The Georges & Friends Irish Adventure V2

Danielle, DJ, Lonny, Angie, CJ, Traci, Nonda & Michelle

Tuesday 18th March – Thursday 27th March 2025

Number of Travellers: 8
Duration: 10 Days / 9 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 the island of Ireland’s famous and off-the-beaten-track sites of natural, cultural and political 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. V2 Shortened

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1 | Tuesday 18th March | Céad míle fáilte - One Hundred Thousand Welcomes | Overnight: Dublin

Day 2 | Wednesday 19th March | Historic Dublin | Overnight: Dublin

Day 3 | Thursday 20th March | Dancing, Folklore & The West Coast of Ireland | Overnight: Connemmara

Day 4 | Friday 21st March | Stories & Sheepdogs | Overnight: Connemmara

Day 5 | Saturday 22nd March | Inishbofin Island | Overnight: Connemmara

Day 6 | Sunday 23rd March | Traditional Baking Experience | Overnight: Ballyvaughan

Day 7 | Monday 24th March | The Cliffs of Moher | Overnight: Ballyvaughan

Day 8 | Tuesday 25th March | 4x4 Experience on Inis Mór | Overnight: Ballyvaughan

Day 9 | Wednesday 26th March | Return to Ireland's Fair City | Overnight: Dublin

Day 10 | Thursday 27th March | Depart

Day by Day

Day 1 - Tuesday 18th March - Céad míle fáilte - One Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Arriving in Dublin this morning, a private guide will meet you at arrivals and take you to your centrally located hotel. Once you’ve dropped your bags and freshened up, your guide will give you a brief introduction to the city, its history, and the best spots for food and drinks! They will take you for a stroll and some lunch before you return to your hotel for the evening.

Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury
Room Type: x4 WB King
Meals Included: None

Day 2 - Wednesday 19th March - Historic Dublin

There is no better introduction to Dublin than 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 the GPO on 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. You’ll have some free time this afternoon to explore the city as this evening, we have organized a special private dining experience for your family at the Guinness Storehouse. Hosted in the Connoisseur Bar on the fourth floor, you’ll enjoy a five-course menu that is paired with a number of Guinness variants that compliment the food. Discreetly tucked away in a secluded area of the storehouse, here you will take a journey of the senses, exploring the wonderful world of Guinness and food through the tastes and traditions of some of the most popular Guinness beers.

Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury
Room Type: x4 WB King
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 3 - Thursday 20th March - Dancing, Folklore & The West Coast of Ireland

After breakfast this morning, your private guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and after some short introductions, together you will transfer west to Galway. Known as the ‘town of the tribes’, Galway’s small centre of cobblestone streets and colourful storefronts is vibrant, fun and cosmopolitan. Here you join a local guide for some uniquely Irish fun – gather in a cosy pub for an intimate performance of traditional Irish dance before meeting a famous Galwegian storyteller. You’ll be transported back in time as you are immersed in ancient Ireland’s incredible myths and folklore. This evening, check into Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, once owned by an Indian Raj, this traditional hunting lodge has seen presidents and dignitaries grace its halls and rooms for generations. Today, surrounded by thousands of acres of estate land and forests, Ballynahinch boasts fine dining, a traditional pub, on-site fly fishing and a remote escape in the wilds of Connemara.

Overnight: Connemmara | Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
Room Type: x4 Luxury Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4 - Friday 21st March - Stories & Sheepdogs

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. Your guide will take you back to your hotel to freshen up in time for dinner.

Overnight: Connemmara | Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
Room Type: x4 Luxury Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5 - Saturday 22nd March - Inishbofin Island

This morning we embark on a morning ferry ride to Inishbofin Island, a remote island which is a distillation of the best of Connemara. Today’s walk is led by an archaeologist who will lead you along Bronze and Iron Age ruins, a crumbling Cromwellian fort and beautiful Atlantic scenery with jagged cliffs and white sand beaches. We stop for a local seafood lunch on the island before returning to the mainland in the evening, where we have the chance to sample some of Clifden’s renowned Irish music sessions.

Overnight: Connemmara | Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
Room Type: x4 Luxury Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6 - Sunday 23rd March - Traditional Baking Experience

Leaving the wild and rugged Connemara behind this morning, head further south towards County Clare, home to the famed Cliffs of Moher and the lunar landscape of the Burren. We stop today at a traditional farm where you will meet Evelyn and try your hand at making some traditional Irish scones. Continue to Gregan’s Castle, a former retreat for poets and authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. You’ll be back in time for a cool pint of Guinness by the fire before dinner with your leisure at its award-winning restaurant. This evening join a local pub landlady with one of Ireland’s largest private whiskey collections for a unique tasting experience.

Overnight: Ballyvaughan | Gregans Castle
Room Type: x4 Junior Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 - Monday 24th March - The Cliffs of Moher

Today you’ll meet local man Cormac, who will lead you on a walk along Ireland’s famed Cliffs of Moher, part of the UNESCO Global Geopark, a special region with outstanding geology. Visually stunning, the Cliffs Stand 702ft at their highest point and stretch for 5 miles along the Atlantic coast. Cormac is passionate about the history, geology and heritage of this area and holds a wealth of knowledge on the surrounding landscape. Take in the views, stop into the visitors centre, and most of all, take a family selfie for those at home before returning to Gregan’s Castle via Blackhead, a memorizing stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. There will be a chance to stop for photos en route.

Overnight: Ballyvaughan | Gregans Castle
Room Type: x4 Junior Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8 - Tuesday 25th March - 4x4 Experience on Inis Mór

We hope the weather gods are on our side today as we head out to visit one of the remote islands that dot the Irish coastline. Inis Mór (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 | Gregans Castle
Room Type: x4 Junior Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 9 - Wednesday 26th March - Return to Ireland's Fair City

Leaving the Wild Atlantic coastline behind you this morning we make our way back to Dublin. En route, we visit Tullamore Distillery for a private tour and tasting. Try whiskey straight from the cask, create your own unique blend, and take it with you for those at home to try!  After lunch here your guide will leave you at your hotel in Dublin to enjoy a final night in Ireland’s Fair City.

Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury
Room Type: x4 WB Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 10 - Thursday 27th March - Depart

This morning, a private transfer will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and take to 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

Trip Details

Inclusions Read More
  • All accommodation from Day 1 to Day 10
  • Most meals as indicated above
  • Services of an experienced and knowledgeable qualified guide from Day 1 to Day 9
  • Ground transportation from Day 3 to Day 9
  • All guided hikes and activities mentioned in the itinerary, specifically;
  • Private departure transfer
  • Private walking tour of Dublin City
  • Private dinner at the Guinness Storehouse
  • Private storytelling & Irish dancing experience
  • Private experience on Inishbofin & ferry tickets
  • Private Sheepdog & farm experience
  • Private traditional baking experience
  • Private experience at the Cliffs of Moher
  • Private whiskey-tasting experience
  • Private experience on Inis Mor & ferry tickets
  • Private experience at Tullamore Distillery
  • Personalised trip design and delivery
  • Snacks throughout the trip
  • 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 the main driver guide
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
Virtuoso

The Georges & Friends Irish Adventure V2 – V2

Tuesday 18th March – Thursday 27th March 2025