4-Day Cork, Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Cliffs of Moher and Galway Bay Rail Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Dublin - Cork
2 stops
1
Blarney Castle & Gardens
On arrival in Cork at 09:35, we take our Railtours Ireland coach through Cork City to Blarney Village and historic Blarney Castle – which is over 600 years old and was built by one of Ireland’s Great Chieftians, Cormac McCarthy. Explore the beautiful gardens and you will have time to kiss the famous stone, which is said to bestow the gift of eternal eloquence on those lucky enough to do so. There is also time for shopping and lunch at Blarney Village. TIP! We recommend that you have lunch there, as this will be the only opportunity during the day to have a substantial meal. You depart Blarney at 13:30 hrs. Approximately – or as directed by your Host – for Cóbh, via the city centre and a short city tour.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
2
Cobh Heritage Centre
On arrival at Cóbh (prenounced: Cove), we will visit St Colman’s Cathedral. We will then proceed down along the sea front passing the former White Star Line offices en route to the beautifully restored Victorian railway station/transatlantic terminal. This is now the Cóbh Heritage Centre, home to the Queenstown Story to which your entrance is included. When Queen Victoria visited Ireland in 1849 she came to Cóbh and the town was renamed Queenstown in her honour –it was renamed Cóbh after Irish independence in 1922. Cóbh was of course the final port of call of the RMS Titanic and this theme is well expounded. The centre also houses much information about the Great Famine and subsequent Irish Emigration. The Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Cork – marking the United States’ entry to the First World War – and the small number of survivors were brought to Cóbh for refuge. Cóbh is also the headquarters of the Irish Navy and you will most likely see some navy ships. We depart Cóbh at 16.15 (or as directed by your host) for Mallow.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 2
The Ring of Kerry
1 stop
3
Ring Of Kerry
You will be collected from your accommodation at 09:45 (or as directed by our Killarney representative on Day 1) for your Ring of Kerry tour. There are plenty of stops along the Ring of Kerry for morning tea, lunch and photo stops, etc. Ireland’s highest mountains are located in Kerry, and Carrantuohill – which can be seen en route – is the highest, standing at 1041 metres high. An essential part of any visit to Ireland, this tour circles the magnificent MacGillycuddy Reeks and runs through its many passes and valleys along the shores of Dingle Bay and Kenmare Bay. The natural beauty of the Ring of Kerry provides many photo opportunities, as it passes through the many picturesque villages such as Glenbeigh, Waterville and Sneem. We return via Ladies View, the famous Lakes of Killarney and through the Oakwoods of Killarney's magnificent National Park. At the end of the tour you will be returned to your accommodation where, again, the evening is free.
8 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 3
Dingle Peninsula
1 stop
4
Dingle Peninsula
Once again you will be collected at 09:45 for your days’ touring, taking in the lovely vistas of the Dingle Peninsula. Listen out for Irish speakers, as Dingle is one of Ireland’s Gaeltacht, or Irish speaking regions. (We rarely use the term Gaelic to describe our national language). The Dingle Peninsula has the most rugged Atlantic coastline in Kerry and is scattered with forts and pre-historic huts such as the Gallarus Oratory. Much of Irish heritage is maintained in this Irish-speaking region including traditional music and art forms. Considered by many to have some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, the peninsula also supports both a rare and unique assortment of flora and fauna. Slea Head is the most westerly point in Europe and standing there, looking towards America, instills a feeling of excitement and empathy with the millions of emigrants who took this route. There are splendid views around Slea Head, especially of the Blasket Islands and the scattered rocks.
7 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
The Cliffs of Moher
2 stops
5
Cliffs of Moher
Between 07.00 and 07:15 you will be collected from your accommodation and transfered by road to Limerick City, where you will join the coach for the Cliffs of Moher & Galway Bay tour. After a short city tour of Limerick, we head out to Bunratty Castle, where there is plenty of time for our guided tour. There is also a folk park and replica 19th century village and some of the buildings were dismantled at various locations in the region and rebuilt brick by brick at their present location. There is a lunch stop at O’ Connor’s traditional Irish pub in Doolin, before we arrive at the majestic Cliffs of Moher – among the highest sea cliffs in Western Europe.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
6
The Burren
From the Cliffs of Moher we take the coast road to Galway, with time for photos along the Burren. This is a national park and the word Burren comes from the Irish Language – it means ‘rocky place’. Today the Burren is noted for its diverse flora with few parallels elsewhere in Ireland, or indeed Europe. As time permits, we will make a short stop here for photographs. We continue along the coast road to Black Head, passing the quaint coastal villages of Ballyvaughan and Kinvara before joining the main road to Galway, where will arrive shortly after 17:00 – ask you host if there is time to explore the streets around Eyre Square.

Additional info

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• PLEASE NOTE: If you are booking a double occupancy room, please specify in 'Special Requirements' whether you prefer a double or a twin-bed room (subject to availability).
• This tour offers stops en route for photographs, shopping, etc.

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