Gardens of Galway & Clare

This morning, we meet our garden guide, Brona Dore, before departing by private coach from The Alex Hotel, Dublin.

Our first visit is to a beautiful private garden overlooking Lough Owel followed by a visit to Brigit’s Garden & Café.

After some free time for lunch (at your own expense), we'll explore Brigit's Garden, an enchanting landscape inspired by the ancient Celtic seasonal festivals. Highlights include four themed gardens, a nature trail, ogham trees, an ancient ring fort, and Ireland's largest calendar sundial.

Later this afternoon we travel onwards to the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway where our tour is based. An evening meal is included each night during out stay.
 

Following breakfast, we visit the award-winning Caher Bridge Gardens. Created by renowned plantsman Carl Wright, this remarkable garden has been developed since 1999 into one of Ireland's most distinctive horticultural attractions. An extraordinary collection of plants has been carefully integrated into the surrounding landscape, creating a garden that feels both natural and inspiring.

After free time for lunch in Fanore (at your own expense), we'll join Carl Wright for a guided tour of The Burren, one of Ireland's most extraordinary landscapes. This unique limestone plateau supports over 1,100 plant species, including many rare and internationally significant varieties found nowhere else. Carl's expert insight will bring this fascinating environment to life.

We will return to our hotel later this afternoon.
 

This morning, enjoy some free time to explore the vibrant city of Galway at your own pace. Browse the independent shops, stroll through the colourful streets, or simply relax in one of the city's many cafés before we depart around midday.

On arrival at Kylemore Abbey, there will be free time for lunch in the café (at your own expense).

Afterwards, we'll take the complimentary shuttle bus to the beautifully restored Victorian Walled Garden, where we'll enjoy a guided tour led by the Head Gardener. Lovingly restored to its former glory, the garden is one of Ireland's finest examples of Victorian horticulture, featuring elegant flower borders, glasshouses and productive kitchen gardens.

We return to the Ardilaun Hotel later this afternoon.
 

After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we travel to Kinvara for a morning visit to Duras House & Garden, a beautifully restored 19th-century walled garden. Set within the grounds of a historic country house, the garden combines traditional planting with contemporary restoration, creating a peaceful and elegant setting

This afternoon we visit Woodville Walled Garden, where a light lunch is included before a guided tour of the garden.
Nestled at the foot of the Slieve Aughty Mountains, this lovingly restored 1.5-acre garden features colourful herbaceous borders, fruit trees, a fragrant rose garden and a charming dovecote, home to a family of white fantail doves.

Following our visits, we begin our journey back to Dublin, arriving at The Alex Hotel, Fenian Street, in the late afternoon, bringing our memorable garden tour to an end.