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Castles and Manors
Brendan Vacations | 8 Days | Roundtrip Dublin
May - September 2026 Departures
This grand Ireland trip is fit for royalty, including stays in the homes of Irish nobility. You’ll travel to Kildare and learn all about the racehorses of Ireland, visit the Ring of Kerry and watch how delicate crystal is carved in Connemara.
AAA Member Benefits and Special Offers:
- Member Benefits
- Up to $40 per person on-tour credit towards an optional excursion
Call to Book
1-800-529-3222
Included With Your Trip
What to Expect
- One of Brendan Vacations' highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organizer, and friend overseas.
- Your bags will be carried for you and promptly delivered to your hotel door.
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Brendan Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with a Brendan Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. Also, all taxes and porterage charges at hotels are included.
- Stay connected with friends and family with complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
Additional Information
Day 1: Welcome to Dublin
Set your watch to the lively pace of Ireland's capital city – the springboard for your in-depth journey through the lush landscapes and enduring allure of Ireland. Your exploration of Dublin with a Local Specialist will see you view St. Patrick's Cathedral and Georgian Squares. Spend some time at leisure exploring Dublin's pretty streets before joining your travel companions and Travel Director for dinner celebrating traditional Irish flavors.
Day 2: Journey to Galway and on to Ashford Castle Estate
The first stop today is Europe's 'City of the Tribes', where you will have an opportunity to see Galway Cathedral and stroll through Eyre Square. Overnight at one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories on the shores of Lough Corrib. Feel like lords and ladies as you relax in the elegant country quarters of The Lodge at Ashford Castle, celebrating the heritage and hospitality of Ireland.
Day 3: Enjoy a Be my Guest Experience at Glen Keen Farm and Admire Abbeyglen Castle
Leave the estate of Ashford Castle behind and travel through the rugged landscapes of County Mayo to Glen Keen Farm for your Be My Guest experience. Meet Catherine and Jim, whose family has farmed this land since the 1600s, and hear how tradition meets innovation on their award-winning sheep farm. Watch the border collies at work and enjoy a farmhouse lunch and homemade cake with tea in their home. Continue to Clifden, where you’ll stay for the next two nights at Abbeyglen Castle. This Stays with Stories experience combines historic charm with views of the Twelve Bens, offering warm hospitality and a strong connection to life in Connemara.
Day 4: A Day Exploring Stunning Connemara
Drive through the 'savage beauty' of Connemara, as described by Oscar Wilde who was inspired by the region's craggy mountains, shimmering lakes and endless shades of green. Visit Kylemore Abbey, a magnificent castellated structure built as a family home and now inhabited by a group of Benedictine nuns. Venture into the secret nooks and crannies of its extensive walled Victorian garden. Later, stop for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at an oyster farm before returning to your castle accommodation for a delicious dinner.
Day 5: Onwards to the Cliffs of Moher and Killarney
This morning, visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, where you'll Dive Into Culture and witness first-hand how their famous crystal designs are made. Picture yourself living in 1520 alongside the Dunguaire Castle when you later pass through the charming seaport village of Kinvara. Next up is an experience you’ll remember for years to come as you watch the UNESCO-listed Cliffs of Moher plunge dramatically into the Atlantic waters below. Beyond the endless views you’ll have an opportunity to visit the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience which really brings this natural phenomenon to life in an interactive way, leaving you with a deep understanding of this special place. Your home for the next two nights is one of Trafalgar's Stays With Stories experience.
Day 6: A Day on the Ring of Kerry
Enjoy a slow start to your morning, joining a Local Specialist for a leisurely guided walk at Torc Waterfall, strolling over wooded paths and lakeshore trails. Embark on an epic drive next, exploring the enduring beauty of the Ring of Kerry whose enchanting coastal landscapes have inspired writers and poets for centuries.
Day 7: Discover Cashel and Return to Dublin
Discover the legacy of St. Patrick when you visit the imposing Rock of Cashel, once the traditional seat of the kings of Munster. View its ecclesiastical ruins with a Local Specialist then traverse scenic landscapes to Kildare. Here you’ll Dive Into Culture and learn about Ireland's thoroughbred industry at the Irish National Stud. You'll have a rare opportunity to see the foaling unit, museum and of course the magnificent stallions that continue to make racing history. Later today, return to the Irish capital where you’ll inject a bit of the craic into dinner with your new friends.
Day 8: Journey Home
Say a fond farewell to your newfound friends and Dublin today. You will be transferred to the airport, where your journey through the 'Emerald Isle' comes to an end.
Price My Trip
Product Code: AAA-Brendan_LF
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