Enchanted Ireland’s Heart and Heritage
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About the Trip
September 12–22, 2025 | 11 Days
Set off on an extraordinary 11-day journey through Ireland to discover its fascinating history, scenic landscapes and warm hospitality. Step back in time in Northern Ireland, explore the ancient Giants Causeway and walk the centuries-old streets of Derry. Trace the footsteps of Irish emigrants in Galway, and marvel at the breathtaking Kylemore Abbey. See the awe-inspiring Cliffs of Moher and charming Killarney, follow the famous Ring of Kerry and conclude your tour with the iconic landmarks of Dublin. This enchanting exploration of the best of Ireland is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that shouldn’t be missed.
Member Exclusive Benefits
We reward all our CAA Members on our Extraordinary Explorations® tours.
- Plaza Premium Lounge pass†
- 50 CAA Dollars®^
- 25% savings on CAA Travel Insurance◊
Extraordinary Experience
CAA has curated an exceptional experience unique to your tour. Details of this experience are listed below:
Caherconnell Stone Fort & Sheepdog Experience
Visit the Caherconnell Stone Fort for an amazing sheepdog demonstration. From the comfortable viewing platform, you’ll see the Caherconnell shepherds showing great skill working with the clever, captivating collies to provide phenomenal sheepdog herding demonstrations. The shepherds will guide the dogs using whistle and voice to retrieve the sheep from out in the Burren’s rocky landscape and skillfully drive them back to their holding pen. After the demonstration the dogs are usually ready for some cuddles, pets and praise for a job well done.
Package Includes:
- Return airfare from Toronto or Winnipeg to Dublin
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Belfast
- 1-night stay in first-class accommodation in Derry
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Galway
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Killarney
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Dublin
- 9 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 8 dinners and 2 tastings
- Land transportation via first-class motorcoach
- All bridge, ferry and road tolls
- Sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
- Professional English-speaking tour director throughout
- Local English-speaking guides
- Prepaid gratuities
- Destination transfers
- CAA Host
Enchanted Ireland’s Heart and Heritage
Activity Level: Active. Take an extraordinary 11-day Irish journey that uncovers the fascinating history, scenic wonders and warm hospitality of the Emerald Isle.
Day 1
Depart from Toronto or Winnipeg on your overnight flight to Dublin.
Day 2
Belfast – Drive north to Armagh for a private walking tour of a working apple orchard with a tasting. After a picnic lunch, continue to Belfast with free time before your welcome dinner. (L/T/D)
Day 3
Belfast – Explore St. George’s Market. Take a Black Taxi Tour of Belfast with a guide who lived through the Troubles. Visit the award-winning Titanic Belfast Museum. Remainder of the day is at leisure. (B)
Day 4
Derry – Take the scenic Causeway Coastal Road to the Giants Causeway. Continue to Derry for a private walking tour. (B/D)
Day 5
Galway – Stop at the Ulster American Folk Park before arriving in Galway for a group dinner followed by free time. (B/D)
Day 6
Galway – Today is a full-day tour of the circuit of Connemara, followed by a visit to Kylemore Abbey and its Victorian Walled Garden. Enjoy dinner and music at a local pub. (B/D)
Day 7
Killarney – Drive to the Poulnabrone Dolmen. Your Extraordinary Experience is a visit to the Caherconnell Stone Fort and a sheepdog demonstration. See the Cliffs of Moher then ride the Shannon Ferry. Enjoy a group dinner. (B/D)
Day 8
Killarney – Drive around the Ring of Kerry with a pub lunch along the way. Tonight is dinner and live music at Kate Kearney’s Cottage. (B/L/D)
Day 9
Dublin – Visit Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel. Arrive in Dublin and settle into your hotel before dinner at a local pub. (B/D)
Day 10
Dublin – Meet a local guide for a panoramic sightseeing tour. Visit the Guinness Storehouse for a tour and tasting, then EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. Enjoy free time before a farewell dinner. (B/T/D)
Day 11
After breakfast, transfer to the Dublin Airport for your flight back to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | T - Tasting
Terms & Conditions
*All CAA Member prices are per person, based on single occupancy, in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated and are subject to change without prior notice until final payment is paid. All prices are correct at press time and apply to new bookings only, based on availability at time of booking. To receive CAA Member-exclusive benefits, there must be one valid CAA Member travelling per booking. Non-members booking Extraordinary Explorations will not receive Member-exclusive benefits.
†Plaza Premium Lounge is based on one voucher per person and applies to departures from Canadian airports where applicable. Subject to availability.
^CAA Dollars awarded per adult Member. To earn and redeem CAA Dollars, you must be a current CAA Member in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). CAA Dollars will be credited at time of departure. For more information on CAA Dollars, please visit www.caasco.com/caadollars.
◊CAA Travel Insurance, an Orion Travel Insurance product, is underwritten by Echelon Insurance. Twenty-five percent (25%) Member savings is made up of a ten percent (10%) Member savings as well as a promotional fifteen percent (15%) savings when you purchase an Extraordinary Explorations tour through CAA Travel, applies to CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba Members in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). This promotional offer is valid until December 31, 2025. Ten percent (10%) Member savings applies to Members in good standing of all other CAA clubs. Savings apply to the total premium excluding applicable taxes. Minimum premium applies. Visitors to Canada Insurance is limited to promotional savings. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. A Medical Questionnaire may be required to purchase travel insurance.
Extraordinary Explorations vacations are organized and booked by CAA Travel (South Central Ontario) Inc. and CAA Manitoba (“CAA Travel”) on behalf of CAA Club Group (o/a CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba). In the event of an increase in any of the cost factors, CAA Travel reserves the right to increase the price whereby the provisions of the Travel Industry Act shall prevail. CAA Extraordinary Explorations packages are 100% non-refundable at final payment. CAA Travel service fee for cancellation prior to final payment varies by program. For full payment terms and conditions, please ask your CAA Travel Consultant. CAA Travel reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any tour departure in accordance with operating requirements (minimum number of participants) or circumstances beyond its control. Additional fees for checked luggage or other incidentals may be incurred and vary according to itinerary and airline. Air schedules with some tours are not available at press time and may include several connections or forced overnight at passenger’s expense. CAA Travel strongly recommends the purchase of trip cancellation and emergency travel and emergency medical insurance at the time of booking.
Please note: Participants must be able to embark and disembark cruise ships and coaches without assistance as well as have a good level of mobility for walking tours in destinations where stairs and traditional cobblestone streets can be challenging. International transportation vehicles and facilities may not meet accessibility standards.
Flight
IncludedTour Itinerary
Day 1
Depart Toronto or Winnipeg on your overnight flight to Dublin.
Day 2
Belfast
Upon arrival you’ll drive north to Armagh, Northern Ireland, an area well known for its apple orchards, sweet cooking apples and ciders. You’ll enjoy a private walking tour of an apple orchard to learn about the various orchard plantations, then visit a cold storage facility where apples are stored, and finally see the pressing and blending facilities where you’ll taste apple juice, apple cider vinegar and craft cider. After a picnic lunch, continue to Belfast to enjoy some free time before your welcome dinner. (L/T/D)
Day 3
Belfast
First stop today is at the bustling St. George’s Market where you’ll find merchants selling all sorts of interesting items amid a lively, colourful market in an historic building. Next, enjoy a unique Black Taxi Tour of the sites and areas where the Troubles in Belfast were concentrated. Your guide will be a taxi driver who lived through the Troubles and can give you a first-hand perspective on these distant dark times in Northern Ireland’s history. Your taxi will bring you to areas a coach can’t go, including the small streets, the Peace Wall and the estates. Following the taxi tour, visit Titanic Belfast, an award-winning museum that extends over nine galleries and combines special effects, dark rides, full-scale reconstructions and innovative interactive features to explore the Titanic story in a fresh and insightful way. The balance of the day is free to explore Belfast. (B)
Day 4
Derry
After breakfast, check out of your Belfast hotel and drive north along the scenic Causeway Coastal Road to the famous Giants Causeway. Renowned for its hexagonal columns of layered basalt, the Giant’s Causeway is the only World Heritage site in Northern Ireland. You’ll learn about the folklore and myths of the causeway and its ties to Scotland, just a few kilometres over the waters of the Irish Sea.
On to Derry, also known as Londonderry, the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland. The walls were built during the period of 1613-1618 as defenses, but the history of Derry goes back to the 6th century. Enjoy a private walking tour on the walls and learn about the city’s fascinating history, both ancient and modern. (B/D)
Day 5
Galway
On the way south to Galway you’ll stop at the Ulster American Folk Park, which tells the remarkable story behind three centuries of Irish emigration to the New World of North America. The journey starts in the thatched cottages of Ulster, including the famous “Mellon” homestead, continues aboard a crowded sailing ship and finishes among the homesteads of the American frontier. Arrive in Galway to check in to your hotel then meet for a group dinner followed by free time. (B/D)
Day 6
Galway
Today is a full-day tour of the circuit of Connemara. You’ll pass Oughterard and Maam Cross before travelling up the spectacular Inagh Valley with the 12 Bens of Connemara on your left and the Maumturks on your right. Take in the breathtaking scenery of the hills and bogs before reaching the village of Leenane and then Galway. Visit Kylemore Abbey, home to a community of nuns of the Benedictine Order who opened a world-renowned boarding school for girls and began restoring the Abbey, Gothic Church and Victorian Walled Garden to their former glory. End your day with dinner and music at a local pub. (B/D)
Day 7
Killarney
Drive up into the Burren to visit the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a dramatic site and one of the most famous Irish dolmens that is estimated to date back to at least 2,500 BC. Next up is your Extraordinary Experience, a visit to the Caherconnell Stone Fort and an amazing sheepdog demonstration where the Caherconnell shepherds will guide the herding dogs using whistle and voice to retrieve the sheep from out in the rocky Burren landscape.
Continue to the famous Cliffs of Moher, towering over the rugged west Clare coast. Walk the safe, paved pathways and view the incredible Cliffs that sit on Europe’s most westerly tip and enjoy the spectacular vistas over the Atlantic Ocean and the Aran Islands. Head south to Kilmer to catch the Shannon Ferry which will take you on a memorable 20-minute journey across the estuary to the Kingdom of Kerry. On arrival to Killarney, check in to your hotel and enjoy a group dinner before retiring for the evening. (B/D)
Day 8
Killarney
Today it’s the famous drive around the Ring of Kerry. This stunning 179 km circular route takes you around the Iveragh Peninsula with a pub lunch along the way. See places like Moll’s Gap, Torc Waterfall and the Gap of Dunloe as well as beautiful scenes of rolling green hills and pastures with cows grazing, golden strands of beach and jaw-dropping cliffs. This evening you’ll enjoy dinner and live music at Kate Kearney’s Cottage, a 170-year-old family-run establishment. (B/L/D)
Day 9
Dublin
Your day begins with a visit to Blarney Castle, built in 1446 as a defensive fortress. A climb up the steep, narrow staircase inside the castle brings you to the battlements and the famous Blarney Stone where tradition holds that those who kiss it will be endowed with “the gift of the gab”. After the castle you’ll have some free time at Blarney Woolen Mills before heading to the Rock of Cashel. This impressive site sits atop a rocky outcrop that was the seat of kings and medieval bishops for 900 years and flourished until the early 17th century. Once you reach Dublin and settle into your hotel, walk around the corner to a local pub for dinner. (B/D)
Day 10
Dublin
This morning you’ll meet a local guide for a panoramic sightseeing tour of Dublin, including O’Connell Street, Phoenix Park and Leinster House. Following the city tour you’ll visit the Guinness Storehouse for a tour and tasting that will take you step by step through the brewing process, finishing at the Gravity Bar where you’ll receive a complimentary pint of Guinness while enjoying the panoramic views over Dublin city.
In the afternoon visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum for a self-guided tour that uncovers the story of Irish emigrants and how they shaped the world. You’ll have some free time following EPIC to explore on your own, perhaps paying a visit to the nearby Jeannie Johnson Famine Ship or the haunting sculptures depicting an Gorta Mórthe (the Great Hunger/Potato Famine). Cap the evening off with a farewell dinner at The Merry Ploughboy, featuring what is widely regarded as the best traditional music show in Dublin. (B/T/D)
Day 11
After breakfast, transfer to the Dublin Airport for your flight back to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | T - Tasting