For your added comfort, a private assistant will be waiting for outside of airport customs, holding a sign with your name on it. They will direct you to your awaiting private transfer, and accompany you to your hotel for check-in. They will also provide a brief overview of the city on the way to the hotel, assist with check-in, and go through the welcome pack with you.
Discover Ireland with a private driver, featuring experienced driving skills and expert local knowledge and insight into the best towns, monuments and historic sites of the Emerald Isle. In addition to your pre-booked customized touring, get recommendations on where to shop, have a drink, grab a bite, and even lesser-known sites typically ignored by visitors, all of which you can stop to visit on a whim (payable on the spot), because your days have built-in flexibility. Enjoy an introduction to Ireland with such depth and quality that's only possible with a local expert. Speak to your Destination Expert if you would like to upgrade and weave in additional Specialist Guides along your journey which can elevate your experience and provide additional expertise and support on your adventure.
A welcome package with a city map, train tickets (if relevant), and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful, will be provided to you on your first day in destination.
DAY 2
DUBLIN
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Guinness Storehouse
A Walk Through the Past
Meet your private guide at your hotel and set out on foot for a half-day walking tour of Dublin, exploring the highlights of the lively Irish capital. Stroll through the landscaped grounds of St Stephen’s Green, a public park dating back to 1664, followed by a walk through Merrion Square, with its impressive red brick Georgian townhouses. Stroll past the historic Dublin Castle, former seat of the English, along with the Lords and Kings of Ireland, now used for all State ceremonial events. Pass by Christchurch, built by the Anglo-Norman’s in 1172 to replace an earlier Church built by the Vikings in 1038. No visit to Dublin would be complete without a visit to St Patrick’s Cathedral, a highlight of your tour. Built in 1192, it is one of Ireland’s largest cathedrals, made famous by its former dean Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels. Check out the old cobbled lanes and hip establishments of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter, and visit Trinity College where you’ll be able to see the 8th century Book of Kells, perhaps the world’s most beautifully illustrated book and gaze upon the 200,000 books of the long room. Conclude your tour back at your hotel.
Enjoy admission to the Guinness Storehouse, granting you access for a self-guided tour exploring Ireland's number one visitor attraction, providing an unforgettable welcome and a magical journey deep into the heart of the world famous Guinness brand and beer company. This historical building is central to the heritage of both Dublin and Ireland, and has been continually updated to create a blend of fascinating industrial tradition with a contemporary edge. The seven floors of the Storehouse bring to life the rich heritage of Guinness, telling the story from its origins at St James's Gate in Dublin to its growth as a global brand, known all around the world. Included with your admission is a free Guinness at the end of your self-guided tour.
DAY 3
DUBLIN TO GALWAY
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The Journey Continues…
Depart Dublin today and transfer to Galway passing through the scenic Midlands en route - an area rich in a landscape of blanket bog dispersed with lakes, castles and historic towns. It's here where you'll get to visit the ruins of Clonmacnoise, where a walk amongst the ancient stone ruins of this renowned 6th century city will envoke images of the scholars and saints of Ireland's Golden Age of learning. Continuing on your journey toward Galway, Ireland's Gaelic and artistic capital, approach the city along the famous Galway Bay, where you'll happen upon the charming and timeless villages of Spiddal, Barna and Furbo. On arrival to Galway, discover the Latin Quarter, buzzing from the eclectic legacy of a maritime past with its Spanish Arch and historic cobbled street fronts. The city is famous for its lively ambience and impromptu street entertainment, never more evident than with a walk through Kirwan's Lane, the city's busking capital, spotted with 16th and 17th century architectural relics. See the Claddagh District, the point of origin of the Claddagh ring, world-renowned as the international symbol of friendship. Further along the Claddagh, the city opens to the Atlantic Ocean at Salthill, with promenades and beautiful vistas. Conclude your day at your hotel in Galway.
DAY 4
GALWAY
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Lose Yourself in Nature
Today you'll set out for a full day tour of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher, a UNESCO Global Geopark in West Clare, ranked at the top of Ireland's most rugged and dramatic landscapes with shifting and sculpted stone creating unforgettable scenery you won't want to miss. On arrival to visit the Cliffs of Moher, you'll head out along the pathways, walking to various viewing platforms for different lookout points out across what is easily one of Ireland's most iconic views - offering moments of contemplation and awe, as you gaze out across sheer, eroded cliffsides which drop dramatically down to the North Atlantic below. In Polnabrone, head out across a rocky, glacio-karst field worn away by ancient glaciers to view an impressive neolithic portal tomb, called the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a stone burial monument erected by some of the very first settlers to this remote, pitted landscape over 5,200 years ago. Allow time to discover the quaint and picturesque seaport villages of Ballyvaughan and Kinvarra, the later of which will allow you to catch views of the 16th century Dunguaire Castle, one of the most photographed castles in all of Ireland.
DAY 5
GALWAY
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Sights and Insights
Explore Connemara on a full day tour, venturing out into what is one of Ireland's most wild and beautiful regions. Discover Connemara's alpine-like capital Clifden, where old stone church spires tower over the surrounding village, gateway to the majestic scenery of the Sky Road, touting unmatched rugged natural beauty and remarkable vistas out across Connemara. Head to Letterfrack where you'll enter into Connemara National Park, for a scenic walk into a portion of the park's 7,400 acres of rugged bog, mountains and grassland. Continue with a visit of the impressive Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded on the grounds of a 19th century castle by nuns who fled Belgium in WWI. Admire the stunning architecture and stroll the impressive walled Victorian gardens before returning to Galway.
DAY 6
GALWAY TO DUBLIN
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A Change of Scenery
Transfer to Dublin today. Approximate travel time is 3 hours.
Right in the heart of Dublin, the Arlington Hotel at O'Connell Bridge hosts the best Irish show in the city, Celtic Nights. Make your way to the Arlington for a night of fun and feast, as your admission provides you an evening of traditional music and dance, which has dazzled audiences for over two decades, along with a delightful 3-course dinner (drinks payable on spot). The show includes World Championship dancers and All-Ireland winning musicians showcasing some of Ireland’s sean nos (old style) Irish dance, along with the famous Brush Dance. Choreographed for maximum audience participation, Celtic Nights is an evening packed with entertainment.
DAY 7
DUBLIN
Until Next Time…
Meet your private driver and vehicle for an airport transfer.
