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Authentic Europe · Partly guided

Grand Tour of Ireland

Partly guided rail and coach circuit around Ireland from Dublin

Illustration of Grand Tour of Ireland

Authentic Europe runs this 13-day, partly guided rail and coach tour around Ireland, starting and ending in Dublin. A tour escort travels with the group at stations and on trains, and English-speaking guides and drivers lead the day-to-day touring, though the escort or guide can change along the way. The route runs south to Cork, Cobh and Killarney for a day touring the Ring of Kerry, then west through Limerick and the Cliffs of Moher to Galway and a visit to the Aran Islands. From there it continues through Connemara and Kylemore Abbey before heading north to Belfast, the Giant's Causeway and the Antrim coast, and on to two nights at Harvey's Point Hotel in Donegal, the only hotel named in the evidence. The final full day visits the Slieve League Cliffs and the Donegal coast before returning to Dublin for departure. This suits travelers who want Ireland's major coastal and historic sites covered with a guide on hand, without driving themselves.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has held at €3,885 every time.

€3,8854 Jul12 Sep

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 2 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

One reading is held out of the price above and this history: an unconfirmed large change. We only price on the operator's package from-price, read from its own page.

What to know before you look closer

  • The evidence's day-by-day itinerary states the overnight location for only 2 of the 12 nights (Harvey's Point Hotel in Donegal); confirm the hotel assignments for the rest of the trip with Authentic Europe before booking.
  • Two of the twelve breakfasts are takeaway rather than sit-down, due to early train departures.
  • This is a partly guided tour: a tour escort travels at stations and on trains and guides or drivers lead touring per the day-to-day itinerary, but the operator notes the escort or guide may change during the trip.
  • The trip mixes train and coach transport; not every day of touring in Ireland is by rail.

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Arrival in Dublin, the capital of Ireland

  2. Day 2

    Travel to Cork, Cóbh & Killarney

  3. Day 3

    Day touring The Ring of Kerry

  4. Day 4

    Visit Limerick, Cliffs of Moher & Galway

  5. Day 5

    Visit the Aran Islands

  6. Day 6

    Tour of Connemara & Kylemore Abbey

  7. Day 7

    Travel along the Sky Road on Coral Beach

  8. Day 8

    Day at leisure in Dublin

  9. Day 9

    Belfast, Giants Causeway & Antrim coast

  10. Day 10overnight: Harvey's Point Hotel

    Explore Belfast and travel to Harvey's Point Hotel

  11. Day 11overnight: Harvey's Point Hotel

    Day at leisure at Harvey's Point Hotel

  12. Day 12

    Visit Slieve League Cliffs & the beautiful Donegal coast

  13. Day 13

    Departure from Dublin

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 3A full day is spent touring the Ring of Kerry.
  • Day 5The tour visits the Aran Islands by ferry.
  • Day 6The tour visits Connemara and Kylemore Abbey.
  • Day 9The route covers Belfast, the Giant's Causeway, and the Antrim coast.
  • Day 12The tour visits the Slieve League Cliffs and the Donegal coast.

Included

  • 12 nights accommodation in standard rooms with private shower or bath/WC including breakfast (2 of which are takeaway due to early train departures)
  • 2 dinners at Harvey's Point Hotel
  • Rail journeys and touring by coach as per day-to-day itinerary
  • Tour escort at the stations and on the trains. English-speaking guides and drivers as per the day-to-day itinerary. The tour escort /guide may change throughout the tour
  • Ferry to and from the Aran Islands
  • Admissions included: Blarney Castle & Gardens, Cóbh Heritage Centre, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience and a Hop on Hop off Bus Tour and Titanic Visitor Centre in Belfast
  • Electronic travel documentation, including a detailed travel itinerary and travel vouchers
  • 24/7 emergency phone service while travelling

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?
From €3,885 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $4,504 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this trip guided or independent?
It's partly guided. A tour escort travels with the group at stations and on trains, and English-speaking guides and drivers lead touring per the day-to-day itinerary, though the escort or guide may change during the trip.
Is the train travel included?
Yes, rail journeys and coach touring are included as per the day-to-day itinerary, though the pack does not break down every leg by mode.
Which hotels are used?
The evidence names only Harvey's Point Hotel in Donegal, for 2 of the trip's 12 nights; other hotels are not specified.
What is included besides the hotel and transport?
Two dinners at Harvey's Point Hotel, a ferry to and from the Aran Islands, and admission to Blarney Castle and Gardens, Cobh Heritage Centre, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, a Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour, and the Titanic Visitor Centre in Belfast.
How long is the trip?
13 days and 12 nights.

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