8 Day Derry Region and Best of Ireland Tour

Our 8 day tour not only brings you on a journey of Ireland's key experiences, it offers you a deeper connection to the land of your forefathers.

Itinerary

• Arrive early morning at Dublin airport
• Meet and greet on arrival and transfer to Dublin's Westbury Hotel
• Morning and early afternoon at leisure
• 6pm Welcome to Ireland101 followed by cocktails and canapés
• 7pm Dinner in Wilde Restaurant followed by Fireside Chat "On being Irish"
• Overnight stay at The Westbury Hotel

• A dive into Ireland's ancient heritage to monuments older than the pyramids through centuries of invasion by Vikings, Normans and English, past the tragedy of famine and the struggle for independence: this is your time, these are your people, this is your place.
• Full Irish Breakfast followed by briefing
• Today's itinerary commences with Ireland's rich pre-history at Neolithic tumulus at Newgrange and continues with key moments in history including the arrival of Christianity, the Norman Invasion, British rule and the Famine
• 6pm Literary Pub Crawl
• 8pm Dinner
• Overnight stay at The Westbury Hotel

• Full Irish Breakfast in Westbury Hotel
• Depart Dublin and travel through the lush Irish countryside to visit the Kilbeggan Distillery, the oldest licenced distillery in Ireland, and onwards to the 18th Century Strokestown House and Famine Museum
• Travel through the timeless beauty of the wild northwest Irish countryside to Donegal town, nestled amidst the breathtaking backdrop of the Blue Stack Mountains at the mouth of Donegal Bay
• Whiskey Tasting on arrival at Lough Eske Castle
• Flavours of Donegal – a special dinner prepared by the Lough Eske Castle's award winning chef using local ingredients
• Overnight stay at Lough Eske Castle

• Full Irish breakfast in Lough Eske Castle
• Today's itinerary takes you to the spectacular Slieve League, said to be the highest sea cliffs in Europe rising over 600 meters above the sea below, and to the imperious and beautifully restored Donegal Castle, originally built in the 15th Century. Along the journey you will encounter places where Gaelic is still spoken on a daily basis
• 7pm Dinner at Cedars Grill
• 9:30pm Irish Coffee Making Demo at Lough Eske Castle
• Overnight stay at Lough Eske Castle

• Today you visit the ancient city of Derry and the 16th Century city walls and on to the geological wonderland that is the Giant's Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Seafood lunch in Derry
• 6pm Cocktails in the classic, multi award-winning Bar at The Merchant Hotel followed by dinner at The Great Room Restaurant
• Overnight stay at The Merchant Hotel

• Today's itinerary brings the highlight of the trip, completing your cultural reawakening by visiting your ancestral home, the doorstep where your forebears once left, possibly never to return
• Also on today's agenda is an in depth discussion with a genealogist who will present you with their findings having completed in depth research on your family tree
• Overnight stay at The Merchant Hotel

• Full Irish Breakfast in The Merchant Hotel
• Today you visit around Belfast City and the iconic Titanic Quarter, the world's largest Titanic-themed visitor attraction, to learn more about the most famous ocean liner. Take a Black Cab City Tour around west Belfast, once the centrepoint of "the troubles", to get gain insights, into the political divide along with stories and wit from the commentary of the local guides
• 6pm Drinks followed by Gala Dinner in The Great Room Restaurant
• Overnight stay at The Merchant Hotel

• Final breakfast together then guests are coached back to Dublin or Shannon Airport