Day 1: Arrival and Wicklow Mountains
Arrive in Dublin where you will pick up your rental car and drive out of the city to catch your first glimpse of the real Ireland. You will journey through the Wicklow Mountains on your way to your luxury hotel in Kilkenny.
The Wicklow Mountains are one of the most scenic areas in the entire country and will make for a memorable journey. If you have the time or the appetite, there are many places to stop along the way, including the Irish National Stud & Gardens or Glendalough. You can also choose to arrive in Kilkenny early and wander around this wonderful medieval city.
Day 2: Cork, Blarney Stone, & Kinsale
In the morning, after an appetizing breakfast in your beautiful surroundings, make your way to Killarney. You can make this journey as long or as short as you like but we certainly recommend taking the scenic route and visiting the Blarney Stone, Cork City and the fishing town of Kinsale on your way.
Arrive in Killarney as evening falls. This is the perfect time to explore Killarney town. Between the craft shops, pubs, music and restaurants, there is something to suit all tastes on an evening in Killarney.
Day 3: Ring of Kerry & Lakes of Killarney
It is always recommended to take an entire day to travel the Ring of Kerry. Not only is it quite a long journey at 100 miles, but it is also a slow one as you will want to stop quite often to take photos, see the various landmarks, and view the spectacular Kerry scenery.
Before you end your day stop off at Ross Castle built in the late 15th century by one of the O’Donoghue Ross chieftains or visit Muckross House & Gardens, a magnificent Victorian mansion and one of Ireland’s leading stately homes. The Gardens at Muckross House are renowned world-wide for their beauty.
Day 4: Cliffs of Moher & Galway City
Today you depart Killarney for the beautiful Galway city. As with every journey you take in Ireland, there is plenty to break up your journey. Stop off in the town of Dingle on the edge of the Dingle Peninsula and take a ferry across the mouth of the River Shannon.
Head to the coast of County Clare to view the Cliffs of Moher, which rise to heights of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells. Walk along the top of the cliffs to O’Brien’s Tower for great views. Drive through the Burren. Stop off in Galway City and take a walk around for the evening as your hotel is in the city centre.
Day 5: Connemara Tour
Today set out along the west coast to Connermara and onto Clifden. Take some stunning pictures of Kylemore Abbey and find somewhere nice in the Connemara region to get some lunch. Make your way back to Galway city where you should spend a few hours. It is a beautiful little city that many consider the most charming in Europe. Be sure to make the short trip to Salthill and take a short stroll along the promenade. Make your way back to your hotel in your own time.
Day 6: Journey to Dublin
If you have set your sights on spending a lot of time in Dublin, it is better to leave early. It is only a two hour drive to your next hotel so you can take your time as you drive around Dublin, through Phoenix Park, down O’Connell’s Street and past the GPO.
Our advice would be to take public transport to see the city. The open top bus tour is the best way to see the city as you can hop on and off at the destinations of your choosing. Later on, make your way back to your castle hotel for your final night in Ireland.
Day 7: Return Home
Your Irish adventure concludes with a final breakfast at the hotel. Following your meal, make your way to the airport for your onward journey.
(For all Trans-Atlantic flights, we recommend arriving at the airport 3 hours before departure to ensure a smooth check-in process.)
Flights
We are more than happy to include a flight quote separately to your package so that you can decide if you would like to book with us or on your own. While booking flights can seem straight-forward, there are often hidden fees or classes of service that do not include seat assignments, meals or checked bags. We have been booking flights since 1985 and know the best routings and have great contracts that mean we often have better prices than what you will see online.
Accommodation
In Ireland, we generally try to book hotels that are at a 4 star level or higher. In some situations, we will book some 3 star or B&B properties but we do require them to be at a certain standard. We try to ensure a member of the team have stayed at each property in recent years or that we have done a site inspection.
Planning Deposits
Your first vacation quote, and up to two revisions, for trips of 9 or fewer days, and 45 days in advance of travel, are complimentary. If an itinerary requires further revisions subsequent to this, we will require a non-refundable deposit of $75 per person in order to continue.
If you are requesting a quote for a vacation that is 10 days in length, or with travel dates within 45 days, or to a non-core destination, a deposit of $75 per person will be required in order for us to begin working on your proposal.
Planning deposits can then be put towards the cost of the trip should you decide to proceed with the booking.
