West Ireland tour: The Burren, Galway Bay & Cliffs of Moher

Where better to start your Ireland vacation than Dublin, the country’s lively capital? Our local tourist guide will meet you in the hotel early afternoon to welcome you all. Then you'll hop on our small coach for a private guided afternoon tour of Dublin, first visiting the award-winning EPIC Irish emigration museum, one of Europe’s leading visitor attractions. This is the place to visit if you’re interested in exploring whether you have any Irish ancestors.

Then we’ll hop back on the private bus for a tour of the city, including O’Connell St, St Stephens Green and Parliament Building. 

If you arrive a day earlier – and we highly recommend you do – take the opportunity to see The Book of Kells, an exquisite Early Christian illuminated manuscript, and walk in the footsteps of Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde at Trinity College. There’s also Dublin Castle and a plethora of free museums to explore. 

We'll be back at the hotel late afternoon. Time to relax in your room before we head out to a nearby restaurant for a group dinner within walking distance of the hotel.

Hotel: The Wilder Townhouse, Central Dublin
Group dinner

Time for a road trip! After your (award-winning) breakfast, it’s time to leave Dublin behind and zip across Ireland to the spectacular West Coast, 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 on the Wild Atlantic Way. Your home for the next four nights is Wild Honey Inn, a renowned Michelin-starred inn.

Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
Group dinner in a nearby restaurant or pub

Fill up with a full Irish breakfast at the Wild Honey Inn. Today you’re off to explore The Burren & Cliffs of Moher Global Geopark, one of Ireland’s most jaw-dropping landscapes: 530 square kms of twisted limestone pavements, wild flowers and Atlantic-pounded cliffs, all underpinned by a vast cave system.

It’s extraordinary to look at and the stories behind it are just as mind-boggling. Your Tour Leader, Professor John Walsh, a leading structural geologist from University College Dublin. Who better to unravel the secrets of the processes that crafted this distinctive terrain over the millennia?

Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
Group dinner at nearby restaurant or pub

Today, we set sail for Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands. It once nurtured a significant Iron Age population, and it’s still the most populated of the islands.

Its rocky surface is home to structures roughly the same age as Stonehenge. It was also a filming location for the snortingly funny TV series, Father Ted; fans of the show might recognise Inishmore as Craggy Island…

Much as we love iconic 90s sitcoms, we’re here to see Dún Aonghasa. Set at the very edge of an 87-metre-tall sea cliff, the hill fort’s imposing stone walls and jagged defences tell the story of the people who once lived here.

Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
Free evening

Movie goers and geology buffs alike will relish the adventures planned for today.

We’ll start with one of Ireland’s most dramatic natural landmarks. Get ready to feel awe and marvel at the beauty of the Cliffs of Moher. Reaching 214m (702 ft) in height, the cliff face is strikingly vertical. They look impenetrable. You might recognise them films such as The Princess Bride and Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince.

As well as looking incredible, the Cliffs of Moher have plenty of geological points of interest. For starters, as well as being a great hiding place for a horcrux (that’s one for the Potterheads!), they’re an excellent example of sedimentation and ancient delta formation.

Afterwards, you’ll 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.

Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
Group dinner at local restaurant or pub

On the last day of your Ireland tour, you’ll top and tail The Burren, travelling from its hidden depths to its heights.

After breakfast, we explore the underworld of The Burren, in Doolin Cave, discovered by chance in the 1950s, As you adapt to the steady 11C temperature, you’ll spot a church organ-like column hanging overhead – Europe’s largest stalactite.

Back above ground we’ll ascend Mullaghmore, one of the highest points in the Geopark. At 180 metres (590ft) above sea level, it’s not exactly a towering peak but it’s still the spot for incredible views. Do look down too – the mountain itself is made up of irregular sequences of folded limestone. It’s the perfect place to say goodbye to County Clare, before we travel back to Dublin.

Hotel: The Wilder Townhouse, Lisdoonvarna
Group Dinner

Enjoy a final Irish breakfast before departing Dublin – or extend you stay to explore more of the city. Whenever you head home, you’ll take with you unforgettable memories of Ireland’s wildest landscapes, ancient history, and warm hospitality.



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 on your vacation package to Ireland, if required.