Eleven days around the island in high summer, from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher to the Ring of Kerry. This departure is open to everyone.
Ireland is the trip I get asked about more than any other, and enough people asked to bring a husband or a friend that we added a second departure.
This is the July one, and it is open to everyone. Bring him, bring a friend, bring your sister. The August departure, the 5th to the 15th, is ladies only for anyone who would rather travel that way, and both follow the same route.
The Cliffs of Moher rise straight out of the Atlantic and run for miles along the Clare coastline. The Ring of Kerry is a full day of coastline, mountains, and villages painted every color anyone could think of. Dingle is a harbor town where the Irish language is still spoken every day.
Dublin at both ends, with Trinity College and the Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse, and a last night of traditional music at the Merry Ploughboy.
July is long days and green everything. Pack a rain jacket anyway, because it is Ireland.
Rising straight out of the Atlantic and running for miles along the Clare coastline. On a clear day you can see to the Aran Islands.
The western edge of the Dingle Peninsula, past cliffs, Atlantic beaches, and ancient stone settlements. Many will tell you it is the most beautiful drive in Ireland.
Hold a bird of prey and learn the old traditions behind it. This is the one people talk about for years afterward.
Your own barrel, warm seaweed, and the Atlantic rolling in front of you. Not something you will have done before.
One hundred miles of valleys and coastline, and Ireland's most famous scenic drive. Charge your phone.
A thousand-year-old manuscript at Trinity College, then the home of Ireland's most famous drink.
Our adventure begins in the air. We depart on an overnight flight bound for Dublin, so settle in, get comfortable, and try to catch a little sleep. Ireland will be waiting when the sun comes up.
We land in Dublin and transfer to the Marine Hotel, sitting right above Dublin Bay. There is time to unpack, stretch out, and shake off the flight. If you have any energy left, the seafront walk just outside the door is a lovely way to say hello to Ireland. This evening we gather for our welcome dinner. Good Irish food, a warm room, and a toast to everything ahead of us.
We leave Dublin behind and head west to the Cliffs of Moher. They rise straight out of the Atlantic and run for miles along the Clare coastline, and on a clear day you can see all the way to the Aran Islands. It is the kind of view that stops conversation. From there we follow the Wild Atlantic Way south through rugged coast and small villages, then cross the Shannon Estuary by ferry from Clare into Kerry. By evening we roll into Dingle, a harbor town painted in every color there is.
This morning we take on the Slea Head Drive, which many people will tell you is the most beautiful coastal drive in all of Ireland. It winds around the western edge of the Dingle Peninsula past cliffs, Atlantic beaches, ancient stone settlements, and long views out to the Blasket Islands. This is a corner of Ireland where the Irish language is still spoken every day. Later we return to Dingle and the rest of the day is yours.
We start the morning with something you will be telling people about for years. During our falconry experience you will learn about Ireland's birds of prey and the old traditions around falconry, and see these magnificent birds up close. From one Irish tradition to another, we visit Dingle Distillery, known for its small batch whiskey, with a tasting. The rest of the afternoon is completely free.
We leave Dingle this morning for the Ring of Kerry, one hundred miles of valleys and coastline that make up Ireland's most famous scenic drive. Charge your phone before we go, because we will be stopping often. Around midday we pause in the little village of Sneem for lunch. Then each of us settles into an individual whiskey barrel seaweed bath, looking out at the Atlantic. It is warm, it is quiet, and it is wonderful. Afterward we cross through Molls Gap and finish in Killarney.
Today belongs to Killarney and everything around it. We visit Ross Castle on the shore of the lakes, where you can wander the grounds with the mountains behind you, and there is a chance to take a boat ride across the water to the ruins of Innisfallen Monastery. From there we head to Muckross House and Gardens, an elegant manor house wrapped in gardens you could get happily lost in. The afternoon is free for the lively streets of Killarney.
After breakfast we say goodbye to Kerry and head south into County Cork, a county famous for its characters and that wonderful accent of theirs. We arrive in Kinsale, a quaint fishing town known as Ireland's gourmet food capital, full of old world architecture and color. Once we are checked in the town is yours. You might join a gourmet food tour with a local guide, walk out to the striking coastal fort at Charles Fort, or simply take your time with the shops and the harbor.
This morning we head north to the famous Blarney Castle, once home to the McCarthy chieftains. We will walk the castle and tour the witch gardens, and yes, the Blarney Stone is right there if you are feeling brave. After lunch we travel through the midlands and stop at Cashel, Ireland's ancient capital, where the Rock of Cashel sits on a craggy hilltop surrounded by fields of grazing cows and sheep. Late afternoon brings us into Dublin.
We begin at Trinity College in the heart of the city, one of the world's great universities and home to the Book of Kells. That manuscript is a thousand years old and still leaves scholars shaking their heads at the detail in it. Then the Guinness Storehouse, where Ireland's most famous drink is made, and you find out exactly why the old Irish saying insists it is good for you. Some free time follows. Tonight we head to the Merry Ploughboy pub for dinner and a night of traditional Irish music and dance.
Time to say goodbye to the Emerald Isle, though we will carry the moments and the friendships home with us. Our tour ends after breakfast with a transfer to Dublin airport. If you would like to stay on a few extra nights, let me know and we can arrange it.
I am glad to help you sort out flight timing so you land and depart when the group does.
Only who is on it. This July departure is open to everyone, so bring your husband, a friend, or your sister. The August departure, running the 5th to the 15th, is ladies only. Same route, same hotels, same country.
No. This tour is priced land only and you arrange your own flights to Dublin. I am glad to help you sort out timing so you land and depart when the group does.
Because the flight to Ireland leaves in the evening and lands the next morning. Day one is the flight, day two is when we actually get there. That is why it is eleven days but nine nights in Ireland.
A fair amount, though most of it is at your own pace. Castle grounds, cliff paths, and town streets that are often cobbled. The coach gets us close to everything. Call me if you are unsure and I will be straight with you.
A $1,000 per person deposit holds your spot, and it is fully refundable until May 1, 2027.
No, but sharing brings the cost down considerably on this one. I am glad to match you with a roommate from the group.
I always recommend adding it at the time of your deposit rather than waiting. Buying early is what protects you if something comes up, and it is the only window in which the pre-existing medical condition waiver is available.
Yes, valid for at least six months beyond your return date.
Land only, per person. Airfare to and from Dublin is booked separately by each guest.
$1,000 deposit per person · Fully refundable until May 1, 2027
Booking is handled securely through our Trips Unlimited reservation system. Prefer to talk it through first? Call me.
Button not opening your email? Write to frances@tripsunlimited.com or call 931-801-9900.
Passport required · Travel insurance recommended at the time of deposit.
The complete day-by-day for Fairytales of Ireland, July 2027, with what is included and what to expect. Print it, save it, or pass it to someone who should come along.
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