Deluxe Culinary Vacation in Ireland

If you want to skip Dublin, check out the 6-night version of the tour, which starts with a transfer directly to County Cork. 

• Céad Míle Fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes!). upon landing in Dublin, your Private Driver will meet you in the Arrivals Hall of Dublin Airport to bring you to your hotel. Check in will be at 3pm, so you will likely store your luggage and head out immediately for your tour!
• Today, join Dublin’s Hop-On/ Hop-Off city bus tour. This is the easiest way to go sightseeing in Dublin – hit all of the major attractions, and travel at your own pace. The buses operate 9am-5pm every day, regularly stopping around the city. Major stops include:
  • Trinity College/The Book Of Kells National Art Gallery
  • St. Stephen’s Green Temple Bar
  • St. Patrick’s Cathedral Guinness Storehouse
  • …and more!
• The Guinness Storehouse is in the heart of St James’s Gate in Dublin City, where you can experience the history, heart, and soul of this world-famous stout beer. Explore seven floors of the Guinness Storehouse building, which was once the fermentation plant of the brewery, and learn about the brewer’s founder, Arthur Guinness. Discover more about the ingredients, history, and culture that tell the Guinness story before taking in the 360 degree views of Dublin City from one of Dublin’s highest vantage points, at the Gravity Bar.
• Dinner on your own in Dublin, overnight.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today you can get the Dart to Howth Head Peninsula (ticket paid on the spot).
• On the north side of Dublin Bay lies the mythic Howth peninsula, home to a yachting harbour, artisan restaurants, and a quality farmer’s market. Howth’s natural beauty makes it a true gem for a wanderer looking to escape the city. The dramatic cliffs and hill walks welcome explorers.
• Experience an insider’s “hikes and pints” tour that will take you through nature trails to historical sites, offering a glimpse into Ireland’s intriguing past. From ancient ruins to the summit of Howth, which boasts breathtaking views of the Irish Sea, every moment is filled with awe and wonder. Concluding your hike, relax with a pint at one of Howth’s famous local pubs, and reflect on the beauty of one of Ireland’s most picturesque locations.
• Time for lunch on your own in Howth.
• This afternoon, visit EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, for a self-guided visit. Voted as “Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction” at the 2019, 2020, and 2021 World Travel Awards, EPIC takes visitors on a journey through Irish history with a focus on emigration and the large Irish diaspora scattered across the globe. Explore the whispering library, read emigrants’ letters home, and meet well-known characters from Irish history.
• Return to your accommodations by train (ticket paid on the spot, dinner on your own.
• Enjoy your last night in Dublin.

• Check out of your accommodations.
• Your Private Driver will meet you at the hotel lobby at 9.30am to bring you to County Cork.
• Stop off to visit the famous Rock of Cashel. Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale, the location is iconic in its historic significance. The Rock of Cashel possesses the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland. Among the monuments to be found there is a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral, and a fifteenth-century Tower House.
• You may choose to stop for lunch at the Cashel Palace Hotel, (lunch paid locally – please be advised that this needs to be booked in advance). A Palladian manor, in the heart of Ireland, Cashel Palace is a luxury hideaway, meticulously restored and exquisitely reimagined.
• Arrive in Kinsale, County Cork, and check into your hotel.
• Located at the start of the Wild Atlantic Way, Kinsale town is famous for its colorful streetscapes and rich history, fueled by great people, food, boutiques, and events. Kinsale is a vibrant coastal town, where you will enjoy walking around the town, local craft shopping, dining in the town’s award-winning restaurants, and relaxing with a coffee or a pint while overlooking Kinsale bay.
• On arrival in Kinsale, you are greeted with a glass of Champagne to welcome you.
• Dinner on your own, overnight.

• Breakfast at the hotel, then meet your private driver.
• Explore Kinsale today. The Kinsale Harbour Cruise will give you a very different view of Kinsale and its beautiful natural harbour. This unique trip is an opportunity to view the Kinsale town from the water.
• Kinsale Mead Company is Ireland’s first meadery in 200 years. The meadery was started in 2017 to resurrect the lost art of mead making, and the award-winning meads are done in small, hand- crafted batches using 100% raw honey and the best natural ingredients. Your visit will include a tasting – of course!
• Return to your hotel and dinner on your own.

• Breakfast at the hotel, then meet your private driver.
• Travel to West Cork to visit a farm. “Rooted in the land and open to the world” is the motto of the West Coast farms where you are invited to step beyond the typical tourist trail and into the heart of real Irish farm life.
• Nestled among the rolling hills and rugged coastline of West Cork, these farms are not only working lands—they’re living stories, passed down through generations and shaped by nature, community, and tradition. The tours are often led by the farmers themselves—people who live and work there every day, whose knowledge and passion for sustainable farming is deeply rooted in the soil they tend. Each visit is a personal, immersive experience that brings you closer to the rhythms of rural Ireland, past and present.
• Next, you will visit the famed supermarket, Scally’s of Clonakilty Supervalu. Supporting 55 local producers in West Cork, a visit to this supermarket is a must for any foodie. Scallys is one of Ireland’s best-known family-run supermarkets, with a strong focus on regional speciality foods.
• Stop at De Barra’s Folk Club. Walking into De Barra’s Folk Club in Clonakilty is like walking into a musical history museum. The venue has played host to every Irish folk musician you can think of. From the legendary Christy Moore to Damien Dempsey. Be sure to explore the picturesque seaside town of ‘Clon’ (as the locals call it) too.
• Return to your hotel. Dinner on your own, overnight.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• You will enjoy a visit of East County Cork today. First you will stop in the lovely town of Cobh, a stunning island town in Cork Harbor. Steeped in history, brimming with activities, and picture-perfect from every angle, Cobh offers historical experiences, leisurely trails, and colorful vistas.
• Your stop will include a visit to the Cobh Heritage Centre, which tells the Queenstown Story, the story of Irish Emigration. This beautiful, informative, and sometimes emotional Exhibition is situated within Cobh’s beautifully restored Victorian railway station, a building with its own historic story.
• Head next to Ballymaloe Organic Farms & Gardens, tucked into the East Cork countryside, a living showcase of sustainable Irish food and farming. Spread across 100 acres, the estate features vibrant kitchen gardens, heritage orchards, glasshouses, and free-range livestock—all grown and raised using organic, regenerative practices. Visitors can explore the grounds on a self-guided walk or join a guided garden tour through the wildflower meadows, herb parterre, and historic shell house. Or stop at the on-site shop and café to shop or enjoy fresh farm produce, handmade breads, and seasonal bites (paid locally).
• Next, learn about Irish whiskey at the Midleton Distillery, home of the most iconic brands of Irish Whiskey– Jameson, Redbreast, Powers, Midleton Very Rare, The Spot Whiskeys, Knappogue Castle, and Method and Madness. The Midleton Distillery tour takes you beyond process and taste and brings you to the very essence of Irish whiskey. Enjoy a fully hosted tour through the original distillery, learning about the hard working people and field-to-glass processes responsible for the whiskeys that make up the seven iconic brands. End with a tasting of three of the iconic whiskeys.
• Return to your hotel. Dinner on your own, overnight.

• Breakfast and check out.
• Meet your private driver and transfer to Cork City.
• Participate in an Irish Stew & Soda Bread Hands on Cooking Class for lunch. Irish stew has been a staple of Irish homes since the early 19th century, a time when people relied on locally sourced, affordable ingredients. The dish is a reflection of Ireland’s agricultural heritage, as is the famed Irish soda bread, know throughout the world.
• In the afternoon enjoy a Farm Tour of Ireland’s leading Buffalo Cheese and Yogurt producer, Macroom Buffalo Cheese Farm Tour, based in Macroom Cork, with a large herd of water buffalo across 3 farms. The farm produces a range of market-leading cheeses in a state of the art production facility on the farm in West Cork. Enjoy a tasting their award-winning products.
• Head to hotel in Cork city and check in. Dinner on your own, overnight.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet your guide for a wonderful, small-group food and cultural tour led by locals. This Cork food tour is a relaxed but highly-focused 2.5/3 hour food stroll. You will be brought to places that are off the usual food route, where tastings are generous and the people lively – Cork people are enormously proud of their food. Quite rightly! Learn a little about the culture and architecture along the way from your local and knowledgeable guide.
• Next, you will stop at The English Market, one of the oldest covered markets in Europe. It has survived famine, flood, war, fires, and multiple recessions, remaining a strong part of Cork’s retail and food scene. Renowned as a food market, it is an important part of food culture in Cork, and attracts thousands of visitors each year – heads of state, celebrities, and tourists from across the globe have all come to see the market!
• Time for some shopping on your own.
• In the afternoon, visit the famous Blarney Castle & Gardens. Blarney Castle was built nearly 600 years ago, and while much of the structure is in ruins, there is no lack of things to see. Blarney Castle grounds are filled with wooded hollows, 60 acres of sprawling parklands, strange rock formations and a glistening flowing river. At the heart of Blarney Castle lies one of its quirkiest attractions, the Blarney Stone. Kissed by world statesmen, literary giants and films stars, the huge Blarney Stone is said to impart the gift of eloquence or “the gift of the gab” to those who kiss it.
• Return to the hotel and dinner on your own. Enjoy your last night in Cork!

• Breakfast and check out.
• Meet your driver and transfer to Dublin Airport.
• Safe travels!

Please inquire if you would like to extend your trip to include Killarney and County Kerry.