The Scenic Gardens of Ireland
- Duration: 15 Days (approx.)
- Location: Dublin, IRELAND
- Product code: IR27
DUBLIN (D)
Check-in to your hotel in Dublin and meet your Tour Leader Colin Barlow and fellow travellers for our Welcome Dinner.
Accommodation: Grafton Hotel, Dublin
DUBLIN (B)
Enjoy a guided tour of Dublin including the National Botanic Garden, Trinity College and the famous Book of Kells. This afternoon, you travel to Howth, a scenic peninsula just north of Dublin to visit Ardan Garden, a dynamic & ever evolving garden terraced to create a series of intimate spaces.
Accommodation: Grafton Hotel, Dublin
HUNTING BROOK GARDENS & JUNE BLAKE GARDEN (B/L)
Today, meet siblings with different attitudes to garden making. First Hunting Brook Gardens by Jimi Blake who doesn’t play by the rule book. “I like to be bold, adventurous & unexpected.” Then meet his sister June Blake whose garden is pure poetry, abundant & exuberant. Travel back to Dublin with the remainder of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Grafton Hotel, Dublin
DAY 4 THU 3 JUN
BALLINTUBBERT GARDENS (B)
Time to meet TJ Maher in his ground-breaking Patthana Garden in Kiltegan, County Wicklow. It's an organic garden, with many plants chosen for their attraction to wildlife. This afternoon we travel to Stradbally to see Ballintubbert Gardens, Ireland’s first organically certified formal garden.
Accommodation: Grafton Hotel, Dublin
DUBLIN TO WATERFORD (B/L)
To Powerscourt this morning, grand in the high Victorian tradition, with a history that reads like an Edwardian novel. After lunch you meet Rachel Darlington in her fabulous Douentza Garden in Wexford. Check-in to your hotel in Waterford for the night.
Accommodation: Waterford Marina Hotel, Waterford
WATERFORD TO CORK (B/D)
You'll visit House of Waterford Crystal this morning before a stop at 600 year old Blarney Castle on our way to Cork. Then check-in to your hotel in the heart of the city.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel, Cork
BALLYMALOE COOKERY SCHOOL (B/L)
Our first stop is Mary Byrne’s Hillside Garden, situated on a south-facing slope, enclosed by woodlands overlooking Cork Harbour. Enjoy a special lunch today at Ballymaloe House Restaurant followed by a tour of the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School’s kitchen gardens & organic farm.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel, Cork
DAY 8 MON 7 JUN
CORK TO KILLARNEY (B/L)
To Killarney with a stop in Glengarriff where we take a ferry across Bantry Bay to Garinish Island & Ilnacullin off the coast of West Cork. Then we will continue to Killarney where you will check-in to your hotel for two nights.Accommodation: Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa, Killarney
RING OF KERRY (B/D)
Today you will explore the Ring of Kerry. It’s a place of wild excess, where Ireland’s tallest mountains, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, descend into lush valleys. This afternoon visit magnificent Muckross House and Gardens surrounded by Killarney National Park.
Accommodation: Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa, Killarney
KILLARNEY TO GALWAY (B)
You travel across the historic Burren region of County Clare to Galway and meet plantsman Carl Wright in his Caher Bridge Garden. Then you follow the Burren Way to Doolin to see the Cliffs of Moher and on to Galway. Check-in to your hotel for 2 nights.
Accommodation: Leonardo Hotel, Galway
KYLEMORE ABBEY (B)
You’ll visit Kylemore Abbey today. This iconic castle enjoys a fairytale garden with a large walled garden and is a model of Victorian horticulture. Then discover the Connemarra, a place of folklore and profound beauty.
Accommodation: Leonardo Hotel, Galway
GALWAY TO BELFAST (B/D)
You travel to Belfast today via Athlone on the River Shannon. You will visit Rowallane, where Rev John Moore began creating his estate in 1858. His nephew sponsored the plant hunters, with many exciting new plant introductions from China. The garden is now in the hands of the National Trust.
Accommodation: Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast
MOUNT STEWART (B)
Today you'll head to the stunning estate of Mount Stewart in County Down, with a guided tour of the Manor & gardens. Like its maker, Edith Lady Londonderry, it is flamboyant & fun. Your afternoon visit is to Titanic Belfast where you will discover the sights, sounds and stories of the ship.
Accommodation: Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY (B/D)
Today we visit the Giant’s Causeway, a geological wonder on the Antrim Coast. Famous for its geometric basalt columns, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was formed over 60 million years ago. Farewell Dinner tonight.
Accommodation: Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast
END OF TOUR (B)
Your tour ends after breakfast this morning.
