9-Nights Ireland's Coastal Cities: From Belfast to Galway - Tailormade Journeys — CALL

Abercrombie & Kent

OFFER ID 1699108

Belfast brims with industrious energy, maritime heritage and warm hospitality, setting the tone for a journey through Northern Ireland’s dramatic landscapes. Walk along the Giant’s Causeway’s basalt columns, explore Enniskillen’s waterways and historic estates and discover Galway’s bustling streets, markets and Atlantic coastline. Add a regal touch to your experience with visits to historic Hillsborough and Glenarm castles, basking throughout in centuries of history, folklore and local craft that reveal the character of Ireland’s north and west.

9 nights | Call for pricing

Itinerary

1 Arrive Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast’s most ambitious shipbuilders crafted HMS Titanic here, and the Titanic Quarter’s museums and galleries pay homage to both the ocean liner’s tragic end and its ground-breaking design. The city’s riverside location on the Lagan and its tumultuous history set the scene for a roll call of revolutionaries immortalized in murals and street art, while Regency-era hotel rooms and Victorian buildings make for unmissable landmarks. The cobblestoned Cathedral Quarter is a forward-facing corner focused on cool bars, pedestrian-friendly streets and a sense of community, and atmospheric waterside pubs pour locally made whiskey.

Meals:

2 Belfast – The Ship Of Dreams

Visit the iconic, purpose-built Titanic Belfast – with over nine galleries, the Titanic story is brought to life with special effects, rides, full-scale reconstructions and innovative interactive features. The experience takes you all the way into the present day with a live undersea exploration centre. Stop at S.D. Bell & Co, Ireland’s oldest independent tea importer and coffee roaster, for an invigorating cup of tea or coffee before continuing to the magical CS Lewis Square. Admire the seven bronze sculptures from The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, commemorating the Belfast-born author of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Meals:

3 Belfast – Lava And Legend
Just 10 miles to the south of Belfast lies the beautiful town of Royal Hillsborough. Hillsborough Castle and Gardens is the British Royal Family’s official residence in Northern Ireland. Your private behind-the-scenes tour takes you through this castle’s elegant state rooms, which have hosted international statesmen from Benjamin Franklin to Presidents Eisenhower, Clinton and George W. Bush as well as prime ministers, princesses, kings and queens. Enjoy exploring the beautiful gardens, filled with exotic plants and commemorative trees before indulging in a traditional afternoon tea (payable locally). Time permitting, explore the beautifully quaint town of Royal Hillsborough, one of Northern Ireland’s most captivating historic villages.

Meals:

4 Portrush – Insider Glenarm Castle Visit
Head north along the Antrim coast, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1988. Stop at Glenarm Castle, the ancestral home of the McDonnell family, Earls of Antrim. Delve deep into the history of the castle from the family butler and house staff within the walls of the drawing room, the dining room, the Blue Room and the castle’s striking hall. See the Dark Hedges, an avenue of mature beech trees set in a beautiful and eerie landscape.

Meals:

5 Portrush – Private Giant’s Causeway Tour
Venture north today to discover one of the oldest counties in Ireland, County Antrim. Visit and cross the Carrick a-Rede rope bridge, which hangs between two cliffs 100 feet above sea level. Continue to the Giant’s Causeway for a private tour with your specialist guide. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this unique geological feature is comprised of many hexagonal basaltic columns, formed from a volcanic lava flow. Legend has it that they were built by Finn McCool, a giant who wanted to cross the stormy waters to Scotland. Hear about this and many other stories and anecdotes from your guide throughout the afternoon. Round up your day sampling whisky at the Old Bushmills Distillery, the world’s oldest licensed distillery.

Meals:

6 Derry | Enniskillen Via Derry – Legacy Of The Troubles
Start your day with a visit to Dunluce Castle perched dramatically on the edge of a cliff. Visit Derry and walk around the historic city walls, one of the best-preserved in Europe, and learn about the city's rich history, including the events of “the Troubles,” an intense civil conflict that still resonates with locals today. Make a stop at the 17th-century St Columb's Cathedral, the city’s most iconic building, then head to the Bogside, the part of the city that made headlines in 1972 following the event known as Bloody Sunday. At the People’s Gallery, see magnificent murals of deep religious and political significance. Witness the Hands Across the Divide monument, a striking bronze sculpture symbolizing the spirit of reconciliation and hope for the future.

Meals:

7 Devenish Island – Saint Molaise Abbey Visit
Venture out from Enniskillen to discover some of the fascinating historical sites nearby. Among the most significant of the many island church settlements in the Lough Erne lakes, Devenish Island was originally founded as a community in the sixth century by Saint Molaise. Take a short boat trip across to the island where you can admire the beautifully carved, intricate details of the ruined Augustinian abbey. The walls of the Oratory of Saint Molaise are also found on the island, surrounded by magnificent tranquillity.

Meals:

8 Sligo – Yeats Country And Neolithic Tombs
Journey to Galway and continue toward Lough Gill, a picturesque lake dotted with about 20 small islands surrounded by woods. Head toward the town of Sligo, which is associated with the poet William Butler Yeats and is overlooked by the oddly shaped mountain called Ben Bulben, an inspiration to the author. Visit the Tobernalt Holy Well, an ancient well dating back to the fifth century, and the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, the oldest and the densest concentration of Neolithic tombs in Ireland.

Meals:

9 Galway – Along The Cliffs Of Moher
See the towering Cliffs of Moher, Ireland's highest sandstone cliffs at over 600 feet tall. Venture though the Burren, a rocky limestone paradise on the Wild Atlantic Way. Your drive through this region promises to be very dramatic, with unusual rock formations amid a lunar-like backdrop.

Meals:

10 Depart Galway

Meals:

Featured Destinations

Galway

Galway is a city, a county, and an experience to be savoured and remembered. The historic city of the tribes dances to a beat uniquely it's own. There is a certain chemistry and vibrancy to this friendly university city, which many delight in, and few forget. Music, festivals, horse racing, pubs, restaurants, shops, theatres and most of all -Galway people, combine to create this atmospheric medieval city of culture. From this pulsating heart the rest of the county flows.

Galway Bay, immortalised in song, its beauty unchanging. Scenic Gaeltacht areas including the Aran Islands. Connemara, with the picturesque town of Clifden as its capital. Mountains, castles and stone walls, banks of turf, long sandy beaches, clear lakes, joyful leaping streams and flowing rivers. The mighty Shannon, delightful countryside punctuated by pretty villages, traditional pubs.

Photo used with permission
from Joe Desbonnet, www.galway.net

Excursions

Inishmore, Aran Islands - 8 hours Full Day

On the very edge of Europe, is an Island rich in the language, culture and heritage of Ireland, unique in its geology and archaeology and in its long tradition of gentle hospitality. Here is a place to sense the spirit of Gaelic Ireland, to touch the past, but with all the comforts and facilities of the present. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. This is an island of great peace and tranquility, but it is also an island of great fun and activity. A timeless land in an endless sea, weathered monuments on awesome cliffs, great labyrinths of limestone, meandering walls, patchwork fields, quiet beaches and a welcoming island people.

This morning we will depart from Galway and take a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the three islands, the other islands being Inishmaan and Inisheer. The Islands are located off the West Coast of Galway about 18km out from Rossaveal Harbour in Connemara. Inishmore is approx. 13km long, and contains 3,092 ha. with a native population of about 900. Kilronan the chief center and port.
Landing in Kilronan on Inishmore, you are met by your driver in a horse drawn buggy for a guided tour of the Island and visiting one of its more impressive stone forts called Dun Aonghasa. It is semi-circular structure, resting on the edge of a perpendicular cliff rising 100 meters out of the ocean. The fort consists of an inner court 50 meters across surrounded by a wall six meters high and five meters thick at the base.

Visit the Aran Islands Interpretative Centre which highlights the unique history, spirit and landscapes of the Aran Islands. The center details the geology, history and present lifestyle of the islands. See how the legendary currachs, those open-topped, often tar-coated, boats that skim over the waves, are made. Also on display are details of the fish species off the islands and how the islanders have long used seaweed to create patches of soil that could be cultivated for crops, in between the dry stone walls that crisscross the islands and divide its tiny fields. The islands' other craft traditions, including weaving of the famous Aran sweaters, are also documented.

Duration: 8 hours

Included:
Enjoy a pub lunch on Inishmore

Departing the island by ferry you return to Galway City.
Note: it is also possible to fly to Inishmore.

Pricing: Please inquire

Sligo

Londonderry (Derry)

Portrush

Belfast

Belfast is popular with travelers who come to discover the city’s physical beauty and renewed tranquility. Enjoy performances at the Grand Opera House, shopping along trendy Donegall Place and visiting numerous pubs along The Golden Mile. St. Anne’s Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is the principal church of the Anglican Church of Ireland and contains stones from every county in Ireland. Located next to Europa Hotel, the Grand Opera House boasts an impressive mix of large productions of opera, ballet, musicals and drama. Known as the Big Ben of Belfast, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower was built in 1869 to commemorate the Prince Consort. Built in 1849 as one of Queen Victoria’s colleges, Queens University is one of the foremost universities in the British Isles. The classical-style building of Stormont, erected in 1928-32 to house the Parliament of Northern Ireland, stands 3.5 miles outside the city. The Prince of Wales Avenue is exactly one mile long and is bordered by rose beds containing 600 of the famous Korona roses noted for their scarlet blooms.

Excursions

Belfast - Tour of Antrim Coast - Full Day Tour

Belfast: Cultural Belfast - 8 hours

Belfast: Highlights of Belfast - 6 hours

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

09/01/2025 - 09/01/2027

from $999,999,999 per person

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

Call for pricing

Length

9 Nights

Air City

Call for airfares from your city.

Vacation Rating

Luxury
The finest hotels in the world, luxury lodging is characterized by luxury accommodations, impeccable service and the highest standards of comfort and pampering. Luxury hotels and resorts are often found in the most desirable locations. Building from the amenities and guest services offered at a deluxe hotel or resort, the luxury establishment usually puts on the finishing touches - fresh flowers around the hotel and original works of art throughout. Hotel restaurants often employ world renowned chefs to create delectable dishes and a unique dining experience. Attention to detail and personalized service are the hallmarks of luxury hotels and resorts.

Remarks

Prices are per person, double occupancy and include internal air where applicable. Holiday surcharge may apply. Departure dates, prices and availability may change at any time. Some restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1699108

Reference this number when contacting our agency so we may better serve you. Also keeping this number handy will allow you to locate this document again quickly.

The Cruise & Vacation Authority

1760 Powers Ferry Rd. - Suite 100
Marietta, GA 30067
USA

770-952-8300
800-326-4971