2025 Vacations

CONTINUING OUR EARLY 25 IN 25 CELEBRATIONS! 15% Discount on all self drive packages AND only €25pp deposit!

We continue to toast 25 years of creating Ireland vacations by extending our €25pp deposit AND offering you a 15% discount on any of our self-drive vacation packages! Book by 15th November 2024*

*CIE tours and Knitting tours not included

Tour Overview

‘Excellent’

Overview For the Family Tour of Ireland - Ballycotton Base

We have chosen Ballycotton Bay in East Cork as the base location for your family tour of Ireland. With a rich maritime and historical heritage, East Cork has a unique variety of attractions to offer the discerning family. This corner of Cork really is a sanctuary for Ireland family vacations with a huge range of attractions and activities to keep adults and kids alike entertained.  The beautiful Ballycotton Bay which stretches for about 25 km east to Knockadoon Head will be at your doorstep and family sightseeing in nearby Cobh, Youghal, Midleton and even further afield can be easily accessed.

Your Accommodation For This Tour: The Garryvoe Hotel

We understand that it is often difficult for families to move from location to location so our Ireland with Kids tours are ‘one-centred’ and organised in such a way as you would just collect your car, drive to your hotel and check in for the duration of your stay. When you confirm your tour with us you will receive an inclusive tour pack which will include various day tours that you can chose to take from your base location. You may decide to do all of the tours, a small selection of them or you might simply choose to enjoy the great family facilities of your hotel and its surroundings.

Great Children's Facilities

  • Hotel is directly across from the Ballycotton bay (Blue flag beach)
  • Kiddies splash time every afternoon in the Health Club (Runs all year)
  • Hotel has cinema nights during summer months & holidays on selected evenings
  • Healthy kids menus available
  • Packed lunches for days out available at cost payable to hotel
  • Babysitting services available - at a charge, payable directly to the hotel

Flexible Family Rooming Arrangements

  • Spacious Family Rooms available.
  • The hotel allow children up of all ages and children to age 16 are charged at the child rate.
  • Standard in all family rooms: multichannel television, Fast Free WiFi throughout rooms & hotel, tea/coffee making facilities

Escapes for Mom & Dad

  • Garryvoe Health & Leisure Club facilities include East Cork’s only dedicated two-lane 25m Lap Pool,
  • Extensive Splash Pool area with Water Jet Massage Cannons.
  • Unique to Cork and Ireland - Aqua Jogging Ring, 1200 square feet Gym
  • Sauna Room, Steam Room, Invigorating Outdoor Hot Tub, Aerobics Studio
  • Bar & Restaurant

 

What's included

Accommodation in rooms with private facilities 

Full Irish Breakfast Each Morning

Rental Car (Chauffeur Option Available)

Local Telephone Support During Your Trip

Tour highlights

  • Aran Islands
  • Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
  • Burren
  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Conor Pass
  • Dingle Peninsula
  • Doolin
  • Dun Aengus
  • Gap of Dunloe
  • Killarney
  • Ring of Kerry
  • Galway
  • Westport
  • Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms
  • Westport House

Overnights for this tour

  • The Garryvoe Hotel, Ballycotton for 7 Nights 

Accommodation options

All of the hotels we have chosen for our Family packages have great family facilities, many of them have kids clubs during the summer holidays, playground or playroom, special meals, movie nights, babysitting and great escapes for mom and dad including leisure centres and spas, bars, restaurants and live music.

Day 1 - Shannon to Dingle

From Shannon, you will be heading to the quaint town of Dingle in County Kerry via Limerick City, the pretty village of Adare and the dramatic Conor Pass on route to what is perhaps the most dramatic and scenic peninsula in the country. Limerick City is home to King John’s Castle and the Hunt Museum. Adare is regarded by many a seasoned traveller as Ireland’s prettiest village with its charming thatched cottages, manicured public park and ancient church. The small village of Annascaul is the birth place of Tom Crean, a local hero who accompanied Scott and Shackleton on three Antarctic expeditions, including Scott’s doomed attempt to reach the South Pole. On his return to Annascaul Crean opened the "South Pole Inn", which is still in business today. Dingle retains the charm of a fishing village despite being a popular tourist destination.

Day 2 - The Dingle Peninsula

From Dingle head to the harbour village of Ventry, in which the ancient tale of the Battle of Ventry Strand is based. The tale as told in a 15th century manuscript describes how Daire Donn, King of the World, landed at Ventry in an attempt to invade Ireland and was defeated on the beachhead by Fionn Mac Cumhaill. You will also see Dunbeg Fort and the Blasket Islands just off the coast. Further along the coast road will bring you to the remains of Ferriter Castle and Dun An Oir. Here in 1580, after three days siege, over 600 Irish and Spanish soldiers surrendered to Lord Grey only to be massacred by his troops. Nearby is the Gallarus Oratory, one of the best preserved early Christian church buildings in Ireland.  Back to Dingle for the evening. Here you will find among other great pubs and restaurants, Dick Macks, possibly Dingle’s most famous pub, which is half a leather shop and half a pub so you can buy a pint and a purse at the same time! Foxy John’s is a hardware store and pub combined – an unusual arrangement to say the least.

Day 3 - Dingle to Clare

After an early breakfast depart Dingle in the direction of Brandon to drive over the renowned Conor Pass, Ireland’s highest mountain pass. At the summit Brandon and Tralee Bays can be seen to the north, with the sandy Castlegregory peninsula separating them and to the south lies Dingle Bay. Continue to Tralee and Tarbert where you will take a ferry crossing on the Shannon Estuary to County Clare. Continue north to the Cliffs of Moher. The majestic Cliffs of Moher are without doubt one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights and overlook the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of West Clare. You then arrive at the village of Doolin. Doolin is world-famous for its wealth of Irish folk music and in recent years has been attracting crowds to spontaneous sessions in any one of its excellent pubs. Just north of the Cliffs you then have the lunar like Burren region and the ancient Poulnabrone Dolmen Tombs as well as the Aillwee Caves.

Day 4 - Clare to Connemara

Today we travel to the university city of Galway and on to the Connemara region west of Galway. Also on route, you will have a chance to visit Dunguaire Castle which was built in 1520 by the O'Hynes clan on the picturesque shores of Galway Bay. You will also have the chance to stop in Galway, the ‘City of the Tribes’ is also known as Ireland’s Cultural and festival capital. Other sites in Galway include Ireland’s largest medieval parish church, the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra dating back to 1320. Christopher Columbus reputedly worshipped in this church in 1477. Also nearby are Galway Cathedral, the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square. Continue west of Galway to the hauntingly beautiful Connemara Region. Situated on the most western seaboard of Europe, this unspoilt region boasts breathtaking scenery. The characteristic features of Connemara include its rugged, unpolluted coastline, dramatic mountains, numerous lakes and rivers and woodlands and the renowned Connemara National Park. Visit Kylemore Abbey and the Lough Inagh Valley as well as the spectacular Sky Road near the town of Clifden. You can also visit the fishing village of Roundstone and see how a ‘Bodhran’ (traditional Irish Drum) is made

Day 5 - Connemara to Westport

Touring north from Connemara, you will also be able to walk along the fjord at Killary harbour or indeed take the catamaran cruise through Ireland's only fjord. From there travel just south of Westport to see Croagh Patrick, otherwise known as Ireland's 'Holy Mountain' upon which St. Patrick (according to Irish folklore) spent 40 days fasting. The area around Croagh Patrick is rich in archaeological remains which provide an interesting insight into life in times past. Findings date back to 200 B.C.  You may also wish to visit Westport House - Designed by the famous architects Richard Cassels and James Wyatt in the 18th century, Westport House is located west of the Shannon and is one of Irelands’ most historic homes open to the public.

Day 6 - While in Westport

Just north of the town of Westport in the county of Mayo is Ireland’s least populated region where you can walk the open countryside for miles with no company other than the local sheep. The amazing geology, archaeology, botany and wildlife of this region of North Mayo is interpreted for us at The Céide Fields Visitors' Centre with the aid of an audio-visual presentation and exhibitions. Achill Island and the Currane Peninsula, on the west coast of Co Mayo, are among the most remote and scenic areas in Ireland. You can also travel north to Castlebar, home to the Museum of Country life, an open-plan building houses collections of domestic goods, once used as part of daily life from 1850 to 1950. Exhibits and a movie explain how Irish people made a living from the soil before the machine age. Further north, you may wish to travel to Sligo and view the Ancient Tombs of Carrowmore. There are over 60 tombs here that have been located by archaeologists to date, dating back to nearly 5,000 B.C. and centuries older than the Pyramids of Egypt. Also in Sligo is Drumcliff Churchyard, perhaps the most visited graveyard in Ireland. William Butler Yeats is buried here under the epitaph that he penned, “Cast a Cold Eye on Life, on Death. Horsemen, pass by!”. The Churchyard stands in the shadow of the magnificent Benbulben and here you will find a visitor centre, crafts shop and coffee shop.

Day 7 - Westport to Galway

From Westport, you may wish to visit the Village of Cong on route to Galway. The famous movie, ‘The Quiet Man’ starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was filmed in this location.  Here you can visit locations from The Quiet Man film such as the dying man's house, Innisfree, Castletown, the river fight scene, 'hats in the air' scene, Rev. Playfairs house, Pat Cohan's Bar and many more. Another slight detour of note on this route is the village of Knock. It is a major Roman Catholic pilgrimage site and it is claimed there was an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1879.Galway City, the ‘City of the Tribes’ also known as Ireland’s Cultural and festival capital. Galway and in particular, the Quays area of the city centre will enthrall you particularly in the evening time. Other sites in Galway include Ireland’s largest medieval parish church, the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra dating back to 1320. Christopher Columbus reputedly worshipped. The quay’s area of Galway City is the ideal place to spend your final evening as you will find some of the best traditional entertainment in the country in some of the finest pubs in Ireland.

Route map

Tour attractions

2025 Vacations

CONTINUING OUR EARLY 25 IN 25 CELEBRATIONS! 15% Discount on all self drive packages AND only €25pp deposit!

We continue to toast 25 years of creating Ireland vacations by extending our €25pp deposit AND offering you a 15% discount on any of our self-drive vacation packages! Book by 15th November 2024*

*CIE tours and Knitting tours not included

Tour Prices

Below, you will find a price for Ireland Family Vacation – Ballycotton 7 Nights self drive tour of Ireland including your car rental. We offer you very competitive rates for our car rental inclusive packages. Pricing for other accommodation and transport options is also available upon request. All prices quoted in this section are per family as specified.

FAMILY PRICE INCLUDING 7 DAYS CAR RENTAL

Accommodation Type B&Bs 3* Hotels 4* Hotels & Manor Houses Combination
Jan-Mar & Nov- Dec €836 €990 €1,362 €1,081
April & October €836 €1,090 €1,390 €1,175
May-June €890 €1,485 €1,840 €1,490
July-September €1,042 €1,590 €1,961 €1,590

Notes

Prices above include:

  • 7 Nights accommodation in the Garryvoe Hotel including full Irish breakfast and taxes
  • 7 Days Family Car rental: 7 Days Manual Transmission, Ford Mondeo/Opel Insignia or Similar
  • Included with your car is all compulsory insurances - Collision Damage Waiver insurance (CDW with an excess/deductible), theft protection insurance, location fee of €30, Road fund tax, sales tax at 13.5%, unlimited free mileage, third party liability insurance, 24 hour peace of mind break down cover.
  • This hotel accept children to age 16 sharing with two full paying adults

Private Chauffeur Option Available For This Tour

  • Enjoy the services of an experienced and friendly driver guide
  • Luxury vehicles so you get to travel in style and comfort
  • Take the stress out of driving on unfamiliar and sometime narrow roads
  • With our knowledgeable drivers you see more in less time
  • You get to see the scenery instead of worrying about crashing into it!
  • Contact Us for a price quotation today

Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.

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