Self Drive Tour of Historical Ireland (7 nights/8 days)

Dublin, Meath/Antrim, Antrim, Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Westmeath, Return to Dublin

Our Self Drive Tour will help you discover the latent historian within you as you trawl through Neolithic tombs, Bronze Age forts, Early Christian monastic sites, Viking walls and Georgian architecture. Tour Ireland and unearth druids capering amongst the ancient Hills of Tara and Slane, give ear to the chanting soothsayers rooted in the tangled, cobbled streets of Galway, dance a jig to the melodic tunes of the trad boys and smugglers of Ballyshannon. Historical Ireland is a self drive tour that you will never forget!

ACCOMMODATION	B&B’S	HOTELS	COMBINATION
Jan - Mar; 05 Apr - 30 Apr; 01 Oct - 13 Dec	€433	€510	On request
01 Apr - 04 Apr; May - 10 July; 21 Aug - 30 Sept	€455	€560	On request
11 Jul - 23 Jul; 09 Aug - 20 Aug	€503	€608	On request
24 Jul - 08 Aug	€547	€652	On request

Prices per person based on 2 persons sharing with economy size manual car. All accommodations have private bathroom facilities. Note: Driver must hold a current driving licence valid for at least 1 year. You must be between 25 – 75 years old. Younger and older drivers can be accommodated at an extra charge. Please contact us for details.

Package includes accommodation, breakfast each morning, exploring Ireland driving guide, heritage island guide, map of Ireland, car rental with unlimited mileage, insurances, CDW and taxes. Location service charge is excluded.

Day 1 - Dublin

Highlights

• Trinity College Dublin
• The Book of Kells
• Chester Beatty Library
• Temple Bar
• Guinness Storehouse
• Old Jameson Distillery
• National Museum of Ireland
• Christchurch Cathedral
• Kilmainham Jail

One of Europe’s most thrilling capitals, Dublin impresses on every level. Vibrant, youthful and energetic; the city pulsates with a compelling mix of cosmopolitan and traditional, a gripping fusion of hip and history. Lose yourself in one of its thousand bars all bursting with engaging characters in search of the ‘craic’. Crammed with a glut of boutique hotels, great shopping and chic restaurants; chock-full with museums and historical buildings, the capital doesn’t miss a trick.

Day 2 - Meath

Highlights

• Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre
• Megalithic Tombs of Newgrange


• Boyne Valley
• Trim Castle

Meath is Ireland’s most enduring link to it’s mighty past as an island of saints and scholars; its amazing relics stand defiant, ignoring the ravages of time and invading armies. Brú na Bóinne is one of the most extraordinary sites in the world, the jewel in it’s crown is the mind blowing Newgrange. All of these gems lie under the epic shadows of the Hills of Slane and Tara, the sacred dwellings of St. Patrick and the gods.

Day 3 - Antrim

Highlights

• Giant's Causeway
• Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
• North Antrim Coast
• Bushmills Distillery

A peculiar black basalt and chalk white landscape pocketed by magnificent castles slumbering in deep, forested glens; Antrim is a treasure trove of scenic beauty. It also possesses in the Giant’s Causeway one of the most curious and remarkable geological sites in the world. Belfast is the pounding heart of the county, rejuvenated and confident, she’s sparkling once again.

Day 4 - Donegal

Highlights

Ballyshannon Town

Glenveagh National Park

Perched precariously on the outer tips, Donegal has a powerful sense of the final Irish frontier. Indeed, whilst buffeted and pummelled by the mighty elements on the outer reaches of Malin Head you experience an epic end-of-earth feeling. Donegal is a sheer beauty of gnarled promontories, desolate beaches and meandering streams.

Day 5 - Mayo

Highlights

• Clew Bay
• Croagh Patrick
• Westport Heritage Town
• Knock Shrine

Mayo is Galway’s quiet relation, whilst travelling through it you sense that you are forging new ground. Misty mountains, silent lakes, deserted beaches and desolate bogs all combine to create a mythical, magical land. Mayo leaves behind the stresses and demands of the modern world.

Day 6 - Galway

Highlights

• Galway City


• Galway Crystal
• Kylemore Abbey
• Galway Music & Theatre Venues

Weathered mountains, sheep studded hills, bogs and remote villages; all jaggedly sewn together by stonewalls and pounded by the mighty Atlantic forms the spellbinding beauty of Galway. Carved out of this tremendous landscape is legendary Galway City itself. Bohemian, funky and laid-back – revellers drink, sing and dance themselves around the curved, cobblestone lanes of this city steeped in history.

Day 7 - Westmeath

Highlights

• Mullingar Market Town
• Fore Monastic Sight
• Belvedere House & Gardens

Ireland’s hidden gem, Westmeath is a closely guarded secret. It is filled with beautiful lakes, lazy villages, intriguing period houses and gorgeous forest parks. The county possesses a wealth of attractions from the whimsical mansion house of Belvedere with it’s sinister past to the emerald green Fore valley and it’s seven wonders.


Day 8 - Departure




Fill out our enquiry form for more information

For more information on Self Drive Historical Ireland contact Exploring Ireland