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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 Kenmare, Dingle, Doolin and Clifton. 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 on our private-guided tour!​

Day 1) Arrive Dublin and 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) The Rock of Cashel 


This morning, depart Dublin for 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. Next, continue to quaint Kenmare, with its rows of vividly painted shop fronts and a go-for-a-stroll atmosphere, for a one-night stay. Dinner tonight is included at a local restaurant known for its local specialities.

Day 4) 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 5) 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 6) 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 your country hotel, your base for the next two nights. The hotel is strikingly situated with magnificent views of the Atlantic and the Aran Islands. 

Day 7) 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 hotel.

Day 8) Cong & Clifton

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 and check-in the Abbeyglen Hotel for a one-night stay. Tonight, enjoy 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 9) Connemara: Kylemore Abbey & Killary Fjord

Today, you’ll explore beautiful Connemara. 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 a lovely Victorian walled gardens. This afternoon, 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. Next, drive through the Doolough Valley, where you’ll enjoy spectacular uninterrupted views of untouched nature. Arrive in Westport for an overnight stay. Dinner is included this evening at the hotel.

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Day 10) Sligo & Sperrin
Depart Westport for Drumcliffe Village in Sligo. Near Drumcliffe, make your way to the flat-topped summit of Ben Bulben, where you may enjoy magical views of the Wild Atlantic Way. Visit the grave of renowned poet WB Yeats at Drumcliffe Cemetery, near the base of Benbulben. Continue to across the border into Northern Ireland and through the Sperrin region of outstanding natural beauty to your hotel for a two-night stay. Dinner is included tonight at the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant. 

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Day 11) Antrim Coast & 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. Dinner is included at the hotel.

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Day 12) Belfast & the Titanic

This morning, depart for Belfast where you will take a driving tour viewing sites that invoke reminders of the past decades’ troubles, including the striking political murals and other important landmarks. Next, visit the Titanic Belfast Museum, across the River Lagan in the historic Titanic Quarter, next to the original slipways where the Titanic was built. Inside, the tale of the famous cruise liner is told with creative and informative displays. This afternoon, depart Belfast for a romantic castle hotel near Dublin for an overnight stay. 

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Day 13) Dublin
Private transfer to Dublin airport for your return flight.