Irish castles are fixed in time and space as history whispers from every wall as grandeur meets an old, pastoral charm. Each is an attraction, and each is also an experience as you are immersed in the history of these castles of Ireland tour. Handcrafted to include the country’s finest castle hotels, the 10-day journey takes you around the Irish highlights in private luxury. Spend your days exploring and your evenings unwinding in your castle, feeling that little bit more Irish every day.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Clontarf – A Grand Welcome Just Outside Dublin
Grand turrets and glowing lanterns will quickly appease any travel fatigue as you land in Dublin. You can be promised a restful night as you ease you into the Irish castle experience. Just ten minutes outside of Dublin, tonight’s four-star castle hotel is a mix of contemporary extravagance and a time-warped setting. The setting is from the 12th century, but the interior is very much 21st century for a combination that works well on your first night away. Landing at Dublin International Airport, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the hotel, where a welcome dinner comes with a leisurely evening. Your guide will go through the itinerary in more depth, perhaps over a coffee or a pint of Guinness, before you drift off into the Irish evening.
What's Included:
Day 2
Donegal – Immersed in the Castle Experiences
Day 3
Donegal – Exploring Derry and Northern Irish Flavor
Day 4
Cong – Intriguing Histories and Glorious Landscapes
Day 5
Cong – Exploring the National Park and Galway
Day 6
Killarney – Dazzling Coastal Landscapes Before Your Next Castle
Day 7
Killarney – Villages and Traditions Along the Ring of Kerry
Day 8
Kildare – Into the Magnificently Green Interior
Day 9
Clontarf – Discovering the Charming Capital
Day 10
Clontarf – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Sleep in Ireland’s most beautiful castle hotels, with every night spent in a four- or five-star castle
- Explore traditional thatched villages and get a feel for local life in rural Ireland
- Travel along Ireland’s famous coastlines, taking in the Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher and The Burren
- Jump into the history of vast medieval castles, such as Trim Castle, Ross Castle, and Blarney Castle
- Soak up the Northern Irish experience with a day in Derry / Londonderry
- Discover the best of Dublin and discover why it’s such a charming little capital
- Stroll through cultivated gardens and walk beneath the mountains in national parks
Detailed Description
Ireland’s castles feel like works of fiction. They stand mysteriously amid the green with some grand and glorious, and others rugged and medievally etched. Step inside one to find dungeons and alleyways of quarrel, and step inside others to encounter opulence, with stately rooms preserving a historical time and space. At other castles, it feels like you can hear secrets whispered from the walls as if you have been invited into a Gaelic fairytale. And best of all, most of Ireland’s castles are not museum pieces, nor merely postcards. They are places you can visit and then sleep in as castle hotels effortlessly take you back in time. For insight into old Ireland, there is nowhere better than the castles, and this private tour gives you nine nights in five very different castles.
You will set off on an anticlockwise loop around Ireland, starting and ending in a Clontarf Castle on Dublin’s outskirts. The journey is handcrafted to take in many of Ireland’s diverse highlights, such as small thatched villages, rugged national parks, distinctive cities, local traditions, and those very famous coastal drives. Ten days is a nice amount of time, allowing you to see and do a lot without having to spend most of your time on the road. It also allows the itinerary to be flexible, which is necessary because Ireland is often most memorable for the serendipitous moments when the travel experience takes you in unplanned directions.
After a welcome night in Clontarf you will head north to visit a couple of castles on route to Donegal, where the five-star castle hotel is as iconic as they come. Spend day three in Northern Ireland, Derry/Londonderry a great introduction to northern style and flavor, and why the city needs two names. On day five, you will pass through Kylemore and Connemara on route to Ireland’s finest castle hotel, an exclusive property that dominates the village of Cong. With two nights here, you can explore Connemara National Park, get to know the City of the Tribes, Galway, and really lounge around the property.
The next two days are all about the coast, and a journey to Killarney takes you past The Burren and Cliffs of Moher, dramatic landscapes that look out across the Atlantic. On the Ring of Kerry, you can explore tiny villages and find magnificent vistas, this being Ireland’s most famous visitor attraction. The castle in Killarney provides some calm and exclusivity during these two nights, a superb little property with a history the owners will explain. Then it will be back off across the green interior, passing Blarney on route to the Rock of Cashel and Kildare, and then spending a full day getting to know Dublin. You will end where you started, in a castle, gazing over Ireland, surrounded by authenticity. Looking for more recommended Ireland travel inspiration? Consider browsing our Ireland travel reviews page.
Starting Price
$6,500 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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