Highlights

• Visits to monastic sites including Glenddalough a settlement for 600 year and the 6th century Derrynane Abbey and the Kylemore Abbey.
• We explore The Ring of Kerry with its spectacular mountains and coastal scenery all dotted with colorful villages and archaeological sites.
• We hike in National parks including: Killarney for mountains, lakes and streams; Derrynane for its unspoiled Atlantic beaches and the Burren with its rock formations, cliffs and caves and unique native vegetation, and hike Diamond Hill in Connemara for awesome views.
• We will stand on the dramatic 702-foot-tall Cliffs of Moher for spectacular views into the Atlantic Ocean.
• We explore the Dingle Peninsula, a mountainous spine of land with a magnificent coastline and sandy beaches and extending 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean.
• We learn about and sample whiskey at the Pearse Distillery in Dublin.
• We attend the Merry Ploughboy Pub in Dublin for dinner and traditional Irish music.
• Have a traditional Irish lunch at the Blind Piper Pub
• Enjoy beautiful landscaped gardens at the Powerhouse Estate, Muckross House, and our hotels.
• Visit a farm to learn about raising sheep.
• Visit a falconry to see birds of prey hunt and fly.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Saturday, July 9, 2022. Arrive Dublin Ireland
After your arrival at Dublin Airport and once you have collected your luggage, make your way to the Arrivals Hall where your Driver-Guide will be waiting for you with a sign: Adventure Bound Expeditions. You will be escorted to our hotel.

We lodge at the 4-star Brooks Hotel , located on Grafton Street, the main shopping thoroughfare and is within walking distance of the city’s many attractions, pubs and restaurants. St. Stephens Green, Europe’s largest garden square is located two minutes from the hotel. Hotel amenities include a restaurant, bar, café lounge, fitness center and free WiFi. Tonight, we dine in the hotel’s Francesca’s Restaurant. (D)

Day 2 – Sunday, Jul 10, 2022. Visit Powerscourt Estate & Glendalough
This morning, after breakfast we will journey south to the Wicklow Mountains. The level of rebel activity in these hills just outside the capital city of Dublin was such, that the British Government built a military road to cross the mountains to enable troops to be deployed quickly into the area. Today the principal activity is sheep farming and recreation with over 54,000 acres of woods, bogs and upland heath forming Wicklow National Park. Today we will visit the Powerscourt Estate and Glendalough.

Powerscourt Estate and its 47 acre garden are amongst the finest in Ireland, both for their design and for their dramatic setting at the foot of the Great Sugar Loaf.

Glendalough, is nestled in the deep in the spectacular Wicklow Mountains. The steep wooded slopes of Glendalough, the “valley of the two lakes”, harbor one of Ireland’s most atmospheric monastic settlements. Sacked time and again by the Vikings, it nevertheless flourished for over 600 years.

Tonight, we lodge and dine at Glasha Farmhouse an award-winning bed and breakfast, nestled between the Knockmealdown and Comeragh Mountains. The farmhouse gives one a unique insight into rural Irish life. We will enjoy a relaxed evening and dinner with our Irish hosts. (B,D)

Day 3 – Monday, Jul 11, 2022. Falconry Birds of Prey & Killarney National Park
This morning, after breakfast we will depart for the world-famous Killarney Town, located on the edge of Killarney National Park. Killarney Town is both picturesque and historical.

We will first visit Falconry Kerry, located a short distance from Killarney Town center. Falconry Kerry offers you a leisurely stroll, or ‘Hawk Walk’, across the fields of their working farm. We get to know the hawks and set them into the air from our gloved hand. Meet, feed, and take a few photos with the owls.

We have the afternoon free to explore the 26,000-acre Killarney National Park, located on the lower slopes of rugged mountains including the McGullycuddy’s Reeks, the highest mountain range in Ireland with peaks over 3,000 feet. The Park has native woodlands, lakes, streams and waterfalls and numerous hiking trails. The Muckross House, a mansion, with beautiful landscaped gardens, is the focal point of the Park.

Tonight, we will lodge at the Killarney Royal Hotel, a warm and cozy boutique 4 star hotel, awarded IGTOA Boutique Hotel of the Year 2012, (B)

Day 4 – Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Ring of Kerry
Today we tour the Ring of Kerry. Officially known as the Iveragh Peninsula, it is a captivating journey of spectacular mountain and coastal scenery dotted with colorful small towns and villages. We travel through the picturesque villages of Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Waterville, and over Coomakesta Pass with its magnificent views of Derrynane, home of Daniel O’ Connell, known as “The Liberator”, to Caherdaniel.

At the Blind Piper Pub, we will have a traditional Irish Pub Lunch. Located in the village of Caherdaniel, locals and visitors alike have been drinking here since 1865. Who is the Blind Piper, you may ask? The Blind Piper is Mici Cumba O’Sullivan, who was born nearby in 1835 and became one of Ireland’s most famous pipers.

After lunch we will meet a local walking guide in Caherdaniel and explore Derrynane National Park and its unspoiled Atlantic beaches. The trails include visits to an early 6th century Christian monastic settlement at Derrynane Abbey and a 7th century Ring Fort in the heart of Derrynane woods. Along the way hear stories of settlements, pirates, shipwrecks, sundials, Napoleonic, and World War II lookout posts. We will see the local flora and fauna and find out why Derrynane is considered the jewel in Ireland’s Special Area of Conservation’s crown.

We return to Killarney Town and the Killarney Royal Hotel via the hamlet of Castlecove, the colorful village of Sneem and via Moll’s Gap, Ladies View, Killarney National Park and along the Lakes of Killarney. (B,L)

Day 5 – Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Dingle Peninsula
Today, we tour the spectacular Dingle Peninsula, or Corca Dhuibhne as it is known in the Irish language. The peninsula stretches 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, and the region is officially recognized as a bastion of Irish language and culture. A range of mountains forms its spine while the magnificent coastline consists of sandy beaches such as Coomenoole beach, which was used as one of the film locations for the filming of ‘Ryan’s Daughter’ and craggy cliffs such as Slea Head. The Blasket Islands, famous for Irish-language memoirs documenting rural life in the 1800s and 1900s, lie to the west of the peninsula.

We will be driving along the Slea Head Drive and visit Gallarus Oratory, an archaeological gem nestled in the rugged west coast landscapes. This early Christian site is found on the north shore of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.

Next, our journey takes us to the town of Tarbert where we cross the majestic Shannon estuary on board the Shannon Ferry. Tonight, we will lodge at the Old Ground Hotel Ennis. A former manor house located in the medieval town of Ennis, County Clare. Dating back to the 18th century and featuring an abundance of luxury and charm, including three restaurants. (B)

Day 6 – Thursday, July 14, 2022. Burren National Park & Cliffs of Moher
Today, we meet a local guide and hike in the Burren, a massive pavement of glacial-era limestone, that has largely been left uninhabited for hundreds of years. Said to be similar looking to the surface of the moon, the landscape appears somewhat barren and lifeless. Even Oliver Cromwell, the English general, said that The Burren was best left untouched during his conquest of Ireland. With our guide we explore archaeological sites, rock formations, fossils, cliffs, caves and see unique vegetation.

Next, we visit the famous Cliffs of Moher, braced against the ocean, on the coast of County Clare. We will stand on the dramatic 702 feet high and 9 miles long cliffs, a Wild Atlantic Way signature discovery point, to gaze out on the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.

We continue up the Atlantic seaboard via Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan to Dunguaire Castle (This is a drive-by only and only noted for its scenic location overlooking Galway Bay) at Kinvarra. We continue on to Galway City, known as the “City of the Tribes”.

We spend some free time in Galway City, located right on the famous Wild Atlantic Way. Here we can take a ramble to Salthill Promenade, or down Quay Street with its many great pubs including “The Quays” and “Ti Neachtain” — a townhouse which belonged to “Humanity Dick”, an eighteenth-century MP who promoted laws against cruelty to animals.

Tonight, we lodge at Hardiman Hotel, located in Galway City’s Eyre Square. This luxurious Victorian hotel is just a short walk from all the main attractions in the City of Tribes. The Hardiman is a flawless combination of Victorian grace and opulent luxury. (B)

Day 7 – Friday, July 15, 2022. Killary Sheep Farm & Kylemore Abbey
Today, we travel to the wilds of Connemara, a vast expanse of mountains, bogs, heathlands, and lakes dotted with small fishing villages west of Galway City.

Our journey takes us via the villages of Oughterard, Maam Cross, and Recess before travelling up the spectacular Inagh Valley, with the 12 Bens of Connemara on your left and the Maumturks Mountains on our right as we travel to the village Leenane on the shores of Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord.

Next, we visit the Killary Sheep Farm, located in the tranquil surroundings of Leenaun village in County Galway. The farm is home to, on average, 200 ewes and lambs (when in season) roaming freely across the sprawling, rugged landscape of Connemara. Also available, if the time of year is right, are on-site sheep shearing and sheepdog demonstrations.

We visit Kylemore Abbey, a historic building nestled at the base of Duchruach Mountain, on the northern shore of Lough Pollacappul in the heart of the Connemara Mountains. It is regarded as one of Ireland’s most romantic buildings.

We travel on via Letterfrack to Connemara National Park where we will have the opportunity for a hike up Diamond Hill for spectacular views of Connemara’s hills, bays and inlets. We continue on to Clifden, the largest town in the region, nestled between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Clifden was founded in 1812 by the High Sheriff of Galway to create a pocket of respectability within the lawlessness of Connemara. We return east to Galway City and the Hardiman Hotel. (B)

Day 8 – Saturday, July 16, 2022. Pearse Lyons Distillery, City Tour & Merry Ploughboy Pub Traditional for Dinner & Traditional Music
Today we depart for Dublin City across the center of Ireland through the counties of Westmeath, Offaly, Meath and Kildare. Along the way we visit Clonmacnoise, a medieval monastery on the banks of the River Shannon, founded by St. Ciaran in the 6th century. Clonmacnoise lay at a crossroads of medieval Ireland linking all parts of the island. Sacked time and again by the Vikings, it nevertheless flourished for over 600 years.

In Dublin we visit the Pearse Lyons Distillery and learn all about the whisky-making heritage of the Lyons family. Having moved from Ireland to Kentucky in 1976, to work at the Gems Whisky distillery, they’ve come back to take the Irish whiskey scene by storm. Take in the impressive Trilogy Tasting Experience at their distillery, located in the former Church of St. James.

The afternoon is free time in Ireland’s capital city also known as “Fair City. Dublin City is a treasure trove of historic buildings and famous landmarks, including the Ha’Penny Bridge, the General Post office, and the modern addition to O’Connell Street; The Spire of Dublin. We will have time to shop and walk through Grafton Street, up to St Stephen’s Green.

Tonight, we enjoy a Traditional Music Night and dinner at The Merry Ploughboy Pub—one of Dublin’s iconic traditional music venues.
We again lodge at the Brooks Hotel. Located on the main shopping thoroughfare of Grafton Street and within walking distance of the capital city’s endless attractions, pubs and restaurants. (B,D)

Day 9 – Sunday, July 17, 2022. Dublin City Tour
Welcome your local guide on board as they join us on a journey through Ireland’s capital; Dublin City. Dublin is Ireland’s economic and political hub, and took center stage in Ireland’s 1916 Rising against British rule, and subsequent independence. The city’s history can be explained in detail, each step of the way, by our guide.

The following visits are included: Trinity College. Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I on the site of an Augustinian monastery. See the Book Of Kells. The book, which is housed in Trinity College, is the most richly decorated of Ireland’s medieval illuminated manuscripts. It contains the four gospels in Latin. Some dyes used were imported from as far as the Middle East.

St Patrick’s Cathedral is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Founded over 800 years ago and dedicated to Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Today, Saint Patrick’s stands as Ireland’s largest cathedral and is the venue for many public national ceremonies, including Ireland’s Remembrance Day.
The afternoon is free to relax or explore on our own. We lodge at the Brooks Hotel. (B,D)

Day 10 – Monday, Jul 18, 2022. Depart for Home
Meet your driver-guide at the agreed time in the lobby of the hotel and make the short journey to Dublin Airport. (B)

COSTS

Land Cost: $3,500 for 6; $3,350 for 7; and $3,200 for 8-9 per person based on double room occupancy. Single Supplement is $900.

Cost Includes: Lodging; all breakfasts, lunch and dinners where noted in the itinerary; whiskey tasting, airport transfers; transportation throughout the tour; Irish and American tour guides.

Cost Does Not Include: Airfares, insurance, drinks and alcoholic with meals listed in the itinerary.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Powerscourt Estate

Glendalough

Glasha Farmhouse

The Burren

Ring of Kerry

Cliffs of Moher

Clonmacnoise

Connemara

The Dingle Peninsula

Kylemore Abbey

Merry Ploughboy

Muckross House

Pearse Lyons Distillery

Dublin City

The Blind Piper Pub

Trinity College

Killarney National Park

The Mercedes-Benz mini coach