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Quintessential Ireland
Big on landscapes and inspirational castles, Ireland is a gift to the world with its enchanting culture, folklore, music and nature, a land blessed by the gods and a gourmet heaven surrounded in all corners by the sea. On this Irish sojourn, we discover the best of Ireland on an quintessential journey of discovery.
HIGHLIGHTS
Witness astounding landscapes of Ireland
Savour exquisite gastronomy
Stay in refined boutique hotels
Enjoy an insightful experience with the local characters
ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVE DUBLIN
Arrive Dublin Intl Airport where after immigration clearance and baggage collection, be met by your as we welcome you to Dublin, formerly the second largest city in the British Empire briefly till Ireland’s independence. Dublin welcomes you with a strong and distinctive Georgian heritage that is in-your-face and quite hard to replicate. Enjoy an orientation of the lovely city where we begin with a visit to the iconic St Patrick's Cathedral, founded in 1191 in honor of Ireland's patron saint. Thereafter, visit the Guinness Storehouse which explains the history of Guinness through interactive exhibition areas including ingredients, brewing, transport, cooperage and more. Learn about the iconic stout’s founder and creator, Arthur Guinness and perhaps salute with a glass toasting to a wonderful journey so far. Later, we continue on our tour of Dublin visiting the Trinity College & The Book of Kells - a 9th Century gospel manuscript famous throughout the world, St Mary’s Church and the beautiful Liffey River before checking in into The Westbury.
Overnight: The Westbury, Dublin
Meals: NIL
DAY 2: DUBLIN / KILKENNY / THE COPPER COAST / ARDMORE
Leave Dublin today as we begin a drive to the medieval city of Kilkenny where you may consider a visit to the magnificently-restored 12th Century Kilkenny Castle, overlooking the River Nore. The original Anglo-Norman stone castle was built for William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke during the first decade of the 13th century. Kilkenny Castle later became the principal Irish residence of the powerful Butler family for almost 600 years. Next, we continue to Smithwick’s Experience to learn about Ireland’s oldest beer brand on an immersive insight into how the ale was created and took over 300 years to perfect. Then spend some time enjoying lunch (on own expenses) in one of Kilkenny’s many charming eateries before a brief visit to the beautiful St Canice’s Cathedral, founded in the 6th Century. Thereafter, our drive continues to County Waterford where we make a stop at the stunning Curraghmore House, the historic home of the 9th Marquis of Waterford and the largest private demesne at over 5,000 acres renowned for its immaculate gardens. From here, we continue south along the scenic beauty of the Copper Coast, a UNESCO Global Geopark dotted with some of the most incredible coastal wonders of Ireland. Worthy photo stops include the Knockmahon & Stage Cove, Bunmahon Head and Ballydwan Bay. Finally, we arrive at the luxurious Cliff House Hotel, an exquisite Relais & Chateaux property perched on a cliff overlooking Ardmore Bay.
Overnight: Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3: ARDMORE
Today, we drive nearby to the town of Midleton visiting the unmistakable Jameson Whiskey Distillery, established since 1825 where we enjoy a tour behind the scenes of the heritage and whiskey-making process of the quintessential Irish legacy complete with a tutored tasting of its premium range of whiskeys. Thereafter, continue to the colorful waterfront town of Cobh, renowned as the place where the tragic RMS Titanic last saw dry land before famously sinking on her maiden voyage. We spend some time taking a walk through the town center dotted with brightly colored houses overlooked by the St Colman's Cathedral, admire the Titanic Monument which was erected in the village center in memory of the catastrophic ship. For lunch, a short drive away takes us to the impressive settings of the Ballymaloe House, where we enjoy some of the most authentic and local cuisine of Ireland run by the Allen family and there will be time to immerse in the beautiful gardens of the estate. Return back to the Cliff House Hotel later where you can enjoy a wonderful cliff walk experience while turning the day down with a glass of whiskey. This evening, tuck into a gastronomic adventure as we enjoy a Michelin dining experience sampling Chef Martijn Kajuiter's exemplary cuisines.
Overnight: Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 4: ARDMORE / BLARNEY / KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK / KENMARE
We leave Ardmore today to continue west where our first stop of the day is the Blarney Castle, built in the 15th Century by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy. At the top of castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better-known as Blarney Stone where kissing the stone is said to give the gift of eloquence. Thereafter, we continue a scenic drive to Killarney National Park admiring its pretty lakes including a stop at the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass forged between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain by glacial flows. The river running through the gap is the river Loe from where the Gap gets it's name. Thereafter, visit the Ross Castle, a 15th Century medieval tower house on the edge of Lough Leane and ancestral home of the O'Donoghue Clan. Next, we visit the beautiful grounds of the Muckross House, a Tudor-styled estate designed William Burns a Scottish architect for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife Mary Balfour where you can admire the beautiful gardens and its traditional farms, regarded as the finest in Ireland.
Time-permitting, we will make a nearby stop at the Torc Waterfall, nestled in a scenic woodland at a plunging height of 20m tall. Finally, our day ends at our arrival at the stunning Sheen Falls Lodge, a warm country house that is home to some of the finest cuisines in the West of Ireland and we will enjoy a 2 nights stay here.
Overnight: Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5: KENMARE (TO THE SOURCE OF THE FORCE & THE IVERAGH PENINSULA)
A spectacular day of epic proportions as we enjoy an excursion of the Iveragh Peninsula also known as the "Ring of Kerry". Our primary focus of the day will be the visit to the UNESCO-listed Skellig Michael, a deeply spiritual place of extraordinary beauty. It is hardly surprising Lucasfilm chose the island as the location for the Jedi Temple on Ahch-To. Enjoy an exclusive and private experience with the Irish production crew where you immerse on a private guided adventure to Skellig Michael by boat, to find the place where Rey found Luke. The journey takes about 60 minutes each way by sea, and our adventure to explore film locations from VII & VIII lasts about 3 hours, taking in the ‘Wailing Woman’, and ‘Christs Saddle’, retreading the 618 steps that Rey walked to reach the monastic settlement at the summit. Visiting the island is a once in a lifetime experience, guided by the Irish team behind these two amazing movies. Thereafter, we return back to the mainland where we will enjoy a visit to the spectacular Kerry Cliffs. At 300m tall, the cliffs were formed by a desert environment 400 million years ago, offer fine views of Blasket Islands and are the nearest viewing point of Skellig Rock and Puffin Island. Next, we will make a brief stop at the ruins of the Ballycarbery Castle, towering atop a grassy hill, dating back to the 15th Century originally a stronghold of the McCarthy Clan. A short distance away, visit the Cahergall Stone Fort, built around 600 AD with a diameter of nearly 25m and its massive dry-stone walls rising up to 6 metres high and 5m thick at the base. Within the interior of the fort is the base of a circular beehive-hut type structure about 7m in diameter. Finally, we return to Sheen Falls Lodge.
Overnight: Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare
Meals: Breakfast & Picnic Lunch
DAY 6: KENMARE / THE SHANNON ESTUARY / CLIFFS OF MOHER / BALLYVAUGHAN
Today we travel through North Kerry passing Tralee and on to Tarbert for the ferry, crossing the River Shannon into County Clare where then continue further north to the iconic Cliffs of Moher where we will embark on a delightful cruise witnessing a 8km rocky wall from Doolin to Liscannor made up of various types of perpendicular or overhanging rocks including sandstone, siltstone and shale. These cliffs have been broken into the most fantastic forms, and eroded into hundreds of caves by the relentless pounding of the Atlantic waves. The headlands range in height from 407 to 700 feet. Later, we arrive at the charming Gregans Castle Hotel for an enjoyable stay.
Overnight: Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7: BALLYVAUGHAN (THE WILD BURREN)
We dedicate the day to experience the wild magical beauty of the Burren Mountains on a 4hr private hike with your nature guide to take in the full majestic appeal of the Burren. Highlights of the day include some of the most incredible and surreal landscapes of West Ireland as well as an opportunity to visit a 300 year old family farm specializing in cheese-making the traditional way while also visiting the 5,000 year-old portal tomb of Poulnabrone Dolmen, situated on the high Burren limestone plateau with the surreal Glacio-karst landscape making this one of the most iconic imagery sites in Ireland.
Overnight: Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8: BALLYVAUGHAN / DEPARTURE SHANNON
We leave the Gregans Castle Hotel today for a pleasant drive to Shannon Airport where we make our departure to Dublin or London to end your journey OR consider an extension to your experience of Ireland to the spiritual Aran Islands - named as the "Islands of Saints & Scholars" for some of the oldest pilgrimage sites in Ireland as well as enchanting and dramatic landscapes of the Atlantic Ocean.
Meals: Breakfast
HOTELS
The Westbury not only surrounds its guests in luxury and style, it places them at the very center of the city’s social and cultural riches. The hotel occupies a prime position between Trinity College and St. Stephen’s Green; perfectly located for exploring the most exciting sides of Dublin.
Regarded as one of the finest small luxury five-star hotels in Ireland, The Cliff House Hotel is a 39-room Irish seaside boutique hotel in the traditional fishing village of Ardmore. The privately owned hotel also features an intimate Irish destination spa and a multi award winning Michelin star restaurant. All the luxury rooms and suites are sea facing while many are interconnected to provide family-friendly configurations.
Luxurious. Relaxing, Beautiful. It won’t just be the famous Irish hospitality that you will remember after a stay at Sheen Falls Lodge but also thehe unrivalled beauty of the surroundings, exceptional cuisine and the supremely comfortable rooms and villas, set on a 300 acre estate overlooking Kenmare Bay on the doorstep of the magical south west of Ireland.
The family-owned Gregans Castle Hotel is nestled in the heart of the beautiful Burren and been welcoming guests since the 1940s. The stunning 18th Century manor house is set in its own established and lovingly-attended gardens on the Wild Atlantic Way, and has spectacular views that stretch across the Burren hills to Galway Bay.
