A taste of Ireland: Belmond Grand Hibernian

Your journey begins with a ferry hop across the Irish Sea from Holyhead to Dublin. Make the most of your two-bed Window Suite cabin and access to the Club Class Irish Ferries Lounge, ensuring you arrive feeling relaxed and refreshed. Then, you’ll be met on arrival by a private driver who’ll whisk you to the Westbury Hotel, located right in the very heart of the capital. Voted as Condé Nast Traveller’s ‘Best Hotel in Ireland’ in 2019, there could hardly be a better base for exploring all that Dublin has to offer, from its grand castle to the shops of Grafton Street and the pubs of Temple Bar.

Stay: Westbury (Deluxe)

Start the day with a leisurely breakfast at your hotel before a private transfer sees you to Heuston Station where you’ll board the Belmond Grand Hibernian. As you settle into your stylish private cabin, you’ll pull move out through the city and suburbs and into the Irish countryside, enjoying sumptuous fine dining and an open bar as you cross the border to reach Belfast in the north. On arrival, you'll disembark for a traditional taxi tour of the city sights, before heading to the excellent Titanic Museum, where exhibits and reconstructions bring that fateful transatlantic crossing to life. 

Wake feeling well rested after a night in your private cabin, taking the chance to enjoy rural views as you sweep south to the city of Waterford. Your day’s touring starts with a visit to the 18th-century Curraghmore House and the chance to explore some of its 2,500-acre estate. You’ll be treated to an ever-so-elegant afternoon tea here, before heading with your guide to uncover the secrets of the famous House of Waterford Crystal, where master craftsmen produce some of the world’s finest glassware. It’s then time to return to the train for a final dinner and an evening of traditional Irish entertainment, perhaps paired with some fine local whiskies in the bar car.

Having travelled overnight, you’ll arrive back in Dublin where you’ll have time to explore the city’s historic streets at your leisure. Perhaps take in some of the city’s myriad museums and galleries, or pay homage to that most famous of Irish stouts at the Guiness Factory, rounded off with a pint, of course. Then, in the afternoon, your private driver will see you safely back to port to board the return ferry to Holyhead, once more enjoying the same premium comforts as you did on your outbound crossing.