The Romantic South

There's no better way to make your romantic vacation a fairytale come true than to live like royalty for a few days in a luxury accommodations with each one chosen for the romantic feel they elicit. Relax and unwind in opulent surroundings and create wonderful new memories of your happy life together.

The following itinerary has been designed to inspire your dreams of a romantic Irish tour. As always, it can be modified to suit your personal interests and requests.

Tour length: 11 days
Number of accommodations: 5

Day 0 Depart the U.S. for your overnight flight to Ireland.

Day 1 Arrive Shannon Airport early morning. Meet your driver-guide who will help you with your luggage and any request you might have. Board your luxury motor vehicle and travel to Lahinch. Check into your accommodation. Today will be a relaxing day as you get over your flight. After lunch in the village you will also you have the option of doing some sightseeing. At the majestic Cliffs of Moher, stand on the edge of Ireland with the Atlantic crashing on the rocks 700 feet below and look out on the Aran Islands in the distance.

Day 2 Today you will check out Galway. The lively university city of Galway, capital of the West, is a great place for those who like a night on the town! Discover the sights and sounds of Galway City, including Lynch's Castle and the old Jail, where the mayor in 1493 condemned and executed his own guilty son (hence the word lynching), and The Spanish Arch, sign of the once important trading relationship with Spain. See University College, founded in 1845, and venture also to Salthill, the seaside suburb of Galway. Return to Lahinch for your overnight.

Day 3 Check out of your accommodation. Travel south through County Clare. From here we take the Kilimer ferry to Co. Kerry and on to your next overnight in Dingle. Dingle is the most westerly town in Europe and the chief town of the peninsula. Here you will enjoy the music, the banter, the sea, the sand, the scenery, a certain dolphin, and the easy warmth of the welcome. The local strain of craic is highly infectious. Quieter pleasures include a number of interesting walks, many historical remains, especially ogham stones, and the gentle call of the ambient hills. Tonight why not visit the many pubs that Dingle is famous for. Most will have traditional music playing.

Day 4 Panoramic views are to be found as you tour the Dingle Peninsula, where the 32-mile Slea Head drive affords magnificent vistas of the Atlantic Ocean. At the Blasket Island Centre, which is dedicated to the native Irish language and culture, learn about the way of life and unique literary achievements on the string of remote offshore islands evacuated by the last inhabitants in 1953. Drive by pass miles of white sandy beaches and the setting for the films Ryan’s Daughter and Far and Away. In the afternoon you can relax. Spend you time reading a book as you look out over Dingle Bay, go horse riding, or check out some of the quaint shops that are dotted around Dingle. Overnight Dingle.

Day 5 Check out of your accommodation. Travel the road that winds around the beautiful Iveragh Peninsula, better known as The Ring of Kerry. It is undoubtedly one of the most magical places in all Ireland. Here mountains, valleys, lakes and sea blend into a landscape that is often breathtaking beyond words. Even the names of the towns seem to whisper their beauty: Cahirsiveen, Glenbeigh, Killorglin and Sneem. Continue on to your next overnight in Kenmare.

Day 6–7 You have many options for the next 2 days. You can decide which you would like to choose on the previous day. Please discuss with your driver these options. Note that only one option is available per day.

• Full day tour of Killarney and it’s surrounding region. Visit Muckross House and Gardens. Drive to Kate Kearney’s Cottage to take a horse-drawn carriage in the Gap of Dunloe.
• Tour the scenic areas of Gougane Barra and Glengariff. This region supports sub-tropical vegetation due to the influence of the Gulf Stream in the sheltered bays. Keep an eye out for palms! Travel up through the Caha Mountains, via Healy's Pass where you can savor some stunning views of Co. Cork on its east side and Co. Kerry on its west side.
• Enjoy the beautiful town of Kenmare. Your can play golf, take long walks by the shoreline and finish it off with dinner in many of the very fine restaurants Kenmare has to offer.

Day 8 Depart your accommodation and travel southwest along the rugged west coast of Cork. Continue on to Clonakilty (Tidy Town Competition winner). Then it’s off to the charming town of Kinsale for your next overnight. Ensure a healthy appetite is on board, as the restaurants in Kinsale will satisfy even the most critical of palettes.

Day 9 Spend your morning discovering the sights and sounds of Kinsale. After lunch take in a city tour of Cork and also the outlying town of Blarney (home of the famous Blarney Stone which when kissed bestows you with the gift of talk). Return to Kinsale for your overnight.

Day 10 Spend you morning doing some last minute shopping in Kinsale. Check out of your accommodation and travel to the quaint village of Adare. Located here are the ruins of a 13th century castle and a Franciscan Friary, two medieval Abbeys which are under restoration, and a line of quaint thatched cottages. Finish up at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. This 15th century castle is the centerpiece of a fantastic folk park. You can turn the clock back and see thatched roof cottages, crafts and the Irish lifestyles. After your tour do some final shopping. Tonight be treated like royalty at The Bunratty Medieval Banquet.

Day 11 Sadly your tour has come to end. After breakfast we will transfer to the Shannon Airport where there is time for duty-free shopping before boarding your return flight.

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