Day 1: Travel to Ireland
Evening:
Depart for Dublin, Ireland on a night flight.
Day 2: Welcome to Dublin
Morning:
Arrive in Dublin and meet your Zoni Tour Manager at your hotel, where you’ll store your luggage before enjoying a hearty Irish breakfast.
Next, visit the renowned Trinity College Dublin, Ireland’s oldest university, and explore their beautiful 47-acre campus. See the Book of Kells, a medieval art masterpiece that tells the story of the life of Jesus Christ through the four Gospels. Written in Latin around 800 AD, it is now preserved and stored in the Old Library.
Afternoon:
Have lunch at a local eatery, on your own.
Spend your afternoon exploring Dublin Castle. Originally built in 1204 under the orders of King John of England, and rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1684, the castle now welcomes over a quarter of a million visitors each year.
Evening:
Eat dinner together at a city restaurant.
Enjoy an evening stroll along the River Liffey before returning to your hotel for the night.
Day 3: Literary Dublin
Morning:
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Begin the day with a visit to the Dublin Writers Museum. Renowned and influential writers such as Jonathan Swift, George Bernard Shaw, and W.B. Yeats hail from Ireland. Discover the roots of Irish literature and delve into the often-tumultuous lives of these famous writers.
Explore the James Joyce Centre and take a walking tour to learn about the famous author. Wind through North Central Dublin, where much of Joyce’s work is set. See places like Belvedere College, St. George’s Church, and the Joyce Statue.
Afternoon:
Have lunch at a local dining establishment, on your own.
Next, take an afternoon visit to the National Library of Ireland. Founded in 1877, it protects and offers access to more than 12 million items. They offer public exhibitions, events and use of their reference and research reading rooms.
Evening:
Have dinner at a traditional Irish pub-restaurant. Stick around for some lively Irish storytelling before returning to your hotel for the night.
Day 4: Day Trip to Glendalough
Morning:
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Prepare for adventure as you depart on a day trip to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains. Visit the monastic settlement of Glendalough, founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin. Take in its historic ruins and scenic landscapes as you explore one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland.
Afternoon:
Have lunch in “Monastic City”, on your own.
Explore Wicklow National Park, the largest of Ireland’s National Parks. Take in the wide-open vistas, winding mountain roads and the stunning lakes in its wooded valleys. St. Kevin’s monastic settlement is housed within the boundaries of this park.
Evening:
Bid adieu to the Irish wilderness and return to the city of Dublin for dinner.
Enjoy some live music before returning to your hotel.
Day 5: Irish History
Morning:
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Begin your morning with the National Museum of Ireland, which was first established in 1877. Choose to tour one of their four sites: Decorative Arts & History, Country Life, Natural History, or Archaeology.
Next, stop by the General Post Office (GPO), the headquarters of the Irish Postal Service, An Post. The foundation of this building was laid in 1814 and was the site of the 1916 Easter Rising against British Rule.
Afternoon:
Have lunch at a local eatery, on your own.
Take an afternoon guided tour of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum where you’ll discover what it means to be Irish. Hear incredible stories of Irish emigrants as you view video galleries, take motion sensor quizzes, and dance in the footsteps of legends. Listen to remastered audio from 100 years ago and watch films that bring Irish history to life.
Evening:
Have dinner at a local restaurant.
Relax and enjoy a traditional Irish dance show.
Return to your hotel.
Day 6: A Look Back In Time
Morning:
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Begin your day with a visit to the Chester Beatty Library, said to be one of the best museums in Europe. Here you will find a remarkable collection of manuscripts and art from around the world. Through rare artifacts and books, you will immerse yourself in different cultures found across the continents.
Afternoon:
Have lunch at a nearby café, on your own.
This afternoon, take a guided tour of Kilmainham Gaol, a historic prison. For more than 100 years Kilmainham Gaol held thousands of criminals, some ordinary and some monumental, including those who fought for Ireland’s independence. The prison closed in 1924 and has been preserved as a national monument since the 1960s.
Evening:
Enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Return to your hotel.
Day 7: Departure
Morning:
Have breakfast at your hotel and check out.
Afternoon:
Depart for the airport for your flight home.
