EVA Travel
Explore the Nooks and Crannies of Northern Ireland
There are many tours of Ireland available, but Northern Ireland remains the hidden gem of the Emerald Isle. Beset by 30 years of civil unrest, the tourism industry in the north of Ireland was neglected by tourists. Since 1998, the ‘Troubles’ have been left behind and Northern Ireland is finally being recognised as one of the most beautiful and rewarding places to visit on the island of Ireland.
This 11 day tour will take you through the myths and mists of time, introduce you to the well known destinations but we also visit some of the less well known but equally wonderful nooks and crannies.
Led by Sheila Fitzgerald, founder of EVA Travel and resident of Northern Ireland for over 30 years, you will gain a special insight into this most magical of places during this tour.
Highlights
-
Bru na Boinne (Newgrange Passage Tomb): Explore a 5,000-year-old World Heritage site, older than the pyramids.
-
Carlingford Medieval Village: Stay in a picturesque medieval village, with a guided tour and cooking lesson at Ghan House.
-
Belfast Peace Tour: Gain insights into Northern Ireland's past with a peace and reconciliation tour, visiting key locations of the Troubles.
-
Titanic Centre, Belfast: Visit the world-famous Titanic Centre, exploring the ship’s history and Belfast’s shipbuilding heritage.
-
Rathlin Island Adventure: Experience a two-day stay on Rathlin Island, with nature tours, birdwatching (puffins!), and local activities.
-
Giant’s Causeway & Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge: Discover the dramatic scenery of Northern Ireland’s coast, including the Giant’s Causeway and thrilling rope bridge.
-
Derry Walking Tour: Walk the historic walls of Derry/Londonderry and explore its rich history, including visits to key landmarks.
-
Ulster American Folk Park: Learn about emigration from Ulster to North America with a visit to this open-air museum in Omagh.
Northern
Ireland
29 June - 10 July 2025
13 days from
£2,750
What’s included
-
All accommodation in comfortable hotels and scenic guesthouses
-
All transportation as outlined in the itinerary.
-
English speaking guide
-
Excursions and visits
-
All trips, excursions & visits as outlined in the itinerary.
-
Airport pick up & drop off.
-
All meals as outlined in the itinerary.
What’s not included
-
Flights
-
Any extra trips, visits or activities
-
Additional meals or snacks
-
Alcoholic drinks & extra beverages
-
Tips & Personal expenses
-
Travel insurance - Compulsory for this trip.
-
Visa - Any personal visa which may be required for this trip.
Day 1 - Arrival in Dublin
If you arrive into Dublin airport today, we will meet you in the airport and accompany you to the shuttle bus to a nearby Airport Hotel. You will have a chance to rest and relax after what is going to be a long journey for some. No formal activities are planned for today but a taxi or Uber into Dublin City Centre can be easily arranged and you can catch some of the buzz in Dublin city centre- and maybe a pint of Guiness at the Warehouse!
Meals: None
Accommodation: Dublin Airport Hotel
Day 2 - The Boyne Valley- Bru Na Boinne World Heritage Site
First stop will be the Battle of the Boyne memorial site. If you haven’t heard of this 1690 battle before, don’t worry- you’ll be an expert in a week. We move from there to Newgrange Passage Tomb which is estimated to be 5,000 years old. Older than Stonehenge, older than the Pyramids in Egypt and even older than your tour leader. We will stop for lunch and tour the monument and passage tomb.
Following this, our bus will take us to Carlingford, County Louth, a medieval village on the shores of the Lough and an important site in Norman times. We will spend 2 nights in Carlingford Marina where you can enjoy sauna, hot tubs and majestic views.
Meals included: breakfast and welcome dinner
Accommodation: Carlingford Marina
Day 3 - Carlingford
We will take a guided walking tour of Carlingford in the morning after breakfast and you will have some free time to check out the little shops, grab a 99-ice cream and perhaps visit a pub or two.
In the afternoon, we will have a 3-hour cooking lesson at Ghan House and feast on our culinary efforts in the elegant dining room that evening with a complimentary glass of wine.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Carlingford Marina
Day 4 - Belfast
En-route to Belfast today, we will make a couple of stops. We plan to take the Ferry across Carlingford Lough and then head to visit Neary Nogs, an organic chocolate factory in Kilkeel where we will have a chocolate making session paired with locally made gin and poitin. After a picnic lunch we drive through the Mourne Mountains, stopping again to take our tea and a guided tour in Hillsborough Castle, King Charles residence in Northern Ireland.
On arrival in Belfast we should be able to take a short walking tour, to include the Crown Liquor Saloon, a unique and popular bar that dates back to 1826 and is now owned by the National Trust and allow you to get your bearings in the city.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea
Accommodation: Belfast
Day 5 - Belfast
Our day starts with a talk from Jonny Clark who will be our guide for the day. Jonny is a programme manager with the Corrymeela centre in Northern Ireland and has spent his life involved in peace and reconciliation projects throughout the world. Jonny will take us on a tour of Belfast which will include the peace walls, the flashpoint areas as well as highlighting the key areas where conflict resolution work is taking place.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation: Belfast
Day 6 - Belfast
We start the morning at St Georges Market where you will have some free time to explore the variety stalls. This covered Victorian market has been in the same location since 1890 and is a treat to visit. The live music starts at 10am on Friday and Saturday as they observe a quiet hour for customers that desire a more sedate atmosphere but we will plan to be there for 9am to get the best of both worlds. You can grab a bite to eat here at one of the very many food stalls or plan to eat at the Titanic Centre.
After lunch we will head over to the Titanic Centre for a guided tour of one of Belfast’s most iconic and popular visitor attractions where you learn not just about the Titanic but a lot more about the city and people that built it.
Later in the afternoon, Gill Totten will lead a guided tour of the iconic pubs of Belfast and talk about their history as well as the music scene and how it thrived despite the Troubles.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Belfast
Day 7 & 8 - Rathlin Island
Today we will head up the north coast to take in the stunning sea views and drive through the Glens of Antrim. We will take a stop en route at Glenarriff for lunch and a walk to the waterfall.
Following this, we board a ferry in Ballycastle for the 40 minute boat ride to Rathlin island. If the day is clear, you can see the Mull of Kintrye to your right side on the way over.
The activities on Rathlin are weather and nature dependent, but it is hoped that in the 2 days we have here we will be able to take a tour by boat around the island and look at the cave where King Robert the Bruce is alleged to have hidden in 1306.
There are no guarantees about puffins, but we are in the right time of year to see them and our boat guide Fergus is an expert at finding them and other species of bird and wildlife. We would also hope to work with the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) on their corncrake project, paint pottery, do some foraging if the tides are right and hopefully help the locals with a beach clean.
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner both days
Accommodation: Rathlin
Day 9 - Derry/ Londonderry/ Stroke City
We’ll leave Rathlin behind us today and take the ferry back to Ballycastle from where we will travel to Derry/ Londonderry. By this point in the tour, these city names will no longer be confusing!
En route, we will visit the Carrick a Rede rope bridge, Bushmills Distillery and the Giants Causeway. Depending on our timing, we might be able to visit the Derry Girls Museum so if you haven’t had a chance to watch this hilarious series, this is a good time to catch up!
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Derry/Londonderry
Day 10 - Derry/Londonderry
In the morning, we will have a guided walking tour of Derry and have a chance to explore the famed walls of Derry, the Guild Hall and the Derry Girls Museum, if we missed it yesterday.
Following the tour, you are free for the rest of the day in the city where there are unique shops and pubs, time perhaps for a spa treatment or just a chance to relax as the tour winds down.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Derry/Londonderry
Day 11 - Back to Dublin!
Today is the last day of the tour, but the adventure isn’t over. Leaving Derry we will travel to Omagh to visit the Ulster American Folk Park. This is a unique visitor experience and charts the path of emigration across North America in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Once we finish with a brief visit to the Memorial Garden in the centre of Omagh, we will head through Armagh to Dublin for our last evening and farewell dinner. Onward arrangements can be made for July 10th 2025.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Dublin
Day 12 - Departure
Many of you will not want the adventure to end just yet and might wish to see other parts of Ireland. It hasn’t been possible to offer an organised tour as an add-on due to the range of areas of request, but we are more than happy to provide advice on best places to visit and the routes for getting there.
If you are leaving Ireland today, we will help you arrange your taxi to the airport and wish you Slan Abhaile- safe trip home.
Booking T&Cs
Please click the following link to view the terms and conditions for booking this trip.
https://www.inspiredventures.co.uk/booking-terms-and-conditions