Ross Irish Adventure
Saturday 24th August – Sunday 8th September 2024
Duration:
16 Days /
15 Nights
Ross Irish Adventure
Saturday 24th August – Sunday 8th September 2024
Saturday 24th August – Sunday 8th September 2024
Arriving in Ireland this morning, pick up your rental car and head south out of the city to your 4-star eco-lodge, located in a secluded County Wicklow Valley. Spend the afternoon relaxing, enjoy a walk around the gardens, or check out the spa facilities onsite. This evening, enjoy a meal at The Strawberry Tree, Ireland’s first certified organic restaurant.
Overnight: Wicklow | Brooklodge
Room Type: x1 Junior Suite
Early medieval Ireland was Europe’s centre of culture, with scholars travelling from all over to study at the country’s great monastic centres. Glendalough was one of the biggest and most famous of all. You will visit the monastic site where you will meet with a local folklorist who will fill you in on the history and mythology of this ancient valley. Afterward, we recommend a visit to Powerscourt Estate & Gardens, named the 3rd Best Garden in the World by National Geographic.
Overnight: Wicklow | Brooklodge
Room Type: x1 Junior Suite
Meals Included: Breakfast
You’ll travel south today and into Waterford, a city with a strong mediaeval heritage. You will join a local for a private walking tour of the city. As you stroll around the Viking Triangle you will step back in time and walk through a millennium of history. From ancient Ireland to the arrival of Regnall the Viking, the Norman invasion, and the marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, and how it changed the course of history for the next 800 years. Continue on to Cork and check in to your luxury boutique hotel.
Overnight: Cork | Hayfield Manor
Room Type: x1 Superior Double
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast, it’s time to explore Kinsale. Historically a medieval fishing port, its spectacular waterfront setting, and candy-coloured houses, shops, and restaurants, make it a glorious blend of old and the new. You’ll embark on a delightful culinary journey where every bite tells a story of tradition, innovation, and local flavour. As your local guide regales you with stories of the town, enjoy fresh seafood, artisan cheeses, and vibrant produce sourced from nearby farms. Afterward, enjoy a stroll through the village and a browse in the stores before heading back to your accommodation.
Overnight: Cork | Hayfield Manor
Room Type: x1 Superior Double
Meals Included: Breakfast
Checking out of your hotel this morning, say goodbye to Cork as you make your way further north to Killarney. Before doing so, you’ll get up close and personal with a herd of Irish Buffalo. Stop at a working Buffalo dairy farm for an immersive tour and tasting. Meet the herd, chat about all things agriculture with John, and finish with a spectacular tasting session of some fine Irish cheese, made right there on the farm! Enjoy some free time to explore the colourful Killarney town this afternoon, known for its bustling atmosphere and traditional Irish pubs. Finish the day listening to some tunes by an open fire.
Overnight: Killarney | The Great Southern
Room Type: x1 Superior Classic Double
Meals Included: Breakfast
As you make your way into the southern part of the Ring of Kerry, the landscape becomes wilder and more rugged. At a secluded bay, meet a true Irish gent, local foraging expert and storyteller who will take you on a wander along the shoreline learning about life on Ireland’s West Coast. Have a toast and enjoy some seaweed nibbles including the flavoursome Duilleasc and Nori, the famous sushi roll wrapping. Afterward, stop in the quaint little town of Kenmare before heading back to Killarney.
Overnight: Killarney | The Great Southern
Room Type: x1 Superior Classic Double
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning, you will depart for Dingle, only a 1 hour drive away. Not only is Dingle beautiful, but the rural communities there also have some of Ireland’s last bastions of Irish tradition such as cuisine, music, dance, and even the Irish language. Your drive today meanders through quaint villages like Annascaul, where you can pause for a bite to eat at a local pub. We recommend visiting Inch Beach, a long stretch of sandy shore perfect for a refreshing walk to stretch your legs. Arriving in Dingle, you have a free day to explore this lively town as you wish.
Overnight: Dingle | Dingle Skellig
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King
Meals Included: Breakfast
The best way to discover the best of the Dingle Peninsula? By boat, of course! Spend the day with a charismatic wildlife expert boating around Slea Head and the Blasket Islands, an abandoned archipelago famous for its rich literary heritage and unique cultural insight about life in Ireland’s westernmost fringes. Spot seabirds and marine wildlife such as whales, seals and porpoises, and dolphins. Tonight, indulge in the town’s renowned seafood at a cozy restaurant, savouring the freshest catch from the Dingle Peninsula.
Overnight: Dingle | Dingle Skellig
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King
Meals Included: Breakfast
As you make your way north through Kerry, we’ll recommend a great beach walk along one of Kerry’s best-kept secret coastlines, as well as a few other great stops to make a leisurely day of it. We recommend taking a shortcut via the Shannon River Ferry – keep an eye out for dolphins and other marine wildlife as you cross! End your day at Ireland’s most famous cliffs, the Cliffs of Moher, enjoying a walk along the dramatic cliff edge on a background of coastal panoramas. Continue on to your home for the next three nights, Monks, a boutique accommodation in the small town of Ballyvaughan.
Overnight: Ballyvaughan | Monks
Room Type: x1 Seaview King
Meals Included: Breakfast
We hope the weather gods are on our side today as you head out to visit one of the remote islands that dot the Irish coastline. Inis Mor (Inishmore) is the largest of the three Aran Islands and our destination this morning. Explore the island with the aid of some off-road adventure vehicles as your local guides, Padraig and Aonghus bring you to all the off-the-beaten-track spots on the islands that only their 4×4 can reach. Learn of the Irish language spoken on the islands, the unique Irish culture and traditions of the local people, the flora and fauna that inhabit the islands, and of course the filming site from the recent Banshees of Inisherin film!
Overnight: Ballyvaughan | Monks
Room Type: x1 Seaview King
Meals Included: Breakfast
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! Back at your accommodation, you have time to relax before dinner. This evening, you’ll visit a local traditional pub where Margaret, the landlady will bring you on a fascinating whiskey-tasting journey through some of her extensive collection.
Overnight: Ballyvaughan | Monks
Room Type: x1 Seaview King
Meals Included: Breakfast
Head north this morning to the capital of Ireland’s West coast, Galway! Known as the ‘town of the tribes’ the small centre of cobblestone streets and colourful store fronts is vibrant, fun, and cosmopolitan. What better way to spend an afternoon here than a delectable food tour? Stop off in the city and tantalise your taste buds with a delightful journey through Galway’s culinary scene. From artisanal cheeses, craft beers, to handcrafted chocolate, this will be a true feast for the senses. Continue on to the wild and rugged Connemara, once described as “a savage beauty” by author Oscar Wilde.
Overnight: Connemara | Cashel House Hotel
Room Type: x1 Junior Suite
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning you’ll make your way to Roundstone Harbour to meet local man Damien, a fourth-generation fisherman who has been around the sea all his life. As you explore Roundstone Bay by boat, look out for the resident seals, dolphins & Basking sharks! You’ll pass by the stunning beaches of Ervallagh, Gurteen & Dog’s Bay as you make your way to the deserted Island of Inishlacken. With its panoramic views, picturesque unspoilt beaches & pristine waters, this deserted island is the perfect place to stop off for a bespoke picnic lunch! Inishlaken has long been a centre point for writers, poets & artists because of its unique setting. A once largely populated island with its own schoolhouse & lots of quaint cottages, the population dwindled & the last of the island’s residents left for the mainland. But where man has left, nature has flourished and the island is now home to a large variety of insects & birds, rabbits, resident goats, sheep & donkeys.
Overnight: Connemara | Cashel House Hotel
Room Type: x1 Junior Suite
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning, you’ll leave the west coast behind as you make your way to Ireland’s Fair City – Dublin! Drop your rental car back and check in to your 5-star hotel right in the city centre. You have some time to get settled before you head out 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 Merrion Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King
Meals Included: Breakfast
Enjoy a morning to yourself before heading out for some lunchtime fun! Take a step back in time with Vintage Tea Trips and experience Dublin in a unique way. Indulge in afternoon tea treats, 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.
Overnight: Dublin | The Merrion Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe King
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
This morning, a private transfer will pick you up in the lobby of your hotel and take you to Dublin airport for your flight home. We hope your time in Ireland has been memorable and we look forward to welcoming you to our shores once again.
Meals Included: Breakfast
The price of this trip is €11,547 per person and is based on availability at the time of booking.
This price includes 10% commission.
Saturday 24th August – Sunday 8th September 2024