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.
The cycling safari starts with a meeting of the group at 6:30pm in the lounge of the Arbutus Hotel (Tel 064 31037). This is a meeting point only, you are not actually staying here. After an introductory talk from the guide, an evening meal is organised in the hotel, while your luggage is transported to our nearby guesthouse(s). If you get there early you can leave your luggage with the hotel reception and explore this bustling town. If you have time, you could visit Ross Castle a wonderfully restored 16th Century Norman Tower House overlooking Lough Leane. You can even hire a boat from here and row out to a 6th Century monastic site located on one of the nearby islands. Ross Castle is about 1.5 miles from the town.
The tour starts off by following a cycle track into the beautiful grounds of Muckross House. Located on the grounds is a Franciscan Abbey founded in the 15th Century. It is now in ruins but is beautifully situated with a large yew tree rising up through the cloisters. After a stroll around the celebrated Muckross gardens there follows a wonderful cycle along a quiet path between two of the Killarney lakes before we return to the main road. A steady climb up to Molls Gap is rewarded with a delicious lunch in a restaurant with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. In the afternoon we sweep down to the picturesque seaside town of Kenmare. There are longer cycles available if you fancy stretching your legs this afternoon.
We follow a spectacular coast road hugging Kenmare Bay with its wonderful views of the MacGillikuddy Reeks Mountains, before stopping for lunch at a small pub overlooking the bay. In the afternoon you can visit the nearby Dereen Gardens with its amazing variety of flora. Leaving the Gardens you cycle west where you can visit an ancient stone circle or explore the beautiful scenery and quiet back roads of the Beara Way. Castletownbere, where we will spend the next two nights, is nestled at the foot of the Cahas Mountains and is Ireland’s largest white fish port.
Today’s cycle is a circular route, taking in the Beara Peninsula, one of the week’s highlights, with its twisted mountainscapes and breathtaking coastal scenery. We begin by retracing our route to Eyeries; from here, to our lunch-stop in Allihies, you can really feel you are away from it all, experiencing an undiscovered part of Ireland well away from some of the bustling tourist routes. After lunch you continue cycling around the peninsula with more wonderful views of the ocean. You have the option of detouring off the main route for a scenic bike ride to the crossing point for Dursey Island, which can be reached by catching a ride on the only cable car in Ireland. After this interesting detour you return back to the main road and continue on towards Castletownbere, passing the entrance for Dunboy Castle, which is well worth a visit.
We cycle along the shores of Bantry Bay, one of the deepest natural harbours in Europe. Glengariff, meaning “Rugged Glen” occupies a beautifully sheltered position, surrounded by mountains which, together with its mild climate, permits a variety of luxuriant plants to grow. Located just outside Glengarriff is Garnish Island, which was transformed between 1910 and 1913 from a bare limestone rock into a luxuriant garden island, known worldwide for its huge selection of plants and its Italian Garden full of exotic plants. A local regular ferry service provides a non-stop ferry service to the island, as well as water tours of Glengariff Harbour.
Today we head inland and cycle along quiet country roads with rolling fields dotted with grazing cattle and sheep, before arriving at the lakeside retreat of Gougane Barra, Ireland’s first National Park and the source of the River Lee. This is a beautiful peaceful place and an ideal setting for your last night in the countryside before you head back to the hustle and bustle of the great metropolis of Killarney!
For the last day we cycle up into the Coolea region via remote, peaceful mountain roads where you can really feel you are away from it all. We stop for a cup of tea at Irelands Highest Pub before descending back down into Killarney where we meet for a farewell night on the town together before heading our separate ways the following morning. There are a number of hills on the route but you have all day to do the cycling. You will be provided with a more comprehensive route description and map at the start of the tour. There is an option each day for a variety of longer routes. With the exception of the roads in and out of Killarney, the traffic on the route should be quite light. You should however cycle carefully at all times, especially when going downhill.
After breakfast you are free to head your separate ways.
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 | Price |
---|---|
Low Season | €4,253 |
Mid Season | €4,790 |
High Season | €5,390 |
Notes
Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.
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