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
Absolutely Wonderful Vacation!Thank you Maria of Irish Tourism for organizing and coordinating the 2 1/2 week trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland that my wife, daughter, and I recently took with my f Read more »
I came across Irish Tourism while searching for a travel service to help organize a family vacation to Ireland. We had never been to Ireland and were keen to organize our holiday to enable us to deepl Read more »
This tour has everything!! Stay in the most luxurious of our Irish Castles and Manor Hotels on this 9 day Platinum vacation to Ireland complete with ferry trip to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands and home to the spectacular pre-Christian Dun Aonghus Fort. Add in Gourmet meals in many of Ireland’s best restaurants, private tours and so much more and you have the vacation of a lifetime. While this tour includes many of Ireland’s most iconic locations, because all of our travel consultants live in Ireland, they also have an intimate knowledge of Ireland’s hidden gems. All of our tours are designed in-house and as well having your own dedicated travel consultant, you will also receive a comprehensive and unparalleled daily sightseeing guide that is unmatched in the industry. While this is a self-drive vacation, a chauffeured version is also available. Just Tell Us What You Want!
While this is a self-drive vacation, a chauffeured version is also available!
As well as the upgrades to 5 star hotels in all locations, additional highlights of the ‘PLATINUM TOUR’ while in Ireland will be 2 nights in the wonderful Dromoland Castle, attending the Bunratty Castle Banquet, afternoon tea in Dublin’s Deluxe Merrion Hotel, a Falconry session in Dromoland Castle plus more….
To top it off, your tour price includes 3 gourmet dining experiences in 3 of Ireland’s premier restaurants, The Michelin Star restaurants of Patrick Guilbaud’s in The Merrion and Chef Tony Parkin and the Cliff House in Ardmore. There will also be dinner at the Earl of Thomond restaurant in Dromoland Castle.
Don't Forget! All elements of this vacation package can be customized to suit your needs. If you have a location or special ‘MUST SEE’ place, make sure to mention this to your travel consultant.
From Shannon, you will be heading to the quaint town of Dingle in County Kerry via Limerick City, the pretty village of Adare and the dramatic Conor Pass on route to what is perhaps the most dramatic and scenic peninsula in the country. Limerick City is home to King John’s Castle and the Hunt Museum. Adare is regarded by many a seasoned traveller as Ireland’s prettiest village with its charming thatched cottages, manicured public park and ancient church. The small village of Annascaul is the birth place of Tom Crean, a local hero who accompanied Scott and Shackleton on three Antarctic expeditions, including Scott’s doomed attempt to reach the South Pole. On his return to Annascaul Crean opened the "South Pole Inn", which is still in business today. Dingle retains the charm of a fishing village despite being a popular tourist destination.
From Dingle head to the harbour village of Ventry, in which the ancient tale of the Battle of Ventry Strand is based. The tale as told in a 15th century manuscript describes how Daire Donn, King of the World, landed at Ventry in an attempt to invade Ireland and was defeated on the beachhead by Fionn Mac Cumhaill. You will also see Dunbeg Fort and the Blasket Islands just off the coast. Further along the coast road will bring you to the remains of Ferriter Castle and Dun An Oir. Here in 1580, after three days siege, over 600 Irish and Spanish soldiers surrendered to Lord Grey only to be massacred by his troops. Nearby is the Gallarus Oratory, one of the best preserved early Christian church buildings in Ireland. Back to Dingle for the evening. Here you will find among other great pubs and restaurants, Dick Macks, possibly Dingle’s most famous pub, which is half a leather shop and half a pub so you can buy a pint and a purse at the same time! Foxy John’s is a hardware store and pub combined – an unusual arrangement to say the least.
After an early breakfast depart Dingle in the direction of Brandon to drive over the renowned Conor Pass, Ireland’s highest mountain pass. At the summit Brandon and Tralee Bays can be seen to the north, with the sandy Castlegregory peninsula separating them and to the south lies Dingle Bay. Continue to Tralee and Tarbert where you will take a ferry crossing on the Shannon Estuary to County Clare. Continue north to the Cliffs of Moher. The majestic Cliffs of Moher are without doubt one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights and overlook the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of West Clare. You then arrive at the village of Doolin. Doolin is world-famous for its wealth of Irish folk music and in recent years has been attracting crowds to spontaneous sessions in any one of its excellent pubs. Just north of the Cliffs you then have the lunar like Burren region and the ancient Poulnabrone Dolmen Tombs as well as the Aillwee Caves.
Today we travel to the university city of Galway and on to the Connemara region west of Galway. Also on route, you will have a chance to visit Dunguaire Castle which was built in 1520 by the O'Hynes clan on the picturesque shores of Galway Bay. You will also have the chance to stop in Galway, the ‘City of the Tribes’ is also known as Ireland’s Cultural and festival capital. Other sites in Galway include Ireland’s largest medieval parish church, the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra dating back to 1320. Christopher Columbus reputedly worshipped in this church in 1477. Also nearby are Galway Cathedral, the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square. Continue west of Galway to the hauntingly beautiful Connemara Region. Situated on the most western seaboard of Europe, this unspoilt region boasts breathtaking scenery. The characteristic features of Connemara include its rugged, unpolluted coastline, dramatic mountains, numerous lakes and rivers and woodlands and the renowned Connemara National Park. Visit Kylemore Abbey and the Lough Inagh Valley as well as the spectacular Sky Road near the town of Clifden. You can also visit the fishing village of Roundstone and see how a ‘Bodhran’ (traditional Irish Drum) is made
Touring north from Connemara, you will also be able to walk along the fjord at Killary harbour or indeed take the catamaran cruise through Ireland's only fjord. From there travel just south of Westport to see Croagh Patrick, otherwise known as Ireland's 'Holy Mountain' upon which St. Patrick (according to Irish folklore) spent 40 days fasting. The area around Croagh Patrick is rich in archaeological remains which provide an interesting insight into life in times past. Findings date back to 200 B.C. You may also wish to visit Westport House - Designed by the famous architects Richard Cassels and James Wyatt in the 18th century, Westport House is located west of the Shannon and is one of Irelands’ most historic homes open to the public.
Just north of the town of Westport in the county of Mayo is Ireland’s least populated region where you can walk the open countryside for miles with no company other than the local sheep. The amazing geology, archaeology, botany and wildlife of this region of North Mayo is interpreted for us at The Céide Fields Visitors' Centre with the aid of an audio-visual presentation and exhibitions. Achill Island and the Currane Peninsula, on the west coast of Co Mayo, are among the most remote and scenic areas in Ireland. You can also travel north to Castlebar, home to the Museum of Country life, an open-plan building houses collections of domestic goods, once used as part of daily life from 1850 to 1950. Exhibits and a movie explain how Irish people made a living from the soil before the machine age. Further north, you may wish to travel to Sligo and view the Ancient Tombs of Carrowmore. There are over 60 tombs here that have been located by archaeologists to date, dating back to nearly 5,000 B.C. and centuries older than the Pyramids of Egypt. Also in Sligo is Drumcliff Churchyard, perhaps the most visited graveyard in Ireland. William Butler Yeats is buried here under the epitaph that he penned, “Cast a Cold Eye on Life, on Death. Horsemen, pass by!”. The Churchyard stands in the shadow of the magnificent Benbulben and here you will find a visitor centre, crafts shop and coffee shop.
From Westport, you may wish to visit the Village of Cong on route to Galway. The famous movie, ‘The Quiet Man’ starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was filmed in this location. Here you can visit locations from The Quiet Man film such as the dying man's house, Innisfree, Castletown, the river fight scene, 'hats in the air' scene, Rev. Playfairs house, Pat Cohan's Bar and many more. Another slight detour of note on this route is the village of Knock. It is a major Roman Catholic pilgrimage site and it is claimed there was an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1879.Galway City, the ‘City of the Tribes’ also known as Ireland’s Cultural and festival capital. Galway and in particular, the Quays area of the city centre will enthrall you particularly in the evening time. Other sites in Galway include Ireland’s largest medieval parish church, the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra dating back to 1320. Christopher Columbus reputedly worshipped. The quay’s area of Galway City is the ideal place to spend your final evening as you will find some of the best traditional entertainment in the country in some of the finest pubs in Ireland.
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
Don't Forget!
Accommodation Type | B&Bs | 3* Hotels | 4* Hotels & Manor Houses | Combination |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan-Mar & Nov- Dec | €836 | €990 | €1,362 | €1,081 |
April & October | €836 | €1,090 | €1,390 | €1,175 |
May-June | €890 | €1,485 | €1,840 | €1,490 |
July-September | €1,042 | €1,590 | €1,961 | €1,590 |
Notes
Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.
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