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PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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Discover Ireland — see the best of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This beautifully guided journey begins 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. You'll experience Ireland’s must-see historical sites, and spectacular coastal scenery. You'll enjoy Gaelic tunes in the music filled bars and gourmet dinners at hand-picked restaurants. You'll stay in the charming towns of Kinsale, Kenmare and Dingle. You'll tour the Slea Head Drive along the Dingle Peninsula, and lean into the wind on the very edge of Europe at the Cliffs of Moher. You'll 

visit the Titanic Experience in Belfast, marvel at the bizarre basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, and fortify yourself with a wee dram at the venerable Old Bushmills Distillery, Discover Ireland!​

Day 1) Boyne Valley


Arrive Dublin Airport where you will be met by your chauffeur-guide. You’ll then be driven an hour out of Dublin to one of Europe's premier archaeological sites: the ancient tombs of Brú na Bóinne, or Boyne Valley. Predating Stonehenge by a thousand years and the pyramids at Giza by 500, these massive "passage tombs" of Newgrange and Knowth are windows into a mysterious, pre-Celtic Ireland, just as it was pulling itself up and out of the Stone Age. Continue to your hotel in central Dublin for a 2-night stay. 

Day 2) 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 or Dublin Castle.

Day 3) Kilmainham Gaol & The Rock of Cashel 


This morning, visit Kilmainham Gaol and learn about its place in Ireland's stirring struggle for independence almost a century ago. Next, continue to tour 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. From Cashel, continue to the south coast of for an overnight stay in Kinsale.

Day 4) Kinsale & Charles Fort 
This morning, explore Kinsale and visit the revolutionary Charles Fort. In its day, Kinsale was home to one of the most strategic forts in the British Empire. It had Ireland's best natural harbor and offered a gateway to both Spain and France — providing a potential base for either of these two powers to cut off English shipping. In the 17th-century, the Spanish nearly took over Kinsale, almost gaining naval advantage over England, but England won and eventually built two huge, star-shaped fortresses to ensure control of Kinsale's narrow waterway. Next, continue your journey to quaint Kenmare, with rows of vividly painted shop fronts and a go-for-a-stroll atmosphere, for an overnight stay.

 

Day 5) Killarney National Park 

Today, depart Kenmare for the spectacular wild scenery of Killarney National Park. View Molls Gap, Ladies View and Torc Waterfall, and visit the evocative Ross Castle and the beautiful Muckross House & Gardens, all set against stunning beauty. Enjoy a jaunting car ride (horse carriage ride) in the National Park. You'll arrive this evening in the pastel-painted Irish harbor town of Dingle for a 2-night stay. 

Day 6) Dingle Peninsula


Today, experience some of Europe's wildest natural beauty and most ancient Christian sites. Follow the famous Slea Head Drive, arguably the most beautiful drive in Ireland. You’ll experience a sheepdog demonstration by a local farmer, stops at Dunbeg Fort and Coumeenole Beach, and visit the strikingly situated Great Blasket Centre for a close-up look at the language, literature, and daily life of a traditional Gaelic Blasket community. The rest of your day will be free to soak up more of Dingle's charms and enjoy Gaelic tunes in the music filled pubs.

Day 7) Wild 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 Ballinalacken Castle & Country House 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) The Aran Islands & Burren


This morning, you'll hop aboard a ferry bound for the stark beauty of Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. There you can join your guide for a horse and trap (cart) tour of the island. On your return to the mainland, experience the Cliffs of Moher in the most dramatic way, the view from the sea. In the afternoon, explore the intriguing rocky landscape of the Burren and its hardy prehistoric residents. This evening, enjoy a second gourmet dinner at the Ballinalacken Castle & Country House Hotel.

Day 9) Connemara & Galway
Today, enjoy the beautiful countryside. of Connemara. Visit the charming town of Cong (where Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne filmed The Quiet Man in 1951), and stroll through the picturesque abbey ruins before arriving at Ashford Castle for a visit to the School of Falconry where you'll enjoy a 90-minute Hawk Walk, giving you the incredible opportunity to fly your very own Harris Hawk under the guidance of your own instructor. You’ll set off into the magnificent woodlands to fly your hawks as they follow you from tree to tree. Next, continue your journey to the welcoming and picturesque harbor town of Galway for an overnight stay. 

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Day 10) Galway 
This morning is yours to explore the welcoming and walkable town of Galway. This afternoon, cross seamlessly into Northern Ireland for a 2-night stay at Ardtara House, a beautiful country house hotel in the former home of Victorian adventurer and linen baron Harry Jackson Clark. 

 

Day 11) Giant’s Causeway & Old Bushmills
Today, you'll explore Northern Ireland's spectacular Antrim Coast, marveling at the bizarre basalt columns and local legends of the Giant's Causeway. After taking time to fortify yourself with a wee dram at the venerable Old Bushmills Distillery, you'll visit the romantic, clifftop ruins of Dunluce Castle, a filming location of the Games of Thrones.

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Day 12) Belfast & the Titanic
This morning, you'll leave for Belfast, the vibrant capital of Northern Ireland. You'll begin at the Titanic Belfast visitor experience, located on the very site where the great ship was built. Next, a visit to the Discover Ulster Scots Center will provide a glimpse into the rich heritage of this influential Protestant group, known in the United States as the Scotch-Irish. Then, take a driving tour with sites that invoke reminders of the past decades' troubles, including the striking political murals of Shankill and Falls Road. This evening, return back across the border to Dublin for an overnight stay near to the airport.

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Day 13) Dublin
Transfer to Dublin airport for your return flight.