5-Day Spectacular South and West Small-Group Tour of Ireland from Dublin

Itinerary

Day 1: Cork and Kiss the Blarney Stone

Stop At: Rock of Cashel, Cashel Ireland
Is it a Chapel? Is it a Palace? Is it a Cathedral? The 1000 year old Rock of Cashel is all three and it’s an open-mouthed moment and an historic way to begin the tour.
Duration: 25 minutes

Stop At: County Cork, County Cork
Then it’s off to Cork, known as the "Rebel county", coined by Henry VII when it supported a rebellion against him in 1491. The rebel spirit is still much around today with city often claiming to be the real capital, much to Dublin’s chagrin.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Blarney Castle & Gardens, Monacnapa, Blarney, Cork T23 Y598 Ireland
It’s off for a spot of kissing next and to the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it that whoever kisses it, gets the gift of the gab; your bus buddies will be sure to tell you if it works!
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Kinsale, Kinsale, County Cork
The evening belongs to historic Kinsale, where you can wander through picturesque streets full of maritime history, silversmiths, galleries and antique shops. Next, we’ll head to the many award-winning fish restaurants and watch red snapper fight it out with John Dory to be your catch of the day. There’s also last orders to catch at The Spaniard or The Silent Banjo, which unlike the name suggests, is jumping with banjos and flutes and ‘jammers’ (packed) with locals.
Duration: 4 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Wonderful Blindgate House

Day 2: Magical Kingdom of Kerry and Castles

Stop At: Historic Stroll Kinsale Walking Tours, Tourist Office,, Pier Rd.,, Sleveen, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland
The full Irish (cooked breakfast) will set you up for a guided historical amble through the narrow streets of Kinsale before we take on parts of The Ring of Kerry;
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Killarney National Park, Killarney Ireland
Where goats are crowned Kings (Puck Fair). On the hunt for glacier shaped lakes, mystical waterfalls and red deer, we’ll gear up for a two hour cycle around Killarney National Park and ‘rubber neck’ as we stop to look at 18th century Muck Ross house and the Reeks in the distance.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Dingle, Dingle, Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry
The evening belongs to Dingle and how about a trip to hardware store, Foxy John’s? Don’t be alarmed, the only DIY you’ll be doing is ordering a drink from its fully stocked bar. And did we tell you about the Leather Shop, Dick Mac’s? It comes with a pub, a gang of lively locals and a very loquacious barman.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: The wonderful centrally located Dingle Marina Lodge

Day 3: Explore the Dingle Peninsula

Stop At: Dingle Peninsula, Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry
Fungie, the dolphin arrived in Dingle in 1984 and has been the town’s most Instagrammed celebrity ever since. We’ll go in search of the A list star in kayaks and explore the nearby caves too. If you’d prefer to stand up and face the salty spray of the Atlantic, we’ll grab boards and chase the kingdom waves at Inch Strand, where Ryan’s daughter became smitten by Robert Mitchum.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Slea Head Drive, Ireland
Then it’s off to Slea Head Drive, on a journey through Irish-speaking villages, famous Hollywood film locations with close-up views of Skellig Michael and some Jedi spotting. Then it’s back for another night in Dingle and a spot of DIY in the local hardware store, (wink, wink).
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Dingle Whiskey Distillery, R559 Milltown, Dingle Ireland
Then we’ll hit The Dingle Whiskey Distillery, where you’ll see how their amber nectar is made and even down a wee sup of their single pot still, matured in aged bourbon casks.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: No unpacking needed as we have another night in the Dingle Marina Lodge.

Day 4: River Shannon and the Mighty Cliffs of Moher

Pass By: Martramane, Castlegregory, Co. Kerry, Ireland
It’s bye, bye Dingle and after crossing the Shannon by ferry, the drops and encroaching cliffs of the Conor Pass stun at every turn on the road to Castlegregory.

Stop At: Cliffs of Moher, Lislorkan North Latitude: 52.9714578 Longitude: -9.4247540, Liscannor Ireland
The Cliffs of Moher are next; 14 km of dramatic coastline standing 300 metres above the churning Atlantic. We’ll take on a two and a half hour of the Cliffs, veering off the traditional tourist trails to find secret passages and fissures and unrivalled photo opportunities as the Atlantic roars its appreciation. Voted a Unesco world heritage site, standing at the ledge, you’ll feel like you’re at the very edge of the world.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Doolin, Doolin, The Burren, County Clare
As evening draws in, we’ll spend it in Doolin, The Capital City of Irish music and between the music and the foot-tapping, the black-stuff and the company, ‘the craic will be ninety’!
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: The Doolin Lodge

Day 5: More Castles and Bohemian Galway

Stop At: The Burren, The Burren, County Clare
It’s goodbye to dinky Doolin and off to bohemian Galway where we’ll feast like chieftains. To whet the appetite, we’ll go through The Burren, 125 square miles of limestone rock, arctic and Mediterranean plants side by side.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Galway, Galway, County Galway, Western Ireland
As it’s your last day, (boo hoo),we’re going to make it a memorable one with a guided tour of Galway’s medieval streets before we hit the foodie trail.
Duck in and out of brightly coloured shops, try on Claddagh rings and Galway shawls, pass through The Spanish Arch and hear tales of Gaelic bards and our bloody war of Independence, at the new city museum.
With the wild Atlantic giving her up her treasures daily, it’s time to dabble in treacle scones or Wild Atlantic salmon and fresh Clarinbridge Oysters, while the stout is settling. So not only will you leave with full bellies, you’ll be crammed full of stories about Galway’s colourful past.
Your guides will direct you back to Dublin, via GoBus (price included in tour) and will arm you with tips and recommendations, if you plan to stay on in the Capital.
But if you’ve developed a grá (love) for Galway, you can always get a later bus. As some barstool philosopher put it, ‘sure there isn’t a pub in Galway you wouldn’t want to spend time in’.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.