Howard Family's Irish Adventure

Monday 16th June – Thursday 26th June 2025

Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights

Overview

Picturesque coastal towns and villages, green pastoral fields, soaring cliffs, wild barren landscapes, the crash of the ocean, the laugh of a local. Ireland is romantic, and authentic, a home away from home where both old and modern seem to cohabit seamlessly on a small island in the middle of the sea. Packed with history and tradition your days are spent exploring Ireland’s famous and off-the-beaten-track sites of natural, cultural, and ancient interest. A world-renowned food scene means your evenings are spent dining in style and with the promise of a pub just around the corner, music and laughter are never far away. Your trip to Ireland will surprise and delight you but the people of Ireland will stay with you, long after your journey has taken you home.

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1 | Monday 16th June | Welcome to Dublin | Overnight: Dublin

Day 2 | Tuesday 17th June | Historic Dublin | Overnight: Dublin

Day 3 | Wednesday 18th June | Dublin to Belfast | Overnight: Belfast

Day 4 | Thursday 19th June | The Titanic & The Troubles | Overnight: Belfast

Day 5 | Friday 20th June | Famine Walk & Donegal | Overnight: Donegal

Day 6 | Saturday 21st June | Hiking the Slieve League Cliffs | Overnight: Donegal

Day 7 | Sunday 22nd June | Seaweed Foraging The Sligo Coast | Overnight: Galway

Day 8 | Monday 23rd June | E-Bike Tour of Connemara | Overnight: Galway

Day 9 | Tuesday 24th June | The Cliffs of Moher | Overnight: Ballyvaughan

Day 10 | Wednesday 25th June | Goat Farm Tour & Cheese Tasting | Overnight: Ballyvaughan

Day 11 | Thursday 26th June | Depart

Day by Day

Day 1 - Monday 16th June - Welcome to Dublin

Arriving in Ireland today, a private transfer will pick you up from the airport and whisk you into your 5-star hotel in the city centre. Check-in is at 3 pm however feel free to leave your bags, freshen up, or have a bite to eat. Head out in the afternoon to enjoy a walking tour with a local private guide through this vibrant capital city, with its mix of 1,000 years of architecture from the mediaeval to Georgian to modern. See the Georgian-style Merrion Square, lush St. Stephen’s Green and Fitzwilliam Square, as well as O’Connell Street, the site of the ‘1916 Uprising’ that led to Ireland’s independence in 1922. Your guide is also a historian who will bring the city to life with colourful tales of life in the city in times gone by.

Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King, x1 Westbury Twin (interconnecting)
Meals Included: None

Day 2 - Tuesday 17th June - Historic Dublin

This morning you’ll visit some of Dublin’s most historic sights, starting with a tour of Trinity College and Book of Kells. Your guided Trinity tour will take you around the campus, discovering some of the secrets and famous pupils who graced its halls and quads before making your way to the Old Library for an audio tour of the Book of Kells with its new immersive digital experience. Later, head out for some lunchtime fun! Take a step back in time with Vintage Tea Trips and uniquely experience Dublin. Indulge in afternoon tea treats, and great conversation, and tap your feet along to some fabulous 1950s jazz while taking in the sights of the city. Board your vintage Routemaster bus in the historic Temple Bar. Soak up the nostalgia as your host gets the conversation started, the music begins, and a classic afternoon tea is served. Pass sights such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church, Trinity College, St. Stephen’s Green, Wood Quay, O’Connell Street, Phoenix Park, and the grand buildings of Georgian Dublin. End your time in Dublin with dinner at one of the city’s many award-winning restaurants before ending the night in a cosy pub.

Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King, x1 Westbury Twin (interconnecting)
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3 - Wednesday 18th June - Dublin to Belfast

Today you will pick up your rental car and drive 2 hours north across the border, to bustling Belfast, a city that has managed to grow and thrive into a cosmopolitan hub, effortlessly showcasing its burgeoning foodie scene, its love of tradition, and proud history. After check-in, you’ll meet a local guide and explore Belfast from the comfort of a traditional black cab. Unpack the complicated history of The Troubles, see the city’s murals and peace walls, hear stories of life in Belfast at the height of the troubles, check out historical photographs, and enjoy narration from your guide – someone who lived through it.  We have some fantastic dinner options to recommend this evening for you as well a an iconic 1820’s Liquor Saloon.

Overnight: Belfast | The Merchant Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe Twin, x1 Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4 - Thursday 19th June - The Titanic & The Troubles

Built-in Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyards, the ill-fated Titanic and Belfast’s history are linked forever. This morning before it gets busy, visit Belfast’s Titanic Quarter to enjoy some time in the self-guided interactive experience. The Titanic Experience walks you through 10 galleries taking you through the story of the ship from conception and building right through to her final hours. You also have the option to step onto the decks of the last remaining White Star Line vessel – SS Nomadic and view the two giant cranes used to build the ship, Samson and Goliath. After lunch you’ll visit Crumlin Gaol, one of only a handful of remaining Victorian Era prisons, Crumlin only closed its doors in 1996. A fascinating glimpse into the history of Ireland from the women and children housed here to the political prisoners who were sentenced to death.

Overnight: Belfast | The Merchant Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe Twin, x1 Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5 - Friday 20th June - Famine Walk & Donegal

Northern Ireland is often known best for its coastlines, but the vast green expanse of the country’s interior is an underrated gem. There’s no better way to encapsulate the region’s combination of natural and cultural significance than by meeting a local guide for a walk along a trail taken by emigrants escaping the famine, set in the beautiful Sperrins, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Your guide will share the history and stories of those who walked the trail, and you’ll finish up at her local pub for a hearty lunch before finishing your drive to Donegal. Check in to your castle hotel this evening where we recommend dining on-site followed by a cocktail in The Cellar.

Overnight: Donegal | Lough Eske Castle
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King & x1 Deluxe Twin (interconnecting)
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6 - Saturday 21st June - Hiking the Slieve League Cliffs

Spend some time today exploring South Donegal with a local hiking guide. A morning hike on the highest sea cliffs in Europe, three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher, is the perfect way to work up an appetite for some traditional fish and chips, al fresco, straight off the boat in a little harbour town. Your hike takes you on the little-travelled Pilgrim’s Path, a route used for Christian pilgrimages for centuries. You’ll get the chance to do something few visitors get to do: stand atop the edge of the Slieve League Cliffs. There are terrific views of the cliffs, the Atlantic Ocean, the mountains of Sligo, and Donegal Bay. Later, meet a local weaver who learned his craft at the age of 16 and whose traditional hand loom methods date back centuries, before you head into town to enjoy a delicious dinner in a local restaurant.

Overnight: Donegal | Lough Eske Castle
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King & x1 Deluxe Twin (interconnecting)
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 - Sunday 22nd June - Seaweed Foraging The Sligo Coast

After breakfast, it’s time to make your way further south towards Galway. En route, you’ll stop at Streedagh Beach in Sligo, where you will meet our expert for an afternoon of foraging and cookery on the Sligo Coast. In addition to its reputation amongst archaeologists (the coast is littered with sunken ships from the Spanish Armada), the shoreline here offers some of the best conditions for seaweed foraging in Ireland. You will learn all about the medicinal and nutritional attributes of Irish seaweed (of which there are roughly 570 varieties!), and how they are also used for cosmetic purposes. You will also sample some of your finds along the way. The experience culminates back in the home kitchen of our host, with a hands-on cookery experience featuring a bounty of wild foods and recipes from her cookbook. Afterward, you’ll hit the road again for 2.5-hour drive to your city centre hotel in Galway.

Overnight: Galway | The Hardiman Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe Twin, x1 Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8 - Monday 23rd June - E-Bike Tour of Connemara

This morning, get out of the city and into the wilds of Connemara on a thrilling electric bike ride with some of the most amazing scenery the west of Ireland has to offer. Your expert local guide will pick you up at your accommodation and together you will make your way into the spectacularly rugged landscape. Take to the open road and feel the wind on your face with the great sense of freedom that only cycling can bring. Surrounded by mountains, land, sea and plenty of history, Connemara is the perfect place for a day of adventure. This evening, you’ll be dropped back into Galway – why not catch a trad session in one of the pubs after dinner?

Overnight: Galway | The Hardiman Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe Twin, x1 Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 9 - Tuesday 24th June - The Cliffs of Moher

This morning drive 1.5 hours to the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most impressive natural sites. You’ll meet an expert hiking guide and follow a coastal route along the cliffs, passing through a dramatic hinterland with inspiring views offshore to the Aran Islands. The area is teeming with wildlife and 20 different species of birds, including puffins, make this area their home. You’ll finish in the village of Doolin, famous for its traditional music scene. Stop for a fish n’ chips lunch in a historic stone cottage and a chance to browse the quaint shops, before driving to Gregans’ Castle via Black Head, a mesmerizing stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. Your hotel is a former retreat for poets and authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. You’ll arrive in time for a cool pint of Guinness by the fire.

Overnight: Ballyvaughan | Gregans Castle
Room Type: x1 Superior Double, x1 Superior Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 10 - Wednesday 25th June - Goat Farm Tour & Cheese Tasting

The Burren’s rocky alien landscape is said to be the inspiration for Middle Earth in JRR Tolkien’s world-famous Lord of the Rings trilogy – as you explore this region today you’ll see why!  Today you will pay a visit to a charming, locally-owned goat farm for an immersive tour and tasting. Meet and feed the tribe, visit the milking parlour, and learn about the history of goat farming in Ireland and the traditional methods used to care for them and produce award-winning goat cheese. You’ll witness the cheese-making process firsthand and enjoy a tasting of their full range of Irish cheeses, right there on the farm! We’ll give you all the recommended stops to conclude your day; from botanical perfumeries to stone forts, cosy pubs, and local artisans.

Overnight: Ballyvaughan | Gregans Castle
Room Type: x1 Superior Double, x1 Superior Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 11 - Thursday 26th June - Depart

This morning, its time to make your way back to the airport and drop off your rental car in time for your flight home. We hope your time in Ireland was memorable and we look forward to welcoming you to our shores once again.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Trip Details

Inclusions Read More
  • All accommodation from Day 1 to Day 11
  • Breakfast each morning, 4 lunch
  • Car Rental from Day 3 to Day 11 (automatic SUV including roadside assistance, excess protection, carbon offset and navigational system)
  • All guided hikes and activities mentioned in the itinerary, specifically;
  • Private Historical Walking Tour of Dublin
  • Guided Tour of Trinity College (public) & Entry to the Book of Kells
  • VIP Vintage Tea Tickets
  • Private Black Cab Tour of Belfast
  • Entry to Titanic
  • Entry to Crumlin Road Gaol
  • Private Guided Famine Walk Tour
  • Private Hiking Guide at Slieve League
  • Private Seaweed Foraging Experience
  • Private E-Bike Tour of Connemara
  • Private Hiking Guide at the Cliffs of Moher
  • Private Goat Farm Tour & Tasting
  • Personalised trip design and delivery
  • 24-hour in-country support from the Wilderness Team
Exclusions Read More
  • Flights
  • Travel Insurance
  • Meals not mentioned in the inclusions
  • Activities and entrance fees not mentioned in the inclusions
  • Gratuities for local activity providers
Notes Read More
  • All suggested accommodations and services are subject to availability at the time of booking
  • A 20% deposit is required before any accommodation and services will be confirmed
  • This quote is valid for 14 days from the date quoted, after this time pricing may be subject to revision
Pricing Read More

The price of this trip is €6,660 per person and is based on availability at the time of booking.

Virtuoso

Howard Family’s Irish Adventure

Monday 16th June – Thursday 26th June 2025