Castles & Classics - The luxury tour of Ireland

Cong, Killarney, Dingle

EI
46 reviews
Duration: 7 days
Group size: 1 - 16
Castles & Classics - The luxury tour of Ireland
Cong, Killarney, Dingle

46 reviews

Duration: 7 days
Group size: 1 - 16

About this trip

THE DELUXE SMALL-GROUP TOUR OF IRELAND 

You’ll never forget checking into a world famous Irish Castle hotel, a 12th century fortress, and enjoy sleeping in its luxurious bedrooms. 

This tour features all the fantastic activities and experiences Essential Ireland Tours are famous for, but the extra magic is the luxury accommodation and the small group size (8 - 16 tour guests only).

You’ll have the travel experience of a lifetime.


Great memories, fun experiences, a luxury Castle stay in Ashford Castle, the most famous of all Irish Castles and one of the worlds finest hotels..

This is an epic VIP tour of Ireland.


note: This tour itinerary may occasionally need to operate in reverse direction or certain days may be swopped if logistically required. In this eventuality, the activities, sights or locations visited on the tour will not be affected. 

What’s included

  • Hotel
    5 Star Castles, Classic hotels and luxury Guesthouses
  • All activities
    no hidden extras or "optional" activities
  • All breakfasts
    Hearty breakfasts each morning (including breakfast in the magical King George V dining room experience at Ashford Castle)
  • Prosecco toast
    A prosecco toast at an epic beauty spot on the Dingle peninsula
  • 1 Group dinner
    home-made meal, glass of wine included

What’s not included

  • Lunches and dinners
    You are free each evening to enjoy
  • Tips
    Tips are not expected but always appreciated, tour-guests often like to give a gratuity to their Guide, the amount is entirely at your own discretion

Available Packages

Per person sharing double/twin bedroom
Deposit:€500
Available until 2 days before departure
€3,299
Deposit:€500
solo-traveller / single-supplement
Deposit:€500
Available until 2 days before departure

solo/single traveller with a big bedroom all to your self

€3,799
Deposit:€500


Itinerary

Day 1
Dublin to Ashford Castle

[9am] Depart central Dublin. Pick up in one central location City’s south-side (The Harding Hotel, just in front of Christchurch Cathedral). We’ll enjoy some fun and informative commentary on Dublin’s attractions to the beautiful Irish countryside.

[10.30] Stop outside Dublin for a welcome-coffee! You’ll have an itinerary Q&A session with Stephen McPhilemy, our Co-Founder and Chief Tour-Guide.
Then onward to the idyllic village of Cong, one of Ireland's most beautiful spots and scene of the Hollywood classic 'The Quiet Man'

Late Afternoon:  Enjoy free time  in charming Cong.. 

[3pm approx]  Checkin to Ashford Castle, the worlds most beautiful and luxurious Castle Hotel. The warm welcome from the staff is an experience in itself.

Explore the exquisite gardens, perhaps ride some of the Castle's horses through the woods, fish on Lough Corrib for salmon or pike or relax in the award-winning spa.

[6pm] Gather in the Prince of Wales Bar where everyone can enjoy each others company and have a good chat with other tour-guests

You're free for dinner in the George V dinging room (dinner jackets compulsory for Gentlemen), the Castle Dungeon ( no dress code) or the charming cottage restaurant...
Browse the dining options at this link, Stephen's tip: be sure to pre-book directly with the Castle

Your Organizer


EI
Essential Ireland Tours & Travel Ltd.
46 reviews
Famous for our small-group, VIP-style, Ireland Tours (8-16 guests) 🇮🇪 Created by award-winning Irish Tour-guide Steve McPhilemy (Rick Steves' right-hand man in Ireland for over 20 years) & Irish-American travel-enthusiast Patrick Wade to provide wonderful, fun & value-for-money Irish experiences for our friends, family and international guests.

Reviews

My daughter and I had a wonderful trip and our guide Stephen was so knowledgeable on the history and culture. Stephen answered all our questions about history and Ireland. The sites and museums were interesting and we never felt rushed. Everything just flowed at an enjoyable pace. The accommodation was clean and lovely and food was available nearby giving us a hassle free trip. I recommend this company because they are honourable and deliver exactly what you hope for in a holiday. We hope to use Essential Ireland for future trips and recommend them without hesitation. Communication was clear and fantastic.
By Rhonda C for 'True North' - Northern Ireland & Donegal, 5 days/4 nights on Nov 14, 2024
Essential Ireland Tours, Wild Atlantic Way 7 days (Galway, Dingle and Killarney) was fantastic. I was very appreciative of the no minimum traveler limit as a solo traveler, and the small group tour maximum limit. Our "group" was small and quaint to say the least, which made the trip feel customized to our travel styles. I loved all the historical knowledge Christopher has (if I didn't know better, I would think he was a history teacher, which I later found out he is!), making the history engaging. I loved the ample downtime to explore the towns on our own, with time to explore, dine and shop, or go on amazing excursions on our own. The accommodations were perfectly quaint, clean and comfortable, with wonderful breakfasts each morning. I do not feel there was anything lacking from this 7 day introduction to Ireland and would definitely be interested in looking into other Essential Ireland Tours in the future. I was very satisfied
By Amie R for Wild Atlantic Way 7 days (Galway, Dingle & Killarney) on Nov 11, 2024
We had a fabulous time, saw so much in a whirlwind week! Our guide Chris was great ,he is very knowledgeable about Irish history and explains the sights on the tour well! At the same time he has a good sense of humor and had great tips on where to eat and which pubs had good live music. The accommodations were very good especially Milltown House ,very homey and lovely Seamus the resident Wolfhound! 5 stars all around for this tour and company!!! Dingle itself is magical! Can't wait to return.
By Raymond B for Wild Atlantic Way 7 days (Galway, Dingle & Killarney) on Nov 10, 2024
We rated this 4, but we’re being generous. Our tour guide, Chris, is a wonderful person with a kind disposition and hearty laugh. Generally, we think this is a good tour, but our particular week had a number of disruptions and disappointments. Our Guinness tour never happened, and we weren’t told why or in advance, so we could have gone on our own. We went to Ashford Castle when the town of Cong was essentially shut down for the season, so there wasn’t much to do. The biggest issue was we had to move hotels in Dingle due to a scheduling issue, which was a real hassle and killed half of our “free day”. It did not feel like a luxury tour. Ireland is wonderful and the itinerary hit a lot of key attractions. The Milltown House and the experiences there (falconry, Irish dancing) were great, but we only had 2 days there. Finally, the bus was not comfortable. There was only Chris to be driver and tour guide except one day when Stephen joined us. Having two people is referenced in other reviews, and would have been a lot better. Poor Chris had to spend so much time handling luggage, which ended up having to be stored in several rows of seats, which again detracted from the comfort of the ride. We could add several suggestions, and really appreciate the efforts and intentions of the tour team. We suspect this particular week was not up to their usual standards as the other reviews are all so positive.
By Reed S for Castles & Classics - The luxury tour of Ireland on Nov 01, 2024
BB
This is one of the best tours I’ve taken. Stephen is the magic that makes this such a memorable vacation. Loved the Ashford Castle, the Hilltown Hotel in Dingle, Stephen’s staff , and of course the falconry. You also get to meet Seamus. If you go on the Essential Ireland website, you can find out who Seamus is. Great trip Stephen - thank you.
By Bruce B for Castles & Classics - The luxury tour of Ireland on Oct 01, 2024
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