Ireland: Cork, Killarney & Kenmare
7 Days
Starting From
$2,998
10 Days
Starting From
$3,998
per person, double occupancy
Want more from your experience?
Add an ExtensionLet go and take life slow on this walking tour of Ireland in the carefree countryside of County Kerry.
Is there a better way to greet the day? Mist rises over rock-strewn pastures and smoke billows from the chimneys of whitewashed cottages near Killarney. Slinging your daypack over a shoulder, you stride outside onto the country lane. A stream rushes by as you climb the green glacial valley towards the Gap of Dunloe. Come afternoon, you’ll be crossing the arched stone bridge at Lord Brandon’s Cottage for a picnic, then boating over to Ross Castle. But you’re in no hurry. This is a week for savoring tales—and fresh-baked scones—in an Irish storyteller’s home, walking windswept beaches and the legendary Kerry Way. Breathe deeply and admire the peaks of Macgillycuddy’s Reeks reflected in mountain lakes. You’re on a walking tour in Ireland, and taking things slowly is a way of life.
Highlights
- Share a pint of local brews over conversations about the Irish way of life.
- Relax at the gorgeous Derrynane Dunes, cooling your toes in the clear water or strolling barefoot through more than a mile of golden sand.
- Meet with an Irish storyteller for a personalized tour of his childhood home.
- Stop for tea and scones in true Irish fashion.
- On a jaunty horse-drawn cart (or by foot if you prefer), enter the narrow Gap of Dunloe – a rugged mountain pass with beautiful scenery.
- Beneath the ever-changing skies of Killarney National Park, view elegant mountains and stunning lakes as you walk along the scenic Kerry Way.
- Embark on a cruise to Ross Castle while learning of Ireland’s most well-known visitors.
Accommodations
Linger Longer with a Tour Extension

2021 Pre-Tour Extension - Cork
- 2 nights at the Imperial Hotel
- Daily Irish breakfast
- City Information
- Airport transfers
2 Nights From $248
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $98
Begin your adventure by departing from a convenient gateway city in the United States or Canada. Spend your first night aloft.
Upon arrival at Cork’s airport, a representative holding a Country Walkers sign meets you as you exit the baggage claim area. A complimentary small-group transfer will be provided to your Cork hotel, approximately 20 minutes away. The remainder of the day is at your leisure (no meals included).
If you are going to be delayed meeting our transfer representative for more than 15 minutes due to delayed or lost luggage, please let our representative know by calling or sending a text message to +39 334 221 88 93. Our drivers are generally able to wait for up to 45 minutes from the time your flight lands, after which you would be responsible for your own transfer. You may also contact Allianz Global Assistance to advise of your delay and they will contact our transfer service.
Please note: If you arrive early, and your hotel room is not available prior to the designated check-in time, you may store your luggage with the reception desk.
Country Walkers provides you with City Information including recommendations on what to see and do in Cork during your stay.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel
Enjoy your first full day of independent exploration in Ireland’s second-largest city. The bustle of the Victorian English Market is probably the best place to experience Cork. This indoor covered market is owned by the Cork City Council and is situated on the Grand Parade, just a short walk from your hotel. After exploring the rest of the downtown area, you may wish to take a short walk (about a mile) from the city center up to the restored and atmospheric City Gaol, a historical prison complete with furnished cells. Both the exhibition and multimedia display here traces the lives of individual inmates imprisoned in the gaol during the 19th and 20th centuries. At the same location is the Cork Heritage Center, depicting life in Cork during the 19th and early-20th centuries.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
This morning, you may wish to head farther afield and visit one of several nearby attractions. Blarney Castle, about five miles from Cork City Center, was built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy. Over the last few hundred years, Blarney Castle has attracted millions of people, including a host of American presidents, making it a world landmark and one of Ireland’s greatest treasures. At the top of the castle’s tower, you’ll find the legendary Blarney Stone, or Stone of Eloquence. Legend promises that if you kiss it, you’ll never again be at a loss for words.
About 14 miles away is Cobh, the last port-of-call for the Titanic on her maiden voyage. Here you can visit the Queenstown Story Heritage Center, which tells the story of emigration from Cobh during the Great Potato Famine in 1845 up to the era of the great ocean liners in the 1950s.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast

2021 Post-Tour Extension - Dublin
- 2 nights at the Schoolhouse Hotel
- Daily Irish breakfast
- City Information
- Airport transfers
2 Nights From $398
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $298
This morning, transfer to the Cork train station for your train ride (approximately three hours) to Dublin. There is no Country Walkers representative with you on the train, but one will meet you upon arrival in Dublin and help you transfer to your hotel (approximately 25 minutes, depending on traffic).
Please note: Upon arrival at the hotel, please reconfirm with the Reception Desk the time of your transfer to the Dublin airport for your return flight home.
You have the remainder of the day free to take in the atmosphere of Dublin and to seek out an interesting pub or restaurant for dinner on your own. Country Walkers provides you with City Information including recommendations about what to see and do in Dublin.
Accommodation: The Schoolhouse Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
One of the oldest cities in Europe, Dublin provides visitors with a multitude of cultural riches—history, architecture, literature, art, archaeology, and the performing arts—ranging from the ancient to the avant-garde. Monuments commemorate the writers, poets, politicians, soldiers, and ordinary people who make Dublin a place like no other. Medieval, Georgian, and modern architecture provide a backdrop to a friendly, bustling port that claims as native sons literary giants such as Wilde, Shaw, Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, and O’Casey. Spawned by the need to ford the River Liffey, fortified by the Danes, developed by the Normans, and adorned with Anglo-Irish architecture, Dublin has grown in stature and elegance over the centuries.
Today you may want to explore Trinity College, where you can see the famous illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells. Or visit the Dublin Writers’ Museum or Christ Church Cathedral. Take in a show at the Abbey Theatre or at one of the city’s many other venues. If you visit the St. James’ Gate Brewery, you can go to the Guinness Storehouse. A free pint will be waiting for you at its Gravity Bar, along with breathtaking city views. Hoist a pint with Dubliners at a traditional Irish pub or stop in at a trendy wine bar in the Temple Bar area. Walk along the River Liffey or through one of the city’s many shopping squares.
Accommodation: The Schoolhouse Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast,* transfer to the Dublin airport for your flight home.**
*Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, full breakfast at the hotel may not be available, in which case a cold tray can be delivered to your room. Please check with the reception desk to verify the times when breakfast is served and to arrange for your cold tray, if necessary.
**Country Walkers transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport is at your own expense.
Included Meals: Breakfast