“Emma was the consummate travel guide for our family trip to Connemara, the Irish Wild Atlantic Way and Dublin.
She started with a wish list of what we’d like to see/do/get out of our trip. Our 20 year olds wanted to climb the highest peaks and hold a baby lamb. My husband and I wanted unique experiences, beautiful landscapes, and lovely places to stay and eat. Emma created and arranged an itinerary with all these things and more...
We loved our time in beautiful Galway, and our stay at an adorable bed and breakfast right on the canal. Our side trip to Cong for our falconry experience and tea at Ashford Castle was definitely a highlight! The guides Emma lined up for us for the Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher and Dingle’s Slea Head drive were all fantastic.
Every place we stayed was a wonderful, unique experience. One of our favorites was Cahernane House, a lovely boutique hotel in Killarney, where we stayed for 3 nights enjoying the park, hiking, horseback riding and absorbing the immense beauty there. The boys climbed Carantoohil while my daughter and I hiked and boated the Gap of Dunloe.
We finished our travels in Dublin where we celebrated Bloomsday, which coincided with my daughter’s birthday. Yet again, the hotels, dinners and experiences Emma curated were impeccable and perfect for our family. It was a whirlwind of a trip as there is so much to see and do in Ireland. Emma helped make all the planning manageable and curated perfectly for our family.
I give Crown and Country Travel 5 gold stars and recommend Emma to anyone planning a trip to the UK, Ireland or Europe. Emma is a terrific planner, very detailed, and took all of our wants and needs into account. She also knows how to pace a trip to maximize experiences while enjoying the journey."
Thank you Emma!”
Kristina M. and family, Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Brief
From the wild Connemara coast to the dramatic mountains of Killarney, Cork's cuisine to Cashel's cultural history, Kristina and her family wanted to travel into the heart of Ireland's history, culture, and landscapes. With a wishlist that included ring forts, art, music, fine dining, horseback riding, and a summit of Ireland's highest peaks, plus a hawk walk and the chance to hold a baby lamb, the challenge was clear: one itinerary that accommodated the family’s different travel styles, without anyone feeling like they'd compromised.
The Journey
In close collaboration with Kristina, I built a two-week self-drive loop through Galway and Connemara, Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, and Dublin — where the family planned to celebrate a special birthday on Bloomsday. Carefully paced to balance adventure with unhurried time to soak in the scenery, the itinerary paired thoughtfully chosen accommodation (from tiny inns to five-star hotels), Michelin-starred dining, and hand-selected guides for the family's biggest bucket-list moments — with every stay chosen to feel like its own unique experience, from a canalside bed-and-breakfast to a storied country manor.
Galway: The capital of Ireland's arts and culture — a boutique stay right on the canal made the perfect introduction to western Ireland, with plenty of dining and music to get things started.
Cong & Ashford Castle: A day trip to Cong for a private falconry experience with Ireland's first and oldest falconry school, followed by afternoon tea at Ashford Castle — an 800-year-old fortress now among Ireland's most storied five-star properties.
Clifden: A quiet stop in Clifden, the "Capital of Connemara," with a night in an Irish castle perched high on the dramatic Sky Road with sweeping views over Clifden Bay and the Twelve Bens.
Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher & Dingle: Guided experiences at three of the west coast's most iconic landscapes — a boat tour of the Aran Islands, the towering Cliffs of Moher, and a private driver-led tour of the dramatic Slea Head Drive around the Dingle Peninsula — with the chance to see historic ring forts and hold a baby lamb along the way.
Killarney: Three nights at Cahernane House, a boutique manor built in 1877 for the Herbert family, Earls of Pembroke — the same family behind nearby Muckross House — set the stage for the trip's most adventurous days: horseback riding and hiking through Killarney National Park, a privately guided summit of Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest peak, and a hike-and-boat exploration of the Gap of Dunloe, topped off with a night of traditional Irish music, dinner, and dancing.
Ballymaloe: As fellow food and wine lovers, I couldn't send Kristina and her family to Ireland without a visit to Ballymaloe — a stay at Ballymaloe House Hotel, the Georgian farmhouse Myrtle Allen transformed into the birthplace of modern Irish cuisine when she opened its doors in 1964, paired with a private tour of the farm and walled gardens at the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School, founded nearby by her daughter-in-law, Darina Allen.
Cork: A stop in Ireland's second city — local produce at the English Market, one of the oldest municipal markets in the world, the story of the country's most famous export at the Cork Butter Museum, and a trip beyond the city to Blarney Castle for a chance to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone.
Cashel: A stop in the spiritual heart of Ireland, in the shadow of the Rock of Cashel — seat of the Kings of Munster since the 4th century, and the legendary site of St. Patrick's baptism of King Aengus. A five-star stay at Cashel Palace, a Palladian manor once home to the Archbishops of Cashel, included dinner at the Michelin-starred Bishop's Buttery in the hotel's vaulted cellars.
Dublin: A Bloomsday finale timed to a special family birthday — a five-star stay in the heart of the city, days spent joining Dublin's annual celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses, and visits to Trinity College Library, the Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse, and Temple Bar for a spirited, festive finish.
