Hidden Ireland Tour for Senior Travelers

Belfast has a gritty beauty. At first, it can seem a little rough around the edges, but after meeting with the people, a splendor will emerge. The locals take the time to say hello, and they are proud of their city and eager to point out Victorian heritage and unique Northern Irish traditions. Vibrant welcomes will greet you in pubs and along the streets, especially during the evening. After landing at Belfast’s international airport, a guide will transfer you to a small boutique hotel within the city. This evening, you will be accompanied into the city for an opportunity to absorb the city’s traditional atmosphere and dine on classic cuisine.

Belfast has a bloody and convoluted history. Not many people are aware that there is still a wall here that effectively divides the city into two. Today’s black taxi tour will take you on both sides of this wall, narrating the history from the streets in which it took place. Majestic murals are found all over, and their stories are so different, depending on which side of the wall they originate. The same figure is celebrated as a freedom fighter in one neighborhood but condemned as a murderer barely half of a mile away. Traveling in a classic black cab will add to your experience, and the private tour will depart at a flexible time, depending on how you are handling the jet lag.

Over 40,000 basalt columns are washed by the waves on the Northern Irish coast. Such a surreal landscape initially appears to have no end, especially when the thousands of hexagonal structures are partially consumed by mist. This is Giant’s Causeway, and it will be possible to follow the footsteps of the fictional Irish legend Finn McCool or try one of many other easy walking trails. Following the natural splendor, you will witness something even more sedate. You will tour the world’s oldest whiskey distillery and taste the unique Bushmills flavor. Depending on your pace, there could be time for a stop at Dunluce Castle before you roll into Derry, enter through the historic gates, and spend a night amid its medieval allure.

Medieval secrets whisper from the walls of Ireland’s walled city. These mingle with tales of Irish troubles and modern conflict. You may find the juxtaposition rather odd, and that within the unified medieval walls, there is a division into Derry and Londonderry. It takes an excellent guide to understand the nuance of this history, and you will be led here by a local. From this historic city, you will follow in the footsteps of poet WB Yeats and visit the places that inspired the Nobel Laureate as your guide narrates iconic lines before paying homage at his final resting place. You will end your day in County Mayo, which is where you can rest and relax at a beautiful country estate.

County Mayo is all resplendent hills and vibrantly painted houses and is a region of Ireland where there appears to be more sheep than people. It is remote, and the vistas will be superb, especially when you stop on the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick. The nearby Doolough Valley is just as sublime with green valleys that are speckled by old stone farmhouses and villages. It will be a good place for you to discuss Ireland’s 19th-century famine and the great flight to America in addition to the mysterious Choctaw tribe. On route to Clifden, you can also enjoy a hands-on sheepdog demonstration and some old-fashioned farmhouse food.

Tucked inside Connemara National Park, Clifden is enveloped by a wild and mountainous country. This is the quintessential landscape from Irish postcards, not the Cliffs of Moher. Arid mountains cast their shadows across the grassy wilderness, mirror lakes hide in the narrowest of valleys, and peat bogs delight in their role in Irish folklore. Connemara is a magical landscape that is untouched by time, which is such a contrast to the landscaped gardens that surround Connemara’s premier attraction of Kylemore Abbey. You can spend some time discovering the abbey and its story before heading back to the wilderness of Inagh Valley. Later today, you will make a stop on the white sands of Gurteen Beach, which is another peculiar contrast to this national park.

It would not be a true tour of Ireland without some castles. Today’s destinations do not have big coach parks, and the views from turrets will not be spoiled by tour buses. 16th-century Aughnanure comes with tales of the O’Flaherty clan while Dunguaire is one of those magnificent Irish highlights that has somehow stayed clear of the tourist trail. These castles have nothing on the history of the Burren. Here, you can walk upon a lunar landscape where strange limestone formations emanate a strong air of mystique. Your guide will explain different walking options as there are routes for different fitness levels. Even if you do not want to walk, it is still possible to see some of the dolmen, which are the Bronze Age burial chambers that have a history that is older than the Egyptian pyramids.

The Cliffs of Moher are on route today, so you will have the opportunity to stand 700 feet above the Atlantic and feel the wind rush past your face. You will need to hold onto your hat because gales can blow up here, adding to the rather dramatic vistas. From here, you will drive onto the Dingle Peninsula, which is one of the very few places in Ireland where they still converse in Gaelic. The peninsula is rugged, and the cliff is lined, but it has a soft bucolic appearance in comparison to Moher’s sharp edge. You should expect to enjoy authentic Irish hospitality from the moment you arrive in Dingle. There is a pub for every 40 residents here, and your evening is likely to be filled with Irish singing and dancing.

Today will be left free. You may be feeling a little weary after moving hotels and destinations each day. Plus, there is nowhere better to soak up traditional Ireland than Dingle. One option will be to tour and taste at the excellent Dingle Distillery while another is a beautiful drive around Europe’s Westernmost point. Mostly, you can put on your walking shoes and check out any of the numerous pubs. Evenings are always lively, and your guide can teach you local customs if you are interested. Unlike some places in Ireland, Dingle’s Irish music and dancing are not put on for tourists. It is just what the locals like to do each evening. Visitors are warmly welcomed, and it can be difficult not to be carried away by the atmosphere.

There are good reasons why the Ring of Kerry is so popular. Every angle could be a postcard as soporific farmlands blur into rolling mountains and secret lakes. The road itself is stunning, especially when it narrows and you cross single-lane, stone bridges. Tour buses do detract from the experience somewhat, but it is incredible how almost every tour follows the same itinerary. Today, you will explore the Ring of Kerry, but your guide will stop at farms, villages, and viewpoints where it is not possible to buy fridge magnets. It is the same famous road just in different destinations. You will end your day in Kenmare, which is where you can wander lively streets of cobblestone and charm with your guide making recommendations of where to enjoy some of Ireland’s finest pub food.

The Beara Peninsula is so rural that the roads are regularly blocked by livestock. Sheep flocks and cowherds cover the asphalt, walking slowly between the dry-stone walls. Your vehicle may even be surrounded by livestock, which can make for good photos and a chance to really admire the spectacular surroundings. First, your guide will take you over the misty Caha Mountains and then along the country’s curviest road with an opportunity to stop at strange stone circles that remain a mystery to historians. Upon glimpsing the ocean, you will take a coastal drive along Bantry Bay where so many glimpsed scenes epitomize why West Cork is Ireland’s lost frontier. You will spend the night at a family-owned boutique hotel in Bantry, where you can reflect on all the strange sights that you have experienced today.

From all the way out in West Cork, it will be a five hours transfer back to Dublin. This route can be broken up however you choose with options that include the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, and Waterford. Blarney tends to be crowded and kissing the famous stone is not physically possible for most travelers that are not notably flexible. The Rock of Cashel is far more impressive as it is a crumbling, medieval monastery that is imbued with a sense of Irish mystery. Standing before it, you can feel your Irish odyssey coming to a close as if Cashel is the missing link in a journey that has taken you from 21st-century Belfast into early Gaelic folklore. After arriving in Dublin, the time will be at your leisure, and the city certainly is not short of good places to eat and drink, so you will have plenty of options from which to decide.

Your final day has been left free, and you can craft a program that is based on your interests. Some of Dublin’s sights deserve to be on every visitors’ itinerary, notably the two cathedrals and Trinity College. Depending on how you feel, one option could be the James Joyce trail, which is a route that involves around two miles of walking. Today could also be a day of doing nothing and a time to look back on the off-the-beaten-track expedition to Ireland’s remote corners. Temple Bay may be very famous, but it can be an excellent way to culminate your vacation, especially in the less raucous, early evening hours.

After breakfast and late checkout, you will be transferred to Dublin’s International airport for your international flight. It is here that you say goodbye to your guide who will most likely be a good friend to you by now.