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Ireland: Insider’s Experience

Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights

Price: P.O.A. Make an Enquiry

Trip created by Patricia Doe
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Price: P.O.A.
Trip Type: Ready to Customise
Location: Ireland
Accommodation: Deluxe
Difficulty: Your Own Pace

All you need to know about your client's next trip, this essential document is a must have for all up coming adventures.

Download Itinerary

Craft your perfect Irish trip with our expert recommendations and carefully curated experiences. With built-in flexibility accompanied by a private guide, you can relax and let your customised adventure unfold before you.

You will explore three of Ireland’s most beautiful regions along the west and southwest coasts – from the windswept wilds of Connemara to the epic coastal beauty of Clare and the majestic mountains of Kerry. Of course, you will visit iconic destinations such as Killarney National Park, but you will experience these from an insider’s perspective with carefully personalised activities that will bring you far beyond the usual tourist route.

One of Ireland’s greatest assets is her people – you will get the chance to spend meaningful time with locals through interactions in their homes, on their farms and on the water. Each evening, we have chosen some of our favourite hotels for their unique take on Irish hospitality, their warm welcome and impeccable service. From their locations to their staff, food and history, you will find comfort and charm in each place you stay on your Irish insider’s journey.

Trip Highlights

  • Discover the real Ireland alongside an expert guide, meeting local characters and enjoying unique activities which few will experience.
  • Create your own personal adventure, with activities customised exactly to your tastes and interests, with your private guide ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
  • Feel relaxed and pampered during your stay in carefully-selected 5 star accommodations and castle hotels, enjoying the very best of Ireland's warm hospitality.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Dublin to Connemara

Meeting your private guide in Dublin today, you will hit the road west. Along the way, you will have plenty of opportunities to stop and stretch your legs, immersing yourself in the quiet countryside of Ireland’s rolling, green midlands.

Click here to discover today’s options:

  • A behind-the-scenes visit and tasting at a little-known whiskey distillery.
  • A stop at an ancient monastic site on the banks of Ireland’s mighty River Shannon. You will have the option to arrive and leave via private boat, extending your time in the area with a cruise on the river.
  • Visit the Earl of Ross at his magnificent ancestral home, Ross Castle.

Or continue on to your magnificent castle hotel in the wilds of Connemara, where a riverside suite awaits. Enjoy some of the many miles of hiking trails on the hotel grounds. We highly recommend the seafood in your hotel’s onsite pub for dinner.

Overnight: 4 star | Ballynahinch Castle | Connemara (B)

Day 2 - Discover Connemara

Oscar Wilde famously called Connemara a “savage beauty,” and it’s easy to see why. The rugged granite peaks of the Twelve Bens Mountains and the heather-topped peaty bogs of the lowlands give way to secluded white sand beaches along the Atlantic’s edge. Today you have a number of activities to choose from, all of which are carefully curated to allow you the fullest experience of the region.

Click here to discover today’s options:

  • Meet a local oyster grower for a hands-on tasting experience. Don wellies and wet gear and wade out to the oyster beds where you can harvest and shuck your own oysters fresh from the sea. Or if you’d prefer, an on-shore picnic, where you’ll enjoy the classic Irish combination of oysters and Guinness, perhaps paired with some freshly-baked brown bread.
  • Head to a remote offshore island. Ferrying out in the morning, you will meet an archaeologist for a unique take on the island’s varied ancient sites and fascinating, turbulent history.
  • Enjoy a guided hike in Connemara National Park or along the beautiful coast. Your guide will tailor a route to ensure distance and difficulty will be at your level, whether it’s a gentle beach walk to a peak-bagging mountain adventure.
  • Meet a local lobster fisherman and head out to pull his lobster pots. Bring your catch back to your hotel and enjoy the fruits of your labour for dinner

Overnight: 4 star | Ballynahinch Castle | Connemara (B)

Day 3 - Insider's Galway

Heading south along the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s famed long distance driving route along one of the most memorable coastline’s in the world, your first stop will be Galway City. Here you can choose to explore the colourful, music-filled streets, lively pubs and bustling crafts shops, or take the opportunity to meet up with some locals to learn their take of Ireland’s capital of the west. This evening, you’ll find yourself in the magical Burren region, where J.R.R. Tolkien took inspiration for Middle Earth in this famous trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.

Click here to discover today’s options:

  • Craft your own crystal at one of Ireland’s famed crystal workshops. At this small family-run studio you will get to spend time with a master craftsman, designing and working on your own crystal souvenir.
  • Head out into the bay on a Galway Hooker, a traditional sailing boat that was originally used as a fishing vessel all along this part of the coast.
  • Enjoy a lesson in fish smoking using ocean-fresh catch of the day and learning traditional smoking techniques.
  • Get behind the scenes at some of the city’s best restaurants – including some Michelin-starred properties on a custom food tour.

Overnight: 4 star | Gregan’s Castle | Burren (B)

Day 4 - The Wild Burren

Waking up in your suite to views across the Burren and over Galway Bay, you’ll spend today exploring this magical landscape of the Burren in more detail. Using our destination knowledge, our optional selections of activities and experiences will bring the region to life. We recommend getting out to discover the fantastic array of wildflowers that this seemingly inhospitable limestone environment houses in vast numbers, including dozens of orchid species. The area has both fascinating human and natural history – meeting up with a local to understand their take on life in this rural idyll is well worth it.

Click here to discover today’s options:

  • Meeting a wildflower expert for an in-depth introduction to the area’s flora which includes those that are usually confined to either Arctic and Mediterranean regions.
  • Paddling the tranquil waters of the bay by kayak, stopping for a gourmet picnic on a deserted coastal island and paddling alongside secluded beaches and seabird colonies.
  • Teaming up with an expert forager in order to cook your own outdoor feast from freshly-foraged ingredients.
  • Visiting a traditional pub that is home to one of Ireland’s most impressive whiskey collections, and enjoying a private tasting and chat with the owner.
  • Mountain biking or hiking the Burren Way, a long distance trail that takes in some of the Burren’s most beautiful and remote hillside and otherwise inaccessible valleys.
  • Learn about the area’s unique agricultural heritage, joining a farmer as he walks his land to tend his cattle and sheep.
  • Enjoy an exquisitely prepared afternoon tea in your hotel’s beautiful mature garden.

Overnight: 4 star | Gregan’s Castle | Burren (B)

Day 5 - Clare & the Cliffs of Moher

Continuing your journey along Ireland’s west coast, your first port of call will be the Cliffs of Moher. Here you will leave the crowds behind on a clifftop hike or short walk that enjoys the best of the world-famous panoramic scenery. We have a number of options that will help make your experience of the cliffs truly memorable.

Click here to discover today’s options:

  • Cruise below the cliffs to experience their true scale from the water.
  • Meet an ornithologist for an expert introduction to the many and varied bird species that call the cliffs home.
  • Combine your visit to the cliffs with a day on the smallest of the Aran Islands where you can travel by bike, foot or horse and carriage to experience life on this tiny Gaelic-speaking island.

Continuing south, there will be plenty of opportunities to stop along the way with a host of places to explore. This evening, you have the option of listening to a storyteller for an introduction to the fascinating myths, legends and history of County Kerry.

Overnight: 5 star | Sheen Falls Lodge | Kerry (B)

Day 6 - The Kingdom of Kerry

Today you will explore the Kingdom of Kerry. The jewel in Ireland’s crown, this region is on many people’s Ireland bucket list and with good reason. County Kerry is Ireland’s most mountainous, with six of the highest peaks in the country. The beautiful coastline is a perfect counterpoint to the soaring hills, and the warmth and friendliness of the people is hard to beat. While a popular destination, your itinerary gives you plenty of opportunities to get off the beaten track to experience the people and places that are away from the tourist gaze.

Click here to discover today’s options:

  • Meet a seaweed aficionado on the south shores of Kerry for a fun and informative beach walk, exploring tidal pools and hidden coves along the way.
  • Boat out to explore some of the tiny uninhabited islands off the coast of Kerry, fish for your lunch and learn to make your own ceviche and sushi as part of your gourmet picnic lunch on a deserted beach.
  • Explore the Lakes of Killarney in a wooden boat with the option to stop at the stunning Gap of Dunloe for a hike through this beautiful mountain valley, or travel by horse and carriage.
  • Enjoy a personalised hike through Killarney National Park or hike up into the mountains beyond. Your guide will tailor a route to suit your abilities and preferences, whether that be a gentle hike past a glorious waterfall to the summit of Torc Mountain or even summiting Ireland’s highest mountain.
  • Kayak the tranquil waters of Kenmare Bay, stopping for lunch at a waterside boathouse.
  • Join a marine biologist and whale watching experience of a lifetime – spot humpbacks, minke whales, basking sharks, dolphins and more from the water.

Overnight: 5 star | Sheen Falls Lodge | Kerry (B)

Day 7 - Depart

Today your guide will drive you back to Dublin. Or you can choose to extend your stay by adding extra nights in each location to take in more of the incredible experiences, activities and people from Connemara to Kerry. (B)

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Ireland: Insider’s Experience

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Trip Details

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Accommodation Read More

On this deluxe trip, you’ll be staying in 4-star hotels, castles, lodges or country houses. Accommodations may include Sheen Falls, Gregan’s Castle and Ballynahinch Castle.

A warm welcome is assured and you can enjoy superior comfort and the finest service in these. Accommodation is in double, twin or family bedrooms. Breakfast is included each morning.

Please note that alternative accommodations may be offered when you book if availability at any of these is limited.

Meals Read More

At all stages of your trip you will be able to enjoy the finest of Ireland’s cuisine, enjoying delicious meals prepared from superb local ingredients.

Packed lunches are not included in the trip cost, but will be available from your hotel or a local cafe/deli.

Inclusions Read More

What’s Included:

  • 6 nights accommodation in 4-star hotels
  • Breakfast each day
  • Guiding throughout
  • All transfers in a luxury vehicle driven by our guide
  • A choice of Insider Experience each day*
  • Personalised trip design and delivery
  • Welcome gift
  • 24/7 Support
Travel Read More

This trip starts in Dublin city where you will meet your guide on Day 1. At the end of your trip, your guide will drop you in Dublin. All transport is provided throughout the trip.

Upgrade and Customise Your Trip Read More

This trip is ready to customise to your group’s abilities, interests, and preferences. Each day offers a selection of options available for that day.

Make an Enquiry

Thank you for your interest in exploring our sample itineraries; please keep in mind that your request encompasses the entirety of the experience, not solely a particular accommodation. Our custom offerings extend beyond the featured experiences and accommodations, ensuring a tailored journey crafted with purpose.

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