2025 Vacations

CONTINUING OUR EARLY 25 IN 25 CELEBRATIONS! 15% Discount on all self drive packages AND only €25pp deposit!

We continue to toast 25 years of creating Ireland vacations by extending our €25pp deposit AND offering you a 15% discount on any of our self-drive vacation packages! Book by 15th November 2024*

*CIE tours and Knitting tours not included

Tour Overview

‘Excellent’

Discover Ireland’s best pub locations on this 8 night Ireland self drive tour.

Irish pubs are known throughout the world for the friendliness and warmth of their hospitality and also for being the meeting place for like minded souls who find themselves in search of quality conversation, humour, music and food. Of course, let’s not forget that your typical Irish publican has also been known to occasionally provide the odd drink or two.

While the Irish pub is indeed a focal point for so much of the Irish social scene, there are a number of locations that simply seem to have more than their fair share of excellent watering holes. To this end, the Irish Pub & Folk Tour takes you to towns that offer numerous great pubs renowned for their atmosphere, food and superb traditional music.

As you travel between these towns in the east, south and west of Ireland, you will also have the opportunity to see some of the most beautiful & picturesque landscapes that Ireland has to offer. Combine that with the history of the regions that you are passing through and you have the makings of an unforgettable vacation.

This tour will provide you with a real insight into both the country of Ireland and its people and their way of life.

What's included

  • Accommodation in rooms with Private Bathroom Facilities 
  • Full Irish Breakfast Each Morning
  • Rental Car or Chauffeur Driven Car
  • 24/7 Local Telephone Support During Your Trip
  • Our Renowned Customized Sightseeing Guide
  • Unlimited Services of Experienced Ireland Based Travel Planner
  • Map of Ireland

Tour highlights

  • Aran Islands
  • Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
  • Burren
  • Christ Church Cathedral
  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Cobh Heritage Centre
  • Conor Pass
  • Dingle Peninsula
  • Doolin
  • Dublin Castle
  • Dublinia
  • Guinness Storehouse
  • Ring of Kerry
  • Trinity College & Book of Kells
  • Blarney Castle
  • Dunbrody Famine Ship
  • Hook Lighthouse Centre
  • Glendalough
  • Kilkenny Castle

Overnights for this tour

  • Kilkenny for 2 Nights
  • Killarney, County Kerry for 2 Nights
  • County Clare for 2 Nights
  • Dublin/Galway for 2 Nights

Accommodation options

  • Superior & First Class Hotels
  • Luxury Accommodation & Service in our 4-Star Country Manor Houses
  • Deluxe Accommodation in our 4 & 5 Star Irish Castles
  • Our Recommended & Handpicked B&B's, all rooms with private bath facilities
  • Any Combination of the above

Day 1 - Dublin to Kilkenny

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.

Day 2 - Kilkenny & Further Afield

There are a number of exceptional day trips to be experienced from Kilkenny and all within easy reach. These include a trip to The Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle in the neighbouring County of Tipperary. Cashel was once the seat of the Kings of Munster and capital of this southern province. The Rock of Cashel, which rears above the plain, dominated the land routes southwards. Kings of Ireland as well as Munster came to the Rock of Cashel and St. Patrick is known to have preached on the rock. Cahir Castle, once an important stronghold of the powerful Butler family, retains its impressive keep, tower and much of its original defensive structure and is one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved castles. You can then travel on to Waterford where you will see the Waterford Crystal factory. An alternate route would be to visit the county of Wexford to the south east. This would allow visits to the Irish National Heritage Park, the 13th Century Tintern Abbey, Hook Lighthouse, Dunbrody Abbey, the Kennedy Homestead, ancestral home of JFK and finally the Dunbrody Famine Ship.

Day 3 - Kilkenny to Killarney & Killarney Sightseeing

Your tour route today will take you from Kilkenny to Killarney in county Kerry. Killarney is often considered the gateway to the Ring of Kerry and its bustling pub scene, live shows and concerts make the town a preferred overnight stop for many the international tourist and Irish tourist alike. On your tour route you will find the magnificent Rock of Cashel, an impressive cluster of medieval structures set upon an outcrop of limestone in the Vale County of Tipperary. Saint Patrick is known to have prayed on the rock and converted local high kings to Christianity. Cahir Castle, one of Ireland’s best-preserved castles can also be easily found nearby. For those who wish to travel the slightly longer route to Killarney, Blarney Castle can be discovered. Cormac MacCarthy, a great Irish chieftain built the castle almost six hundred years ago and since then the castle and its ‘stone of eloquence’ has been attracting thousands of curious visitors every year. Legend has it that if you kiss the stone you will never be lost for words and have as the Irish say, ‘the gift of the gab’. When you get to Killarney there are many walks and trails for you to enjoy including a two-hour tour around the town itself. You will also have the opportunity to visit Ross Castle which sits delightfully on the shores of Killarney’s lower lake, the Gap of Dunloe and Killarney National Park. In the evenings the town’s pub scene comes to life.  As you rest from your travels you are sure to find a wide variety of traditional music as you explore the many old-style and contemporary pubs that this famous town has to offer.

Day 4 - Killarney Sightseeing & The Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry is a stunning journey through mountain and coastal scenery combined with the colourful towns and villages that are dotted around the Iveragh peninsula. Some popular stops include Kenmare which is famed for its many traditional pubs and restaurants, Waterville which is impressively positioned between the rough Atlantic Ocean and the fresh water lake of Lough Currane, the traditional market town of Cahersiveen with its traditional shop fronts and Valentia Island where a walk to the top of Geokaun Mountain will offer you unforgettable views. This driving tour will take you approximately three hours and for those that need a rest from driving we can arrange a bus tour through this route.  As a substitute to the Ring of Kerry tour you may favour a wonderful tour by pony and trap that takes you through the Black Valley in the Gap of Dunloe. After an optional bite to eat at Lord Brandon’s Cottage, you will return to Killarney by boat on the beautiful Lakes of Killarney.

Day 5 - Killarney to Clare

One of the longest but most dramatic days of your tour brings you from Killarney to the west coast of County Clare. First stop will be the Village of Adare in County Limerick. Adare is regarded by many as Ireland’s prettiest village with its charming thatched cottages, pretty Public Park and ancient churches. Shortly after this, you arrive at Bunratty Castle. Built in 1425, this grand castle was restored in 1954 to its former medieval glory. Within the grounds of the Castle, 19th century Irish life is accurately recreated through the reconstructed traditional Irish buildings in the folk park. Enjoy the sights and sounds of this fascinating place as you stroll from cottage to cottage or around the delightful village complete with post office, school, doctors house, printers, hardware shop, and of course the local pub where you can indulge in a pint of Guinness or an Irish Coffee! A short distance away, the majestic Cliffs of Moher are without doubt one of Ireland’s most spectacular attractions, offering stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean. You then arrive at the village of Doolin which is often referred to as ‘the music capital of Ireland’. With a great many pubs and restaurants to enjoy, over the last number of years Doolin has been attracting considerable crowds to spontaneous music sessions! With a great many pubs and restaurants to enjoy, over the last number of years Doolin has been attracting considerable crowds to spontaneous music sessions!

Day 6 - Doolin and Aran Islands

From Doolin, you may take a ferry out to the Aran Islands, the closest of which, Inisheer, is only 10 km off the coast. On the Islands, you can take a pony and trap, or a guided tour from the pier to the stone fort of Dun Aengus. Dún Aengus is located on top of a 300ft high sea cliff and is one of the finest prehistoric monuments in Western Europe. Back to Doolin then, where you could stop for some lunch, as there are many music pubs and restaurants to be found. Doolin is world-famous for its wealth of Irish folk music and in recent years has been attracting crowds to spontaneous sessions and festivals or 'fleadhanna' of Irish and international music. For another excursion from Doolin you could head to the 2 million year old Aillwee Caves, which have regular tours of the beautifully lit caverns as well as a farm shop and the Burren Birds of Prey & Educational Centre. Just north of this area you can then visit the lunar like Burren region and the ancient Poulnabrone Dolmen Tombs.

Day 7 - Clare to Dublin & Dublin Sightseeing

Today you travel to Dublin via Galway and Clonmacnoise. Clonmacnoise is an early Christian site founded by Saint Ciaran in the 6th century on the banks of the River Shannon and includes the remnants of eight churches, a cathedral, a number of Christian high crosses, two round towers and a large collection of early Christian grave stones. From here, travel either to Dublin or take a slight detour to the ancient passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth. One of the greatest wonders of the world, Newgrange is older than the Pyramids of Egypt and is the most notable passage-tomb in Europe. The many attractions and museums in Dublin are easily accessible on foot or with the help of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus service that stops at all of the major attractions including Dublin Castle, Christchurch Cathedral, Trinity Castle & the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, the National Museum of Ireland and The Guinness Storehouse to name just a few. In the evening Dublin City comes alive with its myriad pubs complete with excellent food and traditional & contemporary Irish music and entertainment.

Day 8 - More Dublin Sightseeing

Continue your sightseeing in Dublin today visiting the many historical and modern attractions that this cosmopolitan city has to offer. Other attractions include Saint Patrick’s Cathedral which has a spectacular choir featuring banners and stalls decorated with the insignia of the Knights of St. Patrick, the James Joyce Centre a well restored Georgian town house which contains a museum dedicated to this famous writer & the Dublin Writers Museum which contains exhibits relating to all Irish literature from 300 years ago to the present day.  Of course, you may wish to take time out to shop in busy Grafton Street or any one of the quaint streets that the café strewn city centre has to offer. Also worth a visit is EPIC, the Irish emigration museum and the GPO (General Post Office) which houses the ‘GPO Witness History’ visitor attraction. This exhibition tells the story of the 1916 rising and the aftermath of this historic rebellion.

Route map

Tour attractions

2025 Vacations

CONTINUING OUR EARLY 25 IN 25 CELEBRATIONS! 15% Discount on all self drive packages AND only €25pp deposit!

We continue to toast 25 years of creating Ireland vacations by extending our €25pp deposit AND offering you a 15% discount on any of our self-drive vacation packages! Book by 15th November 2024*

*CIE tours and Knitting tours not included

Tour Prices

Below, you will find a price for this self drive tour including your car rental. Pricing for other accommodation and transport options is also available upon request. Please also note that all of our driving tours itineraries and sightseeing guides are available to those wishing to avail of one of our experienced driver guides.

ACCOMMODATION WITH CAR RENTAL PRICING

Accommodation Type B&B's 3* Hotels 4*Hotels & Manor Houses Combination
Jan-Mar & Nov-Dec €968 €1,247 €1,584 €1,290
April & October €968 €1,390 €1,690 €1,454
May-June €1,089      
Jan-Mar & Nov-Dec        

Notes

  • Please note prices are per person based on 2 persons in each room with full Irish breakfast and taxes included.
  • The Combination package includes 4 Nights in 3*** Hotels, 2 nights in Luxury Manor House Hotels & 2 Nights in our hand-picked B&B's.
  • Children Sharing with 2 adults (aged 2-11) pay 40% of the Adult option.
  • Children under the age of 2 are free when sharing with 2 Adults.
  • Your Accommodation & Car Rental Package rate includes an Economy class car eg., Opel Corsa or Fiat Punto.
  • Included with your car is all compulsory insurances - Collision Damage Waiver insurance (CDW with an excess/deductible), theft protection insurance, location fee of €30, Road fund tax, sales tax at 13.5%, unlimited free mileage, third party liability insurance, 24 hour peace of mind break down cover.

Private Chauffeur Option Available For This Tour

  • Enjoy the services of an experienced and friendly driver guide
  • Luxury vehicles so you get to travel in style and comfort
  • Take the stress out of driving on unfamiliar and sometime narrow roads
  • With our knowledgeable drivers you see more in less time
  • You get to see the scenery instead of worrying about crashing into it!
  • Contact Us for a price quotation today

Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.

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