PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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Discover Ireland — see the best of Ireland in 8 days with your very own chauffeur-guide! Wanderlust’s Best of Ireland tour includes Ireland's must-see historical sites, charming towns, music-filled pubs, and magnificent scenery — including the Dingle Peninsula, the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, Killarney National Park, Limerick and the compelling city of Dublin. Along the way, our guides will share their stories to draw you in to the charm of the Emerald Isle, and the friendliness of the people will surely steal your heart. This beautifully guided journey ends in Dublin where you'll enjoy a private-guided walking tour. You may choose to visit the Guinness Storehouse, the award-winning Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery or any number of world-class museums. Discover Ireland on this 8-day private tour!​

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Day 1) Arrive Dublin | Continue to the West Coast of Ireland

Arrive Dublin Airport, where you will be greeted by your Irish driver/guide. Depart to Doolin, County Clare, on the West Coast of Ireland. Your hotel is strikingly situated with magnificent views of the Atlantic and the Aran Islands. Some free time to relax and settle into your accommodation prior to a gourmet welcome dinner. 

 

Day 2) Aran Islands & Cliffs of Moher 

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, head to the tops of the Cliffs of Moher, where you will find yourself leaning into the wind on the very edge of Europe, more than 600 feet above the waters of the North Atlantic. Gourmet dinner included this evening.

 

Day 3) Limerick & Conor Pass

Today, depart Doolin for Limerick, where you will enjoy a private guided walking tour of one of Ireland's oldest cities. You will learn about the history of Limerick—from its Viking past to the present. See St. Mary's Cathedral, the Treaty Stone and King John's Castle. From Limerick, continue to Dingle along the Conor Pass, Ireland’s highest mountain pass, to the 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, enjoy an opportunity to soak up Gaelic tunes in one of the local bars and dinner at one of several excellent restaurants, all within walking distance of your hotel. 

 

Day 4) Falconry Experience & Slea Head Drive

Today, discover the Dingle Peninsula along the Slea Head, 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. Explore the magnificent coastal scenery, visit the Blasket Island Heritage Center, a fascinating museum, honoring the unique community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until 1953, and Gallarus Oratory, a small 6th century Christian chapel which has survived successive invaders. Tonight, explore more of Dingle’s delights.

 

Day 5) Killarney National Park

Today, enjoy a scenic drive of the stunning beauty of Killarney National Park in County Kerry. You will view Molls Gap, Ladies View and Torc Waterfall. You will visit Muckross House & Gardens, a 19th century Tudor style mansion, where Queen Victoria stayed in 1861, and Muckross Abbey, one of the best preserved and evocative of Ireland's friaries.  You will also experience a jaunting car ride (horse carriage ride) in the National Park. Next, arrive in quaint Kenmare with its rows of vividly painted shop fronts and a go-for-a-stroll atmosphere. Gourmet dinner in Kenmare included this evening.

 

Day 6) Cahir Castle & Rock of Cashel 
Depart Kenmare for Cahir Castle, one of Ireland's best-preserved medieval castles. Continue to the Rock of Cashel, a major historic landmark in Ireland. Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale, it possesses the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland. Among the monuments to be found here are a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House. According to legend, St. Patrick himself came here to convert King Aenghus to Christianity. Arrive in Dublin for a two-night stay. Your hotel is nestled in the heart of Dublin’s vibrant creative quarter. This neighborhood is home to a variety of shops, bars and restaurants. Grafton Street, St. Stephen’s Green, and Temple Bar are just moments away.

 

Day 7) Dublin 

This morning, enjoy a private-guided walking tour of Dublin learning about its 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. Visit the stunning Old Library, Trinity College, for an illuminating look at the remarkable Book of Kells. This afternoon, some free time to explore Dublin on your own, before a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, home to Ireland’s most famous beer. You may also visit to the Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery, an award-winning small batch Irish whiskey distillery located in Dublin's historic Liberties, just a short stroll from the Guinness Storehouse.

 

Day 8) Dublin Airport

This morning, meet your driver for you transfer to Dublin Airport for your return flight. 

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