Ask anyone who's been on a tour associated with an IDC Convention and they'll tell you there is nothing like it to build lasting friendships with international friends. Touring and experiencing a host country is the best way to make your IDC experience complete.

This year, we're visiting Ireland for the first time as a Convention, and so our associated travel is also within Ireland. Read the details below, click on links to learn more before you go, and look forward to an incredible experience.

It’s said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for once the blarney rings true. The Irish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country’s history is almost tangible, and its people seem put on earth expressly to restore faith in humanity.

As beautiful as Ireland is, the country’s main attraction is its people, their hospitality, their felicitous use of language and their marvelous sense of humor ensure a warm welcome. You will be enchanted by the emerald green countryside, scattered with towers, ruins, castles and dolmens. In Ireland there are no strangers, only friends who haven’t yet met!

Day one – Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 - Leave on own air arrangements from hometown to Dublin, Ireland. (Yamato Travel Bureau will assist with air arrangements.)

Day two - Wednesday, September 15th - arrival in Dublin. Transfer on your own to Burlington Hotel, where we will stay for the next three nights. Rest of day at leisure to relax.

Day three - Thursday, September 16th - Sightseeing in Dublin -- Today, begin a half-day tour showing the cultural delights of the city. Visit Trinity College Dublin, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. This city centre campus of some 10,000 students is traditional and stately in Oxbridge fashion. The Long Room at Trinity is a temple to academia and learning and conserves the world’s most treasured manuscript, “The Book of Kells.” Then a visit to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, formally known as the National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick. Enjoy a group lunch before returning to the hotel. Balance of day at leisure. (B,L)

Day four - Friday, September 17th - Dublin to Belfast -- Enjoy the sights as we journey by coach to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. On the way, visit the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Then continue on to enjoy a panoramic city tour of Belfast. Lunch is included today. After lunch, an entourage of Black Taxis will meet and take us into the heartlands of the former trouble spots of Belfast and explain the relevance and history of some of the murals depicted. There is some time to explore the City at your leisure before returning to Dublin. (B,L)

Day five - Saturday, September 18th - Dublin to Kilkenny -- Today, check out of the hotel and proceed by coach to Kilkenny, the medieval capital of Ireland. Visit Kilkenny Castle, which was the home of the Butler family for centuries. This 13th century castle has been restored to 18th style and grandeur and is well worth the visit. Following this, we will visit St. Canices  Cathedral, famous for its beautiful wooden hand-carved ceiling. Enjoy lunch at Langtons before embarking on Kilkenny’s well established craft’s trail. This evening, we will enjoy the famous Kilkenny Musical Pub Crawl with dinner. Our hotel tonight is the NEWPARK HOTEL. (B,L,D)

Day six - Sunday, September 19th - Kilkenny to Cork (Cobh) -- Check out of hotel and proceed by coach to Cobh. The Cobh Heritage Centre takes us back on a journey of times past. From 1848 to 1950, over 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland, out of which 2.5 million departed from Cobh, the majority of whom settled in the United States. Continue on to Kinsale located on the southwest coast of Ireland. Enjoy lunch at one of Ireland’s best known restaurants, Man Friday. After lunch, leisure time to explore the winding streets of Kinsale. Tonight’s hotel is the HAYFIELD MANOR in Cork. (B,L)

Day seven - Monday, September 20th - Cork to Killarney -- We’re off to Killarney today, Ireland’s best-known visitor destination and probably the most written about and sung about place in the land. Today enjoy a wilderness experience, featuring mountains and lakes, a picnic/barbecue, a boat ride and a horse and buggy trip. Following that, continue to Kate Kearney’s Cottage to enjoy Kate’s home cooking followed by traditional entertainment. Our hotel tonight is THE ROSS HOTEL. (B,L,D)

Day eight - Tuesday, September 21st - Killarney to Limerick, then on to Dromoland Castle  -- Transfer by coach today. Start the day with a visit to the Hunt Museum, the home of the finest collection of Celtic and medieval treasures outside of the National Museum in Dublin. There are original drawings by J.B. Yeats as well as a collection of antique jewelry. Transfer to King John’s Castle after lunch. Tonight enjoy a rare treat as we transfer back in time to experience life in the Middle Ages where knights, castles and medieval music were the call the of the day. A not-to-be missed dinner experience will be followed by entertainment by the worldrenowned Bunratty Singers. Our special hotel this evening is the DROMOLAND CASTLE in Clare. (B,L,D)

Day nine, Wednesday, September 22nd - Dromoland Castle to Galway City and return to Dublin -- Check out of the castle and proceed by coach to Galway, Ireland’s most Irish city, located on the West Coast at the end of the Gaeltacht area, the region where Irish is still the language of everyday life. On arrival, stroll around the city, wander the little side streets, shop in the great stores or simply hang out in a café or pub over a pint of Guinness and relax! After this short stop in Galway City, transfer to Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. Experience the beauty and tranquility that is Kylemore Abbey, the Monastic home of the Benedictine Order of Nuns in Ireland. Enjoy fresh morning coffee and Irish scones followed by a tour of the Abbey, Garden and Gothic church. Afterwards, visit the pottery studio, and shop in the craft and retail shop. Return to Dublin in the late evening. (B)

(Note: reservations at Burlington Hotel for this night is not part of either the tour or the Convention and will need to be made separately.)

The IDC Convention will begin the next day.

Costs:

The cost of land arrangements from Sept. 14-22: US$3,575, based on two people sharing a twin-bedded room. Additional for single occupancy of room is US$905. Air transportation from hometown to Dublin and return is not included.