Welcome to Dublin. After you pick up your rental car, check into your central Dublin hotel. Later, head to the Guinness Storehouse for a self-guided tour. Opened in 1904, the Storehouse was an operational plant for fermenting and storing Guinness. Today it houses a very fine exhibition dedicated to the Guinness story. After visiting the exhibition, you are invited to the Gravity Bar to enjoy a complimentary pint of Guinness. Continue to explore this capital city with its many historic buildings, Georgian streets and colorful gardens.

(Accommodations, Dublin)

After breakfast visit Butler's Chocolate Factory in north Dublin, close to the junction of the M1 and M50 motorways. Enjoy a 90 minute interactive tour which allows you to experience the key elements of chocolate production. Work stations are set up where guests get an opportunity to be a chocolatier and decorate their own novelty to bring home. At all stages of the tour, there is lots of chocolate sampling! Leaving Dublin, travel along the east coast through Bray and Ashford and on to Wicklow, known as the Garden of Ireland. Overnight: Wicklow area hotel 2 nights.

(Breakfast, Dublin; Accommodations, Wicklow area)

After breakfast you will drive to Ballyknocken Country House and Cookery School to participate in a baking class. Run by third generation Byrne family and TV chef, Catherine Fulvio, the school was awarded the Cordon D'Or Cookery School of the year in 2007. In the afternoon you may want to visit the Glendalough Monastic Site. The English name Glendalough originated from the Irish "Glenn da Locha" which translates to "the valley of the two lakes". It was here that St. Kevin, son of the king of Leinster, founded a monastery in the 6th century. From a simple beginning the site grew to become famous as a center of learning throughout Europe. Standing for 600 years it was destroyed in 1398. Much of what is to be seen today dates from the 10th to 12th century. One of the most attractive features is the fine 100 ft high round tower. A cathedral, stone churches and decorated crosses also survived albeit as ruins. Beautifully scenic walking trails take visitors on a circular route by the lakes from the car park. Overnight: Wicklow area.

(Breakfast, Wicklow Area; Accommodations, Wicklow Area)

This morning, travel south from Wicklow to Waterford. Visit the Harty Oysters Farm, located in the scenic area of Dungarvan BayJim Harty was a pioneer of Irish oysters as he was one of the first people in the country to recognize the potential for growing oysters in the Celtic Sea. The Harty family aim to give their customers the highest standard of oyster and they consider their oysters to be one of Ireland's top luxury food products available today. (Oyster farm visit not included in cost of tour). Overnight: Kinsale area 2 nights.

(Breakfast, Wicklow Area; Accommodations, Kinsale Area)

This morning, head to the heart of Cork and take some time to explore the English Market. The roofed food market trading since 1788 is one of the oldest municipal markets of its kind in the world. Continue on to the Cork Butter Museum, Ireland dominated the world butter trade in the 18th and 19th centuries and the museum explores the development of the exchange and the history of dairying in Ireland. Head to the center of Kinsale to visit the Desmond Castle and the Wine Museum. Built as a custom house by the Earl of Desmond in circa 1500, Desmond Castle later converted into a naval prison. The castle was donated to the town in 1791 following a 1746 fire in which 54 prisoners were killed. Overnight: Kinsale area.

(Breakfast, Kinsale Area; Accommodations, Kinsale Area)

Today, you'll drive toward the Dingle Peninsula and pass by the Killarney National Park. The Killarney National Park features beautiful lakes and mountain sceneries and is famous for its native natural habitats and species including oak holly woods, yew woods and red deer. The National Park visitor center (located at Muckross House) and the information point at Torc Waterfall provide information to guide your exploration. Drive on to the Dingle Peninsula, famous for its Celtic, pre-Christian monuments and Christian Irish speaking area, where the Irish language and traditional ways of life are preserved. Dingle town itself is a thriving fishing town and offers plenty of opportunity for shopping or simply savoring the atmosphere of a typical country Irish town with its plentiful pubs, narrow streets and busy harbor. Visit Murphy's and taste handmade Dingle ice cream featuring natural ingredients and special flavors like Brown Bread and Sea Salt. The road between Dunquin and Slea Head is dotted with beehive huts, forts and church sites. Prehistoric Dunbeg Fort is on a cliff top promontory with a sheer drop to the Atlantic. Inside are the remains of a house and a beehive hut as well as an underground passage. Beehive huts are circular stone buildings shaped like a beehive which were lived in by the Kerry monks. Overnight: Dingle area.

(Breakfast, Kinsale Area; Accommodations, Dingle Area)

Depart Dingle this morning and travel via Adare, County Limerick, a village dating from the time of the Norman conquest. Visit Adare Desmond Castle regarded as a fine example of the medieval fortified castle and is one of a number of outstanding castles situated in County Limerick. An important stronghold of the Earls of Desmond the castle is sited on the north bank of the River Maigue where it was able to control traffic on the river. Your next stop will be for a farm tour and organic goat cheese tasting at St. Tolas organic goat farm located in North County Clare. Registered as an organic cheese producer in 2001, the business has developed from a local industry to an internationally recognized and award winning brand even though the cheese is still hand made in small batches to maintain the artisanal quality of their cheese.

Travel on to the Cliffs of Moher and the Atlantic Edge Interpretive Centre - one of Ireland's most spectacular sights. Standing 750 feet above the beach at their highest point and 5 miles long, the Cliffs boast one of the most amazing views in Ireland. On a clear day, the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay as well as the valleys and hills of Connemara. Before you reach your final destination for the day, make a stop at the Burren Smokehouse for a tasting of smoked salmon. (Smokehouse visit not included in cost of tour.) Overnight: Connemara area.

(Breakfast:, Dingle Area; Accommodations, Connemara Area)

This morning leave Galway and visit the Rathbaun Farm - a traditional Irish sheep farm. Situated in a rural area of Southwest County Galway near Ardrahan, the Burke and Connolly families have been farming the 80 acres of land for over 200 years. Fintan Connolly continues this tradition today. Visitors to Rathbaun Farm will be enchanted by its thatched cottage home, turf fire, stone walls and an array of animals. Time spent here gives a glimpse into the daily workings of a sheep farm with time to see the animals, feed the lambs in season, talk to the family and explore the farmyard. You also may visit the 150-year old farmhouse and have lunch, sampling some home baking and local produce (lunch cost not included in visit). Drive on to visit Kilbeggan Whiskey Distillery where you will enjoy a self-guided tour. Kilbeggan Distillery established in 1757, is believed to be the oldest licensed pot still whiskey distillery in the world. For almost 200 years, until it closed in 1954, the distillery produced a traditional pot stilled Irish malt. Today the distillery hosts a museum and since 2007 when distillation commenced again in Kilbeggan, visitors can experience a real working distillery run by a team of young enthusiastic craftspeople (and a few wise old heads too), skilled in the traditional ways of making Irish whiskey. At the end of the tour you will receive a complimentary sample of Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey. Overnight: Dublin area.

(Breakfast, Kinsale Area; Accommodations, Dublin Area)

After breakfast drop off your rental car or continue on to another Avanti Destinations adventure!

(Breakfast, Dublin Area)