HELLO 2023 - IRELAND AWAITS!
As we say goodbye to 2022 and another travel season draws to a close, Killarney Guided Tours would like to take a moment to first thank each and every one of our customers who chose to share this wonderful country with us this past year. Looking forward to 2023 and a new year, we have been urged by our tourism board, Failte Ireland, to consider taking a more sustainable approach to travel. No major changes planned for Killarney Guided Tours, we will still be providing first-class tours always delivered on “Your Tour - Your Trail”, but we do hope to make just a few changes to at the very least begin to make a difference in the world we live and leave to our children.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a long look at our tour offerings and routes and have analysed how we can begin to help in the worldwide effort to be kinder and more respectful to the environment, while still providing the executive class of tours expected by our guests. We started with looking at our own transport options and realized Dublin, as the most populated location in Ireland, should be our first area of focus.
We know that Dublin, either by merely flying into or out of the airport or wanting time to explore the city itself, may be on many of our guests' itineraries. However, the sheer amount of vehicular traffic and corresponding emissions in and around Dublin led us to believe we could make our own positive impact on the environment by beginning to limit our own vehicular traffic in that area of Ireland. Luckily, Ireland’s transport authorities have made major improvements to the train and rail services throughout Ireland. More and more, we already found our guests wishing to reduce costs while not sacrificing the experience and benefit of hiring a private guide and chauffer. We see this as a perfect opportunity to serve not only our guests' wishes, but also to begin the process of looking after both the environment and you!
Toward that goal, Killarney Guided Tours hopes to assist and encourage our guests to take advantage of the comfortable railcars, timely service and easy train route access between Dublin and the other major cities most wish to visit on tour. Of course, we remain dedicated to making your experience everything you imagined, so if private pick-up or drop-off in Dublin is desired, we will be at the ready. However, we are confident it is not only beneficial for our guests but leans to more sustainable travel, to avail of the rail service if travelling to/from Dublin with our guidance. We feel strongly that doing so will add to the overall tour experience in a positive way.
The Irish Rail routes offered are extensive, both to and from Dublin. For example, there are daily (often almost hourly) trains between Dublin- Kilkenny, Dublin-Cork, Dublin-Killarney and Dublin-Galway. As these are the cities most often on our guests' must see and experience lists, you can be assured that upon arrival via train to any of those cities from Dublin, Killarney Guided Tours will be ready and waiting for you to begin any of our tried and true, guest favorite tours or some of our newest offerings such as:
The Lucky Shamrock Tour - Four days and three nights for five guests starting from Cork ending in Galway (or Limerick). A short but sweet tour with three full day tours including the idyllic Dingle Peninsula, the infamous Ring of Kerry and a visit to Cliffs of Moher.
The Luck of the Irish Tour - Five days and four nights for five guests starting from Kilkenny and ending in Galway. A bit more than a taste of the best of the Southwest, with four full days touring. Explore Blarney castle or the Jameson Experience enroute to Killarney, the highlights of County Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher and the spectacularly beautiful Connemara National Park.
The Highlights of Killarney Tour - Five days and four nights for six guests starting and ending in Killarney. This highlight tour allows you to see the Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head, the Killarney National Park, Blarney castle, Cliffs of Moher and Doolin on tour.
The Galway Two Day Tour - Two days of touring for six guests, starting and ending in Galway. Experience the majestic Kylemore Abbey and rugged Connemara region as well as enjoy the city from your accommodations.
The Galway to Killarney Two Day Tour - Starting (or ending) in Galway, this will be two days of touring the spectacular Burren region with a visit to the infamous and breathtaking Cliffs of Moher. Ending (or beginning) in Killarney for a maximum of six guests.
New for 2023! We are thrilled to share that Ireland’s West coast will have weekly, direct air access to the USA and London with more flights arriving and departing Shannon Airport. In the middle of all the beauty and splendor of the area, lies Shannon Airport. Convenient and perhaps more importantly often more manageable and reliable than Dublin Airport, Shannon Airport is a sheer joy to fly in and out of when visiting Ireland. Several airlines will now be offering seasonal service beginning March 2023 to and from Boston, New York JFK and Newark airports as well as London Heathrow. Shannon is truly the ideal airport if you wish to tour the Wild Atlantic Way in depth, no matter if you want to head north or south on tour with us. Eliminating the travel time to and from Dublin will allow you to explore more of the natural beauty and local experience Ireland has to offer. Killarney Guided Tours will be there waiting to collect you from your flight and get "Your Tour - Your Trail" immediately underway.
The Original Best of Southwest Tour - This year starting at Shannon Airport and eventually ending in Galway, this comprehensive tour will be a guest favorite. With seven days and six nights of the very best of the Southwest of Ireland, a maximum of 5 guests will enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery, unique local experiences and lots of fun on tour with Killarney Guided Tours.
We encourage you to read more about these tours on our website which will be highlighting each tour in 2023. Once you do, contact us to secure your groups' dates. Killarney Guided Tours remains in high demand for the upcoming summer season, so we do suggest you not delay in making your travel plans with us. We look forward to assisting you in planning your visit to Ireland whether it is your first-time, a bucket-list tour of a lifetime or a more relaxed return visit. See you in 2023!
~Gerard Scott
