Today visit Butler’s Chocolate Experience  which is located at the Butler’s Chocolate  factory in north Dublin, close to the  junction of the M1 and M50 motorways.  

Enjoy a 90 minutes interactive tour which  allows you to experience the key elements  of chocolate production. There are work  stations set up where guests get an  opportunity to be a chocolatier and  decorate their own novelty to bring home. 

At all stages of the tour, there is lots of  chocolate sampling! Leaving Dublin, travel along the east coast  through Bray  before arriving in Ashford and on  to Ballyknocken  Country House &  Cookery School.  

Ballyknocken House is a charming Victorian  farmhouse operating as a 4* guesthouse.  Run by Catherine, the third generation  Byrne to reside there, Catherine also runs  Ballyknocken Cookery School and  entertains with Brown Bread Making  Demonstrations and Cookery Courses.  

Overnight: Wicklow area 

After breakfast you may have the  opportunity to participate in a class at the  cookery school (not included in the price  and subject to availability).  

In the afternoon you can use Ballyknocken  House as a base to explore Wicklow,  known as the Garden of Ireland. 

Visit the  Glendalough Monastic Site. The English  name Glendalough originated from the  Irish “Gleann Dá Locha”, which translates  as "The valley of the two lakes". It was  here that St. Kevin, son of the king of  Leinster, founded a monastery in the 6th  century. 

From a simple beginning the site  grew to become famous as a center of  learning throughout Europe. Standing for  600 years it was destroyed in 1398. Much  of what is to be seen today dates from the  10 to 12th century. One of the most  attractive features is the fine 34m high  round tower. 

A cathedral, stone churches  and decorated crosses also survived albeit  as ruins. Beautifully scenic walking trails  take visitors on a circular route by the lakes  from the Car park. Glendalough has an  excellent visitor's center and display area,  which is located at the entrance to the  Valley. 

It houses a very comprehensive  exhibition on Glendalough detailing the  history, archaeology and wildlife of this  area of Wicklow. An entrance charge  applies to the visitor center. 

Overnight: Wicklow area 

This morning, travel south from Wicklow to  Waterford. Visit the Harty Oysters Farm,  located in the scenic  area of Dungarvan  Bay. 

Jim Harty was a  pioneer of Irish  oysters as he was  one of the first  people in the  country to recognize  the potential for  growing oysters in  the Celtic Sea. 

The Harty family aim to give  their customers the highest standard of  oyster and they consider their oysters to  be one of Ireland’s top luxury food  products available today. Leave Waterford and travel the short  distance to Shanagarry and stop at  Ballymaloe Gardens which surrounds  Ballymaloe Cookery School and the Garden  Café, which is run by TV chef Darina and  Tim Allen. 

Ballymaloe includes a Herb  Garden, formal Fruit Garden, a formal  Vegetable Garden and Water Garden. 

Overnight: Kinsale area 

This morning, take some time to explore  the English Market. Situated in the heart of  Cork City, the English Market is a roofed  food market and has been trading since  1788. 

Developed and still owned by Cork  City Council, the Market is one of the  oldest municipal markets of its kind in the  world. Continue on to the Cork Butter  Museum which dominated the world  butter trade in the 18th and 19th centuries  and the museum explores the  development of the exchange and the  history of dairying in Ireland. 

Afterwards, why not travel to Kinsale.  Make a few visits including Desmond  Castle and the Wine Museum. 

Built as a  custom house by the Earl of Desmond in  circa 1500, Desmond Castle has had a  colorful history. 

Before completing your  tour of Kinsale, a visit to Charles Fort just  outside the town is a must. Constructed in  the late 17th Century, Charles Fort is a  classic example of a star-shaped fort. 

In the  evening enjoy dinner in Kinsale, known as  the “Gourmet Capital of Ireland”.

Overnight: Kinsale area

Today, travel towards the Dingle Peninsula  and pass by the Killarney National Park.  The Killarney National Park features  beautiful lakes and mountain sceneries.  

The park is famous for its native natural  habitats and species including oak holly  woods, yew woods and red deer. The  National Park visitor center (located at  Muckross House) and the information  point at Torc Waterfall provide information  on all aspects of the park. 

This afternoon you will explore the Dingle  Peninsula, famous for its Celtic, pre-Christian monuments and Christian  churches. It is also a “Gaeltacht” – Irish  speaking area, where the Irish language  and traditional ways of life are preserved. 

Dingle town itself is a thriving fishing town  and offers plenty of opportunity for  shopping or simply savoring the  atmosphere of a typical country Irish town  with its plentiful pubs, narrow streets and  busy harbor. 

Visit Murphy’s and taste real  handmade Dingle ice cream. They are only  using natural  ingredients and  have very special  flavours like  Brown Bread and  Sea Salt. 

The road  between Dunquin and Slea Head is dotted  with beehive huts, forts and church sites.  

Prehistoric Dunbeg Fort is on a cliff top  promontory with a sheer drop to the  Atlantic and had four outer walls of stone.  Inside are the remains of a house and a  beehive hut as well as an underground  passage. 

Beehive huts are circular stone  buildings shaped like a beehive which was  lived in by the Kerry monks 

Overnight: Dingle area 

Depart Dingle this morning and travel via  Adare. 

Adare, County Limerick, is a village  dating from the time of the Norman conquest. Desmond or Adare Castle is  regarded as a fine example of the medieval  fortified castle in Ireland and is one of a  number of outstanding castles situated in  County Limerick. 

It is sited on the north  bank of the River Maigue in a strategic  position on a substantial earlier ringwork  where it was able to control traffic on the  river. 

It was an important stronghold of the  Earls of Desmond. 

Continue to visit St Tola’s Goat Farm. 

St  Tolas is an organic goat farm of 65 acres  located in North County Clare near the  Burren and 30  minutes from the  famous Cliffs of  Moher. 

Siobhan  Ni Ghairbhith  took over the  farm in 1999 and 2 years later, St.Tola  became a registered organic cheese  producer. Siobhan has developed the  business from a local industry to an  internationally recognized and award  winning brand but the cheese is still hand  made in small batches as the artisanal  quality of their cheese is paramount. 

Travel to the Cliffs of Moher. 

Situated on  the Atlantic Ocean and bordering the  Burren region, the Cliffs of Moher are one  of Ireland's most spectacular sights.  Standing 230 meters above the ground at  their highest point and 8km long, the Cliffs  boast one of the most amazing views in  Ireland. 

On a clear day, the Aran Islands  are visible in Galway Bay as well as the  valleys and hills of Connemara. The cliffs  reach their highest point just north of O'  Brien's Tower built by Cornelius O’ Brien, a  descendant of Brian Boru, to entertain his  lady friends

. 

Before you reach your final destination for  this day, make a stop at the Burren  Smokehouse. 

At Burren Smokehouse  visitor center you can get a tasting of  Burren smoked salmon. You can discover  mosaics inside and outside the shop, and  look at the first kiln used when the Burren  Smokehouse was first set up.

You can also  watch a DVD presentation about the  smoking process. 

Overnight: Connemara area 

This morning leave Galway and visit the Rathbaun Farm. 

The farm is situated in a  rural area of Southwest County Galway  near Ardrahan. The Burke and Connolly  family have been farming the 80 acres of  land for over 200 years and Fintan  Connolly continues this tradition today.  

The main livestock are sheep with some  cows and horses. Visitors to Rathbaun  Farm will become enchanted by its  thatched cottage home, turf fire, stone  walls and an array of animals. 

The land is  limestone, free-draining soil currently in  permanent pasture and in organic  conversion. Time spent here gives a  glimpse into the daily workings of a sheep farm with plenty of time to see the  animals, feed the lambs in season, talk to  the family and explore the farmyard. 

Guests can also visit the 150-year old  farmhouse,  where you will  have the  opportunity to  have lunch,  sampling some  home baking  and local produce. You may also have the  opportunity to bake your own scones,  following the traditional Irish recipe. 

Continue to visit Kilbeggan Distillery. 

Start  your tour in 1757 and discover how Irish  whiskey was made in the time of the  Lockes ownership of the distillery on one  side of the courtyard and then follow on to  see how Kilbeggan Irish whiskey is now  being made in the traditional manner  which includes a 180 year old pot still.  

Kilbeggan Distillery established in 1757, is  believed to be the oldest licensed pot still  whiskey distillery in the world. For almost  200 years, until it closed in 1954, the  distillery produced a traditional pot stilled  Irish malt whiskey. 

Today the distillery  hosts a museum and since 2007 when  distillation commenced again in Kilbeggan,  visitors can experience a real working  distillery run by a team of young  enthusiastic craftspeople (and a few wise  old heads too), skilled in the traditional  ways of making Irish whiskey. 

The guided tour follows the process of  making triple distilled Irish Whiskey, from  the grinding of the grain to the casking of  the final product. Watch and listen as the  19th century  water wheel  drives the  machinery.  

Most of the  original  machinery has now been restored and can  been seen working daily. Peer into nine  meter high fermentation vats. Learn about  the lives and the working conditions of the  people that worked here. At the end of the  tour you will receive a complimentary  sample of Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey. 

Overnight: Dublin area 

If time allows visit Howth, a picturesque  fishing village which is situated at the foot  of a huge rock peninsula. Howth, a huge  rock massif with footpaths ideal for small  walks, offers beautiful views of Dublin Bay.  

You can also visit one of the numerous  seafood restaurants. 

Travel to Dublin Airport for return flight  home