​PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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Discover Ireland — see the best of Ireland in 13 days on your very own private tour. This beautifully guided journey begins in the Wicklow Mountains for a scenic tour through the Irish countryside. You'll tour around Ireland seeing iconic sites through Kilkenny, West Cork, Killarney National Park, Cliffs of Moher & the Aran Island, Connemara and Galway. Your tour ends in Dublin where you'll enjoy a private-guided walking tour. You'll visit the Old Library, Trinity College for an illuminating look at the remarkable Book of Kells. Discover Ireland!​

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Day 1) Arrive Dublin | Rock of Cashel & Kilkenny

Arrive Dublin Airport where you’ll be met by your chauffeur-guide. Next continue to one of Ireland’s most historic and evocative sights: The Rock of Cashel. St. Patrick himself was here more than 1,500 years ago and, ever since, the Rock has been the spiritual heart of Ireland. You will then arrive in Kilkenny for an overnight stay. Set within Ireland’s Ancient East, Kilkenny offers a bustling crafts scene, time-honored traditional pubs, cobbled lanes and secret alleys 

 

Day 2) Waterford

Depart this morning for Waterford where you will enjoy a private tour of the Waterford Crystal factory. The guided tour will take you through the home of Waterford Crystal's manufacturing facility. During the factory tour, you will hear and see in detail exactly how their stunning crystal is made. Master craftsman will demonstrate to you the traditional methods that are still used to this day. You will learn all about crystal making, from modern day back to their beginnings in 1783. After the tour, you will have the opportunity to make purchases in the factory shop. This afternoon, visit Reginald’s Tower, the Medieval Museum and the Bishop's Palace before continuing to the harbor town of Cobh, for an overnight stay on the waterfront. 

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Day 3) Cobb

This morning, explore Cobh, an island in Cork city’s harbor. It’s known as the Titanic’s last port of call in 1912. You’ll visit the Titanic Experience Cobh, a themed attraction in the former White Star Line ticket office, and the Cobh Heritage Centre, which through the “Queenstown Story” tells the story of Irish Emigration. Next, continue to quaint Kenmare, with its rows of vividly painted shop fronts, a go-for-a-stroll atmosphere and culinary specialties. Enjoy a two-night stay at a boutique hotel and dinner at a gourmet restaurant in town.

 

Day 4) Mizen Head & Bantry House

Depart on a whole-day excursion to Mizen Head Peninsula in western County Cork, a photographer’s paradise. At Mizen Head Signal Station nestled high up in the Cliff face, view some of the most beautiful scenery Ireland has to offer. The Signal Station is only reachable by foot. The walk from the Visitor Center car park, and back, is about one hour and stroller and wheelchair accessible. Stops along the route will include Barleycove Beach, and if time permits, Three Castle Head. Continue to Bantry Bay for a visit to Bantry House, a country house with gardens dating from the 18th century. 

 

Day 5) Ring of Kerry & Killarney National Park

Today, enjoy a scenic drive to the spectacular Ring of Kerry and the stunning beauty of Killarney National Park. You will stop to see a sheepdog demonstration. You will view Molls Gap, Ladies View and Torc Waterfall. You will also experience a jaunting car ride (horse carriage ride) from Muckross House & Gardens. Next, continue your journey to the pastel-painted, quintessentially Irish harbor town of Dingle for a two-night stay. Dingle is a lively Gaeltacht town of seafaring heritage, where instrumental music and song have a long tradition. You will explore the town, have an opportunity to soak up Gaelic tunes in one of the local bars and enjoy dinner at one of several excellent restaurants, all within walking distance of your hotel. 

 

Day 6) Falconry Experience & Dingle Peninsula

Today, discover the Dingle Peninsula along the Slea Head Drive, one of the most scenic routes in Ireland. Your day will include a private Falconry Experience, where you will learn how to hold a hawk, as they fly along the beach between you. You will visit the Blasket Island Heritage Center, with stunning views of the wild Atlantic coast and islands. The Blasket Centre is a fascinating museum, honoring the unique community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until their evacuation in 1953. Tonight, explore more of Dingle’s delights and dinner for which your driver-guide will make recommendations. ​

 

Day 7) Conor Pass, Atlantic Way & Cliffs of Moher  

This morning, you will drive across Ireland’s highest mountain pass, the Conor Pass, cross the Shannon estuary by ferry, and drive through County Clare to the sensational Cliffs of Moher, where you'll find yourself leaning into the wind on the very edge of Europe, more than 600 feet above the waters of the North Atlantic. Tonight, you will enjoy a gourmet dinner at your country house castle hotel, your base for the next two nights. The hotel is strikingly situated with magnificent views of the Atlantic and the Aran Islands. 

 

Day 8) Inis Oírr (Aran Island), Cliffs of Moher & Burren
This morning, you’ll board a ferry at Doolin Harbor bound for the stark beauty of Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. On arrival, enjoy a pony and trap (cart) tour of the island. On your return to the mainland, admire the Cliffs of Moher in the most spectacular way, from the sea. This afternoon, explore the intriguing rocky landscape of the Burren and its hardy prehistoric residents, including the Poulnabrone Dolmen—also called the ‘Hole of Sorrow’—the most iconic of Ireland’s megalithic structures.
 

Day 9) Cong & Clifden

Today, depart Doolin for the pretty village of Cong, filming location of the 1952 movie The Quiet Man which stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. In Cong, enjoy a short walking tour of the filming sites from the famous film and spend some time in The Quiet Man Museum, highlighting the film, its actors and local affiliations. Afterwards, continue to the pretty small coastal town of Clifden where you a two-night stay. Tonight, a complimentary glass of bubbles at the bar while you hear about some local history from the hotel’s owner, followed by dinner with live piano or traditional music at the hotel’s award-winning restaurant,
 

Day 10) Connemara: Killary Fjord & Kylemore Abbey

Today, you’ll explore beautiful Connemara, beginning with a cruise along Killary Fjord where you’ll enjoy spectacular uninterrupted views. The inlet boasts some of the finest scenery in the West of Ireland and because of the fjord’s sheltered nature, the waters are always calm. This afternoon, visit Kylemore Abbey & Gardens, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle. The abbey was founded for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I. Built in 1868, the castle includes lovely Victorian walled gardens. On your return to Clifden, enjoy a beautiful scenic journey along the Sky Drive Road. Dinner is at the hotel this evening.

Day 11) Galway & Dublin

This morning, continue your journey to Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Enjoy some free time for lunch and to explore this walkable and picturesque town. Visit the Galway City Museum where you will learn about the city’s early history from the Anglo-Norman Richard de Burgo stone castle of 1232 to Galway’s role as a medieval town and a trading port, as well as the influence of the 14 families who dominated commercial life here—hence its name as “the city of the tribes”. Next, continue to Dublin for a two-night stay at a centrally located hotel, within walking distance of all main attractions.

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Day 12) Dublin 

This morning, enjoy a private-guided walking tour of Dublin, learning about it's often calamitous history, from the days of Viking raids to the hard centuries of British occupation, to its remarkable literary legacy, to the modern city of today. You'll visit the stunning Old Library, Trinity College, for an illuminating look at the remarkable Book of Kells, a jolt of Irish creativity that helped pull Europe out of the Dark Ages. You'll have the afternoon on your own to take in some of Dublin's other world-class sights, such as the National Museum, Guinness Storehouse, EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum or Dublin Castle.

 

Day 13) Kilmainham Gaol & Dublin Airport

Private car transfer to Dublin Airport for your return flight.