Ireland’s snaggy West Coast incites curiosity and adventure with its pretty peninsulas and a host of tiny islands ripe for a longer exploration. Downshift to discover remarkable landscapes, ancient Celtic sites and timeless villages where stories are told and songs are sung.

Day 1

Dublin to the West Coast

Make for Europe’s westernmost fringe and jumping off point for this epic driving adventure in ultrascenic Connemara taking a rewarding detour to Ireland’s oldest licensed whiskey producer distilling in Kilbeggan since 1757 under British rule.

Day 2

Captivating Connemara

Navigate the ‘Sky Road’ through untamed landscapes where wild ponies roam free, vast boglands flourish and romantic Kylemore Abbey, an enduring token of one man’s love, stands sentinel against the backdrop of the Twelve Bens Mountains.

Day 3

Glorious Galway Bay

Ireland’s ‘cultural’ capital is fun, vibrant and unmissable with its jumble of kaleidoscopic houses and cheery pubs alive with trad music. Bid adieu to the Bay and fáilte to the Burren, a Tolkeinesque landscape bristling with prehistoric tombs.

Day 4

Taste of the Burren

Aside from the attention grabbing, gravity defying Poulnabrone Dolmen, this geologically fascinating landscape bristles with ancient relics. Enjoy a deeper dive into a unique corner of Ireland where artisan food producers of the ‘Fertile Rock’ thrive.

Day 5

Soaring cliffs and dramatic drives

Spectacularly sheer, the Cliffs of Moher are a 8km long crowd pleaser from where the tiny trio of Aran Islands can be espied before hitching a ride across the Shannon to reach one of the anticipated highlights, the gorgeous ‘Kingdom of Kerry’.

Day 6

From peninsula to park

Delight in Dingle’s quaint charms as you move down the gears navigating Slea Head, one of the Emerald Isle’s most scenic routes. Secluded coves, castaway islands and monastic sites epitomise this Gaeltacht enclave on the cusp of bustling Killarney.

Day 7

Riding the ‘Ring’

The celebrated ‘Ring of Kerry’ peninsula drive deserves time and attention to soak up an array of tiny villages and eye-popping viewpoints. Alternatively, stay put in Killarney’s National Park amidst mountains, rushing waterfalls and picturesque loughs.

Day 8 Far from the madding crowd

Flying under the radar, the remote and unspoilt Beara or Sheep’s Head Peninsula is about the route less travelled. Slow down for sheep and heartstopping vistas on winding coastal roads from the Kenmare River to Bantry Bay.

Day 9

Return to Dublin

All roads lead back to Dublin and, with a plethora of interest on route to punctuate the journey including the impressive Rock of Cashel or the diverting medieval city of Kilkenny, the adventure doesn’t stop here.