Donegal & the Giant's Causeway with Two-night Belfast Extension

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To book or for more information please call: 0330 341 1117 and quote RTA

Donegal & the Giant's Causeway with Two-night Belfast Extension

Step out onto one of nature’s most iconic sites as you explore a wonderful corner of Ireland, with some time in Belfast to visit the Titanic Belfast museum. Discover some of Northwest Ireland’s most captivating scenery, a land of dramatic coastlines, glistening rivers and loughs, towering mountains, and peaceful glens. From your base in the lively town of Letterkenny, you’ll explore County Antrim’s UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway, admire the beauty of Glenveagh National Park and its fairy-tale castle, and stroll through the historic streets of Donegal town. A day on the Inishowen Peninsula, a region steeped in heritage and tradition, adds to the sense of discovery. Your journey concludes in lively Belfast, where you’ll have time to visit the world-famous Titanic Belfast museum on a self-guided tour and soak up the city’s renowned pub atmosphere, the perfect finale to a magical Irish escape.

Holiday Highlights

Journey to the Giant's Causeway
Visit the spectacular Titanic Belfast museum
Travel to Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head
Visit the beautiful Glenveagh National Park with a guided tour of Glenveagh Castle
Visit Donegal with its rich history reflected by its imposing Jacobean castle, which sits above the River Eske
Explore the Inishowen Peninsula
Experience the thought-provoking Doagh Isle Famine Village
Embrace some time to explore Belfast at your own pace
Set off on a scenic drive along the Wild Atlantic Way

What's Included

Five nights’ mixed board accommodation at the three-star Station House Hotel, Letterkenny, and two nights’ bed and breakfast at the three-star Ibis City Centre, Belfast
Seven breakfasts and four dinners
Excursions to Donegal, the Inishowen Peninsula, and Glenveagh National Park
Entry to the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre
Entry to the fascinating Doagh Isle Famine Village
Entrance to the Titanic Belfast museum
Return flights to Belfast
Comfortable coach travel and transfers
The services of a friendly, knowledgeable tour manager

Itinerary

Day 1

Fly to Belfast and explore Letterkenny - Following your flight to Ireland, meet your tour manager, and board the coach for the transfer to Letterkenny. Depending on your arrival time, you'll be able to spend the rest of the day exploring the town. Visit imposing St Eunan’s Cathedral, which dominates the skyline, wander through the charming Market Square or take a stroll along the picturesque Swilly River walkway. Alternatively, relax in one of the town's colourful pubs or perhaps find dinner (on your account) at one of the vibrant nearby restaurants. You'll find several within walking distance of your hotel. 

Day 2

Included Donegal excursion - Today, you'll head to Donegal town. Centred on its ancient marketplace, the Diamond, Donegal has a rich history reflected in its imposing Jacobean castle, which sits above the River Eske. The 70-minute waterbus trip (payable locally) around Donegal Bay offers another scenic perspective on this attractive town – especially on fine days. See the seal colony on Seal Island, the Bluestack Mountains, and the many islands dotted around the bay. Back on shore, you'll find no shortage of pubs and restaurants where you can grab a spot of lunch.

Day 3

Included Inishowen Peninsula excursion - Today’s fascinating excursion takes you to the remote Inishowen Peninsula, a typically northern Irish landscape that includes Ireland’s most northerly point, Malin Head (familiar to listeners of the Shipping Forecast everywhere). Bordered by the waters of Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly, and the pristine beaches of the Atlantic coast, its towering mountains rising from a landscape dotted with ancient Celtic crosses and crumbling churches, Inishowen is a scenic delight. Your day includes a visit to the Doagh Isle Famine Village, an outdoor museum where the sights, sounds, and stories of Irish life, from the famine of the 1840s to the present day, is recreated. The attraction is built around original thatched houses that were inhabited until 1983. From here, you’ll travel through a beautiful, timeless landscape, and on through the remote peninsula town of Carndonagh, to wild, windswept Malin, to enjoy the stupendous views, which stretch to the distant west of Scotland on clear days.

Day 4

Included Giant's Causeway excursion and Derry - The highlight of the whole tour for many will be today’s excursion to the breathtaking Giant’s Causeway. Long associated with legendary Irish hero Finn McCool, this astonishing collection of closely packed basalt columns, which rise like stepping stones from the Atlantic to the wild, windswept cliffs above, was formed after a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. Your visit will include entry to the Visitor Centre, where you'll receive a free audio guide to take to the stones, and have the chance to explore the exhibits in the active interpretation area. Take the short minibus trip from the visitor centre to the Causeway (small charge, typically payable locally) or walk the mile or so along the cliff path to take in the breathtaking views and sea air. Continue to visit the city of Derry. On this walking tour, you'll view the 400-year-old city walls and learn about the city's marvellous history dating back from medieval times to modern day. Derry is renowned for its street murals and there will be an opportunity to visit and view these.  

Day 5

Included Glenveagh National Park excursion - Today, you'll head to Glenveagh National Park. This remote area of outstanding natural beauty is home to herds of wild deer and a sanctuary for the endangered golden eagle and many other species of wildlife. By contrast to most of the rugged landscape, Glenveagh Castle, which overlooks the peaceful waters of Lough Veagh, comes as something of a surprise. A guided tour of the castle's keep and mismatched towers offers a real glimpse into the lifestyle of an earlier age, and you'll also have time to explore the spectacular gardens. Your route back to Letterkenny takes you back to the coast, via Mount Errigal and through Dunlewy village to Bunbeg. Here (weather permitting), you may like to stretch your legs with a stroll along the sandy beach before continuing up and around the Bloody Foreland (named for the red hue of the rocks at sunset), for a final stop in one of the area's quaint villages, such as Dunfanaghy.

Day 6

Travel to Belfast and day at a leisure - Bid farewell to Donegal and travel to Belfast to check into your next hotel. The rest of the day will be free to relax or explore the surrounding area, perhaps spent soaking up the atmosphere in one of the many traditional pubs in the city centre.

Day 7

Included visit to Titanic Belfast museum - Following breakfast, you can use your included ticket for a self-guided visit to the Titanic Belfast, a museum set on the site where RMS Titanic was constructed a century ago. This museum is a 25-minute walk away from the hotel, and you can make your own way at your leisure. Developed as much as a tribute to the days of shipbuilding in the city as well as in commemoration of the ill-fated liner that met her untimely end on her maiden voyage in 1912, the Titanic Belfast is a dramatic, innovative, and exciting presentation of the real story of the famous ship. It’s housed in nine fascinating galleries in one of the most eye-catching buildings to have been built in the UK for years. Through the use of audiovisual presentation, life-size reconstructions, interactive features and even a ‘Shipyard Ride’, the ship’s conception, construction, tragic sinking and its aftermath, as well as its rediscovery in 1985, are brought vividly to life, and you’ll leave the exhibition with a real sense of the enormity as well as the human cost of one of the 20th century’s most fateful episodes. Enjoy the remainder of the day and evening at leisure.

Day 8

Fly home - After breakfast, check out of the hotel and travel to Belfast airport to catch your flight home.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to Station House Hotel, Letterkenny is approximately two hours, while the journey from the Ibis City Centre in Belfast to the airport takes around 30 minutes.

Visits to the Giant's Causeway

Your visit will include entry to the new visitor centre for the Giant's Causeway. You will also be given a free audio guide to take to the stones.

The Station House Hotel, Letterkenny

The hotel has an inviting cafe-bar that serves food and drinks from dawn until dusk, occasional live music, and a lift.

Currency

As this holiday is based in Letterkenny, which is in the Republic of Ireland, but includes travel to and from Belfast plus a visit to the Giant's Causeway (both of which are in Northern Ireland), you will need both sterling and euros.

Tipping

We are often asked about gratuities on our Irish holidays. At the end of a tour it is customary to give a coach driver around £2-3 per person per day and a Tour Manager around £3-5 per person per day; a gratuity of £1 per person per day for dining/waiting staff in your hotel will also be greatly appreciated. In a restaurant leave about 10% of a bill (no need to tip in a bar) and around £2 for services such as hairdressing.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Combining hotel transfers

We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

At a glance

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