Luxury Castles & Manors – 10 Day Tour

Itinerary

Days 1 & 2: Arrive Shannon / Limerick / Adare / Killarney / Ring of Kerry / Dingle

Meet your driver/guide or pick up your rental car on arrival. Visit Bunratty Castle and continue to Limerick for a tour of King John’s Castle. Drive south with a stop in the picturesque village of Adare. Continue to Killarney for a 2-night stay at Cahernane House. Relax after your journey. This evening take a horse and carriage ride to Muckross House on the Killarney Lakes.

See the Gap of Dunloe and Kate Kearney’s Cottage. Take a tour of the Dingle Peninsula featuring some of Ireland’s most spectacular coastal scenery, including Slea Head and the Connor Pass. Dingle town is well known for hiking, fishing and sailing by day and by night for a lively restaurants, pubs and a traditional music scene.

Tour the famous Ring of Kerry. For centuries artists and writers have celebrated this beautiful landscape where the contrasting mountain, lake, and coastal scenery is at its most spectacular. Options include a boat trip to the Skellig Islands, which was a monastic settlement in early Christian times and was raided by the Vikings in 810AD; it is now home to one of the largest sea gannet colonies in the world.
(2-nights at Cahernane House)

Days 3 & 4: Killarney / Kenmare / Bantry / Cork / Kinsale

This morning visit Kenmare and Bantry. Enjoy a boat trip to Garinish Island. Continue to Cork and visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone eloquence. Tour Cork City and include a visit to the Shandon Bells, the gothic style University College, St Finbarr’s Cathedral, City Market and the Crawford Art Gallery.

Visit Cobh harbor, last port of call for Titanic. Then sample some Irish whiskey at Middleton Distillery. Continue to the picturesque fishing town of Kinsale. Arrive in time to enjoy lunch and a stroll through the narrow cobble stoned streets. (2-nights at Hayfield Manor)

Days 5 & 6: Cork / Kilkenny / Dublin City Sightseeing & Galleries

Depart Cork and visit the medieval city of Kilkenny, once the capital of Ireland in the middle ages. Tour Kilkenny Castle and shop at Kilkenny Design. Continue north to Dublin. Enjoy a visit to Dublin ‘s historic Georgian Squares or Walk through the Temple Bar area, which has become Dublin’s Left Bank!

Explore Dublin City. Highlights include Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Stroll down Grafton Street, Dublin’s premier shopping area. Visit the Guinness Brewery at St. James’ Gate and enjoy a taste the real thing at source. This evening perhaps attend the theatre. (2-Nights Westbury Hotel)

Days 7 & 8: Dublin / Galway City / Connemara / Mayo

Drive to Galway City, home to many artists and craftsmen where you will find a number of excellent galleries exhibiting and selling their work. The city is buzzing with street theatre, music, restaurants, great shops and pubs. Enroute visit the magnificent monastic ruins at Clonmacnoise on the banks of the Shannon. Continue to Ballynahinch Castle, your home for the next two nights.

Tour Connemara one of Ireland’s gaeltacht (Irish speaking) regions. Here the moorland landscape is dominated by the Twelve Bens Mountains and fringed by a deeply indented coastline. Around Leenane and Cong ‘The Quiet Man’ movie was made starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Visit Kylemore Abbey for tea and scones. You may wish to take a cruise on Killary Harbor. (2-Nights Ballynahinch Castle)

Day 9: Galway / Cliffs of Moher / The Burren

Drive south to County Clare to visit the Cliffs of Moher and enjoy a stop at Ailwee Cave to see the underground river and waterfall with their dramatic stalagmites and stalactites. Explore the lunar like landscape of the Burren region, famous for its unique flora and fauna and views of the Aran Islands. This limestone landscape is dotted with druidic altars, stone age fireplaces and 22 kinds of orchid. Enjoy your final night at the lovely Gregans Castle. (1 night at Gregan’s Castle)

Day 10: Shannon

Transfer this morning to Shannon Airport for your departure flight home. Drop off your rental car or say good bye to your driver/guide.

Trip Pricing

From $1,995 Per Person
This itinerary may be customized to suit your family or private group