This tour captures the best of what Dublin, the ancient east coast and Belfast have to offer.
Staying 4 nights in a top Dublin hotel, you will get a taste of many different experiences, while having a base in a capital city famed for its friendliness.
Get to know Dublin with a personalized guided tour of Dublin city, finding the capital’s major attractions such as Trinity College, the Book of Kells, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral and the Guinness Storehouse. Beyond these well-known highlights, you’ll also be introduced to “hidden Dublin”, her best loved neighbourhoods and attractions chosen to match your interests.
Day trips with your own Driver Guide mean you can relax while being immersed in the Irish landscape and her stories. This trip can be tailored to your interests and heritage but as a taster, we suggest including Wicklow, Newgrange, Kilkenny and Northern Ireland.
Ireland’s rich history is awe-inspiring when you visit Brú na Bóinne, Newgrange & the Boyne Valley, an ancient wonder of Neolithic Age in Europe. Learn about our pagan past and marvel at passage tombs created 5,000 years ago, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Less that south of Dublin, Wicklow is known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’. Spectacular natural scenery of mountains, lakes, meandering glens and a long coastline provide the backdrop to a unique mix of historical and religious sites such as Glendalough, impressive manor houses and gardens, lively pubs and local breweries.
The smallest city in Ireland, Kilkenny is also one of the prettiest. Medieval buildings stand with colourful shops along its narrow lanes. Black Abbey and Kilkenny Caste are particular stand-outs and your Driver Guide will show you the very places to savour the atmosphere.
Travel to Northern Ireland from Dublin to experience a different story of Ireland. Reminants of Ireland’s troubled political can still be seen but you’ll also experience the cosmopolitan and creative vibe of Belfast, where you can taste the finest seafood, hear some of the best musicians in the land and find out the real story behind the RMS Titanic.
Game of Thrones fans will be treated to close-up views of the many filming location sites scattered throughout Northern Ireland. From the Dark Hedges to Winterfell and some of the quieter scene highlights, our driver guides know just where to find them!
Throughout your trip, your Driver Guide will tailor stop-offs and detours to create an unmatched experience of Ireland…all customised for you!
Map
Dublin
Newgrange
Wicklow
Kilkenny
ACCOMMODATION
Merrion Hotel, Dublin
5 Star Hotels Ireland
The Shelbourne
5 Star Hotels Ireland
The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
5 Star Hotels Ireland
Dublin, East Coast & Belfast
Experiences
Book of Kells at Trinity College
The Book of Kells Exhibition is a must-see on the itinerary of all visitors to Dublin. Located in the heart of Dublin City, a walk through the cobbled stones of Trinity College Dublin will bring visitors back to the 18th century, when the magnificent Old Library building was constructed, and which displays the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells contains the four Gospels in Latin based on the Vulgate text which St Jerome completed in 384AD, intermixed with readings from the earlier Old Latin translation. The book is written on vellum (prepared calfskin) in a bold and expert version of the script known as "insular majuscule".
Brú na Bóinn & Boyne Valley
Newgrange, an ancient wonder of Neolithic Age in Europe. Newgrange is a large grass covered mound covering an area of over one acre with large kerbstones which are richly decorated with megalithic art. The tour of the monument involves travelling through a chamber into the center of the tomb. Here you will experience a re-enactment of the magical process of the center chamber lighting up with a thin shaft of early morning winter sunshine. There is an exhibition of ancient life in the Boyne Valley to support the monument that is worthy of a visit as well as an excellent audio-visual show. The tour can be combined with visits to the lesser known monuments of Knowth and Dowth and Ireland's most important battle site where the Battle of the Boyne took place in 1690.
Fireside Storytelling
Ireland is the land folklore, legends and storytelling. At Ireland Chauffeur Travel, we adore Ireland’s famed fireside storytelling sessions and we want to share that with you. We will arrange an authentic, engaging and private storytelling and music session with one of our favourite famed storytellers … and all in the comfort of your hotel or local pub
Guinness Storehouse
Wander through the seven floors that make up the Home of the Black Stuff, and learn about its rich heritage and see how our famous drink is actually brewed. Once you reach the top you’ll get to sit back and enjoy a pint of perfection as well as an unequaled panoramic view of the city.
Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin
Established in 1796, Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison in Dublin where numerous revolutionaries were locked up and executed. The guided tour of Kilmainham Gaol starts off at the prison’s chapel, where Joseph Plunkett married Grace Gifford shortly before being executed for participating in the Easter Rising. Visit the cells, still gloomy and dank and continue to the patio where the prisoners were executed. Kilmainham Gaol continues to be an iconic symbol for most of the Irish population, as a symbol of their rebellion against British domination.
National Gallery of Ireland
The National Gallery of Ireland is in the heart of Georgian Dublin. It houses over 2,500 paintings and approximately 10,000 other works in different media. The Yeats museum is a special favourite, with works by Jack B Yeats, his father John Butler and other members of this artistic family. We can arrange private guided tours as well as a very special after-hours tour of the gallery.
Shopping Spree
Love fashion and shopping? Dublin’s Grafton Street has you covered with big name favourites and an institution of Irish fashion - Brown Thomas. Let us arrange a local stylist to accompany you on your shopping trip to introduce you to Irish designers and ensure you are dressed to impressed!
Garden of Ireland
Wicklow is rightly known as the Garden of Ireland due to the spectacular natural scenery which couple mountains with lakes and meandering glens and a long coastline. The Sally Gap, a high mountain drive is akin to being in the Wild West and the lush landscapes of Glendalough, the Glen of the two lakes nestled deep in the Wicklow Mountains. Here St Kevin founded a monastery in the 6th century that still stands today in its same peaceful abode. There are also the delightful villages of Roundwood and Avoca where picturesque mountains meet pretty hamlets.
Garden Tours
Wicklow’s gardens are abundant and absolutely beautiful. Stroll through the magic in the world-renowned Powerscourt Garden and Waterfall, walled garden of Mount Usher in Ashford, 19th century National Botanic Garden Kilmacurragh and the gardens of Elizabethan-Revival mansion Kilruddery. Private guided tours with experts can be arranged on request.
Medieval Mile Kilkenny
The former St Mary’s Church has been converted into a modern museum and as the starting point of the ‘Medieval Mile’ trail, it brings to life Kilkenny’s history as Ireland’s premier medieval city. Kilkenny’s 800-year story is told with a contemporary twist within the new museum. The customer experience contains a long colourful interactive table similar to a giant iPad, an elongated plasma TV screen and projected imagery onto a giant wall allowing visitors to get immersed in the rich history with the aid of modern technology.
Belfast Titanic Experience
This award-winning tour experience will allow you discover: the truth about the myths surrounding the sinking; what happened to Bruce Ismay, the owner of the White Star line and who survived the sinking; how the brother of the man who designed Titanic became Northern Ireland’s second Prime Minister. Across the road, enjoy tea in the former Drawing Rooms where the plans for the ill-fated liner were designed.
Get Political
There are two sides to every story and there’s nowhere that this is more true than Belfast. Let us arrange a private tour to learn about Northern Ireland’s political past and present and visit Belfast’s neighbourhoods and political murals.
Food Delights
Ireland is a food island and each corner represents a different part of our food heritage. Whether in Belfast, Dublin, Donegal, Galway, Cork or the Causeway Coast, we can arrange a customized walking Food Tour of the area to introduce you to the local produce and producers...with tasty samples of course too!
Farm Friends
Ask anyone in Ireland if they are related to a farmer and they’ll surely say yes! We have built great relationships with some of the extra fun people whose live and breath agriculture and they’ll be happy to welcome you onto their working farm. Depending on the season, meet new-born lambs, watch sheepdogs at work, clamber over freshly baled hay or see traditional ploughing in action.
Foraging on Land and Sea
Foraging is a great way of gathering tasty and natural ingredients from hedgerows, fields, woods, country lanes and pathways of Ireland, not to mention the seaweed on the coast! If you would like to spend a few hours outdoors and slowly exploring the countryside and beaches, let us introduce you to one of our foraging friends!
Game of Thrones
A loop of the Causeway Coastal Route, from Belfast to the north Antrim coast, on one of the world’s best driving routes, according to Forbes. This route includes the Giant’s Causeway and locations now famous as Game of Thrones filming locations, such as the Glens of Antrim, Cushendun and the Dark Hedges. What are you waiting for?
