☘️IRISH PUBS AND WHISKEY TOUR -10 DAY, SELF DRIVE TOUR

Tour Description

In Ireland, we enjoy the pub & distillery culture responsibly. Travel the length & breath of Ireland enjoying the magnificent, world famous Pubs, Breweries & Distilleries, and the ‘CRAIC (pronounced "Crack", Gaelic for good times and conversation). Ireland, the Emerald Isle, is a land steeped in history, culture, and of course, a legendary pub scene. This tour is the Ultimate in discovering the best of the Irish Distilleries, Breweries and Pubs, and the worldwide respect that they have earned.

Tour Highlights

Tour Itinerary

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DAY 1/ Welcome to Ireland

Explore Ireland’s Capital City discovering the north and south side of the River Liffey. Wandering around the Heart of Historic Dublin—the Liberties—you will find one of Ireland’s leading visitor attractions, The Guinness Storehouse.

The Guinness Brewery in Dublin

Europe's largest stout producing brewery and home to the Guinness Storehouse. Opened in 1904, the Storehouse was an operational plant for fermenting and storing Guinness.

 

Today it houses a very fine exhibition dedicated to the Guinness story. Visitors will discover what goes into the making a pint of Guinness—the ingredients, the brewing process, the time, the craft and the passion.

The exhibition shows how the brew has been marketed and how it is today sold in over 150 countries. Once the tour has finished, you are invited to the Gravity Bar to enjoy a pint of Guinness. Regular demonstrations on the art of pulling a pint of Guinness also take place in the Storehouse. 

 

Depart Dublin and head south towards Wicklow. Often called the Garden of Ireland, Wicklow also houses one of the latest and trendiest micro-breweries in Ireland. 

 

The Wicklow Brewery opened its doors in September 2014.The brewery is now producing several craft beers, which can all be tasted at Mickey Finns Pub, a rustic & welcoming Irish pub next door. 

You can also enjoy a guided tour of the brewery where you will enjoy a first-hand experience in a working brewery!

DAY 2/ Dublin To Kilkenny

Often referred to as “the Marble City”, A medieval city of 24,000 people, it is characterized by many beautifully restored buildings and winding slipways—it is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of fascinating historical buildings and contemporary shops, design galleries and restaurants.

Smithwick's Experience

No visit of Kilkenny can be considered complete without a visit to the Smithwick's Experience—home to one of Ireland’s most popular ale. The Brewery opened its doors in July 2014. 

Housed in a restored Victorian building the multi-sensory experience takes visitors on a journey through the medieval origins of brewing on the site, to the arrival of John Smithwick’s in the 1700’s up to the present day.

 

During the tour, the brewing process will be brought to life with visitors having the opportunity to experience the smells, tastes and textures of the raw materials involved in creating the perfect pint of ale. 

DAY 3/ Cork and Surroundings

Travel south towards county Cork. On the way stop at Ballyvolane House, a historic country house with amazing gardens, a farmhouse, luxurious and welcoming accommodation, but first and foremost house to an award winning Gin: Bertha’s Revenge.

The story starts with a cow named Bertha and 2 friends sharing the same passion for food & drink. With time they created an amazing little business and produce a great Gin that has to be tasted!

 The distillery is not open to visitors but we suggest a stop at the house to enjoy the surroundings and why not lunch with a side of gin!

Midleton Distillery in the Town of Midleton

Continue to by Midleton, where whiskey has been distilled since the early 9th century.

The Old Midleton Distillery was founded by the Murphy brothers in 1825. The guided tour of the distillery commences with a short audiovisual, after which visitors are taken on a tour of the old distillery.

 

Follow the old distillery trail through mills, maltings, stillhouse, warehouses and kilns and view the largest pot still in the world. The tour ends in the distillery pub, where all are invited to enjoy a glass of Irish Whiskey.

 

Continue on to Cork City, where you will hear the funniest and some say sexiest accent in Ireland, listen to words such as “langer” and “ye boyo”. A modern, vibrant and progressive urban center, Cork was awarded as the European Capital of Culture 2005.

 

Once in Cork, we recommend a tour of the Franciscan Well Brewery, which has combined modern technology with the age old tradition, brewing classic beer styles including lager, ale, stout, and wheat beer, putting innovation at the forefront of the brewing process!

 

They offer guided tours from Monday to Friday at 6.30 pm and you would get a chance to taste one of Ireland’s favorite beers.

 

Don’t worry if you arrive over the weekend, you can always have a look at their Brew Pub based on the site of an ancient Franciscan monastery, and later the center of Guinness bottling for the people of Cork. 

DAY 4/ The Beara Peninsula & Killarney

When you leave Cork, you will travel to County Kerry, on the way exploring the Beara Peninsula - the wildest and most romantic of the peninsulas. The peninsula stretches for a distance of 48km from Glengarriff to Dursey Island and back to Kenmare.

 

It presents an unspoilt and magnificent landscape, which sweeps from the spine of the Caha Hills down to the shores of Bantry Bay and Kenmare Bay.

The Beara is desolate, a harsh and rocky landscape. This area enjoys a tropical climate due to the close proximity of the Gulf Stream and the local flora is lush and sometimes exotic.

Upon arrival in Killarney, why not pay a visit to Killarney Brewery. Killarney Brewery revives the age old art of craft beer production in the town for the first time since the 1800’s. 

The brewery tour offers beer enthusiasts the insiders view to one of Ireland’s premier craft breweries. Friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining tour guides take guests on an informative and exciting journey through the beer brewing operation.

 

During the tour, guests will navigate the entire beer making process, smell the different varieties of malts, rub their hands in some of the aromatic hops, overlook the packaging facility and get a bird’s eye view of how all these ingredients are carefully combined in a state of the art brewing facility.

 

DAY 5/ The Ring of Kerry

Enjoy touring the Ring of Kerry—the most famous and panoramic route in Ireland. The astonishing beauty of this large peninsula, Iveragh, comes from the great diversity of its scenery, which offers incessant contrasts.

 

En route around the Ring, take in spectacular scenery—mountains, peat bogs, lakes and magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean as one travels along the coast road. 

 Leaving Killarney, pass through Killorglin then to Glenbeigh where the cliff road affords panoramic views of the Dingle Peninsula and Dingle Bay.

 

Continuing to Cahirciveen, you’ll pass the birthplace of our national hero, Daniel O’Connell. Next, continue on through peat bogs to the town of Waterville. Travel to Sneem Village, famous for its brightly colored houses.

Molls Gap, Ladies View and the Lakes of Killarney

The road then continues through the mountains to Molls Gap and Ladies View with superb views of the famous Lakes of Killarney and on to Muckross.

 Located in Muckross, The Jarvey's Rest is an award winning Irish pub. You open the door and feel the heat of the welcoming fire. A Jarvey’s Irish Night Show is a genuine Irish pub experience with great food and entertainment and is not to be missed!

The evening consists of an authentic Irish dinner using the best ingredients from the Kerry area. The mixture of traditional tunes, rousing ballads and Irish music performed by Onora creates a magical atmosphere.

 

Added to this is The Torc Irish Dancers, award winning dancers performing jigs, reels and heart pounding Irish dances. 

 

Departing Killarney, you travel on to explore the Dingle Peninsula, famous for its Celtic, pre-Christian monuments and Christian churches. It is also a “Gaeltacht” – Irish speaking area, where the Irish language and traditional ways of life are preserved.

 

DAY 6/ The Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head

Dingle town itself is a thriving fishing town and offers plenty of opportunity for shopping or simply savoring the atmosphere of a typical country Irish town. The road between Dunquin and Slea Head is dotted with beehive huts, forts and church sites.

 

Visit Inch Beach - a long beach bordered by dunes and made famous by David Lean’s movie “Ryan’s daughter”. Admire the Iveragh Peninsula and Rossbeigh Beach.

 

Dingle town hosts the Dingle Whiskey Distillery - a modest distillery crafting their whiskey, and small batches of gin & vodka in hand crafted copper pot stills and a small swan neck pot still. When the first spirit trickled from the stills in 2012 it represented a milestone in the history of distilling in Ireland.

 

Their unique Dingle Whiskey is maturing in the mild, moist climate of Ireland’s south-west coast and now visitors can enjoy the fruits of their labors in the form of Dingle Original Whiskey, Gin and Vodka.

 

Their output of whiskey is 2 casks per day and their aim is to create a whiskey of superlative quality and unique character, the essence of Irish pot still distilled and matured on the far Atlantic coast of Ireland.

 

They take the best Irish malted barley and make pure pot still malt whiskey. No whiskey in Scotland or Ireland experiences a maturation process like theirs. 

 

DAY 7/ - The Cliffs Of Moher and The Burren Region

This morning you will explore County Clare, known as “the music county” due to its strong tradition for Irish music and dance. Continue to the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular 5-mile long cliff, which rises almost 200m above sea level situated on the Atlantic Ocean and bordering The Burren.

On a clear day it is possible to see the Aran Islands as well as the valley and the hills of Connemara. The cliffs reach their highest point just north of O’Brien Tower, built by a descendant of Brian Boru, he who defeated the Vikings in battle.

Doolin, County Clare

Next travel to Doolin, a charming small seaside village on the northwest coast of Co. Clare. Traditionally a fishing village, it is now renowned world-wide as the traditional music capital of Ireland.

Continue exploring the Burren Region—a unique place, part of which forms the 100 square kilometre Burren National Park. It contains dozens of megalithic tombs and Celtic crosses as well as a ruined Cistercian Abbey dating back to the 12th century.

You will discover small villages abandoned during the “Famine” period and greenroads on which you can walk for miles without ever seeing a car. The flora on the Burren is a mixture of Artic and Mediterranean with rare flowers such as gentian, orchids and bloody cranesbill. Travel onward to County Galway, just north of The Burren.

DAY 8/ - Spectacular Connemara

Today enjoy touring the Connemara area. Journey through one of the most romantic parts of Ireland full of lakes and rivers, bogs and mountains. A land of small villages where Gaelic is still the spoken language and where little has changed since the beginning of time.

A land characterized for its stone walls and thatched cottages. On its northern shore the land is harsher and more secretive, with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful fjord of Killary Harbour, as well as the steep mountains overlooking numerous lakes and large bog areas.

Travel back to Galway City for an evening of whiskey tasting. On the Whiskey Trail Galway you will get to taste a real flavor of Ireland. Taste handpicked uniquely Irish whiskeys in the company of our local experts, offering only the best tasting experiences and the discovery of some of Galway City’s famous traditional pubs! On this tour you will taste the best Ireland has to offer including Jameson, Teeling, and Connemara Whiskeys for example. 

DAY 9/ - Galway To Dublin

Travel back to Dublin via Ireland’s midlands— Counties Westmeath and Offaly. Westmeath is also home to the oldest licensed pot still whiskey distillery in the world - Kilbeggan Distillery.

Start your tour in 1757 and discover how Irish Whiskey was made at the time of the Lockes ownership of the distillery and then follow on to see how Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey is now being made in the traditional manner which includes a 180 year old pot still. The distillery was producing a traditional pot still Irish Whiskey for almost 200 years, before it closed in 1954.

The doors and production reopened in 2007 and the distillery now hosts a museum where visitors can experience a real working distillery run by a team of young enthusiastic craftspeople (and a few wise old heads too).

The guided tour follows the process of making triple distilled Irish Whiskey, from the grinding of the grain to the casking of the final product. At the end of the tour you will receive a complimentary sample of Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey.

Before continuing to Dublin, make a stop at the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre, home of the internationally renowned brand. Visitors can wander through the various recreated working stations that were at the distillery such as malting, bottling or cooperage areas and learn how the whiskey was made.

Throughout the tour visitors can interact with the artefacts, admire bees collecting honey for the production of Irish Mist, try outfits worn on canal barges in the 1850's and learn about the history of Tullamore town. After your visit and tasting, get back on the road for your final stop in Dublin.

On arrival you can visit the Irish Whiskey Museum, which will give you the history of whiskey making in Ireland, its downfall and its revival in the last years.

DAY 10/ - Farewell

A last tour to check if you have memorized all that you’ve learned along the way! Alternatively, you could just drop your bags off before enjoying your new favorite Irish drink, whether beer or whiskey, in one of Dublin’s many pubs. 

Slane Castle Distillery

If time allows we suggest you visit the Slane Castle Distillery situated North of Dublin, just a short drive from Dublin Airport. The new distillery pays homage to the resilient nature of Irish heritage .

Allow their storytellers to immerse you into the wonderful world of whiskey. Finish the tour in the best way possible, with a taste of our signature triple casked blend, Slane Irish Whiskey.

Travel to Dublin Airport for the return flight.

About this trip

Duration: 10 Days/9 Nights.
Arrive/Depart: Dublin or Shannon Airport.
Dates: ☘️February through December 2025/2026☘️
Price: FROM $3,150

Why Choose this Tour

**Flexibility to wander wherever you wish during your visit
**Visit Ireland's most famous bucket list destinations
**Stress-Free Planning – All the details are handled, so you can relax and fully enjoy the experience

Additional Info

Inclusions and Services:

*9 nights’ accommodations at 3/4 Star Hotels and B&Bs with full Irish breakfast each morning
*Service charges and taxes at existing rates
*Admission to the Dingle Distillery
*Admission to the Kilbeggan Distillery
*Admission to the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre
*Admission to the Killarney Brewing Company
*Admission to the Smithwick’s Experience
*Admission to the Old Midleton Distillery
*Admission to the Wicklow Brewery
*Admission to the Guinness Storehouse

Hotels or Similar:

Gresham Hotel, Dublin - 4* River Court Hotel, Kilkenny - 4*
Isaac's Boutique Hotel, Cork - 4*
Randles Court Hotel, Killarney - 4*
Benners Hotel, Dingle - 4*
Leonardo Hotel, Galway - 4*

NOTE: In Ireland, we enjoy the pub & distillery culture responsibly.

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