6- Day Wild West and Northern Ireland small group tour of Ireland

6- Day Wild West and Northern Ireland small group tour of Ireland

 Your experience starts here! How much can you pack into a 6 day tour in Ireland? – A LOT! Get the best of the west and top it off with a whirlwind tour of Northern Ireland on our Wild West and North Tour.

Fall in love with the bustling bohemian Galway City and dare to take a peak over the ledge at Dun Aenghus Ring fort on the Aran Islands.

Experience the spectacular views of Connemara National Park, the wilds of Donegal and the panoramic views from on top of St Patrick’s mountain.

Make unforgettable memories at The Giant’s Causeway, Game of Thrones Dark Hedges and Belfast as you journey through the kingdom of Northern Ireland. Our Wild West and North Tour of Ireland explores a diverse range of scenery, castles, adventure, history and culture. 

Itinerary

Day 1: Newgrange Tomb and Belfast

Stop At: Newgrange, Donore Ireland
From Dublin we head to Newgrange, a monumental passage tomb, where if its walls could talk, they’d tell you stories older than the Egyptian pyramids.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Titanic Belfast, Queen's Road 1 Olympic Way, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9EP Northern Ireland
After this grand opening, cue drum roll, as it’s full tilt ahead for the Titanic experience at Titanic Belfast.
Voted the world’s leading tourist attraction in 2016, descend the famous staircase, peruse a first-class menu and explore the shipyards in this splendid interactive experience, where the ill-fated ship was built.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: NI Black Taxi Tours - Belfast Black Taxi Tours, 23 Wilton St, Belfast BT13 2NG, UK
There’s an optional but must-see ‘Black Cab’ Tour; an intimate way to see this beautiful city, once bomb-ravaged during the ‘Troubles’. Hear first-hand accounts of the conflict as you navigate former political hotspots and murals. If you’d rather do your own thing, go rogue and check out the busy shops, The Ulster Museum or the Parliament Buildings at Stormont.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: We will be staying at the centrally located Benedict's Hotel in Belfast.

Day 2: Finn MacCool Giants Causeway and the walled city of Derry

Stop At: Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, 119A Whitepark Road, Ballintoy BT54 6LS Northern Ireland
The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is not for the faint hearted. Swaying 30 meters above the churning Atlantic, we’ll walk the creaking wooden slats to tiny Carrick Island.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Giant's Causeway, Causeway Road, Bushmills BT57 8SU Northern Ireland
Then it’s off to the Giant’s Causeway, a world heritage site, formed by a volcanic eruption, 60 million years ago. Legend has it that the burly giant, Finn MacCool used the stones to get to Scotland to prevent his feet getting wet.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: The Dark Hedges, Bregagh Road, Ballymoney, Gorey Ireland
Game of Thrones country is calling as we head to the ‘dark hedges’, a great chance to see these 240 year old beech trees before they come to the end of their life, (average life span of this species is 250 years).
Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Derry, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
It’s on to Derry, the last walled city to be built in Europe and home to some very famous walls such as the Bogside Murals and Free Derry Corner. Explore the city by night as the lights shimmer on the River Foyle, before heading for a cocktail in Granny Annie’s or some toe-tapping jazz, in Bennigans.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Admire the victorian architecture of ShipQuay Boutique Hotel before getting a great night's sleep!

Day 3: History of Londonderry and the mighty scenery of Donegal

Stop At: Derry Guided Tours, Union Hall Pl, Londonderry BT48 6LU, UK
After the Full Irish, (cooked breakfast) we’ll take on a walking tour of the city, its bog-side murals and its 6th century, monastic past.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Glengesh Pass, Glengesh, Ardara Ireland
The Hills of Donegal are calling and after a jaw opening drive over the Glengesh Pass, we’ll visit the Assaranca Waterfall, which on a rainy day, the cascading water trebles.
Last stop for the day is Ardara in the Gaeltacht, (Irish speaking area) a cosy village which is home to the famous ‘Cup of Tea Festival’; a homage to the traditional Irish reel which alludes to the cheeky drop of Poitín added to your tea.
Before we ‘lay our hat’, we might try the local Portnoo crab, before hitting Nancy’s on Front Street, to learn a cúpla focal (few words of Irish) and down a champagne and oyster shot, (yes, it’s a thing).
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: The beautifully boutique, Nesbitt Arms Hotel nestled in the Hills of Donegal is where we catch some Z's

Day 4: An Irish Fjord, Connemara National Park and picturesque Westport

Stop At: Westport, Westport, County Mayo, Western Ireland
We will ‘arise and go now’ through Yeats’ country before heading for Westport, nestled between the Carrowbeg river and in the shadow of Croagh Patrick.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Connemara National Park & Visitor Centre, Connemara National Park Connemara National Park Connemara, Co Galway Near the village of Letterfrack, Galway Ireland
Connemara National Park is calling and The Lost Valley, a deserted famine village where the road literally runs out.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden, Connemara On the N59 between Clifden and Westport, Kylemore Ireland
As we plough through rugged Connemara, we’ll make for Kylemore Abbey, a working Benedictine abbey built on the grounds of an 18th century castle. It has had more than a few past lives and boasts an imposing position at the foot of Druchruach Mountain, overlooking Kylemore Lake.
It’s onto Cilfden, ‘the Capital of Connemara’ for the night and it’s time to relax, as you’re officially on West of Ireland time. Why not shuck some Dooncastle oysters or devour a whole Cleggan crab while the stout is settling?
Cock an ear and listen out for ‘the session’, (traditional music) coming out of the many pubs and settle yourself in. After the ceol agus craic (music and merriment) you could always wake up in an 18th Castle, feeling like Royalty or a Maharajah (a previous owner), as you’ve the added option of staying in Ballynahinch castle.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: All The Twos, Twenty Two! All the Twos B&B in Clifden is where we stay or upgrade to Ballynahinch Castle!

Day 5: Mystical Aran Islands and Bohemian Galway

Stop At: Aran Islands, Aran Islands, County Galway, Western Ireland
Fed and watered, it’s off to nearby Rossaveal Pier to catch the ferry to Inis Mór (literally ‘big island’), the largest of the Aran Islands.
Here you can explore the 6km by 2km island by bike or by special request, a jaunting cart with your very own driver and pony.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Dun Aonghasa, Cill Mhuirbhigh, Province of Connacht Ireland
It’s off to Dún Aengus, a prehistoric hill fort which dominates precariously on the edge of a vertical cliff, 300 ft above the choppy waters of the Atlantic.
Refresh with an cupan tae and island porter cake and shop for an original Aran Sweater, perfect for shearwater and other seabird watching.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Galway Bay, Galway Ireland
Then we’re off to Galway, the City of the Tribes and the home of the Claddagh Ring to chase down the ceol agus craic, (music and fun), street performers, artists, buskers and the last of the Bohemians.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We will stay in the very central Victoria Hotel - right on Eyre Square in the centre of Galway!

Day 6: Historical Walking tour of the city of the tribes

Stop At: Tribes Tours Galway - Free Walking Tour & Pub Crawl, 27 Eyre Square, Galway, H91 CFX5, Ireland
Our expert local guide cannot wait to show you his hometown. Learn of Galway's wealthiest families, mutiny's and wash down the local seafood with some craft beer.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Galway's Latin Quarter, 21 High Street, Galway Ireland
Now that you’ve a ‘feel’ for Galway, our guide will take you down its narrow medieval streets where you can duck in and out of brightly coloured shops.
Try on Claddagh rings and Galway shawls, pass through The Spanish Arch and hear tales of Gaelic bards and our bloody war of Independence, at the new city museum.
Transportation is provided with the GoBus which is a direct bus from Galway to Dublin city centre of Dublin Airport in case you need to catch a flight home.
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Dublin, Dublin, County Dublin
After you have finished exploring Galway we will have arranged a transfer for you to Ireland's Viking Capital of Dublin! Gobus a local company will carry you home on our behalf.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.