Day 1: Hiking/walking distance 6 miles (9.7 km). From Galway City, we will head south to the Burren Region of County Clare - a huge plateau of limestone and shale aptly summed up with the words, "savage land, yielding neither water enough to drown a man, nor a tree to hang him, nor soil enough to bury him". Our walk today is at the highest point in the Burren: Slieve Elva. We will be rewarded with great views across Galway Bay to the Aran Islands. For the next two nights we will be accommodated in the lovely fishing village of Ballyvaughan. After dinner, we can venture into the village in search of traditional music in the pubs. OVERNIGHT: Ballyvaughan, The Burren, County Clare. Dinner Included Day 2: Hiking/walking distance 10 miles, or option of just 5 miles. Today we will be accompanied by our local expert guide. He will take us to sites of botanical, geological and archaeological interest. This will include walking in two separate parts of the Burren with a break for lunch. The Burren regions is famous for it's flora: you will never see anything like the carpets of primroses, or the white flower of the blackthorn cascading over all the hedgerows. Rare and spectacular plants occur in abundance. Nowhere else in Ireland, Britain or even north west Europe can such quantities of the blue Spring Gentian, cream Mountain Avens or yellow Shrubby Cinquefoil be encountered. Orchids grow everywhere in the Burren and 23 out of the 27 Irish species are to be found here. At the end of the afternoon we may have time for a pint in County Clare's oldest pub. OVERNIGHT: Ballyvaughan, The Burren, County Clare. breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included Day 3: Hiking/walking distance 5 miles (8 km). The Cliffs of Moher: one of Ireland's most visited sights will be the location of our walk, but fear not, leaving the bustling car park behind, we can enjoy relative solitude walking along the cliffs to Hag's Head. Leaving County Clare, we will drive south to County Kerry via the Killimer to Tarbert ferry across the Shannon. For the next three nights we will stay in Dingle Town, famous for it's colorful streets, traditional music, fine restaurants and art galleries. OVERNIGHT: Dingle Town, County Kerry. Breakfast and Lunch Included Day 4: Hiking/walking distance 10 miles. A lovely walk is on today's agenda: at Beenbo Mountain and the spectacular green valley of Magha na Bo. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of this valley and witness 40 shades of green! We then cross over the top of the pass and drop down to Annascaul village via Lake Annascaul. On arrival in Annascaul it is almost compulsory to take some refreshment in the South Pole Inn. OVERNIGHT: Dingle Town, County Kerry. Breakfast and Lunch Included Day 5: Hiking/walking distance 6 miles (9.7 km). We travel today to the western side of the Brandon Ridge to walk at Ballydavid Head, for one of the best walks on the Dingle Peninsula. We climb gently through moorland grass to reach a fine vantage point with expansive views of the surrounding hills, fields, mountains, sea and cliffs. This area could be described as a "photographer's paradise". We will take our time to take pictures, relax, and enjoy the views. We will then return to Dingle for an excellent meal and a review of the day's activity. OVERNIGHT: Dingle Town, County Kerry. Breakfast and Lunch Included Day 6: Hiking/walking distance 8 miles. Today we will walk at Inch Beach (the setting for the film, Ryan's Daughter). We begin with views across to Glenbeigh and Ireland's highest mountains, the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, then on rounding the peninsula we have views back towards the Dingle Peninsula and the Slieve Mish Mountains. Look out for rabbits and lots of estuary birds. We move on then to the Gougane Barra region of County Cork. Our accommodation is the Gougane Barra Hotel: we stay here for 2 nights. This is a stunning location on the shores of a lake in a deep valley. OVERNIGHT: Gougane Barra Forest Park, County Cork. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included Day 7: Hiking/walking distance 8 miles. Wake up to peace and tranquility and fine lake views. Catherine, our local guide today will take us on a circuit of Gougane Barra Lake and the source of the River Lee. We will be able to walk directly from the hotel up through the Forest Park and on to the lower mountain slopes. If you prefer a more restful day then this is the ideal spot to enjoy the quiet tracks beside the lake and forest. OVERNIGHT: Gougane Barra Forest Park, County Cork. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included Day 8: Hiking/walking distance 2 miles. Cahir in County Tipperary: the town is dominated by a 13th century castle, one of the largest in Ireland. After taking a tour of the castle there will be time to walk along the banks of the River Suir. We will be accommodated in the town of Cashel. Our entertainment tonight comes in the form of music and dance "Riverdance" style at the Bru Boru Center. OVERNIGHT: Cashel, County Tipperary. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included Day 9: We must say Goodbye to Ireland after our 2 hour drive back to Dublin Airport. Breakfast Included. Tour Highlights + 2 nights in the Burren, County Clare + 3 nights on Dingle Peninsula + 2 nights in Gougane Barra, County Cork + 1 night in Cashel, County Tipperary + The Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare + Wild flowers of the Burren + Unusual geology of the Burren + Guided Tour of the Ancient Rock of Cashel + Walk part of the Dingle Way + Browse in the shops in Dingle Town + Magnificent Kerry scenery + A walk on magnificent Inch Beach + Lovely coastal views + Bru Boru Music and Dance centre + Traditional music PRICE: eu2199 per person Tour Dates 2012: Sat 21 Apr to Sun 29 Apr, Sat 26 May to Sun 3 June Wed 20 Jun to Thu 28 Jun Mon 24 Sept to Tues 2 Oct Member discount: Notes: Price Includes: 
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