Hi Friends!
Many of you have asked about the Ireland trip I’ll be hosting next year, and I’m thrilled to say it’s officially time to start signing people up! Our journey will take place April 25 – May 5, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this adventure with you.
This time we’ll be exploring the wild and beautiful northwest of the Republic of Ireland—traveling through the stunning counties of Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, and Clare. Much of this region will be new to me as well, which makes it even more special to discover it together.
Imagine dramatic coastlines, cozy pubs filled with music, warm Irish hospitality, and landscapes that look like they belong in a painting. Along the way, I’ll be sharing music with you and helping create a trip that feels less like tourism and more like experiencing Ireland the way locals do.
The best part? You don’t have to worry about planning a thing. Once you arrive, all travel and accommodations are taken care of, so you can simply relax, explore, and soak in the magic of the island. (Of course, if you want to arrive early or stay longer on your own, you absolutely can!)
If you’ve ever felt the pull to visit the Emerald Isle, consider this your invitation. Ireland is one of the richest musical cultures in the world—and the roots of so much of our music trace back there. What better way to experience it than together?
If this adventure is calling your name, click the link below to learn more and hold your spot:
https://www.inishfreetours.com/tours/april-26th-may-5th-niccole-blaze/
Our wonderful liaison, Vicki Belinoski, will reach out with details about the itinerary, payment plans, and any questions you might have.
I would absolutely love to share this journey with you.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
— Niccole Blaze
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THE TOUR
Our tours are for people who don't like tours. You'll experience the best music and scenery, and you’ll be steeped in the rich Irish culture and history. Ireland has a rhythm of its own and, when followed, magic happens. Our tours run 9 days and nights and end on the 10th day. We bring 23 guests and travel in small luxury coaches. Tours visit three or four counties, each night staying in small quality hotels, the same hotel for the nights you will be in a particular county. By day, we visit surrounding ancient sites, stone circles, ring forts, fishing villages, beaches, heritage centers, and more. Leaders often bring their musical instruments for an occasional song along the way. We return to our hotel each afternoon, freshen up, have dinner, and by night we hear music from Irish songwriters, poets, and traditional musicians at traditional “sessions” with fiddles, flutes, penny whistles, guitars, box accordions, uillean pipes, tenor banjos, and bodhráns.
Our tours are small enough that they feel more like we are showing a group of friends around Ireland. Some of the most important concepts of this tour are:
-Tradition and culture,
-History and understanding,
-Music and camaraderie,
-Breath-taking scenery and appreciation of the color green!
The tours are very relaxed and flexible. Guests come from all across the U.S. and Canada, and sometimes from Europe. Our groups tend to get very close, often making lifelong friendships.
This tour is our “northern” tour, which includes Counties Donegal, Mayo, and Clare along the north and west coast area of The Republic of Ireland. These counties have a strong musical tradition, and are home of some of the most breathtaking and unspoiled scenery in Ireland. The tour is guided by staff of Inishfree Tours, Inc. and is hosted by musician Niccole Blaze. The number of guests on the tour is 23. This small size of our tours allows everyone to get to know and interact with your leader, the other guests, your guide and driver, and many of the artists/musicians that you will meet along the enchanted way.
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ACCESSIBILITY & FITNESS REQUIREMENT FOR THE TOUR There is a basic degree of fitness required for our tours. For example: you should be able to easily walk a mile. Some of the sites that are on the tour are easily accessed along footpaths, while others are off the road and/or away from parking areas, and sometime require a bit more effort to get to, such as walking on uneven pavement, stones, or slippery surfaces, or up and down steps. You are always free to skip an activity, just let your guide and driver know.
Opportunities for more strenuous activities can be taken during any potential “free” time built into the tour or in the mornings before your group leaves for the day’s sightseeing, usually about 10:00 a.m. Please inquire for additional information.
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COST
The tour costs $3100 (US Dollars) per person based on two people or even 3 people sharing a room. Airfare is not included. The cost of a single room is $3600. The number of single rooms is very limited, but there are sometimes people looking to share a room for the tour and we can help match you with another guest.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
The cost of the tour includes:
- ground transportation beginning the day of the tour with pick-up from one of the selected B&Bs in Bunratty,
- all breakfasts and 3 group dinners,
- 9 nights accommodation in quality hotels and the occasional B&B (all with en suite rooms),
- entrance fees to included sights
- heritage centers
- island ferries
- live scheduled music cover charges
- ground transportation from the final hotel back to Shannon Airport is included at the end of your tour if your flight leaves at 12 noon or later.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
The tour cost does not include:
- flights to and from Ireland (guests fly in and out of Shannon Int’l Airport)
- Accommodation prior to the start of the tour
- Other pre- or post-tour costs such as transportation, including taxi from Shannon Airport to Bunratty B&Bs, meals or accommodation
- all lunches during the tour
- 6 dinners during the tour
- optional activities
- drinks, tips, souvenirs, etc.
- transfer back to Shannon Airport if your flight leaves before 12 noon.
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ARRIVAL
We highly recommend that you arrive at least 1 day early if at all possible, to help with jet lag and potential flight delays.
Guests usually stay in one of the B&Bs that we recommend in the village Bunratty, and I will arrange your reservation for you. It is common to have late or canceled flights, or luggage that shows up late. Coming a day early reduces the stress. Most flights leaving the US or Canada to Ireland leave in the evening and arrive in Ireland the following early morning, so most folks get very little sleep on the overnight, overseas flight and are low energy the first day. If you can afford the time and an extra night’s lodging at a local B&B, you won't regret it. We will come directly to your B&B to pick you up after breakfast the morning the tour begins. Once the minimum on this tour is met, I will send you specific information about dates to make your flights to Ireland.
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DEPARTURE
Departure from Ireland at the end of your tour is on the 10th day of the tour. If you are flying from Dublin Airport, you will need to give yourself an extra day to get to Dublin as there is not usually enough time to get to back to Dublin and catch your flight. Most guests will fly home from Shannon Airport on Day 10 of the tour. PLEASE NOTE: We prefer you make your departure flight 12:00 noon or later, as the bus to return people to the airport leaves your final hotel at 9:00 AM or 9:30 AM in time to arrive at Shannon Airport at 10:00 AM. If you depart earlier than 12:00 noon, the cost of your transfer is not covered. In Ireland, you need to arrive 2 full hours prior to your trip back home. If you prefer an earlier or later flight, your guide will help you make a taxi reservation, at your own cost.
