Northern Embrace

Céad míle fáilte, as they say in Ireland, meaning a hundred thousand welcomes! Your driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall to transport you to your city center hotel. Relax and enjoy the short trip. Once you arrive there is plenty to do! A short walk away is Temple Bar, Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green.

Highlights: Hop-on/hop-off city sightseeing tour, Guinness Storehouse, EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum, the Trinity College Book of Kells exhibit

Overnight: Dublin

Tenon Recommends: O’Callaghan Hotels in Dublin City Centre

Rock and stroll today, savoring Dublin’s coastal views and some of its music history. Take the DART train out to Dalkey, known affectionately as Ireland’s Italian Riviera. Some famous musicians reside in the area, including Bono and Enya. On your way back to the city, visit the famous studios that U2 recorded in, experience what it would be like to record and you may even get to mix your own session!

Highlights: Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, Windmill Lane Recording Studio, Merry Ploughboys Traditional Irish dinner and show, Howth Walking Tour, kayaking in Dalkey

Overnight: Dublin

Tenon Recommends: O’Callaghan Hotels in Dublin City Centre
(Breakfast included)

Heading north, you will make a stop at the Hillsborough Castle. As an official UK government and royal residence, this castle has had a lot of modern history, including peace talks leading to the Anglo-Irish Agreement, a precursor to the Good Friday Agreement that led to peace on the island. Learn both sides of the story in Belfast with a Black Cab Taxi tour. You can even sign the peace wall. A walking food tour of the city will introduce you to some of the area’s delights. Finish with a local gin or whiskey in the Crown Bar. Slåinte!

Highlights: Hillsborough Castle, Belfast Black Taxi tour, Belfast food tour

Overnight: Belfast

Tenon Recommends: Europa Hotel
(Breakfast included)

Walk in the footsteps of giants at the Giant’s Causeway. Climb the hilltop trail to get a bird’s eye view of the Causeway Coast. At the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, make your way across the bridge with a special tour of the island on the other side for an unforgettable experience. For the whiskey connoisseur, leave a little time to stop in Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest licensed distillery in the world.

Highlights: Giant’s Causeway boat trip from Ballycastle, Beyond the Bridge experience

Overnight: Belfast

Tenon Recommends: Europa Hotel
(Breakfast included)

Departing Belfast, you’ll head northwest to Derry, Ireland’s only walled city. On a tour of the walls, you’ll learn the scarred history of this great city and how it emerged. A visit to the Museum of Free Derry is a must – you will meet descendants of people who were killed in one of the defining events of what was known in Ireland as “The Troubles”. For fans of the television show Derry Girls, you can even stop and have your photo taken at the mural!

Highlights: Derry City walled tour, Museum of Free Derry, Derry Girls Tour, Unlock the Walled City experience

Overnight: Derry

Tenon Recommends: City Hotel

(Breakfast included)

Explore more of the northwest in Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland. Witness the craft and skill that has gone into Donegal tweed for generations. See master weavers working on looms that have been in operation for centuries.

Highlights: Donegal Castle, Glenveagh National Park, Triona Irish Design Store

Overnight: Donegal

Tenon Recommends: Mill Park Hotel
(Breakfast included)

Soak up the beauty of the lesser-known cliffs at Slieve League today. At 596 meters, Slieve League is taller than the Cliffs of Moher and is a mountain on the Atlantic coast with truly spectacular views. If you feel energetic today, there are many walking routes that you can take to discover this discovery point on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Highlights: Sliabh Liag Distillers, Glencolmcille Folk Village

Overnight: Donegal
Tenon Recommends: Mill Park Hotel
(Breakfast included)

Arriving in Westport, take a coastal drive around Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holiest mountain. As an ancient pilgrimage site, Croagh Patrick attracts 1 million people on regular pilgrimage days. Visit the pride of Westport, the Westport House, and see what life was like living in a “Big House”. Enjoy the tracks and trails and feel the thrill of having a hawk fly down to land on your hand. All that fresh air should whet your appetite for great local food in the evening!

Highlights (included): Westport House
Highlights (optional): Hawk Walk, cycle the Great Western Greenway, Westport Food Tour, Ceide Fields

Overnight in Westport

Tenon Recommends: Castlecourt Hotel
(Breakfast included)

Visit the quaint village of Cong, in County Mayo as you make your way to Clare. Cong is famous for a quintessential Irish movie, The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Visit the cottage museum and feel like you’re on set. Be enchanted by the spectacle of a medieval banquet – eating with your hands has never been such fun!

Highlights (optional): Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet, Bunratty Folk Park

Overnight in Clare

Tenon Recommends: Old Ground Hotel Ennis
(Breakfast included)

Discover more of Clare with the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. On a sunny day it’s spectacular; on a rainy day it’s mystical, so it’s a winner all round! Drive out to lovely little seaside towns like Doolin, Spanish Point or Lisdoonvarna, where you can enjoy local Burren Smokehouse smoked Irish salmon.

Highlights (optional): Day trip to Inis Mor from Doolin

Overnight in Clare

Tenon Recommends: Old Ground Hotel Ennis
(Breakfast included)

Say Slán to Ireland and start your journey home with memories that will last a lifetime.
(Breakfast included)