Custom Ireland Tour: Dublin, Wicklow, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Clare & Galway

After a filling and delicious lunch in Dublin, hop into your expansive Caravelle and prepare for a drive displaying all the beauty of southern Ireland. Hug the coast through the rolling hills of Counties Wicklow and Wexford before starting west along the shore of the Celtic Sea. Drive through Waterford, a beautiful coastal town that is known throughout the world for its incomparable crystal goods, from barware to vases to chandeliers. Continue west through the oft under-appreciated scenery in Ireland’s south until you reach County Cork and the fishing village of Kinsale, the undisputed gourmand center of the entire island.  A progressive town at the forefront of the Fair Trade and Transition Towns movements, Kinsale offers one of the richest cultural experiences available in the entire country, with spectacular scenery framed by the River Bandon and the picturesque headlands of the Old Head of Kinsale, crowned by a striking lighthouse and an excellent golf course.

From your base at Kinsale, you’ll survey the romanticism of County Cork and its most famous sites. Discover the life of an Irish immigrant in the 19th Century at the lauded Cobh Heritage Center and its most popular exhibit, the Queenstown Experience. In this impeccable museum, you’ll see what life was like aboard an Atlantic cruiser and learn about the dolorous history of Ireland in the 1800s, when more than half of its population left as a result of a potato blight. Then make your way past Cork city and to the steps of Ireland’s most legendary edifice, Blarney Castle, where you’ll revel in the trek to the top of its fortified walls and a short, sweet kiss upon its most famous piece of masonry. (When telling this tale in the future, you’ll be sure to find your speech noticeably free, blessed as it is by your newfound gift of gab.) The grounds of the castle – all-too-often overshadowed by the castle itself – are not to be missed and include spectacular stone statuary that is often centuries old.

Tonight sees you back in Kinsale, ready for another delicious dinner and a riveting pub crawl through the city.

You’ll wake today to a full Irish breakfast, hearty fare meant to prepare you for your explorations of the weathered beauty of the coast of County Cork. Ride down the line of the Beara Peninsula on the edge of Bantry Bay, plunging more than 100 feet below the waterline and forming one of the longest inlets in Southwest Ireland. The area is also the site of a failed rebellion in the late 18th century known now as Wolfe Tone’s rebellion after its famous leader. There are also quaint Irish towns in this area, noteworthy for their charm and the captivating kind-heartedness of its people.

Then its north towards the larger towns of western Ireland, including Killarney, an impeccably kept town that was lauded as Ireland’s Tidiest in 2007 and that features the main drag populated by shops offering the finest Irish handicrafts and pubs, each as enchanting as it is unique.

Your final stop on your Western outing is the town of Tralee in County Kerry, a verdant and flowering village on the northern edge of the Dingle Peninsula. You’ll lose yourself in Tralee’s undeniable charm as you spend your next two nights in a luxury hotel located in easy distance of urban and natural pleasures alike.

There is a beautiful country to be found throughout Ireland, but it cannot be denied that nowhere is the glory of nature more prominently displayed than in the shorelines, mountains, valleys, and lakes that fill County Kerry. Today offers you the chance to explore the highlights of this astounding area and to soak in the raw beauty that is on display.

Take a spin on the most famous stretch of road in Ireland, the incomparable Ring of Kerry, and behold the majesty of Torc Falls and the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, the verdant serenity of the Gap of Dunloe and Ladies View, the expanse of the azure of the Lakes of Killarney and the wildlife which call this breathtaking region home. Or you can head further west onto the Dingle Peninsula, where you’ll experience the awesome confluence of sea and shore of this western-most part of Erin’s embrace. You’ll see the guiding hand atop East Tower, meant to help incoming ships avoid the treacherous waters, and the burnt sienna of the remains of the Ranga, wrecked 30 years ago but still lingering about the craggy cliffs and rocky shore. Feel free to stare down from the top of Mount Brandon, three thousand feet above the level of the sea, and offering an impressive vista over this beautiful coastline.

The River Shannon is much more than the longest and largest river in Ireland; a symbolic causeway linking north and south and dividing east from west, the Shannon plays prominently in the myths of the ancient Celts and the more-recent revolutionaries, offering the promise of wisdom or the hope of independence. This morning you’ll cross this mighty waterway at its far southern end, spanning its spectacular expanse from County Kerry into the striking countryside of County Clare.

Continue up the coast until you reach the iconic Cliffs of Moher, the quintessence of Ireland’s rugged West, soaring 700 feet above the churning surf of the Atlantic. Gaze into the sea toward Galway Bay and the famous Aran Islands, or turn your eyes inward toward the heart of Ireland and the salient rises of the Twelve Bens and the Maumturks Mountains. Stop by O’Brien’s Tower to experience the cliffs at their highest point, or take a trip to Cliff’s visitors center, lauded by many as one of the finest of its kind in the world.

Continue north through County Clare and into the heart of Connacht, County Galway, and Galway city, the “City of the Tribes.”

Near Galway, there is a place where the wind whispers in the dulcet lilt of Irish Gaelic, and the ground feels covered with the wool of sheep herded for hundreds of years. This place, the center of native Irish culture, is known as Connemara, and the land nearly sings its own beauty and enchantment, from hill to glen to crashing the shore. Tremble in the shadow of the mighty Twelve Bens and float serenely to the grounds of Tara at the swelling surf of the Atlantic.

Your tongue will certainly be foreign to most of the locals, but you’ll find that their charm is truly boundless and their hospitality will make you feel like family after only a brief introduction. This is a country of farmers and shepherds, of poets and artists who revel in the tranquility of towns like Roundstone Village, Rosmuck, Cleggan, and Carna. While the boundaries of Connemara might be constantly shifting and subject to personal interpretation, you’ll be sure to find it universally spellbinding, with all the romance of a Celtic myth and all the grandeur of a great harp.

Return to the security of the Pale and the urban offerings of the Republic’s capital for your final full day in the Emerald Isle. Untold beauty will confront you at every turn until the headlands of the Liffey, where you can continue exploring the vibrant scenes of Dublin’s celebrated streets. Stroll down O’Connell Street and Dame Street to witness the Georgian grandeur of 19th Century Dublin, or spend the afternoon tracking down some of the city’s more noteworthy statues. Dinner can be had in the vibrant Temple Bar district, the more subdued and understated streets near Leinster House, or further afield in Howth, where Irish music and dancing meet fine Irish cuisine and drinks at the Abbey Tavern.

After a full breakfast, say goodbye to your driver and Ireland at Dublin International; after your memorable visit, you might be ready to fly, but you’ll never be ready to leave.