The two-week duration of this tour offers enough time to absorb the richness of Irish cultures and customs at a pace that is comfortable for all. From the stunning coastal landscapes of Antrim to the craggy inlets of Kerry's southern shores, discover Ireland in all its hues and shades on this 14-Day all-Ireland adventure.
This tour features both of the iconic Irish regions of The Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East.
Allow Ireland to seep through you on this two-week tour. The 14 Day Iconic Scenes charts a path through the quintessential destinations of both Ireland and Northern Ireland. Click on the days below to find out what adventures you can look forward to on each day of your tour.
On arrival in Dublin Airport, reclaim your baggage and enter the Arrivals Hall. Here, you will meet your tour guide (who is also your driver). There will be 3 group airport transfers this morning between 0700 am and 1200 noon. To ensure a smooth start to your tour, it is advisable to aim for an arrival time in Dublin Airport before 11:00 am, as clearing immigration and reclaiming baggage typically takes around 1 hour.
Board your luxury air-conditioned coach and transfer to the Dunboyne Castle Hotel. This afternoon you might like to take a stroll around the grounds of the hotel.
At 1900 this evening, all participants will gather for dinner in the Dunboyne Castle Hotel restaurant where you will become acquainted with your fellow travellers and the coming days can be discussed at leisure with your tour guide.
Time | Arrival Transfer details |
---|---|
Between 07:00 and 12 (noon) | Dublin Airport There are 3 group airport transfers this morning, between 7am and 12 noon, from Dublin Airport to Dunboyne Castle Hotel. |
After some much-needed sleep and a hearty full Irish breakfast, depart for Northern Ireland, also referred to as the six counties of Ulster. The province of Northern Ireland was created with the partition of the island of Ireland in 1921. Your destination today will be Belfast City, the only city in Ireland to fully experience the Industrial Revolution. Linen, rope making, tobacco and most famously shipbuilding including the building of the Titanic Belfast on the Harland & Wolff shipyard, were the main industries. The Troubles took their toll on the economic life of Belfast, but the past fifteen years of peace have returned much prosperity, while the genuine friendliness of the city never left.
Travelling north, your route today will take you through County Meath, the Royal County — owing to its history as the seat of the High King of Ireland. Visit Trim Castle. The largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter built it over a 30-year period and finished it in 1206. Trim Castle was also a film location for the movie "Braveheart".
Continue onto Belfast City via County Louth. On arrival in Belfast City, you will discover the history of the Titanic Belfast in the world's largest Titanic-themed visitor attraction, located on the very slipways where she was built in the heart of Belfast.
Tonight, you will overnight and dine at Clayton Hotel Belfast.
In the morning, continuing on your tour of Belfast City, you will be joined by a specialised step on local Belfast City Guide to see and hear all about the history of this once troubled city — including the Belfast Murals of the Loyalist Shankill Road and Nationalist Falls Road.
In the afternoon, travel south of the city to Hillsborough Castle & Gardens. Located in County Down, Hillsborough Castle is the official Northern Ireland residence of the British Royal family during their time in the region. In 2014, the castle and its gardens — set across 100 acres of stunning waterways, lawns and woodlands — were officially opened to the public.
Return to Belfast City. Overnight and dine in Clayton Hotel Belfast.
This morning depart for Derry/Londonderry City. The city fortifications are amongst the best preserved in Europe and were completed in 1618 to defend the city from Gaelic chieftains in Donegal.
Your route today will take you via the spectacular Antrim Coastal Route through the nine Glens of Antrim and picturesque villages of Ballygalley, Carnlough, Cushendall and Cushendun to Ballycastle. Continue onto Bushmills. Here you will visit the Bushmills Distillery. Known around the world as the oldest licensed distillery. We will stop here for a whiskey tasting. Its grant to distil whiskey was given in 1608, but it is believed that the spirit was probably made here 200 years before that!
Further north On the coast, you will visit Giant's Causeway. This prehistoric geological phenomenon is the subject of many myths and legends. There are an estimated 37,000 basalt columns extending from cliffs down into the sea.
This afternoon you will continue west to Derry/Londonderry City for an overnight stay at the Maldron Hotel Derry. Dine at the hotel tonight.
This morning after breakfast, you will discover the famous Derry City Walls. You will be joined by a specialised local guide at the Derry Guildhall for a walking tour of the historic Derry City Walls.
Later this morning, depart for Enniskillen. This beautiful town is found in the heart of County Fermanagh. It occupies an island between Upper and Lower Lough Erne.
Your route will take you via Strabane and Omagh in County Tyrone to the Ulster American Folk Park. An open-air museum located on the restored boyhood home of Judge Thomas Mellon, founder of the Pittsburgh banking dynasty. The Park's permanent exhibition, called 'Emigrants', examines why two million people left Ulster for America during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.
Dinner and overnight will be in the Westville Hotel, located in the heart of Enniskillen's historic waterside quarter.
After breakfast, you will venture on a Lough Erne Cruise. Boasting a rich combination of natural and historic sights, a haven for many species of water birds. You will visit Devenish Island. Here you will see the monastery founded by St. Molaise in the 6th Century. The most spectacular sight on this tiny, windswept island is a perfectly preserved 12th Century round tower that stands 82ft high.
Depart for Galway City, known as the "City of the Tribes". Today, it is a vibrant bustling harbour town with medieval origins and with a long tradition of Irish language, music, song, and dance.
Travelling south, your route today will take you via Leitrim, Sligo and Mayo. Visit Drumcliffe County Sligo, where you can read the epitaph on the grave of W.B. Yeats. Continue onto Galway.
Tonight, you will overnight and dine in the Menlo Park Hotel.
Today you will tour the sights of wild Connemara via the villages of Moycullen, Oughterard, Maam Cross and Recess, before travelling up the spectacular Inagh Valley with the 12 Bens of Connemara on your left and the Maumturks Mountains on your right as you travel to Kylemore.
You will visit Kylemore Abbey. An historic building nestled at the base of Duchruach Mountain, on the northern shore of Lough Pollacappul — in the heart of the Connemara Mountains. It is regarded as one of Ireland's most romantic buildings.
Travel on via the shores of Killary Fjord. This is Ireland's only fjord and is a Wild Atlantic Way signature discovery point, on the Mayo - Galway border, Ireland's only fjord, before crossing into Mayo and continuing on to the village of Cong, the film location of "The Quiet Man" for a brief stop.
Return to Galway City via the shores of Lough Corrib, the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland and is considered by many as the best fishing lake in Europe.
Tonight, you will dine in the Menlo Park Hotel.
This morning bright and early, your route will take you down the Atlantic seaboard on the west coast of Clare to Killarney Town. Travel via the famous Galway Bay, Dunguaire Castle and the fishing village of Kinvarra.
You will see The Burren, which is Gaelic for rocky land—an apt name for this vast limestone plateau. In the 1640s, Cromwell's surveyor described it as "a savage land, yielding neither water enough to drown a man, nor tree to hang him, nor soil enough to bury".
On the coast, you will travel to the Cliffs of Moher. Braced against the ocean, on the coast of County Clare. Here you will stand on the dramatic 702ft (214m) high and 9 miles (14km) long cliffs, a Wild Atlantic Way signature discovery point, to gaze out on the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. Further south in County Limerick, take time to stroll the main street of the beautiful thatched village of Adare, before travelling on to Killarney Town.
Tonight, you will overnight & dine in Dromhall Hotel.
This morning, after breakfast, you will set off on the world-famous Ring Of Kerry. It is officially known as the Iveragh Peninsula. You will travel via Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Coomakesta Pass with its magnificent views over Derrynane, home of Daniel O' Connell, known as "The Liberator", to Caherdaniel. Travel on via the hamlet of Castlecove, the colourful village of Sneem and on via Moll’s Gap, Ladies View, Killarney National Park and along the Lakes of Killarney to Killarney town.
Enjoy a break at the Blind Piper Pub. Here you will have a traditional Irish Pub Lunch. Located in the village of Caherdaniel, locals and visitors alike have been drinking here since 1865. Who is the Blind Piper, you may ask? The Blind Piper is Mici Cumba O'Sullivan, who was born nearby in 1835 and became one of Ireland's most famous pipers.
Continue via the pretty village of Sneem, Moll's Gap, Ladies View and along the Killarney Lakes to the town of Killarney Town.
Tonight, you will dine in the family-owned Dromhall Hotel.
After a hearty Irish breakfast, this morning you will depart for Cork City. Founded on the banks of the River Lee. The rebel city is home of Murphy's Original Irish Stout, and is considered by many Corkonians to be the real capital of Ireland!
Your route today will take you over the famous Cork/Kerry Mountains via the Irish-speaking villages of Ballymakeery and Ballyvourney to the old market town of Macroom, where you will see Macroom Castle. Once home to Sir William Penn, whose son later founded the state of Pennsylvania. (This is a drive-by only, and is noted for historical reasons, as the castle is in ruins).
Travel on to the village of Blarney via the valley of the River Lee. Visit Blarney Castle. Built on this site in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy. You will have the chance to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone. You will also have an opportunity to shop at Blarney Woollen Mills, boasting a huge selection of Irish arts, crafts and produce. Continue onto Midleton to visit the Jameson Distillery Midleton. You will experience a fully guided Jameson Experience Tour. Here you will find the world's largest pot still, with a capacity of over 30,000 gallons.
Continue onto Cork City.
Dinner and overnight tonight in the Maldron Hotel South Mall in the heart of Cork City.
After breakfast this morning, take time to wander through some of the quaint streets of Cork City.
Later this morning, you will travel to the historic town of Kinsale. The Gourmet Capital of Ireland. Originally a medieval fishing port, historic Kinsale is one of the most picturesque towns on the southwest coast of Ireland. Boland's Craft Shop is just one of the many unique stores that are well worth a visit. Here you will also visit Charles Fort. This star-shaped fort was built in the 1670s by the English to protect Kinsale harbour against foreign naval forces.
Dinner & overnight in the Maldron Hotel South Mall.
This morning, after breakfast, you will depart for Dublin, Ireland's capital city.
Visit The Rock of Cashel. Rising dramatically from the grassy plains of county Tipperary. This was the seat of kings and medieval bishops for 900 years and flourished until the early 17th century. Brian Ború was crowned King of Munster here in 977, before becoming High King of Ireland in 1002.
Enjoy a Traditional Farm Lunch. This will be on a Family Farm outside Kilkenny. You can chat with your hosts and hear about their life and times farming in this rural part of Ireland.
For those that start their tour on the 11th of May, 8th of June, 13th of June, 17th of August, 31st of August and the 28th of September you will enjoy lunch at Mikey Ryan's Bar & Kitchen. With a focus on local and traditional fare, this distinctly Irish bar and restaurant is a treat in the town of Cashel, County Tipperary.
You will visit the Irish National Stud. This is a state–run bloodstock farm, which was founded in 1900 by an eccentric Anglo–Irish man by the name of Colonel William Walker. On finishing the tour of the stud farm, take a walk through the Japanese Gardens—laid out in 1906 to represent the "Life of Man".
This afternoon you will once again be back in Dublin City.
Overnight and dine tonight in the Clayton Hotel Charlemont.
After breakfast this morning, you will explore Dublin City.
Take a journey to EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum. Voted, recently, as "Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction", this museum tour tells the story behind the millions of people who fled, or were forced from, Ireland over the past three centuries. Located in Dublin's Docklands.
You will also visit Christ Church Cathedral. Founded by the Viking King Sitric almost 1000 years ago in 1034. The cathedral crypt is one of the largest in the UK and Ireland, dating back to the 12th Century. Here, in the crypt, you can see the mummified remains of the Cat and the Rat which were found in the cathedral organ, and a rare 14th century copy of the Magna Carta.
Visit Guinness Storehouse. With an address at the world-famous St. James's Gate. Here you will tour the world-renowned brewery and enjoy a perfect complimentary pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar — located at the top of a glass tower that commands spectacular views of Dublin City.
Your farewell dinner and evening entertainment includes a Traditional Music Night at The Merry Ploughboy Pub—one of Dublin's iconic trad music venues.
Overnight: Clayton Hotel Charlemont.
Today marks the end of the 14 Day Iconic Tour of Ireland.
After a final great Irish breakfast this morning, there will be 3 group airport transfers between 0500 and 1100 to transfer you to Dublin Airport for your return flight home.
Time | Departure Transfer details |
---|---|
Between 05:00 and 11:00 | Clayton Hotel Charlemont There are 3 group airport transfers this morning, between 5am and 11am, from Clayton Hotel Charlemont to Dublin Airport. |
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We have added extra flexibility to our cancellation timeline.
Meaning you can now make unlimited changes to your chosen tour up to 60 days before your arrival.
Our cancellation timeline is as follows;
The Deposit is non-refundable. However, before 60 days you can make unlimited changes for free, including changing your tour dates (including transferring to a tour in 2025), changing your tour and changing tour participants.
25% of total price is forfeited on cancellation
50% of total price is forfeited on cancellation
100% of total price is forfeited on cancellation
For more details, see our terms and conditions.
The Deposit for the 14 Day Iconic Scenes of Ireland Tour 2024 is €640 per person.
For guests who are travelling alone and are therefore not sharing a room, the single occupancy supplement for the 14 Day Iconic Scenes of Ireland Tour 2024 is €600.
The full balance is due 60 days before your tour.
All payments are in Euros.
We do not charge any fees for paying by credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
Children ages 8 yrs - 17 yrs inclusive receive a 10% discount on the prices. Children must share a room with a least 1 adult. Our tours do not cater for children 7 yrs or younger. You must be 18 or over to travel on our adults-only tours.
Once a partial or full payment has been made, cancellations will only be accepted in writing (either by email or standard mail) to My Ireland Tour. Cancellation terms will be applied based on the date that the written cancellation is received and based on the following dates prior to tour commencement. Cancellation fees apply as indicated below. All cancellation fees include the initial deposit.
Cancellation Date | Cancellation Fee |
---|---|
Up to 60 days before the start of tour: | Deposit is non-refundable. However, before 60 days you can make unlimited changes for free, including changing your tour dates (including transferring to a tour in 2025), changing your tour and changing tour participants. |
59 to 40 days before start of tour: | 25% of Tour Cost |
39 to 14 days before start of tour: | 50% of Tour Cost |
Less than 14 days before start of tour: | 100% of Tour Cost |
Perhaps the most vital ingredient of any tour is your tour guide. Acting not only as your guide but also as your driver, their knowledge and experience, their passion and personality form the foundation on which any successful tour is built.
That's why we only work with the very best guides in Ireland. As our past guests know, our tour guides are a big reason why we're Ireland's best-rated tour operator, with 1234 five-star reviews out of a possible 1268.
On your 14 Day Iconic Scenes Of Ireland Tour, you will be staying exclusively in four-star hotels. But not all four-star hotels are the same. We know and trust the accommodation providers we use, and we choose them carefully based not only on their star rating but also on their location, service, value and character. With years of experience in the industry, we have the knowledge, the experience and the local contacts to design the perfect accommodation package for your vacation.
We are very selective in getting just the right accommodation for each specific tour, and we are very proud of the selection of hotels we have put together. Some of these hotels are family-owned, just like ourselves, and we have a long-standing relationship with them all.
On a tour vacation, the journey can be just as important as the destination. That's why our tour buses are all of the highest standards, both in terms of luxury and reliability.
We deliberately leave some seats empty. In fact, we use 34-seater coaches, but limit the number of participants to 26. That's because we want all of our guests to be able to spread out, relax and enjoy the journey. This smaller group size is a core principle in our tours.
Please note: the bus shown in the gallery below is one of the 34-seater coaches used on our tours for max. 26 guests. For any reason, should one of these become unavailable for your tour, we will endeavour to provide an equally luxurious and comfortable touring bus.
Adare is a small town in Co. Limerick, known for its quaint and colourful thatched cottages. Adare is considered to be one of Ireland's most beautiful towns so stop and take in the view. Don't forget your camera today - the perfect chance to capture the essence of old Ireland.
Explore Adare Village along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Time | Arrival Transfer details |
---|---|
Between 07:00 and 12 (noon) | Dublin Airport There are 3 group airport transfers, between 7am and 12 noon, from Dublin Airport to Dunboyne Castle Hotel. |
Time | Departure Transfer details |
---|---|
Between 05:00 and 11:00 | Clayton Hotel Charlemont There are 3 group airport transfers, between 5am and 11am, from Clayton Hotel Charlemont to Dublin Airport. |
En route to The Giant's Causeway, you will travel along the legendary Antrim Coast, a route with views so stunning that it is considered a destination in its own right. Prepare to be amazed: here you will find some of the greatest coastal landscapes any travel photographer could hope to capture.
Since peace returned to Belfast in the late 1990s, Northern Ireland's capital has undergone an astonishing transformation. Once tied in with sectarian violence and, perhaps cruelly, lumped in with Bosnia, Beiruit and Baghdad on the list of places for globe-trotting tourists to avoid, the city is now a modern, thriving and cosmopolitan hub of hotels, restaurants and family-friendly attractions.
You will be joined by a local specialist guide on a city tour of Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. You will see and hear all about the history of this once troubled city including the murals of the Loyalist Shankill Road and Nationalist Falls Road.
Take a journey through this once troubled city. See the murals of the Loyalist Shankill Road & Nationalist Falls Road. The Troubles took their toll on the economic life of Belfast, but the past ten years of peace have returned much prosperity while the genuine friendliness of the city never left.
Situated five miles north-west of Cork city, Blarney Castle is a solid fixture on almost any tour of Ireland. It is best known for the famous "Blarney Stone" of which visitors are encouraged to kiss, in accordance with a tradition that spans centuries.
Originally built in 1823, Blarney Woollen Mills was mainly used for the spinning and weaving of wool. After it closed in 1973, it reopened in 1975 — as an Irish heritage shop.
A limestone plateau covering 250 square kilometres, The Burren takes its name quite aptly from the Gaelic for "rocky land" or "great rock". While in one sense very fitting, the name does not do justice to what experts have more justly termed "one of the world's most stunningly unique natural heritage regions
".
The Burren runs alongside the Wild Atlantic Way.
A limestone plateau covering 250 square kilometres, The Burren takes its name quite aptly from the Gaelic for "rocky land" or "great rock". While in one sense very fitting, the name does not do justice to what experts have more justly termed "one of the world's most stunningly unique natural heritage regions
".
The Burren runs alongside the Wild Atlantic Way.
A limestone plateau covering 250 square kilometres, The Burren takes its name quite aptly from the Gaelic for "rocky land" or "great rock". While in one sense very fitting, the name does not do justice to what experts have more justly termed "one of the world's most stunningly unique natural heritage regions
".
The Burren runs alongside the Wild Atlantic Way.
In the village of Bushmills, you will visit the old distillery, which was first permitted to distill whiskey in 1608 by King James I. Enjoy a whiskey tasting in what is thought to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world. Although its grant to distill was given in 1608, it is believed that the spirit was probably made here 200 years before that!
At the southern-most tip of Summer Cove, on Kinsale Harbour in Co. Cork, awaits the unyielding presence of Charles Fort, a star-shaped stronghold protecting the harbour from sea invaders since its completion in 1682. In recent decades, Irish heritage organizations have restored the fort to the impressive standards it now displays.
Kinsale marks the beginning of the Wild Atlantic Way, if you are starting in the south, and the end if you are starting in the north.
Christ Church Cathedral, founded by the Viking King Sitric almost 1000 years ago in 1034. The cathedral crypt is one of the largest in the UK and Ireland, dating back to the 12th Century. Here in the crypt, you can see the Mummified remains of the Cat and the Rat which were found in the cathedral organ, and a rare 14th century copy of the Magna Carta.
One of the most popular and most eagerly anticipated attractions on any vacation in Ireland, and the views will not disappoint. They rise to a height of 702ft (214m) and 9 miles (14km) long, these sheer vertical cliffs hold a steady, undulating line against the tireless advance of the Atlantic below. A better view of the sea and setting sun you will not find.
The Cliffs of Moher are a Signature Discovery Point on the Wild Atlantic Way. For more information click here.
Connemara, in western County Galway, is a rugged and scenic landscape. Once described as a place of "savage beauty" by Oscar Wilde, Connemara is an expanse of bogs, mountains and lakes.
Connemara is also home to two Wild Atlantic Way's Signature Discovery Points in Derrigimlagh Bog and Killary Harbour.
It's the second-largest city in the Republic but the locals call Cork "the real capital of Ireland". They might not be the most impartial judges, but many visitors are inclined to agree, leaving this compact and alluring destination with an enduring fondness and a full belly: Cork is known throughout Ireland for its exceptional food.
The Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre commemorates the last pitched battle fought on British soil, in April 1746. Learn more about the Jacobite intent to overthrow the House of Hanover and return the House of Stuart to the British throne.
Although Derry's recent transformation is perhaps less dramatic than that of Belfast, visitors who come to Derry expecting a city still darkened by the long shadows of The Troubles will almost certainly be pleasantly surprised. In anticipation of the city's status as UK City of Culture 2013, Derry received considerable investment and underwent a rejuvenating makeover. The famous city walls are up to 8 metres in height and, in places, are 9 metres wide. They were completed in 1618 and were never breached.