Join Brett on this scenic, traditional tour that takes in the top impressions and highlights from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
On this unparalleled land-based package we visit 1 brewery, 1 distillery, 1 crystal glassworks, 2 countries – in the European Union and United Kingdom, 2 capital cities, 2 museums, 2 castles, 2 locations featured in a television blockbuster, 4 intoxicating pubs, 5 geographic wonders, and much more.
Piggybacking: This package has been designed so you can either sign up for it exclusively or piggyback it with one of Brett’s other tour programs to extend the cultural experience and enlightenment. But, be quick, the tour will sell out as there are only a handful of seats available. (Piggyback this package with another and deduct 20% from the advance payment of that tour, deduct 25% from the advance payment of a third package and 30% for a fourth package.)
England Highlights & World War II tour multiple dates May thru November
Scotland Highlights & Whisky Tasting tour August 17-23, 2024
England Highlights & World War II tour August 24 — September 1, 2024
D-Day Beaches & Beyond tour September 3-6, 2024
Belgium Beer & Battlefields tour September 7-13, 2024
Germany & Austria Highlights tour September 14-20, 2024
Oktoberfest in Munich tour packages September 20 — October 6, 2024
Money, details are listed below the package itinerary.
Dublin to Waterford via Belfast, Galway & the Ring of Kerry
August 5-14, 2024 — 9 nights, 10 days
Places still available on this tour
Max capacity for this one-time tour is 7 persons.
Reserve your spot now before this package is sold out!
Package itinerary:
DUBLIN (1 night):
DAY 1 (Monday), August 5 — Arthur Guinness, Irish Dancing & Capital of the Republic
Brett Harriman, 
your guide, will meet you in Dublin and facilitate hotel check-in. After introductions, you have a few optional sites to visit but first on the docket is an iconic and intoxicating Irish institution, the Guinness brewery at St. James’ Gate. Here, at the so-called “Storehouse”, you will tour multiple levels of the Guinness brand, from brewing history to discovering its true ruby red color, take in traditional Irish dancing, learn barrel making and how to pour the perfect Guinness with a certificate to prove it. If that isn’t enough, crown your visit with a trip to the Gravity Bar perched atop the Storehouse for a pint of Guinness on-the-house while marveling 360-degree views of the Irish capital from generous floor-to-ceiling glass windows. By the time you’re ready to call it a night you’ll be a scholar on Arthur’s vision, an apostle of Saint Patrick, and have faith in where leprechauns store gold coins.
BELFAST (2 nights):
DAY 2 (Tuesday), August 6 — Peace Wall, RMS Titanic & Capital of the North
After breakfast we motor north across the border to Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Belfast is the largest metropolitan area in the North as well as in the province of Ulster, the fifteenth-largest city in the UK and the second largest on the island of Ireland. In the Northern capital Brett will drive you through and along the “Peace Wall,” various partitions built as high as 18 feet to minimize inter-communal sectarian violence between Catholics (most of whom are Irish nationalists) and Protestants (or unionists who self-identify as British). From the divided part of the city Brett will chauffeur you across town to the historic Slipways, locale where the *RMS Titanic was built and launched (1908-1912; *Royal Mail Ship ― in addition to its service as a passenger liner, the Titanic was also ferrying mail between the UK and US.)
Following your Titanic (museum) experience we will check into our digs then embark on another Irish intimacy, axe throwing! Brett will have you trained as an able axe-man ready to contest any wayward leprechauns or unruly Vikings.
DAY 3 (Wednesday), August 7 — Bushmills, Giants Causeway & Game of Thrones
On the third day of your journey we’ll depart Belfast to take in the stunning sights of the North, including the geographic wonder of the Giants Causeway and medieval Dunluce castle. Additionally, fans of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” series will be awestruck by visits to stunning scene locales such as the Dark Hedges and Ballintoy Harbor. To crown your intoxicating excursion Brett will guide the group by historic Bushmills distillery for a dram of their finest Irish whiskey that draws upon centuries-old distilling methods with a Royal license to boot.
DERRY (1 night):
DAY 4 (Thursday), August 8 — Londonderry, Mellon & the Brig Union
Today will be another extraordinary day filled with exploration and historic discovery. After breakfast we motor across Northern Ireland to its north-west frontier at Derry, officially Londonderry, the North’s second largest city and sixth largest on the island. En route, we will stop at Ulster American Folk Park, an open-air museum developed around the Mellon House, birthplace of Thomas Mellon, founder of the Mellon Bank and patriarch of the dynastic Mellon family of Pittsburgh. (If you join Brett’s Scotland tour he’ll show you Mellon’s son’s philanthropist friend Andrew Carnegie’s birthplace, too.) Here, at the folk park, 18th and 19th century Ulster is recreated via period actors, historic farmhouses, a traditional forge and marketplace portraying life in the Old World. Visitors (You) then board the Brig Union, a full-scale emigrant ship, and encounter the cramped quarters bold immigrants lived during their 12-week Atlantic voyage before emerging in the New World with a new start and life in America!
GALWAY (2 nights):
DAY 5 (Friday), August 9 — Free Derry, Bogside & “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
After breakfast we take a sober, thought-provoking tour of Derry that will walk us to a part of town known as Bogside to learn of its turbulent history, chiefly the “Bloody Sunday” massacre that occurred on January 30, 1972 when British soldiers shot 26 civilians during a protest march — 14 died! Thankfully the barricades have long since been dismantled and tempers simmered between the two rivals, Catholic and Protestant, nationalist and unionist, thus on this pensive day we remember the fallen and treasure the brokered peace. Concluding at Bogside, Brett will suggest a hearty bowl of hot Irish stew for lunch at his favorite cafeteria to satisfy stomachs before hopping on the bus and skipping back across the border into the Republic of Ireland to our next destination and another of Brett’s favorites: Galway!
DAY 6 (Saturday), August 10 — Quay Street, Galway Girl & the Cliffs of Mohar
Awake to another epic day on the calendar. After breakfast we wend our way through quaint County Clare to the Cliffs of Mohar, second to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin as the most touristed destination in Ireland (courting some 1.5 million visitors per year). Now it’s your turn to create memories and marvel the majesty of these mighty cliffs that extend some 9 miles and soar 700 feet to their peaks above the wild and stirring Atlantic Ocean. From wind-swept cliffs we return to Galway for free time. You can join Brett at O’Connell’s pub on Eyre Square in search of Ed Sheeran’s “Galway Girl”. Sláinte! (“Slawn-cha,” Irish for cheers meaning “Health”.)
Killarney (2 nights):
DAY 7 (Sunday), August 11 — Dingle, Paddy Sheehan’s & Friendships
On this delightful, bucolic day we motor south some 4 hours through counties Clare and Limerick via the seaside town of Dingle in County Kerry to our overnight destination for the next two nights: Killarney, gateway to the Ring of Kerry. After dinner, join Brett at Paddy Sheehan’s for an adult evening at his favorite pub in all of Ireland. Cheers! “There are good ships and there are wood ships, these ships they sail and tame the sea. But by God the best ships are our friendships, and may they always be.”
DAY 8 (Monday), August 12 — Ring of Kerry, Ladies View & the Wild Atlantic Way
Of all our days in Ireland this will be the most tranquil, picturesque, magnificent as we drive the 179-kilometer Ring of Kerry crossing the Wild Atlantic Way and Killarney National Park. Make sure your camera is fully charged for this is quintessential Ireland – quaint seaside villages, green rolling hills sprinkled lily white with sheep, rugged coastline and pristine beaches, thatched cottages and centuries-old stone structures that dot the landscape, inspiration to poets and painters – your turn to behold the intrinsic beauty of the Emerald Isle.
DUBLIN (1 night):
DAY 9 (Tuesday), August 13 — Blarney Stone, Waterford Crystal & Brett’s Birthday
Today is our last full day together, and Brett has much in store for you. First up, we’re off to Blarney Castle to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone. Yikes! Well, it’s not so bad, according to legend, connecting lips with the loving limestone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab, eloquence or flattery. From Blarney we saddle up and trot over to Ireland’s oldest city, Waterford, founded by Vikings in the 9th century but our attraction leads us to its world-renown crystal glassworks. Before Princes Charles became king one of his last public tours was to Waterford (March 2022) and just over one year later (May 2023) Charles III was crowned beneath 16 lead Waterford crystal chandeliers at Westminster Abbey. Now it’s your turn to gander the glorious glint and mastercraft of the exquisite luxury crystal at its home. From Waterford we make the return journey to Dublin for our closing evening in the Irish capital. You have much to celebrate – you’re an authority now on all things Ireland and good craic. Sláinte!
DAY 10 (Wednesday), August 14, 2024 — Slán go fóill, Good-bye for now…
Regrettably, it’s time to say good-bye to the friends we’ve made. Our tour is over, unless you’ve chosen to continue the journey with Brett on his next program for more culture and cuisine.
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Feel free to contact Brett with any questions you may have.
ADVANCE PAYMENT:
Click the ADD TO CART button to pay your advance payment via PayPal (for other forms of payment, contact Brett).
In case you do not see the ADD TO CART PayPal button, try on another device, e.g. non-Apple product.
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Money, package details:
- The land-only price for this exclusive package is 2,595 — 2,095 euro (payable in Ireland) + US$500 (advance payment) per person (double occupancy) — which includes your accommodations (3/4-star hotels), breakfast, all transportation and attractions we do together as a group, and Brett Harriman as your personal guide. You will be hard-pressed to find a more intoxicating Irish tour, anywhere!
- The price for this 10-day (9-night) package is approximately US$270 per person per day (2,095 euro x $US1.05 = $2,200 + $500 advance = $2,700 / 10 = $270), which is hard to beat when considering the exclusive hand-held nature of the package, transportation within 2 countries and the umpteen sites visited.
- The price does not cover lunch, dinner, and of course personal expenses, such as whatever you buy and do on your free time.
- Transportation for this tour will be a 9-seater mini van piloted by Brett Harriman.
- Walking & picnic lunches: Expect to do a lot of walking. We will explore medieval castles and geographic wonders, tour museums and stroll cobbled streets. On the food front, we’ll plan picnic lunches at select sites when possible that will not only save us money but also time for more sightseeing.
- Packing & souvenirs: As always, pack light, but do allow a little extra room for souvenirs and whatnot you may pick up along the way.
- Single supplement: The package price is based on double occupancy — a supplement of US$400 will be added to the price for solo travelers but who are welcome to room together to save the supplement; (notify Brett if this is you and he will do his best to make compatible room assignments).
- Payment: To reserve your place an advance payment of US$500 per person is required and the remaining 2,095 euro is due in Ireland upon meeting your group leader. After the advance payment is made Brett will contact you to confirm your reservation. (Note: Since seating is limited to 7 guests per tour, reserve your place soon before the package is sold out!)
- Cancellation: The advance payment is fully refundable 75 days prior to tour departure. Within 75 days, however, your advance payment will be forfeited (sorry!) unless your spot can be filled or you’d like to transfer the reservation to another Harriman tour package this year or next.
- Piggyback Brett’s tour with another and deduct 20% from the advance payment of that tour, deduct 25% from the advance payment of a third package and 30% for a fourth package.
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