Ancient East & Wild Atlantic Way

Duration

6 Days and 5 Nights

Tour Highlights

Kilkenny, Waterford, Blarney Castle and the Wild Atlantic Way.

Starting Point

Dublin

Group size

Up to 5 People

Lunch

1 hour stop for local lunch

What to wear

Comfortable footwear, rain coat and layers of clothing

Tour Overview

At 09hrs at your Dublin accommodation your expert driver-guide will collect you in Dublin to start yourc Your driver-guide will be available to answer any questions you may have as you travel over the coming days so you can make the most of your time with us and experience the best that Ireland has to offer.

Itinerary

Highlights - Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough National Park and Kilkenny. ( Day 1 )

09hrs Depart from your city centre accommodation. Travel south through the scenic Wicklow mountains to the 6th century monastic ruin of Glendalough set between 2 lakes. Travelling over the Wicklow Gap, enjoying a local lunch before continuing to Kilkenny City to soak up some of the rich history and culture this city has to offer before checking into your accommodation. Enjoy dinner, traditional music & overnight in Kilkenny.

Highlights - Kilkenny Castle, Waterford Crystal. ( Day 2 )

Morning in Kilkenny at leisure as your driver guide points out some of the great attractions to see and visit in the city centre. Enjoy some free time to walk around to fully explore this medieval city. Visit the Norman Kilkenny Castle, soak up local crafts and culture in Kilkenny Design, browse the medieval streets, take a walking tour or visit the Medieval Museum are just a taste of what awaits you. 11.30h Check out of your accommodation and travel to Waterford City for lunch and visit the famous Waterford Crystal factory. Continue to Kinsale for dinner and overnight. Enjoy some music locally.

Highlights - Kinsale, Cobh and Charles Fort. . ( Day 3 )

Relax this morning as you can take some time out to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the laneways and medieval buildings of Kinsale town. Perhaps take a famous walking tour to learn of Kinsales rich past or visit Desmond Castle in the town centre. 11hrs, Depart Kinsale as we head over to Cobh town, the last port of call of the Titanic to learn about its colourful maritime history. Return to Kinsale and for those wanting to see more, stop at Charles Fort which is a majestic star shaped fort overlooking the entrance to Kinsale harbour. Return to Kinsale for dinner and overnight.

Highlights - Timoleague Abbey, Clonakilty, Drombeg Stone Circle . (Day 4 )

Leaving Kinsale this morning, travel over via the Old Head viewing station before we meander past Courtmacsherry to the picturesque ruins of the Franciscan Timoleague Abbey. Continue to the vibrant and colourful town of Clonakilty. Enjoy lunch and some time here where one can take in some history at the Micheal Collins Museum or enjoy a tipple with a tour of Clonakilty Distillery. Mid afternoon, visit the ancient druid circle of Drombeg before we check in to Bantry town for dinner and overnight.

Irelands most southerly point. ( Day 5 )

Today, wrap up warm as we head out to Mizen Head, Irelands most southerly point. Marvel at the stunning scenery on the Mizen Head Peninsula and if you’re lucky, catch a glimpse of Fastnet Rock Lighthouse, a feat of engineering in itself. Warm up with a hot whiskey in Crookhaven town before making your way back through Bantry to Glengariff. For the slightly more adventurous, take a small boat trip out to Garnish Island. Others may choose to browse the colourful shops or enjoy a local tipple or pint in Eccles Hotel where George Bernard Shaw wrote Pigmalian. Return to Bantry for dinner and overnight.

Highlights - Blarney Castle, Rock of Cashel. ( Day 6 )

09h Depert Bantry as we make our way across west cork to Blarney Castle where you can climb the castle and kiss the famous Blarney Stone. Take a moment to visit Blarney Woolen Mills before we leave the southwest of Ireland and travel up to the Rock of Cashel. The Rock is a monastery ruin set on a hill with some of the finest Medieval art in Europe. After a tour, continue to Dublin City where your tour ends back at your Dublin accommodation.

Option to stay on in Galway and explore the area in your own time. Possibly take a day trip to the Aran Islands.

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This tour is based on an 8 hour touring day eg 09.30h to 17.30h following the tour route outlined. Should you require evening transportation from your accommodation to restaurant or for bar music, this can be discussed directly with your driver-guide and you can agree a specific rate or he can help you organise local evening transport as you wish.

Our Drivers: All our driver guides are vetted by the Irish police, have the correct licensing certification and follow the Irish rules and safety procedures to ensure the highest standards are maintained and exceeded and client safety while touring is always our primary concern.

Admission charges to attractions are not included in the tour price.
Client accommodation is not included in this package. We are happy to recommend accommodation in each location varying from 4/5* accommodation to luxury guesthouses and Bed and Breakfasts all of which we can highly recommend.
Flights, personal expenses, tips for guides, travel insurance, client lunches and dinner meals.
Admission Charges and client lunch, dinners or accommodation are not included in this package.

Terms: The price above includes a luxury touring vehicle, expert driver-guide, all vehicle costs (fuel, road tolls, vehicle insurance) and complimentary water. It also includes your driver-guides living expenses while touring including lunches, dinners and overnight accommodation while outside of Dublin.

We Provide

Luxury touring vehicle

Expert driver-guide

All road tolls

Full vehicle insurance

With Gan Tours, everybody gets a “Window seat”

With Gan Tours, our driver-guides are our greatest asset. Their expert knowledge and extensive experience touring Ireland combine to give you, our client, the best Irish experience available”