Legends of Ireland and England 2024

Arrival in Dublin and transfer from the airport to the tour hotel. Accommodation and breakfast at the Academy Plaza, Iveagh Gardens Hotel or similar.

We will have the opportunity to walk through Dublin, the Capital of the Republic of Ireland at our leisure. You will be able to visit the main attractions of the city La Aduana, Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park. Not to be missed are Trinity College University and St. Patrick's Protestant Cathedral. Also, don't forget to do some shopping and live the memorable experience of being in an authentic Irish pub. Accommodation and breakfast at the Academy Plaza, Iveagh Gardens Hotel or similar.

We’ll start with a panoramic view of Dublin and we will get to know the main attractions of the city: the Customs House, the Dublin Castles, the famous Temple Bar, Merrion Square and we will discover why the city gates are painted in different colours. We will also pass by Trinity College University and the Protestant Cathedral of Saint Patrick. We will have time for lunch before leaving Dublin for the West of Ireland. Next, our first stop will be the Clonmacnoise Monastery, founded by Saint Ciaran in the 4th century and located in front of the River Shannon. We will continue towards the city of Athlone, located next to the Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. Dinner, accommodation, and breakfast at the Connacht hotel or similar.

After breakfast, we will head northeast to the town of Knock, to visit the First National Marian Shrine. In 1879, County Mayo received the apparition of the Blessed Virgin, who is today Our Lady of Knock, Patroness of Ireland. The Sanctuary receives more than a million and a half pilgrims a year. (Optional visit to the Museum). We continue the trip to enjoy the mountains of Connemara, a place chosen by poets and painters as a source of inspiration. You will enjoy seeing the crystalline lakes and the sheep crossing the road until you reach Kylemore Abbey, residence of the Mitchell Henry family until 1826, and then owned by Benedictine nuns. Free time for lunch. We continue to Galway, a city known as the "City of Tribes", after the 14 prosperous tribes that dominated it during the Middle Ages. Where we will enjoy a very special walking tour: we will see the last Catholic Cathedral built in Ireland in 1965, the famous Spanish Arch, its bustling High Street and to end the day we will discover the origin of the famous Irish 'pubs' where they will have time to enjoy a great selection of local beers and typical live music. Dinner, accommodation, and breakfast at the Connacht hotel or similar.

In the morning we will head to the Cliffs of Moher through "The Burren", a term that in Gaelic means Rocky Terrain. The Cliffs of Moher are an imposing stretch of limestone land facing the Atlantic and is a UNESCO protected site. These cliffs offer incomparable views over the Atlantic Ocean with its 200 meters above sea level and 8 km in length. We will have time to admire these cliffs and enter the visitor center, which are one of the main postcards of Ireland. Next, we will go to Limerick where we will make a panoramic visit of the city, fourth in importance in Ireland, which was founded by the Vikings on the banks of the River Shannon. Free time for lunch. Next stop will be Cork, where we’ll take a panoramic tour of the city and pass through the English Market, an emblematic market located in the centre of the city of Cork. We will also see the Saint Anne Shandon Church, the Clock of the Lie, and the Protestant Cathedral of Saint Finbar. Cork, like Venice, is a city built on water and is home to its very important commercial port, from where countless ships left for the New World at the time of the great Irish famine. They will have free time to walk through the streets of Cork. Dinner, accommodation and breakfast at the Cork International Hotel, Radisson Blu Cork, Metropole Hotel or similar.

Today we will spend the day in County Kerry to visit its famous Ring of Kerry. We will visit one of the most picturesque peninsulas in the west of Ireland, the Iveragh Peninsula. Inland lakes, product of the last ice age more than a million years ago, gave it the beauty that this place has today. We will cross typical villages, Waterville, Sneem, Cahercevin. You will have free time to shop for Irish handicrafts and have lunch in one of the region's typical Irish pubs before returning to Cork City. Dinner, accommodation and breakfast at the Cork International Hotel, Radisson Blu Cork, Metropole Hotel or similar.

We will leave Cork city in the morning and start our way back to Dublin passing through the Rock of Cashel, a pre-Norman invasion fortress that was ceded to ecclesiastical power and is linked to local mythologies of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. In this place, in 1647, the massacre of 3 thousand people took place under the troops of Oliver Cromwell. We will continue to the city of Kilkenny where we will have free time for lunch and a short visit to the city and take pictures of Kilkenny Castle, built in the Middle Ages and belonging to the Buttler family until 1935. We will continue to Dublin where they will have the Rest of the afternoon free to enjoy the city. This will be the last chance on your tour to shop in Irish lands. Bed and breakfast at the Academy Plaza, Iveagh Gardens Hotel or similar.

This morning we will travel to Dublin port and board the ferry to cross the Irish Sea to Wales. Once in Wales we will go to the coastal town of Caenarfon, where Caenarfon Castle is located, a world heritage site, another of the impressive fortresses of King Edward I and the most famous of the castles in Wales. From 1283, it played an important role in the final chapter of the conquest of Wales, and was built not only as a military fortress, but also as a seat of government and a royal palace. In the year 1969, the castle became famous throughout the world for being the scene of the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales. We will have free time for lunch and a walk around the village before continuing the journey until we reach Betws-y-Coed, the gateway to the Snowdonia and North Wales National Park, with its magical Alpine setting, enhanced by the dense surrounding forest. We will make a brief stop before reaching the town of Conwy, where we will visit and appreciate the exterior of Conwy Castle, a historic medieval fortress, with 22 towers and high walls, built by the English monarch Edward I between 1283 - 1289. We will have free time to walk around its port and admire the houses of Elizabethan architecture before leaving for Liverpool, a port city from which millions of emigrants left for the New World and the cradle of the famous Rock group; "The Beatles". After your dinner at the hotel, you can visit the mythical Cavern Club, where the Beatles played almost 300 concerts. Dinner, bed and breakfast at the Marriott Liverpool, Mercure Liverpool Atlantic Tower Hotel or similar.

First stop today we be Chester, to take a walking tour of this walled city of Roman origins. This city seems to be taken from a fairy tale with its neo-Tudor "Black & White" houses with wooden facades, and its magnificent Gothic cathedral. We will also have free time to walk through its streets before heading back to Liverpool. We will arrive before lunch and do a magical and mysterious Panoramic Tour of Liverpool to discover the city of the Beatles and the places that inspired many of their songs. We will learn about the Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral and the Anglican Cathedral, and in the port area we will visit the well-known "Albert Dock", the maritime Liverpool, a fascinating area where you can explore the growth of Liverpool and the new cultural area that extends beyond the port. Here we will find places like the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the “Tate” Gallery, the Museum of Liverpool, the British Music Experience or The Beatles Story Museum (optional). Free afternoon in Liverpool. Accommodation and breakfast at the Marriott Liverpool, Mercure Liverpool Atlantic Tower Hotel or similar.

Today, our tour will take us to Stratford-Upon-Avon, a charming city on the banks of the Avon River and birthplace of playwright William Shakespeare. We will do a brief panoramic walk and have free time for lunch. We will continue through the picturesque villages of the Cotswolds region, with their thatched-roof houses and beautiful gardens, it’s the most representative of the English spirit. We will make a short but pleasant stop at Bourton-on-the-Water, the 'Venice of the Cotswolds'. We will continue our route to the south where we will stay in the city of Bath or Bristol. Bed and breakfast at Hampton by Hilton Bath, Mercure Holland House in Bristol or similar.

This morning we will visit the mystical dolmen monument of Stonehenge. The ancient stone circle, it has over 5,000 years of history, is one of the wonders of the world and has sparked the imagination and intrigue of its visitors for centuries. It is the central enclave of Salisbury Plain, showcasing a mysterious landscape dotted with burial mounds and prehistoric carvings, which are now a World Heritage Site. After the visit, we will go to the city of Salisbury whose medieval cathedral houses the best-preserved copy of the Magna Carta signed in 1215 by King John I of England. In the afternoon we will return to Bath where we will take a panoramic walk of the city walking through its flower-adorned streets and we will have free time to visit the Roman baths (optional). Free afternoon in Bath. Bed and breakfast at Hampton by Hilton Bath, Mercure Holland House in Bristol or similar.

This morning we will visit the historic city of Winchester, capital of Anglo-Saxon England. We will take a walking tour to enjoy the city that represents the soul of England and we will pass by its magnificent Gothic cathedral where Jane Austen is buried along with Saxon and Viking kings such as Alfred the Great and Padfoot the Great. We will visit the Great Hall of Winchester Castle where the Round Table of King Arthur is located. We will continue our route to Arundel, this small town dominated by its castle was the residence of the Dukes of Norfolk for more than 700 years. We will have time for lunch and walk through its picturesque medieval-style streets. Optional visit to Arundel Castle. From Arundel we will head towards London where we will arrive around 6:00 p.m