About This Tour
Ireland’s southeast corner doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Unspoilt coasts, rocky shores, ancient ruins, proper local pubs - and a part of the country that most visitors never reach. This small-group tour, with a maximum of 16 passengers, takes you through it all over three days in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach with a professional driver-guide.
You’ll taste Irish whiskey at the Jameson Distillery (included in the tour price), kiss the Blarney Stone if you’re game, spend a free evening in Kinsale exploring its narrow streets and brightly coloured houses, and pass through Waterford - Ireland’s oldest city, founded by Vikings in the 9th century. The final day takes you through Kilkenny and back to Dublin via the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough.
What’s Included
- Tour and tasting at Jameson Whiskey Distillery (admission included)
- Small-group transport in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach with professional driver-guide
- 2 nights en-suite accommodation with breakfast
What’s Not Included
- Gratuities
- Admission fees not specified as included
- Meals and refreshments (beyond breakfast)
Itinerary
- Depart Dublin heading south through Kildare, Laois and Tipperary to the Rock of Cashel - one of Ireland’s most spectacular archaeological sites with over 1,000 years of history. The traditional seat of the Kings of Munster and, according to tradition, where St. Patrick baptised the King of Munster in the 5th century. (60 min)
- The Jameson Whiskey Distillery - learn the history, find out how it’s made, and taste one of Ireland’s most famous exports. Tour and tasting included in your price. (60 min)
- Blarney - wander the castle grounds, take a woodland stroll, and kiss the Blarney Stone if you want to pick up the gift of the gab. (60 min)
- Kinsale - your overnight stop. A charming fishing village on the coast south of Cork, with local restaurants and lively pubs to explore at your own pace. (4 hours free time)
- The last port of call for Irish emigrants on the Titanic’s ill-fated voyage - a coastal town with a story worth knowing. (20 min)
- The Copper Coast - a UNESCO Geopark running along the eastern coast, known for its beauty and layered local history. (45 min)
- Waterford - Ireland’s oldest city, founded by Vikings in the 9th century. Survey the Waterford Crystal factory, explore the museums, or walk the Viking Triangle. (60 min)
- Kilkenny - your second overnight stop. A vibrant city with a thriving pub and restaurant scene, regularly voted Ireland’s friendliest. (3 hours free time)
- Free time to explore Kilkenny in the morning, including Kilkenny Castle and its grounds. (45 min)
- Head north into the Wicklow Mountains and the National Park’s steep granite landscapes. (pass by)
- Glendalough - site of a 6th-century monastery set in a peaceful wooded valley, with a famous round tower and plenty of good photo opportunities. Return through the Sally Gap to Dublin. (45 min)
Meeting point: Opposite Kilkenny Shop, 6 Nassau St, Dublin 2, Ireland
Good to Know
- Public transport is available nearby
- Suitable for all fitness levels
- Jameson Distillery tickets are reserved for you and included in the tour price
- Children under 5 cannot be accommodated; travel will be refused without a refund if this policy is not followed
- Groups of 3 or more: up to 8 guests can be accommodated - add each required room to your basket separately
- Conducted in English
- Maximum group size of 16
Local Tips
At Blarney, you have an hour in the castle grounds. The Rock Close - a Victorian rock garden with the Wishing Steps, the Witch’s Kitchen and a standing stone - is quieter than the castle queue and takes about thirty minutes to walk through. The word “blarney” entered English from here: Elizabeth I wrote to her courtiers that Cormac MacCarthy sent “blarney” (smooth talk, excuses, nothing useful) instead of obedience. The stone never granted eloquence. A royal complaint did all the work.
Your time in Waterford is sixty minutes, which is enough to walk the Viking Triangle - Reginald’s Tower, the Medieval Museum and the Bishop’s Palace sit a hundred paces apart and together they hold 1,100 years of city history in three streets. If you have a free moment before the group reconvenes, the Waterford blaa - a soft white flour-dusted roll with EU protected status since 2013 - is sold warm from Walsh’s Bakehouse on the quays.
Kilkenny is your second overnight stop and you have three hours free on arrival plus the morning. The Medieval Mile runs from Kilkenny Castle to St Canice’s Cathedral - about a kilometre and a half of Norman laneways, the Tholsel, Rothe House and the Butter Slip. Tynan’s Bridge House on John’s Bridge is widely considered to pour the best pint of stout in Kilkenny: Victorian tiled floor, no food, no telly, the kind of place that runs on conversation. Campagne on Gas House Lane is the Michelin star option for dinner if you want it; Foodworks on Parliament Street is more relaxed and does dinner without a booking at the bar.
The tour ends at Glendalough with forty-five minutes in the valley. The monastic site - round tower, seven churches, a cathedral, all in a wooded glacial valley with two lakes - rewards the time. The flat Green Road from the visitor centre to the Upper Lake boardwalk takes about twenty-five minutes each way and passes nine of the major monastic ruins. The coaches tend to cluster at the round tower, so walk towards the Upper Lake to get some space.
Nearby on IrelandMe
- Blarney - Blarney Castle (1446) and its Rock Close grounds are worth the full hour, especially the Victorian garden paths that most visitors skip in the rush for the Stone.
- Waterford - Ireland’s oldest city, founded by Vikings in 914, with the Viking Triangle heritage trail and the only bread roll in Ireland with EU protected status.
- Kilkenny - A Norman castle at one end of the high street, a 13th-century cathedral at the other, and a kilometre and a half of medieval lanes in between - regularly voted Ireland’s friendliest city.
- Glendalough - A 6th-century monastic city in a glacial valley with two lakes, a 30-metre round tower and walks ranging from a flat lakeshore path to a full-day mountain ridge loop.
