The Best of Ireland – now available on a private, relaxed tour
Experience Ireland’s charms on this 11-day trip, now available for booking. Extremely limited, we’ll take only four people on this tour and prefer a family or two couples who already know one another for maximum cohesiveness and enjoyment.
Day 1: Arrival at Shannon. We drive about an hour into the heart of Ireland and County Tipperary for a night in a Georgian mansion surrounded by hundreds of sheep – yes, this is Ireland! Relaxation for the afternoon. Unlike big bus tours, we don’t believe in pushing our weary guests too hard on their first day. Tonight, dinner in a pub in the colorful town of Cashel followed by a visit to an ancient abbey.
Day 2: Visit the “Rock of Cashel” and then a drive to the coast where we show you the bright and cheery town of Cobh. It wasn’t always so cheery, this is the place where millions of Irish left their homeland forever during the famine years. We then continue to the little town of Kinsale for two nights. Kinsale is well-known as Ireland’s culinary capital. We enjoy some of that reputation tonight.
Day 3: We explore the Old Head of Kinsale, a hauntingly beautiful old abbey and have lunch at a sparkling bay, taking in the gorgeous countryside of southern Cork before returning to Kinsale for another great meal.
Days 4, 5 and 6: We drive past Cork City on our way to Kenmare. (No, we don’t stop to kiss the Blarney Stone. That’s for the big bus tourists, and besides, yuck! Kissing a stone which has had 4,000 people before you kiss it? No thanks) Three nights at Kenmare’s oldest house, lovingly restored to a very high standard private inn with fabulous breakfasts. During our time here, we explore the Rings of Beara and Kerry.
Kenmare also has a host of excellent restaurants.
Days 7 & 8: Dingle Town and the peninsula where there are hundreds of reminders of Ireland’s ancient past. People have been living here for more than 4,000 years, and we show you some of the remains of that ancient civilization. We stay at a lovely, modern inn located on a bluff high above the town with a spectacular view. By the way, the owners of our inn have been chosen many times as the “Best Breakfast” in Ireland by esteemed travel writers. Experience for yourself!
Day 9: We travel the backroads up to the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most famous natural landmarks. Afterwards, we drive to the hamlet of Bunratty where we stay at a B&B just 15 minutes away from Shannon Airport. Dinner tonight in an excellent pub next to our B&B.
Day 10: Departure back to the USA
Minimum guests: 2
Maximum: 4
Price: Provided without obligation, just ask, but don’t wait too long! This “Best of Ireland” Tour will book up fast. We can do two of these in the month of August only.