The West of Ireland

Day 1:  Dublin – Clonmacnoise – Oranmore  215 km

On your arrival in Dublin I will personally welcome you. Our journey then will lead us across the country towards the West. On route we will stop at one of the most famous monastic sites of Ireland, Clonmacnoise, founded in the 6th Century. On this site on the banks of the majestic river Shannon we will walk among the ruins of buildings from the 10th to the 13th century, see High Crosses with their intricate celtic stone art as well as interesting round towers. We will continue our journey across the Shannon westward and stay overnight in Oranmore, a small town located on Galway Bay with cosy pubs and a choice of restaurants.

Overnight stay and breakfast in Armorica Boutique Guest House in Oranmore or similar

Day 2:  Southern Connemara and Galway  139 km

Today our journey will bring us into the boglands and along the deeply curved coastline of South Connemara. You can look forward to seeing isolated landscapes, the wild Atlantic, boglands, lakes and sheep. We will drive to the tip of one of the many peninsulas reaching into Galway Bay and enjoy the view across the bay over to the hills of the Burren. In the afternoon we will have a guided walk through Galway City, listening to the rich history and viewing many of its attractions. You will have plenty of time for your own explorations in this lively city with its street music, pubs and small shops. We will return to Oranmore which is just 11 km from Galway city centre, you could go out again at night and visit some music pubs or an Irish Dance Show in Galway city.

Overnight stay and breakfast in Armorica Boutique Guest House in Oranmore or similar

Day 3:  Lough Corrib Boat Trip – Cong – Mayo  168 km

Leaving Oranmore for the day, we will travel northwards to the town of Cong, which is located in between two major lakes. You can view the ruins of Cong Abbey, another historic site, with a large yew tree alley, or a modern church with beautiful stained glass windows. The town and adjacent woods invite a leisurely walk. The area was one of the locations of the famous movie ‘The Quiet Man’ with Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne. A small museum is housed in a traditional thatched cottage. There are also a number of restaurants and cafes for refreshments.
In the afternoon we will join a river cruise on the largest Irish lake, Lough Corrib, and stop at one of the over 300 islands, Inchagoill. The name translates as ‘Island of the pious strangers’. To this day the old ruined church and a graveyard offer an air of peace and tranquility. From the lake we will also catch a glimpse of Ashford Castle in the distance. Once owned by the Guinness family, it nowadays funtions as a luxury hotel.

Overnight stay and breakfast in Armorica Boutique Guest House in Oranmore or similar

Day 4:  Northern Connemara – Kylemore Abbey  191km

Today we will explore Northern Connemara: we drive along mountains, lakes and boglands and visit Kylemore Abbey, which was built as a grandios Victorian residence. In the early 20th century a Benedictine Order acquired it as their convent and ran a boarding school for girls here for many years.
Today it is one of the most popular visitor attractions. It offers walks along beautiful lakes, a large walled garden, an exquisite small church, and the convent itself. An exhibition detailing its interesting history can be viewed here. For the afternoon you can look forward to a meandering drive along minor roads: through remote valleys, along dark lakes and coastline of the fjord at Killary Harbour.

Overnight stay and breakfast in Armorica Boutique Guest House in Oranmore or similar

Day 5:  Burren inland  120 km

Change of scenery – after Connemara’s moorlands, mountains and lakes we will drive southward into the Karst landscape of the Burren, we will stop at the small Hazel Mountain Chocolate factory, where chocolate is manufactured from cocoa beans to the finished products. Travelling on we will go on a very special walk across the bare limestone pavements. Even though these bare areas are very exposed to the elements, we find an amazingly rich variety of alpine, arctic and mediterranean flowers and plants – a botanist’s paradise. We will then find our way to the Burren Perfumery well known for their natural perfumes, soaps, and cremes. There you can watch the splendour of the flora and fauna as photographed throughout the year, presented in a slideshow and also visit their lovely little cafe. Before we reach Ennistymon for our overnight, we will view a ringfort and the famous Poulnabrone Dolmen.
In the evening a special treat might awaits, if the Weather God treats us well: we will visit the world famous Cliffs of Moher and, weather permitting, experiencing a sunset at the Atlantic Edge of Ireland 

Overnight stay and breakfast in 4* Falls Hotel in Ennistymon or similar

Day 6:  Inis Oírr  30 km

Island Day: departing from Doolin we will take a modern small ferry boat over to the smallest of the three Aran Islands, Inis Oírr. We can explore the island on foot, by bicycle or horse cart and explore a sunken ruined church, a tower house at the centre of an older ringfort, a shipwreck and much more… Typical for the Aran islands are the many miles of stone walls, built up by generations to shelter animals and fields. On the journey back to the mainland we will see the Cliffs of Moher from their most spectacular side: upwards from the Atlantic. They stretch over 8 km up to a height of over 200 meters.

Overnight Stay and Breakfast in 4* Falls Hotel in Ennistymon or similar

Day 7:  Loop Head Lighthouse – ‘Cliffs of Nowhere’ – Kilkee  146 km

For today – out last day’s outing – we will travel along the Wild Atlantic Way to reach the Lighthouse at Loop Head, the most southwesterly point of County Clare, near the mouth of the river Shannon. We will visit the lighthouse, which was erected there in the 17th Century. From the top you can enjoy a view stretching out across thousands of miles of Atlantic Ocean. After a short walkabout we travel on to the small town of Kilkee with its sandy beach to reach a walkway along the coast. You will see cliff formations, natural amphitheatres, swimming pools and coves. Other than at the Cliffs of Moher here we will get close to the wildness of the elements and the rugged rocks.

Overnight stay and breakfast in 4* Falls Hotel in Ennistymon or similar

Day 8:  Limerick – Dublin  66 km

Today we will say our goodbyes: after one hour’s travel to Limerick you can take a coach directly to Dublin Airport. Or maybe you wish to extend your visit in Ireland and spend time in Limerick, Galway or Dublin. We are happy to help you plan and arrange your expanded programme, please contact us.

Services included in the tour price:

• 4x Overnight stays and breakfast in Armorica Boutique Guest House in Oranmore or similar
• 3x Overnight stays and breakfast in 4* Falls Hotel in Ennistymon or similar
• Transfer from Ennistymon to the bus station in Limerick on your departure day
• Private chauffeur and guide throughout your stay
• Round trip according to your tour programme (Programme subject to change)
• All travels in a modern Minibus
• Information materials for your tour
• Entrance fees:
  • Clonmacnoise site und exhibition
  • Lough Corrib Cruise to Inchagoill island
  • Kylemore Abbey
  • Boat trip to Inis Oírr and Cliffs of Moher
  • Loop Head Leuchtturm

Services not included:
Flights, personal expenses, gratuities, food and drinks Return journeys are organised individually.
We are happy to support you with booking bus or train tickets (Booking fee per person € 10)

Further Information:
Tour date: on request
Minimum number of participants: 2 participants 
Maximum number of participants: 8 participants

Tour Prices:
per person sharing a double/twin room (flights not included) on request prices vary depending on number of travellers

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