This tour is a five star deluxe small group tour with no more than 15 participants. You will
spend 8 nights covering the best of southern Ireland. We are more than happy to arrange pre or post
trips for clients wishing to extend their stays.
When traveling around Ireland, how you get around is an important consideration. Driving on the left side on our narrow and winding roads is not for
everyone. Our deluxe tour vehicles with business class seating will ensure your comfort as the tour makes its way around Ireland.
I DON’T LIKE BIG GROUP TOURS!
People who want to experience a group tour with no more than 15 guests. This tour is the closest we can give
you to a private tour with the benefits of a group tour.
FLEXIBLE ITINERARY WITH ‘ME TIME’ INCLUDED
We realize that some guests don’t want to be tied into a hectic daily schedule. This tour includes free time on
several days. No tour should be an endurance test and we understand people want to relax and enjoy the
fantastic hotels on this itinerary. There will be opportunities for people to opt out of sightseeing and spend more
time at the hotels.
DINING
We’ve listened to the important client feedback received over the years. Including all meals is far from popular.We
include breakfast and two dinners on this tour. You are not travelling to Ireland to dine in hotels at night. People
want to get out of the hotel in the evening into the towns of Ireland and dine at the great pubs and restaurants.
Again this is another measure of the fl exibility built into the tour where you have your free time most evenings to
explore and we will of course give you our tried and tested recommendations.
Includes:
We realize that people don’t want to take their wallets out at every sightseeing venue or place of interest. Each
of the scheduled itinerary visits on this tour is included in the overall cost. We also provide Heritage Cards and
Dublin Passes which cover cost of entry to several key sights.
- Five Star Accommodations.
- Full Irish breakfast daily.
- Host Driver guide, approved by Tourist Board.
- Cost of entry into scheduled sightseeing.
- Deluxe Tour Vehicle with business class leather seating.
- Two evening meals – One being an evening of Irish entertainment.
Hotels or similar:
- Ashford Castle (2 nts.)
- Dromoland Castle (1 nt.)
- The Europe Hotel (2 nts.)
- Hayfield Manor (1 nt.)
- The Merrion Hotel (2 nts.)
Itinerary:
Day 1 – Dublin to Galway
Arrive Dublin Airport where your driver guide will be waiting with a warm
welcome. Once the introductions and boarding of the coach is complete
we make our way from Dublin to Cong at 11:00.
We arrive in Ashford Castle early afternoon and your driver will provide
an overview of the town of Cong before getting you settled into Ashford
Castle. Use the fi rst tour day to acclimatize and enjoy the splendor of
Ashford Castle. If you feel up to it, enjoy one of the many estate activities
including Falconry, Fishing, Golf, Walking, Shooting and Archery.
Day 2 – Connemara Loop
Today we will explore the Connemara Loop which takes us to Clifden and
through Joyce Country.
- Cong
- Clifden
- Connemara Marble Factory
- Celtic Crystal
- Kylemore Abbey
In the interest of allowing some free time for guests to enjoy Ashford, your
tour will return in the early afternoon.
Day 3 – The Burren & The Cliffs of Moher
We say farewell to Ashford Castle & Cong and begin our drive south
along the coast. The Burren & Cliffs of Moher are the highlights of
today’s touring. We’ve a treat in store for everyone this evening when
you will spend the night at Dromoland Castle – Ireland’s fi nest in our
opinion. You will want to savor your time at Dromoland so we will get
you there early afternoon to capture the spirit.
The Burren, from the Gaelic word Boireann is an area of limestone
rock covering imposing majestic mountains, and tranquil valleys with
gently meandering streams. With its innate sense of spiritual peace,
extraordinary array of fl ora and wildlife, and megalithic tombs and
monuments older than Egypt’s pyramids, the Burren creates a tapestry
of colour and a seductively magical aura which few people leave without
wanting to experience again. The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s top
Visitor attractions. The Cliffs are 214m high at the highest point and
range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard
of County Clare. O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly on a headland of the
majestic Cliffs. From the Cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay,
as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara
and Loop Head to the South.
Vaughan’s in Liscannor is somewhere we often stop for lunch after
visiting the Cliffs. If you stop at Vaughan’s you will learn an interesting
fact regarding how the Holland Tunnel in NY gets its name.
Day 4 – Dromoland, Adare and Dingle
We allow a later start for today and you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast
at Dromoland Castle before we get on the road. Be ready to depart
at 10:30. We drive to County Kerry via Limerick and Adare before
driving to the Dingle Peninsula via Tralee. Some of the sights you will
see today include
- Adare Heritage Center and photo opportunities in Adare Village.
- The Dingle Peninsula.
- Dingle Crystal
Depending on how we are doing on time, your driver guide will discuss
the sightseeing options near Dingle and what can be fitted in.
We check into the centrally located fi ve star The Europe Hotel in the
heart of town.
Day 5 – The Ring of Kerry or Skellig Michael
We present two options for our guests today. The Ring of Kerry or
Skellig Michael Boat Trip. Note you still get to see a good portion of
the Ring of Kerry en route to the boat trip.
The Ring of Kerry is an area of outstanding beauty where the
mountains sweep down to the wild Atlantic waters. In the same
mountains, spectacular lakes and scenery is enjoyed while passing
through towns which have changed very little over time.
Skellig Michael is an ancient monastic settlement located on a steep
island, 9 miles off the coast of south Kerry. This is a Unesco World
Heritage Site and it is believed the island was occupied by Christian
Monks from the 7th century. There is a supplemental cost of 100
euros for guests wishing to take the boat trip to Skellig Michael which
will require additional transportation (cost included).
Day 6 – Blarney, Cobh & Cork
We will spend the day taking you to the must see attractions of County
Cork including:
- Blarney Castle & The Stone of Eloquence
- Cobh Heritage Center (last port of call for the Titanic).
- Cork’s English Market - unique active market trading since 1788.
- Kinsale (time permitting) or free time in the afternoon.
Cork is the largest county in Ireland, and is known as the Rebel
County. The Titanic made its last stop here before its fateful journey in
1912. The jagged Cork coastline is famed for its magnifi cent scenery
- especially in the southwest. Picturesque Kinsale is known as the
‘gourmet capital of Ireland’.
West Cork is renowned the world over for its wild, rugged beauty and is
favoured by walkers, climbers and artists alike. Further west you’ll fi nd
Mizen Head and the Beara Peninsula, famous for their breathtaking
rock formations, sheer cliffs and charming villages.
Day 7 – Rock of Cashel & Kilkenny
We leave Cork, and make our way north east towards Dublin. En route we will make some interesting stops.
The Rock of Cashel was the seat of the High Kings of Munster, although there is little structural evidence of their time
here. Most of the buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries when the rock was gifted to the
Church.
Kilkenny Castle - The original Anglo-Norman stone castle was built for William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke (c.1146-
1219) during the fi rst decade of the thirteenth century. Kilkenny Castle later became the principal Irish residence of
the powerful Butler family for almost 600 years.
We arrive in Dublin in the afternoon and you will have some free time to explore following our brief city overview.
Enjoy an evening of Irish music, dancing and dinner with a traditional Irish night in Dublin.
Day 8 – Key Sights of Dublin
No visit to Ireland would be complete without a visit to the capital city of
Dublin. Dublin has changed dramatically over the past twenty years and
is now as cosmopolitan as any major European city. There is so much to
see in Dublin that many guests decide to extend their stay and enjoy a
day extra at their own pace. We will take you to see the following on your
final day in Ireland:
- Trinity College & The Book of Kells.
- Dublin Castle
- Christ Church Cathedral & The Dublinia Viking Exhibit.
- The Guinness Store House
- Kilmainham Jail
- We return to your hotel with a drive through the Phoenix Park
Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.