real castle? You will tonight – and tomorrow night too – as we roll out the red carpet for you in Dromoland Castle!

MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

LODGING – Dromoland Castle

Keep your camera at the ready today as you travel to the County Clare coast to visit one of the world’s most photographed natural wonders. Some five miles long, the Cliffs of Moher soar 659 feet over the crashing Atlantic Ocean waves below, providing you with amazing bird’s-eye views of the craggy Irish coast… can’t wait to see the pictures! Back on your castle grounds, you’ll learn how to take a bird walk – with a hawk*! More fun for all ages awaits when you head to a nearby farm in the Irish countryside for an evening of farewell festivities to remember. Watch skilled dogs herd the farm’s woolly flocks; see a sheep shearing demonstration; feed the lambs; dig into a hearty, home- cooked Irish dinner… and more. It’s the perfect way to end your family’s perfect Ireland vacation adventure!

MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

LODGING – Dromoland Castle

Tour ends: Newmarket-on-Fergus. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included to Shannon Airport from Dromoland Castle. You should allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.

MEALS – Breakfast

What's Included

  • All gratuities to Tauck Director, local guides, and drivers
  • Private sightseeing in Dublin aboard a World War II amphibious vehicle
  • Step dancing lessons and a treasure hunt
  • Pottery making and Celtic jewelry design with a local artisan
  • Bicycle ride along the Lakes of Killarney lakeshore
  • A walk with a hawk at Dromoland Castle
  • Sheep dog and sheep shearing demonstrations
  • Airport transfers on arrival and departure as noted
  • 18 meals; service charges, taxes, and porterage

NIGHTS 1 – 2 DUBLIN, IRELAND

Conrad Dublin

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The Conrad Dublin, located in the heart of “Dublin’s fair city” opposite the gardens of famous St. Stephen’s Green, is a grand place to begin your family’s exploration of “The Emerald Isle.” Your guest room welcomes you with all the comforts of home, like a 37-inch LED flat screen TV with premium channels, an iHome Bluetooth docking station like a clock radio with MP3 connection, air conditioning, bathrobes and slippers, mineral water, cable TV, CD player, minibar, in-room safe and more… even a hair dryer and iron/ironing board. If you’re after some exercise, head to the well- equipped Fitness Center with hi-tech cardiovascular equipment and weights or ask the hotel staff for maps of good jogging routes close by. The hotel’s dining options include contemporary cuisine at their all day brasserie, The Coburg Restaurant and more casual dining at Alfie’s Bar and Grill, which opens out onto Earlsfort Terrace. The Conrad Dublin is a winner of the prestigious Fáilte Ireland 5-Star Quality Award.

Tauck Guests enjoy complimentary Internet access in guest rooms!

NIGHTS 3 – 5 CASTLEMARTYR, IRELAND

Castlemartyr Resort

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Part ancient castle ruins originally built by The Knights Templar in 1210, part 18th-century manor house and part contemporary hotel, this is a totally cool place to spend a few days. The Castlemartyr Resort is set on 220 acres of parkland with its own meandering stream and a tranquil lake, offering wonderful opportunities for outdoor family fun like pony and trap riding, golfing, archery, hurling (an ancient Irish sport) and more, as well as good times inside at the indoor swimming pool. After being greeted by Earl and Countess, the resident Irish setters who would love to go for a walk with you later, you’ll find that your guest room has everything you need to rest and relax after all that fun, such as flat-screen LCD TV with satellite channels, air conditioning, in-room refrigerator with complimentary mineral water, bathrobes and slippers and more. The Knight’s Bar is a good choice for a light, informal meal or snack, or you might enjoy a light lunch or afternoon tea on The Terrace as you look out over the gardens. Don’t forget that Countess and Earl are probably still looking forward to that walk with you!

NIGHTS 6 – 7 NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS, IRELAND

Dromoland Castle

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The readers of Travel + Leisure have named Dromoland Castle one of the top 100 world hotels, and the readers of Condé Nast Traveler have cited it on their Gold List. One of the world’s most famous castle hotels, Dromoland Castle is magnificently steeped in history and tradition. In addition to all the pleasures to be found within the castle, to include the full-service spa and indoor pool, guests can enjoy superb golf, boating, shooting, fishing, tennis, walking and cycling within the extensive grounds of the estate.

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Family Travel – Ireland Forever