Travel Dates June 20 through June 30, 2026.
The full tentative itinerary is below:
Day 0 Depart Boston
Depart on Delta 154 at 8:30 PM
Day 1 Galway
Arrive Dublin at 7:45 AM
Private Coach and Driver-Guide
Belvedere House Gardens and Park Visit
Belvedere House is a Georgian house situated just outside Mullingar town. Within 160-acres, visitors can enjoy a self-guided visit, with optional audio tour, around our magnificent period house, lakeshore walks, woodlands trails and stunning Victorian Walled Garden. https://belvedere-house.ie/ What better way to celebrate our arrival in Ireland. The gardens are a place where you can escape into your own fantasy world. The Jealous Wall, the Gothic Arch, the Gazebo, Fairy Gardens, Walled Gardens, Earl’s Walk and the house all come together to deliver a magical experience.
Continue to Galway. Enjoy free time in Galway City on arrival
Group dinner and overnight at Menlo Park Hotel, Galway (2 nights)
Day 2 Galway (total drive time 3 hours)
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
Full day tour of the circuit of Connemara
Tour the loop of Connemara via Oughterard & Maam Cross. This landscape is a mixture of rivers, lakes, woodlands, rich meadowlands, rugged hills, dramatic mountains and as you near the coast you’ll stumble across a stunning unpolluted coastline of sandy beaches and blue waters.
Glengowla Sheepdog demo – Glengowla Mines and Sheep Farm, Connemara
Glengowla is home to a working sheep farm where the Geoghegan family have farmed for generations. The sheepdogs at Glengowla are an integral part of the farming family. Enjoy the atmosphere, scenery and pet the resident Connemara Ponies. Glengowla Mines gets its name from the mine on the property, which was abandoned in 1865 in a world where miners struggled to make a living in the Irish Famine Era. https://glengowlamines.ie/
Ashford Castle Falconry, Garden Walk and Ashford Castle Tea
Discover creative Irish cuisine inspired by the finest seasonal ingredients from the West of Ireland and produce foraged from the Ashford Estate, alongside an extensive wine cellar kept in the Castle’s secret passageways.
Ashford Castle is a medieval and Victorian castle that has been expanded over the centuries and turned into a five-star luxury hotel near Cong on the Mayo-Galway border, on the Galway side of Lough Corrib in Ireland.
ashfordcastle.com
Ashford Castle – Afternoon Tea in the George V Dining Room. The long established tradition of Afternoon Tea has been wonderfully preserved at Ashford Castle since 1868. Indulge in the elegance of our afternoon tea experience, you will be served a selection of sandwiches, delectable sweets treats and freshly baked scones where each delightful delicacy is carefully plated and presented for your pleasure. It’s the perfect way to spend a leisurely afternoon with friends.
A Private One Hour Hawk Walk
Ireland’s School of Falconry specializes in one hour private Hawk Walks where YOU fly our Harris hawks. Our aim is to share with you the pleasure and excitement of falconry, a fascination that has enthralled people for 4,000 years.
https://www.falconry.ie/hawk-walk
Overnight at Menlo Park Hotel, Galway (night 2 of 2)
Day 3 Galway, Clare, Kerry to Killarney (4 hours includes 45 minute ferry)
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
Travel through the Burren
Famous for its Lunar-like Limestone landscape and its unique flora. About 20 species of Orchids grow wild here. burrennationalpark.ie/
Visit – Cliffs of Moher
One of Ireland’s favorite visitor experiences, the Cliffs of Moher tower over the rugged west Clare coast. Walk the safe, paved pathways and view the incredible Cliffs that sit on Europe’s most westerly tip and enjoy the spectacular vistas over the Atlantic Ocean and the Aran Islands. Their natural beauty has inspired artists, musicians, and poets for generations, as well as absorbing scientists and geologists, drawn by the unique landscape in which they sit. cliffsofmoher.ie/
Ferry crossing: Kilimer → Tarbert
Shannon Ferry will take you and your vehicle on this memorable 20 minute journey across the estuary linking the iconic tourist destinations of the Banner County of Clare to the Kingdom of Kerry. This is a lovely experience for visitors who would like a short break in their journey to relax as they sail across the majestic Shannon Estuary. And if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the dolphins, which in the summer can sometimes swim so near the ferry, as if just to entertain you. https://www.shannonferries.com/
Dinner and overnight at Randles Hotel Killarney (2 nights) https://www.randleshotel.com/
Day 4 Killarney
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
Muckross House and Gardens Tour https://muckross-house.ie/plan-your-visit/ (7 minutes away)
- Situated on the lakes in Killarney’s National Park. Muckross House is a magnificent Victorian mansion and one of Ireland’s stately homes. The elegantly furnished rooms portray the lifestyles of the landed gentry, while downstairs in the basement one can experience the working conditions of the servants employed in the house. Here you can find a rock garden on a natural outcrop of limestone which has winding steps and small paths so that anyone can enjoy the collection of dwarf conifers and shrubs. The Killarney strawberry tree is a native of this garden. Vistas of grass lead the eye on through mounds of mature rhododendrons, punctuated by the boles of Scots pine. This is a self guided tour.
www.muckross-house.ie/
Kells Bay House and Garden (1 hour from hotel)
The gardens at Kells Bay possess an important collection of rare and tender trees and shrubs originating mainly from the Southern Hemisphere, particularly the warm-temperate and temperate regions of the Antipodes (Australia and New Zealand), South Africa, Argentina, Chile and the Andean areas of Peru. Highlights include the hanging bridge, cliff walk, primeval forest, palm and succulent garden, ladies walled garden and more. https://www.kellsbay.ie/the-gardens/
Overnight at Randles Hotel Killarney (night 2 of 2)
Day 5 Killarney
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
Blarney Castle Visit (blarneycastle.ie) poison garden and herbaceous border
The Castle was built in 1446 as a defensive fortress. The castle which stands today is in fact the keep of a muchlarger fortress. All visitors should kiss the famous Blarney Stone, high up on the Castle battlements. Tradition holdsthat those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence – “the gift of the gab” as the localscall it. The 60 acre gardens are a joy to explore. Visit the prehistoric Fern Garden, a deadly Poison Garden, a herbaceous border, and the magical Rock Close with its ancient Yew trees and druidic stones. https://www.blarneycastle.ie/
After the Castle, you can visit the Blarney Woolen Mills Store https://www.blarney.com/
Overnight at Blarney Woolen Hills Hotel Cork
Day 6 Cork
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide Depart for Wicklow
Coosheen Garden Glounthaune
Hester Forde has an insatiable appetite for plants which makes this a must see garden for the plant enthusiast. A series of raised beds and troughs are home to rare and unusual smaller perennials, alpines and bulbs. It is truly a woodland garden in a suburban space and is home to an expansive collection of fashionable woodland plants that creates a wonderful tapestry of foliage in the springtime. A clever choice of trees for the smaller garden combined with a circular lawn give an illusion of space and provide a magnificent backdrop for the plant collection.
Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens Tour – Private Guided Tour
A thoroughbred horse breeding facility, formally established in 1946 under the National Stud Act and owned by the Irish Government. The gardens were created from 1906 to 1910. The gardens are planned to symbolize the life of a man and are acclaimed as the finest Japanese gardens in Europe. The Tully walk is lined with the mares’ paddocks. Both mares and foals can be seen running freely in the luscious green paddocks.
www.irishnationalstud.ie/
- Dinner and overnight at Glenview Hotel and Leisure club https://www.glenviewhotel.com/
Day 7 Wicklow Mountains
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
National Botanical Gardens Kilmacurragh
There was a monastery at Kilmacurragh, in this tranquil corner of County Wicklow, in the 7 century, and areligious foundation remained right up until the dissolution of the monasteries. After Cromwell invaded the landpassed to the Acton family. By the time the estate came to Thomas Acton in 1854, an unprecedented period ofbotanical and geographical exploration was afoot. In collaboration with the curators of the National BotanicGardens, Acton built a new and pioneering garden. In 1996, a 21-hectare portion of the old demesneofficially became part of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland. The following ten yearswere spent giving the estate’s rare and beautiful plants a new lease of life. https://botanicgardens.ie/kilmacurragh/
Killruddery House Garden Tour (20 mins to Powerscourt)
Inspired by the Palace of Versailles, this 800 acre estate is a sustainable, bio-diverse farm. It includes flowering woodland, world renowned 17th century gardens, cut flower gardens, a natural amphitheater area, and a walled garden. Special family-orientated features include a Faerie Woodland Village and a Giant Sandpit in the Apple Orchard. https://killruddery.com/
Dinner and overnight at Glenview Hotel and Leisure club
Day 8 Wicklow Mountains
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
Powerscourt House & Gardens
Situated in the foothills of the Wicklow mountains, it is a sublime blend of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, sanctuary and ornamental lakes with secret hollows, rambling walks, walled gardens and over 200 variations of trees and shrubs. The newly renovated 18th century house.
Powerscourt Gardens in County Wicklow is one of the most beautiful gardens in Ireland! The gardens at Powerscourt were laid out over two main periods. Many of the people involved in their creation and development never saw the gardens completed in their lifetime. When the house was rebuilt in the decade after 1731, the surrounding grounds were also remodeled. The design reflected the desire to create a garden which was part of the wider landscape. And what a view it is! To the north formal tree plantations framed the vista from the house, while a walled garden, fish pond, cascades, grottos and terraces lay to the south. Walks wound through the wooded grounds and a fine tree lined avenue was created. When you arrive at the tree lined avenue today, hundreds of beech trees will guide your visit.
https://powerscourt.com/
June Blakes Gardens (https://www.juneblake.ie/garden/)
Over the last 15 years, June Blake has created a garden of great character out of what was effectively a blank canvas: a garden that blends the familiar with the new, is inventive, dynamic, and resonates with garden fans of all ages and backgrounds. The appeal lies in its size (just over 1.2Hectares), design, variety, and the fact that it is continually being tweaked. The garden can be experienced on different levels, whether by close examination of the exquisite planting, by wandering through the meadow to the shady borders and on to the vibrant flowerbeds, or just enjoying the scene from a garden sea. http://www.juneblake.ie/cms/?page_id=13
Hunting Brook Gardens Tour
Owner Jimi Blake book A Beautiful Obsession. Possible workshop on Propagation TBD Situated on the sunny, south-facing flanks of the Lamb Hill in the foothills of the lofty Wicklowmountains, Hunting Brook garden is the boldly idiosyncratic creation of Jimi Blake, the notedIrish horticulturist, teacher and plantsman who first came to prominence during the 1990s asthe head gardener of the historic Airfield Gardens in Dundrum, Co Dublin. http://www.huntingbrook.com/
Continue to Dublin
Guinness Storehouse
Overnight at Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham, O’Connell Street, Dublin (2 nights) gresham-hotels-dublin.com/
Day 9 Dublin
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
Local Step-On Guide Dublin
Meet with a Local Step-On Guide for a panoramic sightseeing tour of Dublin, including O’Connell Street, Phoenix Park, Leinster House, Ha’penny Bridge, Georgian Houses and Dublin Doors.
Guided– National Botanical Gardens Tour
The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland are an oasis of calm and beauty. A premier scientific institution, the Gardens contain important collections of plant species and cultivars from all over the world. The National Botanic Gardens in Dublin are located in Glasnevin, just three kilometres from Dublin City Centre, and are famous for the exquisitely restored historic glasshouses. https://botanicgardens.ie/
Merry Ploughboy Dinner and Show at The Merry Ploughboy
Widely regarded as the best traditional music show in Dublin. A highly entertaining performance of live traditional Irish Music, Song and Irish Dancing. The very best of fresh Irish food is served and offers a choice menu. https://www.mpbpub.com/
Overnight at Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham, O’Connell Street, Dublin
Day 10 Dublin
Breakfast at hotel. Private Coach and Driver-Guide
EPIC Immigration Museum Visit
Transfer to Dublin Airport
Depart at 3:15 PM on Delta 155 to Boston
Arrive Boston at 5:30 PM
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Inclusions: Twelve garden tours including Belvedere House, Powerscourt, National Botanical Gardens, Stud Japanese Gardens, Blarney Poison Garden, Muckross House, and more.
Nine nights at lovely local hotels such as Menlo Park in Galway, Randles Hotel Killarney, Blarney Woolen Mills Hotel Cork, Glenview Hotel Wicklow, and Hotel Riu The Gresham Dublin.
Breakfast is included daily, afternoon tea at Ashford Castle, five dinners including the Merry Ploughboy Dinner Show. Falconry at Ashford Castle, Glengowla Sheep Farm, Cliffs of Moher Visit, Blarney Castle, Irish National Stud, Dublin Scenic Tour and EPIC Museum.
Land cost per person for a double room will be approximately $3900 USD and nonstop flights will be about $950. Travel insurance is strongly suggested.
Additional details needed? Call or email [email protected], calling 603-434-8100, or contact me here.
Categorised in: Europe, Group Travel