Ireland Group Trip Highlights: 2022
What a whirlwind week around Ireland!
This Wanderlust Group Trip was a smash success and we can’t wait to bring it back in 2023 & 2024.
Here’s everything we got up to as we roadtripped around the Emerald Isle.
Watch the full Ireland group trip recap here:
Day 1: Dublin
After falling in love with Ireland during my travels last summer, I was excited for the group to begin arriving. Everyone checked into the Arlington Hotel and from there, we had a delicious welcome dinner at the Hairy Lemon.
After an incredibly filling lunch, we joined a walking tour to get the layout of Dublin. At the end of the tour, we grabbed a happy hour pint at the famous Temple Bar!
That night we went to see the Irish dance show, Celtic Nights before turning in for the night!
Day 2: Dublin
The next day, we kicked things off by visiting the Book of Kells and Trinity College before having some free time to explore Dublin!
We sampled Irish whiskey on an excellent tour at the Jameson Distillery.
And that evening, we spent golden hour at the Gravity Bar overlooking Dublin following our tour of the Guinness Storehouse. It was a fabulously fun day!
That evening we had a big group dinner in the heart of Dublin.
Day 3: Belfast
The next day, our local guide Cash picked us up on our tour bus and we were off to Belfast!
When we arrived, we did the black taxi tour which covers the city’s dark past with the recent violence between Catholics and Protestants. The tour was remarkable. It was touching, informative and really eye opening.
Huge shout out to the guys who drove us around and shared their personal stories of living through the violence!
After the taxi tour, we were off the Titanic museum. It’s located right on the site where the ship herself was built before the fateful voyage.
In the evening we had an excellent group dinner and visited some Irish pubs in the area!
Day 4: Dark Hedges, Giant’s Causeway, Derry & Letterkenny
We kicked off the morning at Dark Hedges, a famous Game of Thrones filming location.
There isn’t a lot to see here other than the well-known line of trees down a haunting road. But it is stunning. And a beautiful place to take photos!
After our morning exploration of the Dark Hedges, we headed off to grab a picnic lunch before enjoying it at Giant’s Causeway. What amazing views!
Then we made a quick stop in Londonderry before heading to Letterkenny for the night.
You may recognize the characters in the mural from the hit Netflix show Derry Girls!
Day 5: Markree Castle, Beach Lunch & Galway
The next morning, we had a surprise visit to a stunning castle! All thanks to our local guide, Cash.
After our castle visit, it was lunch at a beautiful beach.
Once we were done at the beach, we were off to Galway! Easily one of my favorite cities in Ireland.
That night we had a private pub crawl scheduled that took us to all the best Irish pubs in Galway! It was way too much fun.
Day 6: Galway Free Day
Following our late night pub crawl, some slept in on our free days while others woke up to join a walking tour of the city.
We spent the day shopping, eating, listening to live music in the countless pubs and even getting tattoos!
Day 7: Cliffs of Moher, Doolin & Dingle Peninsula
It was an early departure today because it’s a full day with jam packed sights!
First we stopped at some scenic outlooks during our drive along the Irish coast.
Then we arrived in my favorite little cozy Irish town, Doolin!
This tiny little town is hardly more than one little main street with colorful thatched roof huts. But its the perfect place to stop for lunch and souvenirs before the Cliffs of Moher.
A major highlight of the trip was surprising everyone with a boat trip around the Cliffs of Moher! It was thrilling to see them from so close in the water with the wild sea spray and waves.
During our free time at Cliffs of Moher, our group had a proposal.. how romantic is that?! Congrats you two!!
After Cliffs of Moher, we checked into this cute little lodge. We toasted and celebrated the newly engaged couple for the rest of the night!
Day 8: Killarney National Park & Blarney Stone
To begin the day, we stopped at the stunning Inch Beach before continuing on to Killarney National Park for a horse carriage ride through the countryside.
Afterwards, we were off to kiss the iconic Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle!
To kiss the Blarney stone, you must first pass through the beautiful Blarney Castle. When you reach the top, outer section of the castle, you will line up and one by one, the guards will help you lean far back and kiss the stone.
On the bus ride back to Dublin, we laughed and shared favorite moments from the trip before departing! It was a sad goodbye to everyone on the trip, including our local guide Cash.
Massive thank you to everyone who made this trip such a wonderful experience!! It wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of you.
To join a group trip, check out the “Travel With Me” section!
Past group trips include: dog sledding in Minnesota, Southwest USA, Sail Croatia, backpacking the Superior Hiking Trail, Christmas in NYC, Iceland, Morocco, Turkey, Ireland, and more!
Shop my Amazon storefront for all my travel essentials & favorite finds!
