Hidden Ireland Tour for Senior Travelers

Ashford castle and gardens in County Mayo, Ireland.

What to expect on this itinerary

It can be surprising how much of Ireland remains unchanged and mostly undiscovered. This two-week tour will show you the island’s traditional places and forgotten wonders, taking you off the beaten track and away from noisy tour buses. Feel the authentic Irish atmosphere, meet the locals, and uncover the island’s best-kept secrets. Handcrafted for senior travelers, this tour will have you traveling by private chauffeur from Belfast to Dublin, taking in the highlights of Derry, Clifden, Dingle, and Beara.

Countries Visited

Ireland

Places Visited

Belfast, Derry, County Mayo, Clifden, Connemara, County Clare, Dingle Peninsula, Kenmare, West Cork, Dublin

Suggested Duration

14 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Belfast – First Impressions of Northern Ireland

Belfast has a gritty beauty. At first, it can seem a little rough around the edges, but after meeting with the people, a splendor will emerge. The locals take the time to say hello, and they are proud of their city and eager to point out Victorian heritage and unique Northern Irish traditions. Vibrant welcomes will greet you in pubs and along the streets, especially during the evening. After landing at Belfast’s international airport, a guide will transfer you to a small boutique hotel within the city. This evening, you will be accompanied into the city for an opportunity to absorb the city’s traditional atmosphere and dine on classic cuisine.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Breakfast
Day 2

Belfast – Experiencing Belfast History on a Black Taxi Tour

Day 3

Derry – Exploring Giant’s Causeway and a Stop at Bushmills Distillery

Day 4

Country Mayo – Discovering Ireland’s Walled City and WB Yeats

Day 5

Clifden – Highlights of Remote North West Ireland

Day 6

Clifden – Uncovering the Secrets of Connemara

Day 7

County Clare – Irish Castles and Lunar Landscapes

Day 8

Dingle – Authenticity and Tradition on the Dingle Peninsula

Day 9

Dingle – A Laid-Back Day in True Gaelic Country

Day 10

Kenmare – Handpicked Highlights of the Ring of Kerry and Away From the Crowds

Day 11

West Cork – Off the Beaten Path in Beara and the Caha Mountains

Day 12

Dublin – Highlights on Route to the Capital

Day 13

Dublin – Free Day to Discover Dublin

Day 14

Dublin – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Discover Ireland’s dramatic, Atlantic coastline without the tour bus crowds of the Cliffs of Moher
  • Embrace the intense beauty of Connemara and The Burren, which are landscapes that can seem fictional at first glance
  • Explore Ireland’s recent history during a black taxi tour in Belfast as well as a day in the walled city of Derry
  • Connect with tradition during the two days that you will have in Gaelic speaking Dingle
  • Journey to Ireland’s forgotten corners, including the remote Northwest and the undiscovered Beara peninsula
  • Feel the power of history when you explore Ireland’s medieval and mythical castles
  • Admire ancient Celtic crosses, tour the Bushmills distillery, and find the sights that inspired WB Yeats
  • Marvel at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and see parts of the Ring of Kerry that have not been touched by tourism
  • Cross the Burren and take a peek inside Bronze Age portal tombs
  • Sleep in castles and country homes, which are accommodations that have been handpicked specially for you in mind

Detailed Description

On an island of such precious natural splendor, it does not make sense for the view to be crowded by tour buses. Everywhere on the Emerald Isle can be a postcard, not just the Cliffs of Moher and Ring of Kerry. Handcrafted for senior travelers, this two-week tour will take you off the beaten track to the beautiful and authentic places that are yet to garner international acclaim. You can meet Gaelic-speaking locals, walk in the footsteps of Yeats, explore wild and unspoiled peninsulas, and have many quiet moments in the Irish atmosphere. Add in cute country houses and castle accommodation to make this a vacation for going far beyond the postcards.

Start in Belfast rather than Dublin, which is a quirky city that is full of secrets and lively welcomes. A black taxi tour will show you the city’s troubled past on day two before the splendor of Giant’s Causeway is the primary highlight of day three. As you settle into the Irish experience, you can go tasting at Bushmills, explore walled Derry, trace the WB Yeats inspiration, and discover the dramatic Northwestern coastline. By day six, you will be in Clifden, surrounded by the wonder of Connemara and searching for castles and charms in a land untamed. Most Irish tours stick to Dublin and the Southern half of the island, so during this first week, it is very doubtful that you will encounter many other tourists.

Fortunately, it is also easy to sidestep the tour buses when exploring Ireland’s famous places. Days eight and nine will be spent on the Dingle Peninsula, where they still speak Irish, and there is one pub for every 40 residents. It is another excellent place to put your feet up and soak in tradition, and as with the rest of the tour, you can expect a laid-back, daily itinerary that blends into your mood and energy levels. The Ring of Kerry is unmissable, but your guide will stop at its less-famous places on day ten before you cross the Caha Mountains and escape to the Beara Peninsula, which is the island’s final frontier.

It will be a long drive to Dublin on day 12, and your guide can explain potential places to stop. By resting in Dublin, you can reflect on almost two weeks of getting to know the people and landscapes. There will be time to discover some key Dublin highlights like Trinity College, which is simply breathtaking. This is a privately chauffeured tour, and you will be led by a driver/guide throughout. This guide can also help you navigate the customs and culture, accompany you to the best pubs, and show you the best local, entertainment venues. Learn more about how your luxury Ireland tour company can personalize the vacation of your dreams.

Starting Price

$9,100 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 471 reviews

Deborah S.
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The trip details were very well planned and managed by Zicasso's travel company. The persons who served as our guides both went above and beyond to ensure our trip was everything we wanted it to be.

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Peter C.
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The Zicasso travel experts were very professional and knowledgeable.

The trip met our expectations and was well-organized.

We had a very good time.

Their support was always available and helpful.

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We had a great time. The hotels were great. The restaurant suggestions were excellent. The selected private walking tours were well done.

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Kat P.
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Our trip was amazing!! It started out with the great communication and planning from Zicasso's travel company. It was lovely having every detail planned to our group's liking. They also chose the absolute best driver we could have ever asked for. Thank you to our coordinators and our driver for making this our trip of a lifetime!!

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Scott H.
Ireland, Scotland Father-Daughter Trip Review: Dublin, Edinburgh, Irish Countryside, Scottish Countryside, Private Tour, 9 Days

My adult daughter and I just returned from our wonderful nine-day trip to Ireland and Scotland. We are very, very happy with the travel services Zicasso's travel company and their team provided for us. Their assistance in the design, planning, arrangement-making, and execution of our trip was first-rate in all ways, enhanced by friendly, professional, and timely communication all along the way. The company earned our praise and trust.

Kudos to Zicasso for having high-quality travel-service companies like them in your network. We will highly recommend both companies to others and will keep both in our first considerations if we are fortunate enough to consider and plan for future overseas trips.

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Dan M.
Ireland Tour Review: 11 Nights

Our trip to Ireland was fantastic and it could not have been so without the help and expertise of Zicasso's travel designer. Her input was invaluable. From the onset, she took the time to determine what we wanted from our vacation and her recommendations were spot-on.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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