Steins Scenic Escape

Day 1 - Monday 17^th March - Head West

Your guide will meet you this morning at your hotel in Dublin. Together you will make the journey west, to Galway County and to the wild Connemara region. En route, we recommend a stop at the ancient monastic site of Clonmacnoise. St Ciarán founded his monastery on the banks of the River Shannon in the 6th Century. The monastery flourished and became a great seat of learning, a University of its time with students from all over Europe. Today the ruins include a Cathedral, two round towers, three high crosses, nine Churches and over 700 Early Christian grave slabs.

As we continue to the coastal regions, feast your eyes upon the breathtaking shores of one of Ireland’s only three fjords before heading to the expanses of Connemara. Once described as “a savage beauty” by author Oscar Wilde, explore the wild, windswept region.

Check into your hotel, the Connemara Sands, a family owned and operated boutique hotel perfectly positioned in the heart of Connemara and The Wild Atlantic Way.

Your guide will join you for dinner this evening as you raise a glass to your adventure ahead.

Overnight: Ballyconneely | Connemara Sands Hotel
Room Type: Deluxe king double
Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2 - Tuesday 18^th March - Connemara National Park with Sheep Dog Demo

We take a drive through the windswept Twelve Bens Mountain Range to Killary, Ireland’s only fjord where we visit a local sheep farm for a private sheepdog demo in this wild and remote landscape. Watch the magnificent and intelligent collies work the sheep from mountainside to pen with only the calls and commands of its owner to follow. Enjoy some tea and cake with Tom the farmer and chat about rural life in Ireland. Later this afternoon, we walk an abandoned famine route along the southern shoreline of the fjord and your guide helps you understand the life of locals during this time, why emigration was the only option to survival and just how cut off communities were.

Overnight: Ballyconneely | Connemara Sands Hotel
Room Type: Deluxe king double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 3 - Wednesday 19^th March - Galway Food Tour & Cliffs of Moher

Today we leave behind the wilds of Connemara, making our way farther south to Clare. En route, we take the opportunity to stop in Galway City, a charming Medieval-era city with a thriving arts and food scene. Joining a couple of local food aficionados, you’ll sample some of Galway’s hidden foodie gems from scones and jam to oysters, cheeses to homemade breads and jams.This evening we take advantage of a quiet evening to visit The Cliffs of Moher after the crowds of the day have departed. Standing over 800-foot tall, the cliffs are home to a myriad of seabirds and a hive of activity.

This evening join a local pub landlady with one of Ireland’s largest private whiskey collections for a unique tasting experience.

Overnight: Doolin | Doolin Inn
Room Type: Standard double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4 - Thursday 20^th March - Exploring The Aran Islands

Today, spend your time exploring the Aran Islands: three distinctive, wild and remote isles that once held a position of great trading power in ancient Ireland. Now a bastion of traditional language, culture and music, they are as interesting as they are beautiful. Inis Mór (the largest of the three) is home to a prehistoric semi-circular stone fort and is best explored by renting an E-bike and heading off with your guide at your own pace.

Enjoy a private tour of a goat farm and meet the inquisitive herd of goats who graze the windswept pastures. Come away laden with cheese, returning to the mainland just as the sky blushes pink against the blue silhouette of the Connemara mountains.

Overnight: Doolin | Doolin Inn
Room Type: Standard double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5 - Friday 21^st March - Exploring Killarney National Park

Today, we depart from the charming village of Doolin and head south to the picturesque town of Killarney.

First, we’ll explore Killarney National Park, where you’ll embark on a serene boat ride with Dux and his loyal canine companion, gliding across the tranquil waters of Killarney’s lakes. As you drift along, you’ll be surrounded by a breathtaking landscape, with Ireland’s tallest mountain peaks towering above you. Back on land, we’ll take a step back in time with a tour of the historic Ross Castle, where you’ll hear the captivating legend of O’Donoghue and his snow-white horse.

Later, check in to your delightful accommodation for the evening, where we highly recommend enjoying a memorable fine dining experience to cap off your day in style.

Overnight: Killarney | The Great Southern Hotel
Room Type: Superior Classic room
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6 - Saturday 22^nd March - Explore The Ring of Kerry

Today you will travel to the southern shores of the Iveragh peninsula, also known as The Ring of Kerry, where you will meet one of our favourite characters. A fisherman, foraging expert, storyteller and a true Irish gent, John, will take you on a wander along the shoreline learning about life on Ireland’s west coast all the while regaling you with tales of characters from the region, from lonely monks to 18th century civil rights activists to mythical heroes.

Take some time today to tour The Ring of Kerry stopping at picturesque bays and harbours and points of interest along the way before returning to your hotel in Kerry this evening.

Overnight: Killarney | The Great Southern Hotel
Room Type: Superior Classic room
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 - Sunday 23^rd March - The Beara Peninsulas

Balanced on the edge of County Cork and County Kerry, the Beara Peninsula is the wildest of Kerry’s three peninsulas. This rugged corner of Ireland weaves a tapestry of wild mountains, pristine lakes, and meandering coastal and mountain roads. The Beara Peninsula is rich in local culture. Sparsely populated and rural, you can stumble across quiet villages and their warm and welcoming communities. Today you will head out walking the Beara Peninsula with a local folklorist, Carina, who also specialises in the archaeology of the region bringing this fascinating landscape to life. A writer and storyteller, Carina conducts guided historical tours throughout the Peninsula and aims to give the visitor an appreciation of the deep history, culture and dramatic beauty that is Beara.

To celebrate your final evening together your guide will join you for dinner.

Overnight: Killarney | The Great Southern Hotel
Room Type: Superior Classic room
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8 - Monday 24^th March - Farewell to your Wilderness guide

This morning, your guide will drop you back to where it all began, Ireland’s Fair City. En route, you’ll stop at the Rock of Cashel, an immaculately preserved cathedral overlooking the sweeping landscape below.

We will return to Dublin later this afternoon, where you will have the option to be dropped at the airport directly or finish your trip in the city.

Meals Included: Breakfast