Explore the Best of Northern Ireland

Nature | Culture | History

June 7 to 14, 2024

The lighthouse where we’ll be staying in Northern Ireland.

A Memorable Trip throughout Northern Ireland

Travel with The Landmark Trust USA and Travel Fever Tours as we explore the culture and history of Northern Ireland. On this very special small-group tour of Northern Ireland, we’ll visit gardens, manor homes and generally enjoy nature in this less-visited corner of Ireland.

We will stay in the Blackhead Cutter lighthouse complex as our home base during this trip, together with its lighthouse keeper’s houses. This group of historic buildings lies just 45 minutes from Belfast, perched on a high bluff overlooking the sea. It is an astounding setting and also centrally located for easy access to so much in Ireland.

We’ll drive the Causeway Coastal Route, visiting the Giants Causeway, visit a distillery, walk through castles, both rehabilitated and in ruins. A day in Belfast will include the Ulster Museum, the Titanic Museum, and botanical gardens.

In the evening we’ll seek out live, traditional Irish music at some local pubs.

We are fortunate to have Irish Landmark Trust staff give us a behind-the-scenes tour of the restoration and history of this Blackhead Cutter Lighthouse complex.

Dates: June 7 to 14, 2024
Cost: $3750
Maximum group size: 12

 
 

Our Tour Partner: Landmark Trust USA

For this trip, we have partnered with Landmark Trust USA. The Landmark Trust is a nonprofit organization based in southern Vermont that preserves and restores historic properties through creative and sustainable uses.

Landmark Trust USA has sister organizations in Ireland and the UK and indeed this trip is organized in conjunction with the Irish Landmark Trust.  We will be staying in an historic lighthouse and lighthouse keeper dwellings that were restored by the Irish Landmark Trust (see below for more details).

Both the American and Irish Landmark Trusts share a sustainable stewardship model that relies on the income from short-term vacation rentals to preserve and maintain the integrity of their distinctive buildings. Each stay at a Landmark Trust property, whether in the USA, Ireland or the UK, supports their nonprofit missions of bringing new life to heritage buildings.

The Landmark Trust USA has five Vermont properties that represent a variety of architectural styles from 1802 to 1915. Each property is distinctive and fully restored to highlight its historic character. The group’s best-known property is Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha, the famed southern Vermont retreat where Kipling wrote The Jungle Book.

Susan McMahon, Executive Director of Landmark Trust USA will accompany us on this trip and we’ll also meet with staff from Irish Landmark Trust.

Read more about Landmark Trust USA.

Irish Landmark Trust’s Blackhead Lighthouse.

Landmark Trust USA’s Naulakha house in Brattleboro, VT.

Titanic Museum in Belfast, where the ship was built.

Sample Itinerary

Here is a tentative list of activities for this trip through Northern Ireland:

  • The Gobbins walking path on the coast

  • Drive the Causeway Coastal Route

  • Ulster Museum

  • Titanic Museum

  • Botanic Gardens in Belfast

  • Tollymore Forest Park

  • Castle Visits

  • Giant’s Causeway

  • Glenariff Forest Park

  • Old Bushmills Distillery

  • Portstewart Strand

  • Ards Peninsula

  • Hillsborough Castle

Where we will stay

We will occupy three lighthouse keepers’ houses that sit, beside the lighthouse, high up on a bluff overlooking the sea. It is hard to imagine a more breathtaking location.

These historic properties have been painstakingly restored by the Irish Landmark Trust.

Because of the historic nature of these buildings, the room configuration is not what you’d expect from a Hilton or Holiday Inn. There are 8 rooms in total and between them they share 3 bathrooms and 2 separate shower rooms.

While in theory these lodgings sleep 15, we will not have a large number of people on this trip. This is due to the number who wish to have single rooms. So we expect there to be just 8-10 participants for this visit to Northern Ireland.

Read more about these properties.

 

Is this Trip for Me?

We will travel around Northern Ireland in a van and while this is not a walking or hiking tour, we will be on our feet a good deal. You will have the option of several 3-mile walks, with alternative activities for those who don’t wish to walk that far. There will be other opportunities for shorter walks.

Even if you choose not to do these walks, we will be walking quite a bit throughout this tour. You should also be prepared to tackle several flights of stairs at a time and climb in and out of our van.

Trip Details

(Click + to expand)

  • June 7 to 14, 2024 (7 nights - 8 Days)

  • Total cost of the tour: $3750

    Supplement for single occupancy: $550

    Deposit required to reserve a place on the tour: $350

    (Places in the tour are limited and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that you reserve your place early, as this is a popular location and so is expected to sell out.)

    $350 deposit. The deposit is refundable through February 1, 2024.

    $1700 initial payment (Due Febuary 1, 2024)

    $1700 final payment (Due April 1, 2024)

    All payments are refundable if we need to cancel the trip due to government restrictions or unsafe travel conditions.

  • What’s included in the cost of the trip:

    You will be met at arrival at designated airport and escorted back to the airport at the close of the trip

    Guided tours of top attractions in Northern Ireland

    7 nights lodging

    7 dinners and breakfasts

    Entry fees to official trip activities.

    What’s not included:

    Airfare

    Alcoholic drinks

    Lunches

    Other misc. expenses

  • Lodging will be at a set of historical buildings that have been restored by the Irish Landmark Trust.

    They consist of a lighthouse and two lighthouse keepers’ houses.

  • A breakfasts will be available at the lodgings each morning. Lunch will be on your own and eaten at area pubs and other establishments. Dinners will be in area restaurants and pubs throughout the trip.

  • At the start or end of the trip, participants may opt to continue their tour of Northern Ireland or indeed, Dublin and the Republic of Ireland. Dublin is accessible by train, you can catch a boat to Scotland, or a short flight will take you to London and the UK.

    We can offer advice and suggestions on how to customize an itinerary to expand your trip.