Name: Ireland - Off the Beaten Path
Start: 2023-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2023-04-04T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Ireland

Alt-Esc Travel

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151 reviews

Mar 26 - Apr 4, 2023

Group size: 1 - 20

Ireland - Off the Beaten Path

Ireland

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Alt-Esc Travel

Email address verified
Facebook verified

151 reviews

Mar 26 - Apr 4, 2023

Group size: 1 - 20

Overnight on the enchanting Aran Islands and jump headfirst into Irish culture.

Enjoy an afterhours private tour and reception at Christ Church Cathedral. Discover a hidden garden island nestled in Bantry Bay.

Spend a day exploring the Dingle Peninsula. Cruise beneath the iconic Cliffs of Moher. Take in scenic views from Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.

Put a modern twist on Irish cuisine during a cooking class at a premier culinary institution in Dublin.

Explore the Old Midleton Distillery, home of Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Go where most have never been before Inishmore, possesses its own distinct character. Seemingly frozen in time, these islands have remarkably kept the modern world at bay.

Visit Inisheer (or Inis Oirthir, meaning "east island").

Inhabited by a population of only 250, this rocky enclave is the smallest of the islands, but has perhaps the biggest heart. Revered as the most beautiful of the Aran Islands, Inisheer’s limestone landscape belies its generous and friendly spirit.

These rugged islands stand fast against the Atlantic, just outside of Galway Bay. Just a few miles from the Cliffs of Moher - Inisheer, Inishmaan.

Dublin • Cooking Class • Irish National Stud • Rock of Cashel • Distillery Tour • Kinsale • Garnish Island • Dingle Peninsula • Cliffs of Moher • Aran Islands • Aran Sweater Knitting Demo

9 Days • 13 Meals: 8 Breakfasts • 5 Dinners

To Register:

$100 to register with Alt Esc (Refundable for 2 weeks after registering)

$600 deposit to the vendor** (Refundable until Aug 27, 2022)

Final Payments:

Full Balance due Jan 25, 2023 **

**Alt Esc will provide instructions on payments to vendor

Flight Selection

Must request flights to be included prior to August 27, 2022

Sun, Mar 26 - Depart USA
Sun, Mar 26 - Depart USA
Most flights will arrive next day, Mar 27
This is your chance to experience a seldom-explored side of Ireland. From the vaults of Christ Church Cathedral to the rolling hills of Dingle, we’ll bring you back to your Irish roots (even if you don’t have any).

Many travelers prefer to book their own international flights. Some want to use miles or credits and others want to control their departure and arrival times - possibly adding a pre or post trip to this adventure.

If you would like, Alt Esc Travel can assist you in booking your flights, just ask!

Overnight: On Flight
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Mon, Mar 27 - Failte!
Mon, Mar 27 - Failte!
Welcome to the Emerald Isle!
Fáilte (100,000 Welcomes) and welcome to Dublin, Ireland’s cosmopolitan capital. Tonight, join your fellow travelers for a welcome reception in the crypt of Christ Church Cathedral.* Within the medieval walls of the city’s oldest structure, surrounded by nearly 1,000 years of Irish myths and legends, toast the start of an incredible adventure.

Airport Transfer??

Evening Welcome Reception

Overnight: The Hampton Hotel
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Tues, Mar 28 - City Tour
Tues, Mar 28 - City Tour
Dublin's Fair City Tour
Get ready for an adventurous day exploring the city of Dublin!

A local expert escorts you through Dublin’s magnificent sights. Exalt in the culture and color of Ireland’s world-famous shopping thoroughfare, Grafton Street. Get lost inside the gardens of St. Stephen’s Green, and marvel at the electric green expanse of the largest enclosed city park in all of Europe, Phoenix Park.

This evening, enjoy the Irish tradition of storytelling when a local storyteller joins you during dinner at a popular restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Overnight: The Hampton Hotel

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Wed, Mar 29 Countryside
Wed, Mar 29 Countryside
Dublin - Irish National Stud - Cashel - East Cork
After breakfast, take to Ireland’s country roads. Tour the Irish National Stud, an area of incredible natural beauty that’s home to regal thoroughbreds and opulent gardens. Continue south to the awe-inspiring Rock of Cashel. Be amazed by its imposing façade and visit the spot where St. Patrick preached.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Overnight: Garryvoe Hotel
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Thurs, Mar 30 Seaside
Thurs, Mar 30 Seaside
East Cork - Kinsale - Midleton - East Cork
After a delicious buffet breakfast and a relaxing morning head to the coastal village of Kinsale. Enjoy time to peruse the charming shops, galleries and cafés before joining a local expert for a leisurely walking tour.

Later this afternoon, visit the Old Midleton Distillery, home of Jameson Irish Whiskey. Give it a go with a tasting of the distillery’s production.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Garryvoe Hotel
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Fri, Mar 31
Fri, Mar 31
East Cork - Garnish Island - Killarney
Travel through forty shades of green before arriving in the charming town of Glengarrif. Board a ferry and sail to a place that must be seen to be believed, Garnish Island. Sheltered in the Glengarrif harbor of Bantry Bay, this hidden island is home to one of Ireland’s most beautiful gardens. Continue over the Cork and Kerry mountains to Killarney via the breathtaking Caha Pass.

Meals Breakfast and Dinner

Overnight :Muckross Hotel & Spa
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Sat, April 1
Sat, April 1
Killarney - Dingle - Killarney
Not far from the spirited pubs of Killarney await the enchanting hills and weather-worn bluffs of Dingle. Travel through a maze of green to Ireland’s most westerly point, Slea Head, where the locals will remind you that, "the next parish over is Boston."

Then, it’s your choice!

Explore Dingle’s country lanes on foot -OR- enjoy time at leisure in Dingle Town, a place where pubs double as hardware stores and the Guinness is always freshly tapped.

Upon your return to Killarney, stop by a tea house for some scrumptious homemade treats at a café that employs individuals with intellectual disabilities.**

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Muckross Park Hotel & Spa
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Sun, Apr 2
Sun, Apr 2
Killarney - Cliffs of Moher - Aran Islands (Inisheer)
After breakfast, leave the rugged southern coast behind and embark on an adventure, the likes of which you’ve never seen. Board a ferry bound for Inisheer, the smallest of the three Aran Islands.*** Take in unrivalled views while sailing beneath the iconic Cliffs of Moher.

Upon arriving in Inisheer’s ethereal landscape, take a private tour through the labyrinth of stone walls blanketing the island. Learn about the island’s 250 inhabitants, their livelihoods and devotion to traditional culture and customs. As the last ferry leaves for mainland Ireland, settle into your island abode*** amid desolate yet striking beauty for an experience that’s totally unparalleled.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Overnight: Tigh Ruairi
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Mon, April 3
Mon, April 3
Aran Islands (Inisheer) - Ennis
Enjoy a morning to sleep in, or wake early for a sunrise hike**** to O’Brien Castle. Greet the sun as it rises over the Irish mainland and illuminates Inisheer’s picturesque stone walls. Later, dive into local culture during a knitting workshop and learn traditional methods and stitches used to make the famous Aran sweaters. Don’t worry if you’re not a knitter, you’ll be a pro before you know it!

Next, experience the traditional craft of making the St. Brigid’s Cross. Throughout Ireland you will see these crosses affixed to homes to ward off evil and danger. This evening, after ferrying back to the mainland, toast the end of an incredible adventure!

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Overnight: Old Ground Hotel
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Sun, Mar 26 - Depart USA

Most flights will arrive next day, Mar 27

This is your chance to experience a seldom-explored side of Ireland. From the vaults of Christ Church Cathedral to the rolling hills of Dingle, we’ll bring you back to your Irish roots (even if you don’t have any).

Many travelers prefer to book their own international flights. Some want to use miles or credits and others want to control their departure and arrival times - possibly adding a pre or post trip to this adventure.

If you would like, Alt Esc Travel can assist you in booking your flights, just ask!

Overnight: On Flight

Alt-Esc Travel

151 reviews

Book your next get-a-way with Alt Escape, a boutique international adventure travel company that specializes in ultra-personalized itineraries. We focus on our guests experiencing the land, the people, and the culture in the most immersive, energizing, and inspiring way possible. With decades of experience, it is a pleasure to get to know you – my guest – and help generate ideas for your ideal trip and research the unknown gems that will create the most extraordinary trip imaginable for you. Allow Alt Esc to partner with you and make your travel dreams become reality. Unlike booking websites, we go the extra mile to make sure all of your needs are met. Our promise to you is that every detail of your trip is taken care of, no question goes unanswered, and you will always receive the best value when you plan your journey with Alt-Escape. Let’s get started planning your escape! Call Today 630-222-8514!

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