The Wayfarers tour company has been taking people on walking tours of Ireland for more than a quarter century. The Ring of Kerry seven-day tour includes eight to 12 miles a day of moderate to energetic walking. Visit Druid stone circles and Franciscan abbeys, waterfalls, lakes and forests. Meet a local farmer who will explain methods of cutting turf. End each day in a traditional Irish inn.
The Wayfarers
thewayfarers.com
Participate in a mystical pilgrimage to connect with an Ireland from before Patrick drove out the snakes (actually the Druids who honored snakes) out of Ireland. See stone circles, holy wells, oghams and sheela-na-gigs.
The tour starts with the Seven Sisters, stones with healing powers, and includes a visit to a rock shrine on Beare Peninsula to the Hag of Beare, the ancient goddess of this land. Walk the hill of the goddess Cailleach.
Join in the ceremony and drumming journeys with your fellow travelers. Celtic Spirit Journeys leads the 12-day tour called Power of Myth, Beauty of the Land.
Celtic Spirit Journeys
celticspiritjourneys
If a soundtrack is the most important feature of your dream trip to Ireland, check into Celtica Music and Tours. Led by musician Robbie O'Connell and his wife, Roxanne, the company emphasizes a slower paced, more intimate connection to Ireland.
The tours emphasize a connection with Irish culture through musicians, storytellers and traditional craftspeople. The 2010 tour takes travelers to Inismore, County Mayo and Connemora.
Celtica Music and Tours
celticatours.com
