Upon arrival, the group will be met and transferred to Dublin city center. Enjoy a panoramic tour of Dublin City. Here you will discover the north and south side of the River Liffey including such iconic sites as O'Connell Street, Phoenix Park, the house of Bram Stoker (the author of Dracula), and the medieval district where Dublin Castle and the two Anglican Cathedrals can be found.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before heading to the hotel to check in this afternoon (around 3:00 pm).

All program participants will gather later this afternoon with your national guide for an early afternoon orientation and welcome.

The Iveagh Garden Hotel is a modern take on traditional luxury in an urban oasis just steps from Grafton Street. They offer onsite casual dining with a bar and bistro and access to a nearby health club for a small fee. Guest rooms have flat-screen TV, laptop safe, luxury amenities, free Wi-Fi, USB charging station and coffee & tea maker.

Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening at the hotel.

Overnight: Hotel Iveagh (or similar)

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Professional members of the program will meet with your nursing counterparts today at a facility such as Trinity College Dublin School of Nursing and Midwifery. Discussions with representatives will focus on education and training for nurses and other allied healthcare professionals trained in integrative medicine in Ireland today. If possible, and time permits, visit their adjacent hospital (St. James).

Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant.

The afternoon we will request a visit to another local hospital or meet with a representative from the Department of Health to discuss healthcare infrastructure and progress in meeting the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals. 

Guest program: Today accompanying guests will enjoy a visit to County Kilkenny with Kilkenny Castle and Jerpoint Park. The town of Kilkenny is often referred to as “the Marble City” and is the most interesting and best preserved of the medieval Irish cities. It owes its immense charm to the various impressive historical monuments. Kilkenny Castle has been an important site since it was built by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century. The castle has been remodeled in Victorian times and set in extensive parklands which was the principal seat of the Butler family, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormonde. Due to major restoration works, the central block now includes a library, drawing room, and bedrooms decorated in 1830's splendor, as well as the beautiful Long Gallery. A warm Irish welcome is guaranteed at Jerpoint Park, a period family home and working sheep farm. A sheep dog demonstration with a collie dog herding sheep in the farmyard is a sight to behold!

Dinner will be provided at a local restaurant or pub.

After dinner, head to O’Shea’s Merchant Pub for a night of traditional Irish music and dancing (optional). The pub has a long history of traditional music, with many of the greats in Irish music playing here over the years. Monday nights they offer a set dancing night with a chance to join in!

Overnight: Hotel Iveagh (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

This morning the group will explore EPIC-The Irish Emigration Museum. This state-of-the-art interactive experience, located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands, is the original departure point for so many of Ireland’s emigrants. It will inspire and guide you on a journey to discover the stories of Irish emigration around the world, from early times to the modern day.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

This afternoon the group will visit the world-famous Guinness Brewery to discover the secrets of both creating and pouring the perfect pint. Guinness, an Irish dry stout, lovingly referred to as “The Black Stuff” by locals, has been brewed in Ireland since 1759.

Enjoy some free time this afternoon to explore independently. Dinner is by individual arrangement.

Overnight: Iveagh Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

The group will depart after breakfast for Cork in southwest Ireland.

In route visit the Rock of Cashel which towers over the town of Cashel from its perch on a 200-foot outcrop of limestone. Probably the most photographed site in Ireland, it was the seat of the Kings of Munster. St. Patrick visited the rock in 450AD, while Brian Boru was crowned the first high King of Ireland here in the tenth century. Today the impressive stone walls enclose a round tower, a cathedral, a twelfth century Romanesque chapel and high crosses.

Enjoy an Irish dancing workshop at the Bru Boru Center today at the foot of the Rock of Cashel. This cultural and interpretative village is designed around a village green and is home to the study and celebration of Irish music, song, dance, storytelling, theatre, and Celtic studies. The Teach Ceoil (house of music) comes alive with the sound of Irish traditions; from singing a song, to dancing a step, playing an air, or telling a story.

Stop for lunch in route to Cork at a local pub.

Head to the hotel this evening to check in and to have dinner at the Market Lane Restaurant and Bar (or similar).  

Overnight: Kingsley Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wrap up your professional exchange today with a morning visit to perhaps Windmill Healthcare Centre in Mallow to continue discussions around how at this local level they are working to improve the health and wellbeing of service users, staff and the wider population of Cork and Kerry. Key areas of improvement include chronic diseases, staff health and system reform. A meeting will also be requested with the Cork ARC, Cancer Support House to learn about the free services provided to patients and their families during this difficult journey.

Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant today.

Guest program: Today accompanying guests will depart for a trip to Mizen Peninsula. Mizen Head Irish Lights Signal Station is located at Ireland’s most southwesterly point, at the end of the Mizen Peninsula, where the currents meet from the west and south coasts and where waves from the mid-Atlantic crash into the land. Mizen Head Fog Signal Station was sanctioned in 1906 by the Irish Lights Board to combat the high loss of life and shipping on the rocks. Visitors can dare to cross the iconic bridge high above the gorge; watch for seals and their pups in the swell below; experience the solitude of the keepers’ lives and the elemental power of the restless Atlantic where the ocean currents swirl; laugh with exhilaration into the fresh salt-laden sea air. Tour the visitor center and gift shop before heading back to Cork.

Dinner is by individual arrangement.

Overnight:  Kingsley Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning head out for a full day trip that includes highlights of the Ring of Kerry. This will include Moll’s Gap and Ladies View. Moll’s Gap provides magnificent views of Macgillycuddy's Reeks Mountains. The rocks at Moll's Gap are formed of old red sandstone and a great scenic vantage point. Ladies View is another scenic vantage point whose name stems from the admiration of the view given by Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting during their 1861 visit.

After lunch at a local pub or café, the group will head to Muckross Traditional Farms. Greeted upon arrival by a schoolmaster, proceed into a classroom for a short background on school life in the early 1900s and learn some Irish words. Then take part in a butter making and scone making demo. The Bean an Tis (women of the house) will explain the importance of butter to the Irish farmer’s wife, how it was transported throughout the world, and why Irish butter is ranked so high both at home and abroad. Sample the wares and have some tea or coffee afterwards.

Return to Cork where dinner is by individual arrangement (own expense).

Overnight:  Kingsley Hotel (or similar)

Meals:  Breakfast & Lunch

Today head out to explore Blarney Castle, situated in Blarney Village just outside Cork. An ancient stronghold of the McCarthy's, Lords of Muskerry, it is one of Ireland's oldest and most historic castles and one of the strongest fortresses in Munster. Built in 1446, Blarney Castle is famous for its Blarney stone, the Stone of Eloquence, which is traditionally believed to have the power to bestow the gift of eloquence on all those who kiss it.

You will have some time for shopping at Blarney Woollen Mills, established in 1823. It now houses a large selection of Irish products including a wide selection of sweaters, crystal and china, gifts and souvenirs. You will have a chance to get lunch on your own this afternoon.

Finish the afternoon visiting the pretty town of Kinsale for a harbor cruise. Enjoy the different view of Kinsale and its beautiful natural harbor. Your guide’s commentary provides a brief history with anecdotal legends and an insight into how the town has developed over the centuries. Leaving the quay, the boat passes the yacht marina and on by the picturesque former fishing village of Scilly.

Say goodbye as you reflect and share memories over a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Kingsley Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch  & Dinner

Drive to the Shannon Airport (two-hour journey) for check in for your flight home. Depending on the flight time, lunch is by individual arrangement.

Meals: Breakfast

Professional Participants - As this Nanda Journey is focused primarily on professional development, costs associated with your participation on the program may be tax deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. Consult with a tax professional to determine eligibility.

Please note: All itineraries are subject to change based on availability of hotels, flights and hosting organizations at the time of finalization of booking. Comparable meetings and activities will be arranged should an itinerary change be necessary. 30 days before departure, a finalized itinerary will be available and reflect final details.

 Day 01: June 11, 2023 - Download PDF HERE

After breakfast at the hotel this morning, you will depart for County Clare. In route you will have an Irish coffee demonstration at Foynes Flying Boat Museum. From 1939 to 1945, Foynes was the center of the aviation world for air traffic between the United States and Europe. Located just west of Limerick city on the Shannon estuary, the museum recalls this era with a comprehensive range of exhibits and graphic illustrations. The museum features the original Terminal Building including the authentic 1940’s cinema; the radio and weather rooms, complete with transmitters, receivers and Morse code equipment. Irish Coffee was invented in Foynes by Chef Joe Sheridan who made the first pot in 1942 to warm up some damp and miserable passengers. Since then Irish coffee has become one the most popular welcoming drinks in the world.

Next stop is to visit Lough Gur Heritage Center. Lough Gur is magical, mysterious and rich in folklore, along with a wealth of archaeology and history dating back to the Stone Age. The heritage center provides a fascinating interpretation of the sites associated with Lough Gur and have a exhibition detailing its 6,000 years of history. You will also visit the nearby wedge tomb, cemetery and Grange Stone Circle to wander and take in the feel of these sacred sites.

Stop in Adare for a spot of lunch (on own). Adare is regarded as one of Ireland’s most picturesque villages which has thatched cottages dotted throughout the town dating back to the  3rd Earl of Dunraven who built many in the 1820’s for his estate workers. Today they are mostly used as craft shops or restaurants. 

Continue onward to check into your local hotel a where you will enjoy dinner

Overnight:  Treacys Oakwood Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Day 02: June 12, 2023

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for your day trip to see the Cliffs of Moher. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean and bordering the Burren region, the Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights. Standing 230 meters above the ground at their highest point and 8km 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.

Next travel through the Burren region. The Burren landscape covers over 150 square km, one of Ireland’s six National Parks. The region is visually similar to  a moonscape, yet shelters a mixture of flora and archaeological sites which have attracted visitors for centuries. Centuries of weathering has produced a terrain of fissured limestone pavements, disappearing lakes, terraced mountains, and underground cave systems.

After lunch on your own, enjoy a photo stop at Poulnabrone Dolmen. Among the most famous landmarks in County Clare, the remarkable image of the sun setting through this dolmen is one of those most commonly associated with the area. The dolmen is surrounded by the characteristic Burren limestone pavement where a patient visitor may find examples of the famous flora. 

Finally enjoy a guided tour of Caherconnel Stone Fort. This offers you the opportunity to visit an exceptionally well-preserved example of the stone forts and ring forts existing within the area. This may not have been defensive in a military sense but rather for personal security from raiders or wild animals which were among the most common foes at the time. Ringforts such as Caherconnell are thought to have been inhabited from 400-1200 AD.

Enjoy a light dinner and traditional Irish music at the Doolin Music House. Christy Barry and his partner Sheila have entertained friends and musicians at their home for many years, sitting around the fire playing music and telling stories. 

Overnight: Treacys Oakwood Hotel(or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Light Dinner

Day 03: June 13, 2023

After breakfast at the hotel, take a ferry from Doolin to the Aran Island of Inis Mor for a minibus tour of the island. The three Aran Islands, Inisheer, Inishmaan and Inishmore, standing out in the Galway Bay, form a mass of limestone, similar to the Burren’s geology. Today the inhabitants live essentially off fishing and tourism while remaining strongly attached to Gaelic traditions. These islands are the last real “Gaelthacht” of the modern Ireland. Inishmore is the largest of them, it is covered in old stone walls and little fields. On the West Coast of the island, majestic cliffs drop into the wild Atlantic ocean. This area is dominated by Dun Aengus, one of the most impressive Neolithic forts in Europe. A trip to the islands offers a journey through time, as well as an encounter with the old Ireland, the mythical Ireland. For this reason, the islands are quite fascinating. Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands, it is made up of 14 tiny villages.

Return to the village for lunch on your own today. You will return in the late afternoon to Rossaveal and the mainland, which allows free time for exploring the island before departure.

Late this afternoon visit the Aran Island Cheese Farm. Gabriel of Aran Goat’s Cheese will introduce you to his herd of goats and take you through the process of making his award winning product before sampling and experiencing the range for yourself. His beautiful Nubian and Saanen goats graze on the unique pastures of the Aran Island. The climate is perfect for the grass herbs as the island is served by the Gulf Stream. The unique diet of the goats gives the cheese its unique,delicious flavor.

Return by ferry to the mainland later today where dinner will be provided at the hotel. 

Overnight: Treacys Oakwood Hotel(or similar)

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: June 14, 2023
Enjoy a delicious breakfast before departing today for your return to the U.S. and your connecting flights home.

Meals: Breakfast

Please note: All itineraries are subject to change based on availability of hotels, flights and sightseeing locations at the time of finalization of booking. Comparable activities will be arranged should an itinerary change be necessary. 30 days before departure, a finalized itinerary will be available and reflect final details.

Review and download Booking Terms & Conditions HERE