West Coast of Ireland

Day 1 | Airport meet-up at 04:00 for the Shannon flight departing at 05:50. On arrival, we meet the representative to transfer towards Westport. Passing through Claremorris town centre, we stop at the idyllic Mayo Abbey featured in the Amongst Women TV series. We head to the grand 18th century Westport House estate (entrance included) boasting hundreds of acres of parkland, a lake and fantastic views. The Five Ferns B&B is a short drive away. Following check-in, plenty of free time is available to explore Westport town’s charm.

Day 2 | We start the day at Doolough Valley. We get to witness its stunning natural beauty and learn about its historical significance with regards to the Great Irish famine. We follow it with the breathtaking Killary Fjord, another scene of natural beauty. We then head to Kylemore Abbey, a place that is steeped in history and renowned as a place of spirituality. We follow this with Connemara National Park which features over two thousand hectares of mountains, greenery and forests. We end our day with a tour of Glengowla mines, a restored silver and lead mine from the 19th century.

Day 3 | We start the day with a visit to the historical gem that is Aughnanure Castle in Oughterard, continuing the trip’s theme of scenic views. Following, we spend most of the day in Galway City. A tour of the cultural city will be followed by free time for shopping and visiting the picture-perfect Christmas markets.

Day 4 | Our last full day starts with a visit to the Museum of Country Life. It educates about the rural life of ordinary Irish people between the mid-1800s and mid-1900s. We then head to Knock Marian Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the apparition of Our Lady of Knock in the 19th century welcoming pilgrims from all over the world. We continue with a visit to Ballintubber Abbey, an eight-hundredyear-old sacred historical Irish site. Our last stop will be Cong village where the Oscar-winning film, The Quiet Man, was filmed. We follow this with a leisurely walk in the lovely Cong Forest.

Day 5 | After an early breakfast, we transfer to Shannon airport for our flight leaving at 09:20. We land in Malta at 13:35