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Ireland and Northern Ireland

Program Overview

Experience the best of the Emerald Isle on a deluxe, eight-night, small ship cruise itinerary that takes you from Dublin down to Cork and back up the coast to Galway and Belfast to see some of the island’s most iconic landmarks. Enjoy excursions to the UNESCO-inscribed Skellig Michael, the Dingle Peninsula, the remote Aran Islands, the UNESCO-designated Giant’s Causeway and the storied Titanic Quarter in Belfast. Customize your journey with a choice of included excursions that take you to such sites as the famous Blarney Castle, culinary Kinsale, Garinish Island at Bantry Bay and the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher.

Program Details

September 11 to 20, 2025 (World Voyager)
From approximately $6,995* plus air View Terms & Conditions
  • Exclusive journey around the Emerald Isle, featuring a choice of included excursions that allow you to explore your own interests.
  • Created in our tradition of innovative programming and educational travel.
  • Access to ports unavailable to larger vessels and an included excursion in each port.
  • Specially arranged Belfast Black Taxi tour, exploring the city's mural-lined streets with in-depth and personal insights from your driver about “The Troubles.”
  • Two UNESCO World Heritage sites — Skellig Michael, Ireland, and Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland.
  • Dublin Pre-Tour Extension and Kilkenny Post‑Tour Extension.

Day 1      Depart home city

Day 2     Dublin/Embark World Voyager

Day 3     Cobh

Day 4     Bantry Bay

Day 5     Skellig Michael/Dingle Peninsula

Day 6     Galway

Day 7     Inishmore

Day 8     Portrush/Giant's Causeway

Day 9     Belfast

Day 10   Dublin/Disembark ship/Return to home city

World Voyager

This newly constructed small ship, an intimate yacht appointed in retro‑chic elegance, is able to dock in smaller ports inaccessible to larger ships. Each of the 95 suites and staterooms (up to 465 square feet) features a stunning ocean view, and most include a private balcony. All accommodations in your private haven at sea offer a queen-sized bed that can be separated into two twin beds, a private bathroom with spa shower, and luxury hotel-style amenities—including bath products from L’Occitane. Complimentary alcoholic/nonalcoholic beverages and Wi-Fi access are available throughout the cruise. All meals aboard ship are included, featuring culinary adventures that rival your discoveries ashore.

View World Voyager Deckplan >

Learn more about The Atlas Ocean Voyages >

Dublin Pre-Extension Option 

Start your Irish adventure with a three-night tour of Dublin. Stroll through Trinity College and see the ninth-century Book of Kells. Enjoy excursions to Powerscourt Estate in Wicklow and Dublin Castle’s 18th-century State Apartments, followed by a whiskey tasting. Accommodations are in an ideally located hotel.

Kilkenny Post-Extension Option 

Extend your time on the Emerald Isle with this three-night sojourn in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Enjoy a guided tour of Kilkenny Castle; a visit to pastoral Jerpoint Park, home to the ruins of a 12th-century medieval town, and behold the Rock of Cashel’s incomparable collection of medieval buildings. Accommodations are in an ideally located hotel.

The Pre- and Post-Tour Extensions are available at an additional cost. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation. 

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Program Itinerary

Day 1 Depart Home City

Depart your home city on an overnight flight to Dublin, Ireland.

Day 2 Dublin, Ireland/Embark World Voyager

Arrive at Dublin International Airport. Proceed through the immigration checkpoint to the baggage claim area and retrieve your luggage. After completing a customs screening, meet a Gohagan & Company representative and transfer to a hospitality room at an ideally located hotel.

Find a place for lunch on your own and explore the city at leisure. Later this afternoon, transfer to the port to embark the deluxe World Voyager.

Enjoy dinner on board this evening as we set sail to Cobh.

Day 3 Cobh

Arrive in picturesque Cobh this morning, where after breakfast you will embark on your choice of included excursions.

Cobh. Located in County Cork, Cobh was the main Irish port for ships to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was also a historically important hub for Irish people emigrating throughout the world during this time. The Titanic made its last port of call here before sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose one of the following included excursions. Indicate which you prefer on the separate Traveler’s Choice Excursions Reservation form.

Cobh & Blarney Castle. Begin with a walking tour through town, and then visit the Cobh Heritage Center to enjoy “Queenstown Story,” an engaging experience that delves into the compelling stories of those who left from these shores. Enjoy lunch in Cobh before departing for Blarney Castle to see the famous Blarney Stone and tour the grounds. During your excursion, there will be a stop at one of Ireland’s famed woolen mills.

Kinsale: Ireland’s Gourmet Capital. Spectacular scenery unfolds as you journey from Cobh to Kinsale, renowned for its exceptional cuisine, brightly painted buildings and welcoming ambience. Visit the Kinsale Mead Co., a modern, family-run producer of this ancient, honey-based drink. Discover how the family has refocused attention on traditional recipes and refreshed them with new twists. After learning about the production process, relish a tasting of different varieties. Your time in colorful Kinsale includes a delectable "foodie" tour visiting three locations for appetizer tastings, main entree tastings and finishing with a local sweet tasting.  Meet the local producers and chefs and drive by two 17th-century fortresses on your way back to Cobh.

Ballymaloe & Shanagarry. Savor the splendor of the Irish countryside as you head to Shanagarry to visit the Stephen Pearce Pottery Shop. Continue to the Ballymaloe Cookery School, located on a beautiful property with an organic farm and gardens. Enjoy an informative, guided tour through the well-tended herb garden. Afterward, travel to Midleton Distillery for a whiskey tasting.

Captain’s Welcome Reception: Join your fellow passengers for a Captain’s Welcome Reception, followed by dinner on board this evening.

Day 4 Bantry Bay

Enjoy breakfast on board as the ship arrives in Bantry Bay, a stunning harbor town in County Cork near the Wild Atlantic Way. Disembark for a day of discovery.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose one of the following included excursions. Indicate which you prefer on the separate Traveler’s Choice Excursions Reservation form.

Garinish Island & Beara Peninsula. Embark on short ferry ride to tiny Garnish Island set within a small harbor near Glengarriff. The island’s spectacularly landscaped gardens are the result of a collaboration between the former owners, Annan and Violet Bryce, who purchased the island in 1910, and Harold Peto, a prominent architect and garden designer of the time. Employing Italianate architectural elements, Peto created a serene environment that capitalized on the many splendid sea and mountain vistas. Delight in its many enchanting facets, including the sunken Italian Garden, the Grecian Temple and the Martello Tower. After ferrying back to the mainland, savor Beara Peninsula’s wild grandeur on a panoramic drive and stop for lunch in Glengarriff. Conclude with a short harbor cruise for more wonderful views of the Irish coastline.

Bantry House & Gardens. Behold Ireland’s legendary beauty on a panoramic drive through the countryside and pause on your route for an authentic Irish coffee. Next, take a guided tour of Bantry House and Gardens along the gorgeous bay. Owned by the White family since the mid-18th century, this elegant home boasts terraced gardens planned by Richard White, the second Earl of Bantry, and his wife that were inspired by their travels throughout Europe. Inside, the period rooms feature family heirlooms, artwork and fine furnishings. After your tour, sit down for lunch in the private dining room, followed by a stroll through the gardens.

Day 5 Skellig Michael/Dingle Peninsula

The ship arrives at the Skellig Islands this morning, which you will be able to see as you savor breakfast on board. Cruise by the islands to behold Skellig Michael, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Atop this austere, brooding rock lies St. Fionan’s Monastery, where a group of monks lived in clocháin, beehive-shaped stone huts, from the sixth to 13th centuries.

More recently, this ancient Celtic site has been the backdrop of modern films like “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” The islands are also renowned as a habitat for puffins and gannets. Learn more about these fascinating landmarks as a guide shares insights on board.

After lunch on board, disembark for a tour of the Dingle Peninsula.

Set off on a winding ride along Slea Head Drive, a highlight on Ireland’s untamed Wild Atlantic Way and one of Europe’s most captivating coastal roads. During a guided visit to the Fahan Beehive Huts, get a closer look at a cluster of weathered, medieval clocháin, which were constructed without any mortar.

Return to the ship for dinner on board this evening.

Day 6 Galway

Enjoy breakfast on board this morning as we arrive in Galway for a choice of included excursions.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose one of the following included excursions. Indicate which you prefer on the separate Traveler’s Choice Excursions Reservation form.

Cliffs of Moher & The Burren. These stunning natural wonders along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way have together been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Start with a walk across the Burren’s arresting limestone terrain led by Tony Kirby, a local expert who will share his vast knowledge about its geology, archaeological monuments, and animal and plant life. After lunch at a family restaurant, learn about the sport of hurling, a centuries-old Irish field game, at a museum in the former home of the founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Next, stop to view the iconic Poulnabrone Dolmen, a portal tomb that dates from 2000-2500 B.C. Finally, continue to the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher to gaze over the sweeping coastline and watch the waves crashing 700 feet below.

The Castles of Connemara. Appreciate Connemara’s brooding scenery of rugged mountains and windswept bogs as you explore some of its remarkable castles. Begin with a guided tour of 16th-century Aughnanure Castle, an imposing, multistory stone tower where the O’Flaherty family ruled under their motto, “Fortune favors the strong.” Continue to Ballynahinch Castle and enjoy a lunch of local specialties at its popular Fisherman's Pub. Next, travel to captivating Kylemore Abbey overlooking a tranquil lake. In the 1840s, Mitchell Henry, the son of a wealthy English cotton merchant with Irish origins, built this magnificent castle for his wife. In 1920, Benedictine nuns purchased the castle and established a convent, as well as a girls’ school, which educated local and international students until 2010. Tour the restored rooms and the Victorian walled gardens.

Return to the ship for dinner on board this evening.

Day 7 Inishmore

The ship arrives in remote Inishmore, an Aran Island that has been inhabited since the Stone Age.

Step into a setting that’s seemingly untouched by time as you explore the island’s sweeping, limestone terrain crisscrossed by stone walls and dotted with ancient ruins. Learn more about daily life in this striking locale, where Gaelic is the first language. Then, delight in a visit to a goat cheese farm, where you’ll meet the adorable goats, learn how the cheese is made and savor a tasting of their fresh offerings. Head next to see Dún Aonghasa (Dun Aengus), the largest of the islands’ prehistoric stone forts, dramatically perched on a cliff over the Atlantic Ocean.

Return to the ship for dinner on board this evening.

Day 8 Portrush, Northern Ireland/Giant’s Causeway

After docking in Portrush and breakfast on board, journey to Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Giant’s Causeway. An intriguing geological wonder, Giant’s Causeway is comprised of more than 40,000 interlocking, basalt columns that jut up along the shoreline like a miniature city of skyscrapers. While science tells us that these otherworldly stones were formed by ancient volcanic activity, legend has it that the giant Finn McCool placed them there to cross the water to fight a Scottish giant.

Learn about the origin of this site, see unique formations like Giant’s Boot and the Wishing Chair, and observe the many seabirds, including the Northern Gannet, Northern Wheatear and the Eurasian Oystercatcher.

Return to the ship for dinner on board this evening.

Day 9 Belfast

Today we arrive in Northern Ireland’s capital city of Belfast. Disembark after breakfast for a day of excursions.

A driving tour takes you to the impressive Titanic Belfast Museum, where you will enjoy a visit. Built on the site where the infamous vessel was designed, constructed and launched, the museum features an engrossing “Titanic Experience.” Delve into the complete story of the Titanic as well as Belfast’s shipbuilding heritage on this memorable tour.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and continue your exploration of Belfast’s storied past with a tour of the Shankill and Falls Roads area, the site of brutal sectarian violence during “The Troubles,” from the late 1960s to 1998. View bold, vivid murals commemorating individuals and events on both sides of the conflict, and get in-depth and personal insights about this turbulent period from your driver on a compelling Belfast Black Taxi tour.

Return to the ship as it begins sailing back to Dublin.

Captain’s Farewell Reception, Gather with your fellow passengers for a Captain’s Farewell Reception, followed by dinner on board this evening.

Day 10 Dublin, Ireland/Disembark ship/Return to home city

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to Dublin International Airport for your return flight home. You may go through U.S. customs and immigration at the Dublin airport.