Irish Spirit - 9 Days/8 Nights

Meet your tour director in your hotel at 2:00 PM , and set out on a panoramic Dublin tour. See the mix of old and new in Georgian buildings and modern street art, the city's many pubs and restaurants, and the River Liffey flowing through the center of it all. Visit a whiskey distillery, right in the heart of old Dublin, for a tour and taste a delicious signature drink. This evening enjoy a welcome dinner in Temple Bar, Dublin's cultural quarter. (D)

Enjoy a vintage tea tour—you'll climb aboard a vintage double decker bus and settle in for a delicious tea as you see the sights of the city. Then enjoy a free afternoon in Dublin before gathering at Dublin's leading culinary school. Roll up your sleeves! You'll get cooking, as you learn new dishes and compete against your fellow travelers in a fun, inspiring cook-off while preparing dinner for your group. (B, D)

Venture to the beautiful Wicklow Mountains and see picturesque Glendalough—this monastic site flourished for hundreds of years from its founding in the sixth century, and many of its buildings still stand today. Next you'll have a special seasonal food experience. End the day at your hotel in the hillside fishing village of Ballycotton, County Cork, where your hotel dinner will be freshly prepared with local produce. (B, D)

Visit Blarney Castle, where you can climb the steep steps, to kiss the famous stone, or simply wander around the grounds. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in the historic port town of Kinsale, once a fishing village and now an important destination for foodies, sailors, and art lovers. (B, D)

Drive to Killarney, where you will take a class in chocolate making with an award-winning French pastry chef who creates unique, high-quality chocolates using the finest ingredients from around the world. Take a scenic drive to Killarney for a short stopover before heading to Tralee. There you will dine in a local restaurant on homegrown and foraged foods along with ingredients from local artisanal suppliers. (B, D)

Drive the Ring of Kerry, Ireland's most popular scenic drive. Visit Derrynane House, the ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell, one of the most heroic leaders in the making of modern Ireland. The home and the 300 acres that surround it are today part of the Derrynane National Historical Park. Next, explore the nutritional, horticultural, and cosmetic benefits of ocean plants, in a foraging stroll on the seashore. Enjoy a dinner of fresh, local ingredients in Ballygarry House Hotel. (B, D)

Take the ferry from Kerry to Clare to view the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. Just south of the limestone landscape of the Burren, visit farm and learn about traditional farming practices with a culinary touch. Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant at the heart of Limerick. (B, D)

Your Irish culinary tour ends after breakfast. (B)