Ultimate Ireland
Group Trip Highlights: May 2023
After an amazing trip around Ireland in 2022, I was thrilled to have another incredible group join me for the revised and extended Ireland trip in 2023!
This Wanderlust Group Trip was a smash success and we can’t wait to bring it back in 2024.
Here’s everything we got up to as we roadtripped around the Emerald Isle.
For this trip, I was super fortunate to be joined by my childhood best friend and photographer, Emilee Elofson. Her photos are included below! You can check out her work here.
Day 1: Arrive in Dublin
- Check into the Grafton Hotel
- Welcome meeting & gifts!
- Walk thru Dublin
- Temple Bar
- Celtic Nights: Irish Dinner & Show
Everyone began arriving in Dublin and we checked into the stunning Grafton Hotel. We did a quick walk through Dublin and pre-show drinks in Temple Bar before seeing the Irish dance show, Celtic Nights.
Day 2: Full Dublin Tour
- Molly Malone Statue
- Book of Kells & Trinity College
- Little Museum of Dublin
- Jameson Distillery
- Guinness Storehouse Tour
- Old Storehouse Bar & Restaurant
We started off our full day in Dublin with a visit to Trinity College and the Book of Kells.
Our group then continued on to the Little Museum of Dublin for a quick and witty speed through Dublin’s history. The friendly and quirky guides make this a fun stop!
Afterwards, we stopped at the nearby coffee shop for some cute Dublin coffee-art.
The beloved and well known pub, The Hairy Lemon was our lunch stop before continuing on to the Jameson Distillery Tour.
We did not one but TWO of Dublin’s iconic beverage tours. So afterwards, we continued on to the Guinness Factory tour.
A trip to Dublin isn’t complete without a Guinness at the Gravity Bar!
After that, we celebrated Emilee’s birthday with a group dinner at the Old Storehouse Restaurant.
That night, we went dancing to live music in Temple Bar!
Day 3: Belfast
- Black Taxi Tour
- Titanic Museum
- Belfast Pedal Pub
After two days in Dublin, we set off towards Belfast!
After a quick drive, we arrived in downtown Belfast to meet without local guides for the “Black Taxi Tour” which gives visitors an inside look at the troubles that tore this city apart in the recent past.
After signing the peace walls in Belfast, we continued on to have lunch at an amazing deli just off the main square.
Then we were on our way to the legendary Titanic Museum located in the very shipyard where the Titanic was built and launched.
Chilling exhibits include an authentic original life vest from a survivor and the actual violin that was being played as the ship began to go down.
That night, we did a hilarious pedal pub tour around the bars in Belfast with local guides, it was a blast!
Day 4: Giant’s Causeway
- Dark Hedges
- Picnic at Giant’s Causeway
- Dunluce Castle
- Derry Girls Mural
We started the next morning by visiting the site made famous by Game of Thrones, the Dark Hedges.
For lunch, we had a picnic at the stunning Giant’s Causeway. We sat in the grass watching wild dolphins leaping in the bay with one of the best views in Ireland!
After our picnic lunch, we stopped at Dunluce Castle. Yet another Game of Thrones filming location! You may recognize it as the Greyjoys’ castle.
We stopped by the Derry Girls mural on our way to our hotel in Letterkenny.
Day 5: Castle Overnight
- Glencar Waterfall
- Sligo Beach
- Abbeyglen Castle Hotel
After a beautiful scenic drive through the Irish countryside, we checked into the historic Abbeyglen Castle Hotel for our complimentary champagne hour.
Afterwards, we had a magnificent dinner at the castle.
Champagne hour at Abbeyglen Castle Hotel
Following dinner, we stayed up late listening to a live piano player at the castle.
Day 6
- Photos around the castle
- Clifden Castle & Sky Road
- Kylemore Abbey
- Galway Pub Crawl
The next morning, we took pictures around the castle before heading out to Clifden Castle.
When our bus was too large to turn around on the tiny Irish country roads, we wound up take a detour through the incredibly scenic Sky Road!
After a stunning drive, we arrived at Kylemore Abbey for the afternoon. We wanted the gardens, shopped, attended history talks and more!
After Kylemore Abbey, we made our way to Galway, my favorite city in Ireland!
We checked into our hotel located right in Eyre Square before heading out for a pub crawl that evening.
Day 7
- Galway Free Day
The next day we had free to wander, shop for souvenirs like Claddagh Rings and Aran wool sweaters!
Some of the girls got tattoos while others did a walking tour of the town with a local guide.
In the evening, we all went for live music in the Latin Quarter.
Day 8
- Dunguaire Castle
- Lunch in Doolin
- Cliffs of Moher
- Bunratty Castle
- Live music in Adare
- Spend the night at Dunraven Arms Hotel
Our group left Galway behind and began heading towards the Cliffs of Moher. And stopped at the beautiful Dunguaire Castle along the way!
The Cliffs were clearly visible when we first arrived!
It was a bright and clear day. However the weather changed quickly and after 30 minutes at the Cliffs, great rain clouds and fog began rolling in.
That evening we continued on to the charming little village of Adare where we checked into the historic and beautiful Dunraven Arms Hotel.
That evening, our group had a private little concert in a pub arranged by our driver, Cash!
Day 9
- Horse Carriage Tour through Killarney National Park
- Kiss the Blarney Stone
- Drive back to Dublin & goodbye!
The next morning we had a delightful breakfast at the Dunraven Arms Hotel before continuing on to Killarney National Park.
We did a 1 hour carriage ride through the park before continuing on to the Blarney Castle and Gardens.
Timing our visit perfectly, we missed all the cruise passengers and had zero lines as we headed into the castle to kiss the stone and get the “gift of gab.”
We said our goodbyes back in Dublin!
Some flew home that night while some checked into the Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin.
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 travel favorites!
Ireland Group Trip Highlights
Traveling in a group has many advantages. Traveling with a group can help you feel safe, especially when visiting a new destination. Thanks