Grand Tour of Ireland: North and South, Coast to Coast

Today you explore warm, historic Dublin with your local guide. You visit Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university, to marvel at the exquisite Book of Kells and the breathtaking Long Room library, take in Dublin Castle, once the seat of British power, and the grand cathedrals of Christ Church and Saint Patrick's, and wander the elegant Georgian squares and the medieval old city. You might visit the National Museum, home to dazzling Iron Age gold and Viking treasures, or the moving Kilmainham Gaol, and in the afternoon follow the story of the black stuff at the Guinness Storehouse, ending with a pint in the rooftop Gravity Bar. The history, culture and buzz are captivating. As the day ends, the pubs of Temple Bar beckon for music and craic. This evening, savour Dublin's legendary pub culture. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey north into Northern Ireland and vibrant Belfast.

Today you journey north across the open border into Northern Ireland and vibrant Belfast, with an ancient stop along the way. You might pause in the Boyne Valley to visit the astonishing passage tomb of Newgrange, built more than 5,000 years ago, older than the pyramids, entering its stone passage carved with mysterious spirals. Continuing north, you cross the invisible border into Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and reach Belfast, once troubled and now transformed into one of the most vibrant and welcoming cities in Ireland. You explore its grand Victorian centre, the striking City Hall and the buzzing Cathedral Quarter. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Belfast. This evening, enjoy the lively pubs and warm welcome of the city, and the sense of having crossed into a different corner of Ireland. Rest well, for tomorrow you visit the extraordinary Giant's Causeway and the dramatic Antrim coast.

Today you explore the wonders of Northern Ireland, from a natural marvel to a great human story. You drive the breathtaking Causeway Coastal Route along the dramatic Antrim coast, passing ruined Dunluce Castle and, if you wish, crossing the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, to reach the extraordinary Giant's Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of some 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns marching into the sea, formed by ancient volcanoes yet, legend says, built by the giant Finn McCool. You clamber over the stones as the Atlantic crashes around them. Back in Belfast, you visit the spectacular Titanic Belfast museum, on the very slipways where the great ship was built. The wonder and history are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel. This evening, savour Belfast's warmth and craic. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey west to wild Donegal.

Today you journey west into the wild northwest and County Donegal, the most remote and unspoiled corner of Ireland. You travel across Northern Ireland, perhaps pausing in the historic walled city of Derry, with its 17th-century walls and powerful recent history, before crossing back into the Republic and into Donegal, a land of jagged peninsulas, empty golden beaches, heather mountains and a fierce, proud Gaelic culture. You take in the wild beauty of the region, perhaps its tweed-weaving villages and dramatic coast, and reach the town of Donegal with its castle and harbour by evening. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Donegal, deep in the wild northwest. This evening, enjoy the warmth of a Donegal pub and the sense of having reached one of the most beautiful and remote corners of the island. Rest well, for tomorrow you visit the soaring cliffs of Slieve League and journey south to Galway.

Today you visit one of Ireland's greatest natural wonders before journeying south to Galway. You drive out along the wild Donegal coast to the soaring sea cliffs of Slieve League, which plunge almost 600 metres straight into the Atlantic, nearly three times the height of the Cliffs of Moher and among the highest in Europe, yet gloriously uncrowded, gazing in awe from the viewing platform. Then you journey south through Yeats Country in County Sligo, beneath the flat-topped mountain of Benbulben and near the poet's grave at Drumcliffe, and on down the coast to joyous Galway, where the River Corrib meets the sea, arriving by evening. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Galway. This evening, the pubs of the medieval Latin Quarter spill traditional music onto the streets, and you savour fresh seafood and a pint. Rest well, for tomorrow you sail to the timeless Aran Islands.

Today you discover joyous Galway and, weather permitting, sail to the timeless Aran Islands. You take a ferry across Galway Bay to Inis Mor, the largest of the three windswept limestone islands where Irish is still the everyday language and life moves to the rhythm of the sea. You explore by pony trap or bicycle, reaching the spectacular prehistoric fort of Dun Aonghasa, perched on the edge of a 100-metre cliff above the Atlantic, and taking in the patchwork of tiny fields divided by dry-stone walls. Back in Galway, you wander the medieval Latin Quarter, its narrow streets lined with painted shopfronts, craft shops and seafood bars, taking in the Spanish Arch and the buskers of Shop Street. As the day ends, you return to your Galway hotel. This evening, savour the seafood and music that make Galway everyone's favourite Irish city. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey south to Kerry via the Cliffs of Moher.

Today you journey south to Kerry, past the mighty Cliffs of Moher and the lunar Burren. Leaving Galway, you cross into County Clare and reach the Cliffs of Moher, where a wall of dark rock soars more than 200 metres straight from the crashing Atlantic, home to wheeling seabirds and views to the Aran Islands, walking the cliff paths above the ocean. You then cross the extraordinary Burren, a lunar landscape of grey limestone scattered with wildflowers and ancient dolmens, and continue south, crossing the Shannon Estuary by car ferry, into Kerry. Reaching Killarney by evening, you settle into your hotel in this charming town cradled by lakes and mountains. As the day ends, the beauty of Kerry surrounds you. This evening, enjoy the lively pubs and traditional music of Killarney. Rest well, for tomorrow you drive the legendary Ring of Kerry and explore Killarney National Park and the Dingle Peninsula.

Today you explore the beloved scenery of the southwest. You drive the legendary Ring of Kerry, a 100-mile loop around the Iveragh Peninsula unfolding purple mountains, glittering lakes, tumbling waterfalls, pretty villages and wide Atlantic seascapes, with views to the jagged Skellig islands, pausing at dramatic viewpoints where the ocean crashes against the headlands. Back near Killarney, you explore its glorious national park by jaunting car or on foot, a wilderness of lakes, ancient oak woods and mountains home to wild red deer, taking in the elegant Muckross House, the Torc Waterfall and the dramatic Gap of Dunloe. The scenery and wildlife are captivating. As the day ends, you return to Killarney. This evening, savour Kerry's warmth, food and music, perhaps a lively session in a local pub. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Cork, kissing the Blarney Stone along the way.

Today you journey east to Cork, Ireland's characterful second city, with a famous castle along the way. You travel through the green countryside of Kerry and Cork to Blarney Castle, a mighty medieval tower house set amid beautiful gardens, climbing to its battlements to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone, said to bestow the gift of eloquence, and wandering the romantic grounds. Continuing to Cork, built on islands in the River Lee, you explore the characterful city, taking in the vibrant covered English Market, a food-lover's paradise since 1788, and the elegant Georgian streets, perhaps visiting nearby Cobh, the poignant last port of call of the Titanic. The history and atmosphere are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Cork. This evening, savour the city's superb food and lively pubs. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to the Rock of Cashel and medieval Kilkenny.

Today you journey north to medieval Kilkenny, with a spectacular historic stop along the way. You pause at the dramatic Rock of Cashel, a great limestone outcrop crowned with a cluster of medieval buildings, a cathedral, round tower, chapel and high crosses, once the seat of the kings of Munster and where Saint Patrick is said to have preached, one of Ireland's most spectacular historic sites. Continuing to Kilkenny, Ireland's finest medieval city, you explore its narrow lanes, old stone houses and historic pubs, touring magnificent Kilkenny Castle, a mighty Norman fortress remodelled as a stately home with beautiful parkland, and taking in the soaring Saint Canice's Cathedral with its ancient round tower. The history and atmosphere are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into Kilkenny. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner and a final session of music in the city's historic pubs, reflecting on your grand tour of the whole island. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final leisurely morning in medieval Kilkenny, perhaps a last stroll along the Medieval Mile, some souvenir shopping for Irish crafts, or a quiet coffee by the castle, you are transferred to Dublin Airport, around two hours away, for your onward departure. You leave having circled the whole island of Ireland, north and south, coast to coast, historic Dublin, vibrant Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, wild Donegal and Yeats Country, joyous Galway and the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and Dingle, Blarney and Cork, and the Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny. The images stay vivid long after you land, the hexagonal columns of the Causeway, the soaring cliffs of Donegal and Moher, the mountains and lakes of Kerry, and the castles, tombs and music of the whole island. Ireland offers cities, coasts, castles and warmth in extraordinary abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to the beautiful Emerald Isle, north and south.