Ireland: Galway & Connemara Coast - Detailed Itinerary
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Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart the U.S. and begin your crossing of
the Atlantic Ocean.
You depart from the U.S. for England. The particulars of your arrival
overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.
Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive London
Upon arrival at the London airport, you will claim your luggage and
proceed through customs. If for any reason your luggage appears to be
lost, you must complete a PIR form before leaving the customs area, as
VBT representatives are not allowed into the customs area. You will be
met after exiting customs. As you enter the arrivals hall please look
for your VBT representative or driver who will be holding a VBT sign.
Please wait here. Make sure that your VBT luggage tags are attached to
your bags – this assists our representative in identifying you. Your
representative will welcome you to England and arrange for your transfer
via taxi or van to your London hotel, (transfer time 30 minutes, time
may vary due to traffic). We will provide you with a city information
packet for your 3-night stay, which will include information and
recommendations on what to see and do in London. You have the rest of
the day to relax or to begin your exploration of the city.
Hotel: Millennium Baileys Hotel
Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent Exploration of London
Meals: B Hotel: Millennium Baileys Hotel
Day 4 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent Exploration of London
Meals: B Hotel: Millennium Baileys Hotel
Day 5 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Fly to Shannon/Begin Main Tour
This morning you will transfer to the London airport for your flight to
Shannon. On your first day in London you will be advised of departure
time from your London hotel. Please make sure you are ready and waiting
in the reception area 15 minutes prior to your departure time. Once you
have arrived at London Airport please check-in and proceed to the
departure lounge and prepare for your flight to Shannon. Upon arrival at
Shannon airport, you will claim your luggage and clear customs. As you
enter the arrivals hall please look for your VBT representative or
driver who will be holding a VBT sign. Please wait here. Make sure that
your VBT luggage tags are attached to your bags – this assists our
representative in identifying you. Our local representative will assist
you in transferring to your hotel in Ennis (travel time 30 min). Here
you will have the rest of the day to explore this town and have dinner
on your own. Please see Day 3 of the main tour.
Meals: B
Day 1 (AIRFARE PACKAGE BEGINS HERE)
Depart U.S./Fly overnight to Shannon Airport
You depart from the U.S. for Ireland. The particulars of your arrival
overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.
Day 2 Arrive into Shannon
Upon arrival at Shannon airport, you will claim your luggage and clear
customs. As you enter the arrivals hall please look for your VBT
representative or driver who will be holding a VBT sign. Please wait
here. Make sure that your VBT luggage tags are attached to your bags –
this assists our representative in identifying you. Our local
representative will assist you in transferring to your hotel in Ennis
(travel time 30 min). Here you will have the rest of the day to explore
this town and have dinner on your own.
Hotel: Old Ground Hotel
Day 3 (LAND-ONLY BEGINS HERE) Meet Trip Leaders/Transfer to
Lisdoonvarna
After breakfast, airfare and pre-extension package guests are free to
relax or explore Ennis. You may wish to visit its 19th-century cathedral
or medieval friary before meeting your Trip Leaders at the hotel. You
will meet your VBT Trip Leaders in the hotel lobby at 12:30 p.m.
Land-only guests will be met by the Trip Leaders at the Shannon airport.
The tour begins here at 11:30 am. We will meet in the arrival area, just
beyond customs. If your arrival at Shannon airport is scheduled later
than 10:45 a.m., or if you are delayed, you must transfer at your own
expense to the first hotel in Lisdoonvarna. Taxi cost is approximately
110 Euros / $125 USD (travel time 1 ½ hr). Please contact your first
hotel to advise of any travel delays or changes, as they will pass the
message onto your VBT Trip Leaders. Your VBT Trip Leaders will be easy
to recognize, as they will be wearing VBT staff garments and carrying a
VBT sign. Once we have gathered all guests, we transfer by private
motorcoach to Lisdoonvarna via the famous Cliffs of Moher. Rising up to
600 feet above the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the Cliffs of
Moher are western Ireland's most dramatic vantage point. We arrive at
our hotel, home for the next two nights. After checking in, we will meet
for a safety and bike-fitting session and warm-up ride. Our historic
hotel is truly an Irish institution. Sheedy's Country House & Restaurant
was recently voted one of Ireland's best-loved small hotels and
restaurants. Chef/owner John Sheedy is considered one of Ireland's
finest chefs and he is a seventh-generation owner!
Meals: B,D Hotel: Sheedy's Country House and Restaurant
Day 4 Discover the Burren and County Clare
Begin cycling west, along the rocky coastline towards the ocean,
enjoying views of Galway Bay. This region, known as the Burren (meaning
“rocky coast” in Irish), is one of the few places on the earth where
arctic, mediterranean and alpine plants thrive side by side. We ride
around the famous angling point known as Black Head. Later, you'll enjoy
lunch on your own in the quaint harbor village of Ballyvaughan.
Throughout the day, you are surrounded by the rugged beauty of the
region. During the day, meet up with local expert, Shane Connelly, for a
walk and talk on the “Burren.” He'll inform you about archaeology,
agriculture and local history. Just listening to his delightful brogue
is sure to enchant you! After dinner at the hotel, enjoy some live music
in Lisdoornvarna, a center for traditional Irish folk music.
Meals: B,D Hotel: Sheedy's Country House and Restaurant
Day 5 Explore ancient and mystical sights in Kilfenora,
Carran/Discover Galway
Today, you'll ride or shuttle by van to Kilfenora, the site of a
6th-century monastery, and continue through Noughaval past medieval
churches, dolmens and sacred sites on to Carran and the remains of its
12th-century Cistercian Corcomroe Abbey. The scenery here is quite
stunning — vast, green rolling landscapes with stone walls and
quintessential Irish countryside. We shuttle by private motorcoach to
Galway, known for its picturesque harbor and boats, spirited nightlife
and historical sights. We go for a stroll in Galway to gain an insider's
perspective on this lively city — where to shop, get an authentic meal
or a pint of Guinness. Then enjoy lunch and dinner on your own. Your
hotel is only a five-minute walk from the center of town, Eyre Square.
Perhaps you'll explore the many woolen shops, bookstores and churches
that Galway has to offer.
Meals: B Hotel: Harbour Hotel
Day 6 DISCOVERY DAY! Aran Islands
Enjoy a traditional “full Irish breakfast” before catching the shuttle
and ferry to Inishmor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. Many
visitors enjoy this as a non-cycling day, preferring instead to walk or
hike around the Aran Islands. Inhabited for centuries, the remote Aran
Islands contain some of the finest prehistoric monuments in Europe.
Today, we'll see one of the most remarkable Druid sights, Dun Aengus, on
an included visit. This sacred site is at least 2,000 years old. While
you're here, perhaps you'll wander among some of the other mystic Celtic
stones, monuments and holy wells. If you choose to explore the eastern
end of the island near Kilronan harbor, you may opt to visit the Ionad
Aran, the island's Heritage and Interpretive Center. Afterwards, you may
choose to take the longer cycling option and enjoy the island loop,
which takes you around the perimeter of this nine-mile-long island.
Lodging tonight is in one of the guest houses on the island, where we
enjoy a home-cooked meal.
Meals: B,D Hotel: Kilmurvey Guesthouse
Alternate Hotel: Ostan Arann, Aran Islands Hotel . Family run small
hotel with magnificent views of Kileany Bay and Kilronan Harbour.
Day 7 Ferry to Connemara
After breakfast, catch the ferry to Rossaveel where we shuttle or cycle
into the heart of Connemara stopping for an included “pub lunch” where
the locals welcome us. This Irish county is heralded by the locals as
the jewel of Ireland. As we continue on through the stunning landscape,
we arrive at our inviting hotel set on Cashel Bay. After free time to
freshen up, we gather together to enjoy a delicious meal made by the
hotel's chef.
Meals: B,L,D Hotel: Zetland Country House Hotel
Day 8 Cycle to Clifden
We follow the coastline to the 19th-century fishing village of
Roundstone, admiring fantastic coastal views. Here we'll learn how a
bodhram, the traditional drum of Ireland, is produced. We continue
cycling to Clifden, passing pristine white beaches, silver bays and
rocky coastlines. Enjoy a leisurely lunch and free time on your own in
Clifden. After lunch cycle back to the hotel at your own pace. Tonight
we gather for a farewell dinner with our fellow travelers.
Meals: B,D Hotel: Zetland Country House Hotel
Day 9 (LAND-ONLY ENDS HERE) Transfer to Dublin/Free time
After breakfast, we transfer airfare package guests to the Galway
railway station where we will board a train for Dublin and then on to
our downtown hotel. Once at the hotel you have time to relax and settle
in. Since its beginning around 988 A.D., Dublin has accommodated many
diverse nationalities from the Vikings to the English invaders to the
sailors, traders and writers who settled and lived here over the
centuries. You have the rest of the day to discover what this
1000-year-old city has to offer. After your exploration, relax in an
outdoor cafe or Irish pub. For land-only guests we continue on to the
Shannon airport arriving at approximately 11:00 a.m. for your return
trip to the U.S. Important: departures from Shannon airport prior to
1:00 p.m. are not recommended; those departing earlier must make
transfer arrangements at their own expense from the last hotel, to the
Shannon airport. Taxi cost is approximately 144 Euros/ $200 USD (travel
time 2 hr 30 min).
Meals: B Hotel: The Schoolhouse Hotel - Post Trip Hotel
Day 10 Depart for U.S. or begin your optional Dublin extension
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Dublin airport for your
return flight. If you have chosen our optional extension, you will
remain in Dublin for an additional two nights.
Meals: B Hotel: The Schoolhouse Hotel
Day 11 (POST-TRIP EXTENSION) Independent Exploration of Dublin
One of the oldest cities in Europe, Dublin provides the visitor with a
multitude of cultural riches, from the ancient to the avant-garde:
history, architecture, literature, art and archaeology, and the
performing arts. Monuments in literature and in stone commemorate the
writers, poets, statesmen, soldiers, and ordinary people who make Dublin
a place like no other. Medieval, Georgian, and modern architecture
provide a backdrop to a friendly, bustling port that claims literary
giants such as Wilde, Shaw, Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, and O'Casey as native
sons. Spawned by the need to ford the River Liffey, fortified by the
Danes, developed by the Normans, adorned with Anglo-Irish architecture,
the city has grown in stature and elegance over the centuries. On your
own you may want to explore Trinity College, the Dublin Writers' Museum,
or Christ Church Cathedral. Take in a show at the Abbey Theatre or at
one of the city's many other venues. Hoist a pint with Dubliners at a
traditional Irish pub, or stop in at a trendy wine bar in the Temple Bar
area. Walk along the River Liffey or through one of the many shopping
squares. Whatever you choose, enjoy!
Meals: B Hotel: The Schoolhouse Hotel
Day 12 (POST-TRIP EXTENSION) Dublin Extension concludes, depart for
home!
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Dublin airport for your
return flight home.
Meals: B
