The Best of Northern Ireland Tour

At breakfast, the aroma of herbaceous black tea accompanies the scent of freshly baked soda bread with orange marmalade. You venture out of the city with your guide for a full day exploring the Glens of Antrim, located on the coast of County Antrim. The verdant hills resemble waves spreading curving down to the sea and coastal mist. Ancient glaciers carved the valley before the end of the last ice age. Before reaching the Glens, you stop at the dramatic walkway of Gobbins path.

The scenic route was etched into the cliff-face between 10 to 30 feet above the tumbling waters of the Irish Sea. The waves splash mist onto the bridges and pathways. The breeze carries the briny aroma upwards from the sea. The invigorating walk sets the tone for the remainder of the day as the captivating scenery of Northern Ireland unfolds before you. Your guide points to the ridge of Antrim, a high plateau of black basalt lava looking down over the lush valley extending to the sea.

The communities in the valleys continue to share stories steeped in Irish mythology that explain the topography, climate, and occasional strange happenings at the foothills of Antrim. You venture to the Giant’s Causeway. Polygonal basalt rock columns spread across the coastline. Ancient volcanoes shaped the columns over time to resemble gigantic stepping stones. The site remains one of the most popular natural attractions near Belfast due to the unique contours of the coastline and the peculiar pathways winding around the landscape. You continue to the Old Bushmills Distillery to tour the history of the Irish whiskey in the county’s oldest working distillery. Staff claims the site bottles the distinctive flavors of the water from the stream protected by their charter signed by King James I in 1608, along with their strict use of Irish barley.

Belfast’s past as a rugged old shipyard city on the Lagan shifted over the years to reflect and celebrate the city’s culture through refurbished luxury apartments near the waterside and minted Titanic Quarter. A star-shaped structure crowns the district and houses the Titanic Belfast Center offering visitors the chance to trace the ill-fated journey from construction to weighing anchor for America. Historic Crumlin Road, the main boulevard running north-west through the city, connects to the historic structure, such as former law courts and elegant housing at Lower Crumlin Road.

Your guide leads you on a half-day tour of the fascinating city and its celebrated refurbishment after the financial crises of 2008. St. George’s Market represents the oldest continually operating market in Ireland, which began in the 1890s. The Victorian architecture graces the exterior. The interior fills with the aromas of fresh flowers and plums during the Friday variety market. On Sundays, local artists fill the stalls with their craft goods and handmade materials.

Outside of town, you stop at Ulster American Folk Park, an open-air museum in County Tyrone hosting more than 30 exhibits that tell the story of 300 years of Irish emigration. Guides in period costumes display traditional crafts and focus on the families who left the island in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Restored buildings offer insight into the lives and lifestyles of the different families, from their day-to-day tasks to the clothing they wore and the food they ate. You walk along the cobbled streets of the town center to find a working blacksmith toiling away in the heat of the forge and as the scent of rising dough fills the shop with baking soda bread.

The aroma of steeping black tea accompanies the scent of fried sausages, sizzling bacon, and eggs at breakfast to reflect the full spread of a complete Irish breakfast. After the meal, your guide escorts you on a full day tour through County Donegal, one of Ireland’s most northerly points. Along the northern edges of the Wild Atlantic Way, the coastline running over 1,600 miles along Ireland’s western shores, you find some of Europe’s highest marine cliffs at Slieve League Cliffs. A gentle ascent connects the visitor center to a plateau of the cliffs, which reach nearly 2,000 feet above sea level.

The panoramic views encompass the crashing waves of the Atlantic against the rocky base of the cliffs, the quiet horizon to the west, Donegal Bay, and the Sligo Mountains to the south. The wind carries the faint scent of the water upwards from the splashing waves. Remains of early Christian monastic settlements decorate the area in the form of beehive huts. Ancient stone ruins suggest the site drew pilgrims from across Ireland and Europe before the arrival of Christianity. Signal Tower rises out of the landscape. The watchtower was erected in the early 19th century to watch for French ships to thwart a possible invasion.

You begin the journey County May early with the morning mist leaving a residual moisture in the air and along the verdant hills. The journey south leads you to your first stop at Belleek Castle. The historic grounds contain 1,000 acres of woodland towering over the banks of the River Moy. The edifice provides a remarkable view of the forest and castle garden. A 13th century Norman fireplace adorns the Great Hall. During the cool evenings of summer or the cold days of winter, the fireplace becomes the center of life in the castle for the guests staying at the renovated luxury hotel who wish to relax in front of the warm, soothing heat.

The Armada Bar was erected with wood salvaged from a 400-year old Spanish shipwreck. After the visit to the opulent castle, your guide leads you to Drumcliff, a small village in Sligo known for its charm as opposed to opulence. The streets offer access to the low gravel ridge between Ben Bulben mountain and the waters of Drumcliff Bay. The river carries water from Glencar Lake, winds through the town, and empties into the inlet. The historic village once hosted a legendary battle fought by Milesian monarch Tigernmas in 1538 BC.

The quiet beauty of the village cast a spell on the poet W.B. Yeats who requested to be buried in County Sligo. The town hosts the poet’s tomb in the graveyard at St. Columba’s Church of Ireland. A poem decorates the headstone reflecting Yeats’s passion for words and the beauty of the county. Before settling in for the day, you continue to Ceide Fields, the world’s most extensive monument of the Stone Age. Fields of stone walls reflect former houses and megalithic tombs dating back 5,000 years, weighing approximately half a million tons. A glass pyramid overlooks the site providing a stunning glimpse into the time period of the Stone Age farming community.

Often when thinking of Ireland, visitors fail to realize the extent of the gorgeous fjard, glacial valleys creating inlets across the coastline of the island, dreaming of the emerald green hills and joyous legends instead. In the morning, you guide begins an elaborate Connemara at Killary fjard. The fjard is an inlet formed by formerly glaciated valleys and waterways connecting to the sea, similar to a fjord, the difference being a fjard has a shorter, shallower, and broad profile in the hills and body of water.

The scent of the grass and brush along the steep slopes gives way to the aroma of the sea breeze. You continue to Kylemore Abbey, an estate situated on 1,000 acres of woodland overlooking a glassy lake. The edifice was erected in the 19th century but given to Benedictine nuns in the 1920s. The neo-Gothic church contrasts the Victorian architecture of the castle façade. The main house contains 33 rooms, which does not include the various bathrooms, sitting rooms, and rooms used for leisure. The opulent exterior gives way to the extravagant interior hosting preserved period furniture.

The medieval streets Galway’s historic city center shine with winding cobbled lanes and dramatic stone walls. A hint of Spanish flair decorates the shops and antique architecture brought by the merchant class trading between mainland Europe and the tribes of Galway over the centuries. Your guide leads you to Eyre Square for a vision of the bustling heart of town dating back to the 18th century. Browne’s Gateway adorns the northwest edge of the square, a preserved portion of the doorway once leading to an old patrician mansion. Shop hosts share an ambiance filled with vibrant music and the charm of boutiques showcasing elegant window displays.

A bank fills the interior of the former 14th-century castle at the city center, which continues to host gargoyles, images of bears, and the coats of arms of the Tudor Monarch, Henry VII. You leave Galway City behind, bound for the bustling streets of Dublin and stopping at Clonmacnoise along the way. The remarkable religious complex dates back to the 6th century AD and became a center for religion, trade, learning, politics, and craftsmanship at the crossroads of the River Shannon. The settlement contains the ruins of the cathedral, defending the castle, and a number of small churches. The 12th century round tower continues to soar above the landscape. The 10th-century cathedral was erected under the decree of King of Tara and the Abbot of Clonmacnoise. The original brown sandstone of the earliest structure is visible along the north wall.

In the morning, the aroma of fresh pastries and herbaceous tea drifts through the doors of the Cake Café, known to locals for its quiet location amidst the trendy shops of Camden Street. Your guide greets you at the hotel and leads you on a fabulous introductory tour to the historic and contemporary life and culture of Dublin. Georgian architecture lines the cobbled lanes with graceful facades connoting a time when Dublin was considered the British Empire’s Second City after London. The General Post Office, known locally as the GPO, stands on O’Connell Street, the main city’s main thoroughfare.

The strong pillars of the neo-classical portico present more than an original feature of the 19th-century structure, but also continue to display bullet holes from the 1916 Easter Uprising. The interior hosts the An Post Museum, which contains an exhibition featuring an installation of the uprising, along with a copy of the Proclamation of Independence. Christchurch Cathedral crowns a hilltop with fantastic flying buttresses revealing the 11th and 12th-century architectural design. The nave was used as a market during the 18th and 19th centuries, while the crypt became a tavern during those troubled times. A monument to Strongbow, Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, decorates the southern aisle. An armored figure stands atop the tomb.

A quiet and unassuming Georgian House on North Great George’s Street hosts the James Joyce Centre, which was founded by Irish Senator and Joycean Scholar, David Norris. The museum represents all things James Joyce, including comic book adaptations of the work Ulysses. The scent of coffee emanates from the popular Brother Hubbard restaurant on Capel Street, embodying the city’s quiet trend of enjoying fresh-pressed brews with freshly baked sweets. After breakfast, your private transfer greets you at the hotel and escorts you to Dublin International Airport, bringing an end to your exploration of, and introduction to, the highlights of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.