Best of the Wild Atlantic Way (12 Night)

Due to its compact size, Galway city is easily explored on foot. The redeveloped Eyre Square area encloses a pleasant courtyard and park, nearby you will find a new shopping centre leading out to shop street which is lined both sides with a mix of cafés, restaurants, traditional and modern shops.    The city comes alive during the summer months with tourists not just from overseas but also other parts of Ireland. Sites of interest include the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the old Spanish Arch and the Claddagh, which the famous Claddagh ring is named after. Galway city is a great place to enjoy some traditional Irish music with many pubs having live music on a weekly and in some cases a daily basis. You will also find many lovely restaurants to enjoy a romantic meal, Galway has something to suit every visitor’s taste buds and pocket!

Your time in Connemara may well be the highlight of your romantic getaway in Ireland! This wild region of Galway encompasses serene seascapes, rugged coastlines and magnificent mountains. Visit Kylemore Abbey which is often referred to as Ireland’s most romantic Castle as it was built by Mitchell Henry for his wife having fallen in love with the area whilst they visited on honeymoon!  Further west visit the town of Clifden with its colourful buildings, craft shops and lively pubs. Drive the breath-taking Sky road from Clifden passing desolate scenery and the narrow inlet at Clifden Bay, from here you could easily take the coastal route to the village of Roundstone. Your Irish Tourism itinerary will guide you with all the route options that you could possibly take.

Another day in Galway affords you the opportunity to explore further afield, if you have not yet explored the beautiful Connemara region, you could do that today or you could check out the village of Cong in County Mayo. Cong is best known for the stunning Ashford Castle, one of Ireland’s best known Castle hotels but this picturesque village was also the setting for the 1952 movie, The Quiet Man. Nearby you will also have the chance the the stunning Lough Corrib and boat trips are available from Ashford Castle or Oughterard during the summer months. 

You can’t miss the Burren when travelling the coast road from Galway to Clare, and you will find Romance in every corner of it! Scramble over karst limestone formations where the bleak landscape and unusual plants give the area an other-worldly ambience. In the Southern area of the Burren the limestone rock gives way to the black shale and sandstone that form the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are one of Ireland’s most visited attractions offering outstanding views. Well-worn visitor walkways lead in both directions, offering various viewing points. At night we recommend spending a few hours in Doolin, which is often considered the traditional music capital of Ireland. You are surely to find a comfortable pub to soak up the lively atmosphere. On a sunny evening, join the crowds at Doolin Pier which has become famous for its stunning sunsets that somehow give the watcher a great appreciation for life and nature.

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park is always a nice stop to begin your day touring. Bunratty Castle was built in the 15th Century by the McNamara Clan and is widely regarded as Ireland’s best furnished Castle, complete with authentic artefacts throughout the inside. Next to the Castle, Bunratty Folk Park gives a sense of what Ireland was like in the early 19th Century with each building representing a different element of Irish life from the humblest one roomed abode, to Bunratty House an exquisite example of a fine Georgian residence. Travelling onward towards Kerry your next stop is the town of Adare where many a couple has stopped to walk beside its charming thatched cottages or paid a visit to Desmond Castle, a 13th century feudal Castle set on the banks of the River Maigue.

Killarney, known as the gateway to the Ring of Kerry is famous for its lakes which are all free to visit. Recommended stops include Torc Waterfall where the Owengariff river cascades through breath-taking wooded glens and the Gap of Dunloe where Ice Age glaciers once carved a dramatic mountain pass through which the ‘gap’ offers spectacular views of three small lakes. The Ring of Kerry is a 179km circular route around Kerry’s Iveragh Peninsula, it is perhaps one of Ireland’s best known driving routes and has been drawing visitors to Kerry for centuries! The journey takes in the towns of Killarney, Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Caherdaniel, Sneem and Kenmare.  You will have the opportunity to take in such sites as the wonderful Skellig Islands which were featured recently in Star Wars & the picturesque Valentia Island which you can reach via ferry from Cahersiveen or over the bridge further south at Portmagee.

The Dingle Peninsula is an essential stop on any Ireland Honeymoon because of its wonderfully romantic sweeping sea views and curious history. Because of the Dingle Peninsula's isolated position beside the North Atlantic Ocean there is a remarkable preservation of over 2,000 monuments.  This amazing peninsula drive is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches and towering cliffs. Inland you will find vast rolling hills and mountains, including the 952m high Mount Brandon. The locals here speak the Irish language as their first language and there is no lack of traditional music and culture. Dunmore Head, Ireland’s most eastern point, has views across to the Blasket Islands which are famous for Irish-language memoirs documenting rural life in the 1800s and 1900s.

Cork city is quickly gaining a reputation as one of Europe’s trendiest cites and notable city attractions include the Church of Saint Anne Shandon which from the top gives a panoramic view of the city, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral and Cork City Gaol. Cork city is noted for its ethnic restaurants, chic bars and trendy boutiques. A great starting point for your city centre explorations is Cork’s English Market. The market is located in Cork city centre with its main entrances on Grand Parade, and on Princes Street, with further smaller entrances off Oliver Plunkett Street and Patrick Street. Established in 1788 by the Protestant or ‘English’ corporation that then controlled the country, the market has been at the heart of Cork city culture since its foundation.

There are lots of things to see and do further afield from Cork City. The town of Kinsale with its attractive harbour font is always a popular stop with honeymooners because of its many romantic restaurants and bars. The town of Cobh is historic and a memorable touring stop, it was from here that the Titanic famously departed for the last time and it was also the final port of call for millions of Irish people leaving Ireland to live overseas, mainly to the US & Canada. Of course while in Cork you may wish to visit our famous Blarney Castle. Blarney Castle has been drawing honeymoon couples for centuries. Legend has it that when you kiss the Blarney Stone, you will be forever endowed with the ‘Gift of the Gab’! There is a lot to see and do in Cork and your Irish Tourism itinerary will show you all the possibilities.

Today we recommend setting off early in order to give you enough time to truly enjoy the luxury that surrounds Dromoland Castle. Dromoland Castle is steeped in history, its roots going back to the year 1014 when the son of Brian Boru held a fortress here. The present building was built in 1800 and was opened to guests in the early 1960’s. Dromoland Castle is certainly considered to be one of Ireland’s most luxurious castles due to the high standard imposed on every feature; from the elegant bedrooms to the perfectly landscaped grounds. The hotel has a superb spa and leisure centre that is perfect for the discerning honeymoon couple and plenty of other activities for you both to enjoy, from the onsite falconry, archery, horse-riding and fishing to their world renowned golf course.