A Right Royal Tour of Hillsborough Castle and Historic Marvels

This tour makes the most of our base in the historic city of Armagh with guided tours of St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral and Armagh Robinson Library, as well as a visit to the Armagh Cider Company complete with tasting. We also follow in the footsteps of royalty at the cracking Hillsborough Castle and step back in time at the Navan Centre & Fort and Brownlow House. This great little tour is packed with history and discovery and some tasty treats along the way!Monday: We depart the Travel Centre this morning and make our way to Holyhead for the ferry over to Dublin. We continue our journey north, arriving at our hotel, the Armagh City Hotel early evening, where tea/coffee will be waiting.

Tuesday: This morning we enjoy a guided tour of the Navan Centre and one of Ireland’s most important ancient monuments, the Navan Fort. Our experienced guide divulges some of the significant archaeological discoveries made here and provides an insight into the fort’s links with the city of Armagh and other royal sites in Ireland. As living history characters interpret life over 2,000 years ago, we experience life in an Iron Age dwelling, sample a traditional Celtic welcome of tea and oat cakes, and learn some warrior skills and how to write our names in Ogham. We enjoy a soup and sandwich lunch with tea/coffee here before heading to the historic Hill of Armagh. Our guided tour introduces us to some of the city’s most important historic buildings, including St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, built on the site of St Patrick’s first stone church, and the 18th century Armagh Robinson Library, home to thousands of rare books, maps and manuscripts, including the original copy of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’.

Wednesday: Today we follow in the footsteps of royalty with a guided tour of Northern Ireland’s royal residence, Hillsborough Castle. As we move through the stunning State Rooms, we learn more about the history of this elegant Georgian home. Outside, we can stretch our legs in the 100 acres of beautiful gardens. We enjoy free time for lunch at the castle before making our way to the family-run Armagh Cider Company for a tour and tasting. We stroll through the orchards, see where the apples are pressed and fermented and step into the bottling plant, progressing to the Cider Barn where the ciders and juices can be sampled. Taste buds tingling, we tuck into tea/coffee and a delicious apple tart with cream.

Thursday: Our day begins with a scenic drive through the majestic Mourne Mountains, the highest mountain range in Northern Ireland with 12 picturesque peaks. We stop in the small seaside resort town of Newcastle to enjoy some time at leisure before continuing to Brownlow House, a fabulous grade A, 19th century country manor house overlooking the scenic Lurgan Park. We tuck into a delightful afternoon tea and embark on a guided tour of the house with its ornate high ceilings, grand spiral staircases and beautiful stained glass windows. As we explore, we can imagine what life was like when it was occupied as a dwelling in years gone by and as a home to US troops during World War II.

Friday: We say goodbye to Northern Ireland this morning as we make our way back to Belfast for the ferry over to Cairnryan, before continuing our journey south back to Leicestershire, arriving back at the Travel Centre in the evening.Armagh City Hotel
Within easy walking distance of the city’s historical attractions, shops, restaurants and bars, the Armagh City Hotel occupies a slightly elevated position, offering pleasant views over Armagh.
All 92 bedrooms are en suite with tea/coffee making facilities, television and hair dryer and are bright and comfortable with neutral décor and modern furnishings. With its dark wood panelling, the elegant Friary Restaurant offers a relaxed atmosphere and makes use of the finest local produce in its dishes. The hotel’s Callan Bar comes with a laidback atmosphere, cosy fire and plenty of seating. Excellent leisure facilities include an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room and gym.

Hotels
• Armagh City Hotel (Armagh) - View Information