Join OLLI at Eckerd College for a meaningful cultural immersion journey through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, where history is carried not only in monuments and museums, but in the voices and lived experiences of its people.

What most people remember about Ireland isn’t just the scenery, it’s the people: their warmth, hospitality, and gift for friendship. We’ve woven a journey that lets you see the iconic sites while connecting with the voices and communities that make Ireland unforgettable.

OLLI Eckerd Moments

• Meaningful conversations with local voices who bring Ireland’s story to life.

• Shared hospitality moments including afternoon tea at the Merchant Hotel.

• Insight into the Troubles and the journey toward peace through speakers and lived experience.

• A guided experience along the Shankhill and Falls Roads hearing from former political prisoners.

• A talk with Martina and Elaine, former lawyer and journalist devoted to peace and reconciliation.

• Lecture at Trinity College on Irish history and or the Troubles.

• Visit Stormont Estate, home to Northern Ireland’s government.

Irish Culture & Daily Life

• Guided cultural discovery in Dublin, Belfast and Derry, including walks through historic neighborhoods and landmarks such as the Derry Walls.

• The story of Irish emigration and identity through the EPIC Museum of Irish Emigration.

• Titanic Belfast, an unforgettable museum experience at the historic shipyard site.

• Hands-on farmhouse baking experience with Tracey in her thatched family home.

• An Irish dance lesson in a local dance studio for a fun cultural memory.

• Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, connected to key peace process moments.

• Time to enjoy Ireland’s everyday magic: pubs, shops, music, and local life.

For questions relating to this journey, please contacts Nanda Journeys.

Call 888-747-7501 Ext 1 or Email info@nandajourneys.com and mention the program title OLLI at

Eckerd College, Journey to Ireland. Voices of the Emerald Isle.

OLLI at Eckerd College Study Travel is pleased to partner with Nanda Journeys who shares our philosophy that study travel isn’t just for our undergraduate students. We carefully create exclusive opportunities for you to get out of the classroom and travel with fellow lifelong learners. Our programs provide you with new perspectives and new friends. You’ll return home richer for the experience. 

You can trust Nanda Journeys and OLLI at Eckerd College to handle the details for you. This is what we do, and we take pride in arranging quality programs with attention to the specifics that leave you to free to soak up the educational programming being shared, focus on the scenery, enjoy fabulous meals, and spend time getting to know your fellow travelers. 

Nanda Journeys has been taking groups to Ireland for more than 15 years and has been working with the same local professional partners who not only know the expectations for a Nanda Journeys program, but they also always exceed them! You will be in front of subject-matter experts, artists, entrepreneurs, and others with whom they have built trusted relationships. You will hear from the “best of the best” and the engagement will be priceless. 

Nanda Journeys works with many OLLIs to create custom travel opportunities, and they have worked closely with OLLI at Eckerd College Study Travel program, which is designed entirely around YOU! We have years of experience delivering excellent programs, listen to our members and take your feedback into consideration, and together, we’ve worked hard to customize this program to maximize the relevance for our Eckerd community of lifelong learners. 

This exploration of Ireland is open to lifelong learners of any age. We welcome multigenerational and other family groups! Please note that one member of the household must be affiliated with the College as an Alumni, OLLI or ASPEC member, Faculty or Staff, to participate. But don’t worry, it’s super easy and inexpensive to join OLLI and you will gain access to other member-only benefits. Visit OLLI.eckerd.edu to learn more.

I enjoyed all aspects of the tour and learned so much about Irish culture and history. Friendly people, great guides, interesting sights. Brian Matthews, our main guide, shared a wealth of information in an engaging way. All of the other guides were great! We had a nice balance of activities, some of which I wouldn't have done on my own: baking bread at the thatched cottage and Irish dancing. Those were nice respites from the seriousness of learning about the Troubles. As a result of this experience I have a greater understanding of and respect for Ireland and her people.

Diane R - Ireland OLLI at University of Pittsburgh May 2026

Great trip! The highlights of my Dublin stay was the EPIC Museum, the GPO Museum and the History of Ireland presentation by the professor at Trinity College. It was an immersion into the complicated, painful, and interesting story of Ireland. Honestly, I could have done without the tour of the distillery. All of the excursions for Belfast were wonderful. It was so fun to take an Irish dancing lesson and learn to make soda bread. The Titanic Museum was amazing. The guided tours of each side of the wall in Belfast really brought the attitudes into focus for me. Great food. Brian was an excellent guide, knowledgeable and with gentle humor. Jimmy, the bus driver was considerate as well as always positive. I'm so glad it was a small group as it was a delight getting to know everyone.

Susan B - Ireland OLLI at University of Pittsburgh May 2026

Read more about what people are saying about Nanda Journeys HERE

Depart today for Ireland. The Emerald Isle is spectacularly beautiful, with rolling green hills and dramatic coastlines, but what stays with you most are the people: their warmth, humor, and hospitality.

International Flights are an additional expense which Nanda Journeys is happy to assist you with. Flight recommendations will be provided approx. 120 days before travel. 

After clearing Immigration and Customs, meet your national guide and transfer into Dublin city center. Lunch is on your own this afternoon.

On arrival, enjoy a panoramic introduction to Dublin, exploring both sides of the River Liffey.

You’ll see some of the city’s most iconic landmarks including O’Connell Street, the Custom House, and the grand green spaces of Phoenix Park. On the south side, discover Dublin’s elegant Georgian character with its famous colorful doors, historic squares such as Merrion Square, and connections to Ireland’s literary legends including Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.

This afternoon visit the award-winning GPO Museum. The General Post Office is one of Ireland’s most significant historic sites and played a central role in the 1916 Easter Rising. Today, its museum offers a powerful and engaging introduction to Ireland’s modern history and independence.

This evening gather for an orientation and welcome dinner at your hotel.

Overnight: Camden Court (or similar)

Included meals: Dinner

Please Note: Breakfast is included daily at your hotel.

After a leisurely breakfast, discover EPIC The Museum of Irish Emigration, a state-of-the-art interactive experience set within the beautifully restored vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands. This area was once the gateway for so many Irish emigrants, and EPIC brings their stories to life in a powerful, modern way, tracing Irish emigration from early history through to the present day.

Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant or pub.

Later, visit Pearse Lyons Distillery for a whiskey tour and tasting. Located in the former St James’ Church in the heart of Dublin, this small and intimate family-owned distillery offers a unique blend of Irish history, culture, and craft. Learn how Pearse small-batch Irish whiskey is made and enjoy time to chat with the team behind it.

The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Dublin at your own pace. Whether you’re drawn to bookshops, galleries, lively pubs, or simply a stroll through the city streets, your guide will be happy to share local recommendations.

Overnight: Camden Court (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

This morning visit Trinity College (or similar), with time to engage in a talk on Irish history and or the Troubles. Within Trinity’s historic walls you’ll see beautiful spaces such as Parliament Square and its elegant 18th-century buildings. Trinity has long been part of Ireland’s cultural story, with famous students including Jonathan Swift and Samuel Beckett.

Depart for Belfast. En route, enjoy a hands-on farmhouse baking experience with Tracey in her 18th century thatched cottage on the shores of Strangford Lough.  Learn about traditional Irish baking as Tracey walks you through the steps to create your own local treat, such as classic Irish soda bread. This is a special window into Irish daily life: warm conversation, tradition passed down through generations, and a welcome that feels like home.

 Pending availability, enjoy a conversation with Martina and Elaine, two nuns based in Downpatrick who specialize in peace and reconciliation, bringing unique perspective shaped by their former careers in journalism and law, including firsthand insight into the Good Friday Agreement.

Check into your hotel in Belfast and enjoy the night with dinner on your own.

Overnight: Camden Court (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Today enjoy a guided walking tour of Belfast with a local guide. As you explore, you’ll discover a city shaped by industry, identity, and reinvention, where the past is never far away, yet creativity and resilience are everywhere.

Continue onward to Titanic Belfast, a striking six-floor museum built beside the historic site of the ship’s construction. Opened in 2012 to coincide with the centenary of Titanic’s launch, the experience begins in the building’s dramatic atrium. As you move through the galleries, you’ll uncover the story of Titanic from its conception in early 1900s Belfast, through its construction and launch, to its famous maiden voyage.

Later, enjoy afternoon tea at the Merchant Hotel (or similar). This is one of Belfast’s most iconic experiences, set within a stunning Victorian interior beneath a glass cupola and sparkling chandelier. A perfect moment to slow down, connect, and savor Belfast at its most elegant.

Return to the hotel where dinner is on your own this evening.

Overnight: Fitzwilliam Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

No visit to Ireland would be complete without time in Derry (also known as Londonderry), a city whose very name reflects the layers of history and identity that have shaped Northern Ireland. Nationalists often refer to the city as Derry, while unionists use Londonderry, and the “London” prefix remains a deeply symbolic and contested part of the region’s story.

Explore Derry on a guided walking tour, including the famous Derry Walls. Dating back to the early 17th century, the walls have witnessed centuries of siege, division, and survival, and today offer one of the most compelling historical walks in Ireland.

Next, visit the Museum of Free Derry. Opened in 2007, the museum tells the story of what happened in the city during 1968 to 1972, including the civil rights era, the Battle of the Bogside, internment, Bloody Sunday, and Operation Motorman. The story is presented through the voices of those most involved and affected: the Free Derry community.

Lunch is on your own this afternoon with some time to explore independently.

Before returning to Belfast, enjoy an Irish dance lesson, a joyful cultural experience and a fun way to connect with Irish tradition.

Dinner is provided this evening back in Belfast.

Overnight: Fitzwilliam Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner

This morning continues your exploration of Northern Ireland’s recent history with a walking tour of the Shankill and Falls Road areas (approximately 3 hours). You’ll meet with two different guides, both former political prisoners, one from the republican community and the other from the loyalist community. Their personal perspectives bring nuance and lived experiences to the story of conflict and reconciliation.

Begin at Divis Tower in the nationalist Falls Road area, learning about colonization, civil rights, and how the conflict escalated in 1969. Continue to see the International Wall and the Remembrance Garden, commemorating local people who died during the conflict. If time allows, you may also stop in the republican museum which holds artifacts from Armagh Jail and the H-Blocks. One of the most striking moments is the Bobby Sands mural, where you’ll hear about the hunger strike of 1981.

Travel next to Lanark Way to meet the loyalist guide. Here you’ll see the Peace Line, the wall dividing nationalist and loyalist unionist areas. Continue along Shankill Road to view famous loyalist murals, before finishing in a garden commemorating local soldiers who went to France to fight during World War I.

Lunch is included today and shared with your two guides, offering a meaningful opportunity to continue the conversation, ask questions, and reflect together on what you’ve seen and heard this morning

This afternoon, visit Stormont Estate. Stormont is a public park with beautiful gardens, walking and fitness trails and children’s play park. The Estate has been recognized as one of Northern Ireland’s best green spaces with the prestigious Green Flag award. Home to the Northern Ireland Government, on a visit you can explore its history and see the many interesting features of the estate.

Dinner is on your own this evening.

Overnight: Fitzwilliam Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

This morning tour Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. Built in the 18th century, the castle holds a unique place in Northern Ireland’s story: from a family country house to the official royal residence in Northern Ireland, and a setting for many of the formal and informal stages of the peace process.

Return to Belfast, with the afternoon free and lunch on your own.

This evening, say goodbye over a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Share reflections, favorite moments, and the friendships formed along the way.

Overnight: Fitzwilliam Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Drive to Dublin airport (approx. 2hr) for check in for your flight home. Depending on the flight time, lunch is by individual arrangement.

Included meals: Breakfast

Review and download Booking Terms & Conditions HERE