Please note that due to limited service to Shannon, a transfer from Dublin will likely be substituted.

Meet and greet the bayside city likened to San Francisco on a friendly foot tour led by your Tour Director. Discover a traditional Gaelic culture turned trendy with college students, artists and writers in the midst of a buzzing Bohemian culture of 50,000 people. The journey begins at the Spanish Arch (actually a pair of stone arches speckled with greenery) constructed to guard the quays where Spanish merchants docked their boats. Stroll along residential Quay Street into bustling High Street, a micro shopping mecca lined with all kinds of shops, coffeehouses and outside eateries. Venture outside the buzz and discover a one-of-a-kind pyramid-shaped spire atop Ireland’s second largest medieval parish house, St. Nicholas Church. Meander through Eyre Square’s Kennedy Memorial Park, a green oasis where locals gather to lounge, socialize and attend musical performances. Bordering the lush grounds, find the 17th-century Brown Doorway, a real entryway transported in 1900 from its original location at the Brown Mansion. Another highlight is the original set of cannons from the Crimean War, and the bubbling fountain adorned with a steel sculpture of a traditional broad-masted ship (hooker).

Visit Galway Cathedral, one of the largest and most impressive buildings in the city. The architecture of the Cathedral draws on many influences. The dome and pillars reflect a Renaissance style. Other features, including the rose windows and mosaics, echo the broad tradition of Christian art. The Cathedral dome, at a height of 145ft, is a prominent landmark on the city skyline.

Enjoy a masterclass or interactive performance by a traditional musician on a variety of instruments, including the tin whistle, flute, fiddle, uilleann pipes, and many others. Located in County Clare, the West Clare Music Makers Visitor Museum allows you to read firsthand accounts by the musicians of Ireland and enjoy an 8-minute film telling the story behind the music and the origin of instrument in the town that traditional Irish music is said to be founded.

Potential venues include (but not limited to): St. Nicholas Church, Eyre Square, or an exchange with a local school, university or community group. Additional options such a Galway Cathedral or Kylemore Abbey are avilable at additional cost.

Spend time at the Cliffs of Moher, a series of dramatic undulating cliffs plunging 700 feet down to the Atlantic Ocean, offering unforgettable views of Ireland's west coast. On a clear day we may be able to see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay as misty shapes off in the distance. Those who choose may climb O'Brien's Tower, a viewing point built for the benefit of Victorian tourists.

Discover Bunratty Castle, a formidable castle built in the 15th Century. It has been preserved to look just as it would have in the 1500s. A tour of the castle will include the Great Hall, Main Guard, and the South Solar. We will this visit the adjoining Folk Park, an authentic recreation of life in Ireland in the late 19th Century.

Get a feel for Ireland’s emerald beauty on an excursion around the Iveragh Peninsula on the panoramic coastal route, Ring of Kerry. Along the 112 miles of breathtaking views, you’ll spy 360 degrees of the vast Atlantic Ocean, the Lakes of Killarney, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks (Ireland’s tallest mountains), and every shade of green known to the Emerald Isle.

Choirs often enjoy performances at churches (some have restricted sacred repertoire and others allow secular,) temples, museums and cultural centers, significant historic sights or exchange concerts with local schools, universities or community groups. Participating in a choral or cultural festival can also be a rewarding experience. For all performances we work closely with each group to ensure the perfect venue to meet their vision. Speak with your Worldstrides representative about what options would be best for your group.

Stop for a visit to Blarney Castle, the medieval stone structure built on solid limestone around 1466. (The slivers of windows served as a defense, enabling Lord Blarney and his men to shoot arrows at invaders while staying protected from within.) Climb the spiral staircases to the top of the castle to kiss the Blarney stone. Legend promises that if you lean backwards and kiss the stone upside-down, you’ll be granted the “gift of the gab” (the privilege of babbling questionable commentary for seven years). Before you leave, wander the path to Rock Close to ponder the druidic circle of mystical stones. Enter Lord Blarney’s dungeon if you dare...

Your Masterclass is today! Your ensemble will attend a masterclass given by a university or college professor, or local expert. You can choose the area of focus or let the expert determine what skills on which they would like to focus.

Get a friendly introduction to Ireland’s capital city, compliments of your Tour Director. As you wander the streets, take in the international glamour of Ireland’s most cosmopolitan city and discover an urban landscape of Georgian buildings, castles and cathedrals.

Join a professional licensed tour guide on an adventure to Dublin’s finest attractions. Pass the residence of Ireland’s president along your journey through Phoenix Park. Within Europe’s grandest enclosed park, encounter 1,760 undeveloped acres scattered with cricket pitches, grazing cows, and red deer. Stop to eye a stone phoenix rising from flames atop the Corinthian-style Phoenix Column. Tour the roads along the River Liffey to 12th-century St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the largest of its kind in all Ireland. Get a glimpse of the neighboring park where St. Patrick (who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century) baptized converts. Continue on to Trinity College, the stone-clad sprawling campus where Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett studied. Stop by the Long Room in the Old Library for a zoom-view of the illuminated edition of four Gospels, the Book of Kells. The original manuscript was penned in Latin around AD 800 by four Irish Monks who used multicolored ink from plants and bugs. Take some time to study the brilliant latticework of curvy Celtic symbols woven with animal figures that enlivens the script.

Visit Phoenix Park, an urban park that is one of the largest walled city parks in Europe at a size of 1,750 acres. The park is filled with large areas of grassland, beautiful tree-lined avenues, and even a herd of wild deer.

Visit St. Patrick's Cathedral, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It is said that St. Patrick baptized converts on this site. Consequently, a church has stood here since 450 CE, making it the oldest Christian site in Dublin. The cathedral's design is primarily Early English in style, and features a 300-foot-long interior. It halls houses the largest ringing peal bells in Ireland. St. Patrick's is closely associated with Jonathan Swift, who was dean from 1713 to 1745, and whose tomb lies in the south aisle.

Discover Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland. Trinity was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. The beautiful campus features cobbled squares, gardens, a picturesque quadrangle and buildings that date from the 17th to 20th centuries. Trinity College is also home to the Book of Kells, an 8th-century version of the four Gospels decorated with elaborate scripting and illumination. We will view this famous treasure and other early Christian manuscripts in the Colonnades, an exhibition area on the ground floor of the Old Library.

Get an authentic Irish dancing lesson in Dublin!