West Coast of Ireland tour: Galway Bay to the Cliffs of Moher

Explore historic Dublin, a city packed with Irish history, culture and cuisine, then meet your Tour Leader, local Tour Guide and your fellow travellers.

Your Ireland vacation package begins in its most famous city: Dublin. The Irish capital has plenty to offer visitors, from the Guinness Storehouse to the medieval crypt of Christ Church.

Check into The Wilder Townhouse from mid-afternoon, and in the late afternoon, meet your Tour Leader, local Tour Guide and fellow travellers for an introduction, group dinner and the first night of your stay.

If you arrive earlier, take the opportunity to see The Book of Kells, an exquisite Early Christian illuminated manuscript, and follow in the footsteps of Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde as your wander the campus of Trinity College. You could also investigate your Irish ancestry at EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, and the Irish Family History Centre. There’s also Dublin Castle and a plethora of free museums to explore.

• Check into The Wilder Townhouse in Dublin for one night
• Group dinner

Journey across Ireland to County Clare, home to the Burren Geopark.

It’s time to leave Dublin behind and move your Ireland vacation to the spectacular West Coast, a picturesque area shaped by pounding waves and powerful geological forces.

We’ll enter County Clare from the north, taking in the impressive sight of Dunguaire Castle and Galway Bay, before arriving at the Wild Honey Inn, your hotel for the next four nights.

• Check into Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna, for four nights
• Group dinner in a nearby restaurant or pub

Wake up to County Clare and the West Coast of Ireland, and discover the wonders of the Burren.

After a full Irish breakfast at the Wild Honey Inn, you’ll head out into the Burren Geopark to discover how this distinctive landscape came to be, and to learn about the processes that have helped to sculpt and define its terrain over millennia.

The Burren was officially established in 2011 and has retained its status as a unique part of the Irish landscape with 11 internal ‘geosites’, recognised as areas of outstanding geological significance.

• Return to Wild Honey Inn in the evening
• Group dinner at nearby restaurant or pub

Take a boat to the largest of the Aran Islands and explore the links between geology and archaeology in one of its most iconic ruins.

This leg of your Irish adventure will see you land on Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands.

As well as being the most populated of the Aran Islands today, Inishmore also boasted a significant Iron Age population. You’ll visit the clifftop hill fort of Dun Aonghasa to uncover the link between human and geological history on the island.

After a day’s exploring, we’ll cross back to the mainland for another hearty group dinner at a local pub or restaurant.

• Return to Wild Honey Inn in the evening
• Group dinner at local restaurant or pub

Travel to the Burren’s spectacular cliffs, and marvel at their geology and sheer beauty.

Today sees you heading to one of Ireland’s most acclaimed natural sites: the towering Cliffs of Moher.

Reaching 214m (702 feet) in height, the impressive cliff face is strikingly vertical, and their unassailable appearance has featured in films such as The Princess Bride and Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince.

Beyond their visual appeal, the Cliffs of Moher also have plenty of geological points of interest on this Ireland tour and stand as an excellent example of sedimentation and ancient delta formation.

You’ll also visit the geologically impressive coastal features of the Bridges of Ross and Loop Head, and examine the world-renowned deep-water turbidite sequences of the Clare Basin.

• Return to Wild Honey Inn in the evening
• Group dinner at local restaurant or pub

Descend into the caves of Doolin and then enjoy the view from the highest point in the Burren limestones to marvel at the landscape from above. Finally, travel back to Dublin to conclude your tour of Ireland.

The last day of your Ireland vacation takes you to both ends of the Burren. After a final breakfast at the Wild Honey Inn, we’ll explore the underworld of the Burren, travelling into its extensive cave systems beneath Doolin. Back above ground we’ll then head off to Mullaghmore one of the highest points in the Geopark. While not a towering peak at 180 metres (590ft) above sea level, the peak provides excellent views of the surrounding area, and the whole mountain is made up of irregular sequences of folded rock.

After admiring the view, we’ll explore the underworld of the Burren, travelling into its extensive cave systems beneath Doolin.

Back above ground, it’s time to bid a fond farewell to County Clare, and travel back to Dublin.

• Return to The Wilder Townhouse for the final night
• Group Dinner

Enjoy your final hotel breakfast of the tour and then check out.

Either stay longer to explore more of Dublin, or head home.

Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternative accommodation of equal or higher quality or adapt the itinerary if required.