Ireland Photo Tour: The Best of Dublin & the 'Wild Atlantic Way'

Ireland is quite simply one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The gentle mists and soft, slanting light and endless rainbows add a cinematic quality to the Emerald Isle's ethereal scenery. And never more so than in western Ireland. Its enchanting landscapes and seascapes are endlessly photogenic!

Combining the charms of Dublin and the most stunning locations of rugged west and southwest Ireland, our 11-day 'Ireland: Best of Dublin & the 'Wild Atlantic Way' Photo Tour takes in Galway, the Connemara region, and Kerry, including Dingle and Killarney.

Our itinerary has been designed to feature the most photogenic locations… not least Trinity College Library, Kylemore Abbey, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren, the wild coastal vistas of the Dingle Peninsula and endlessly scenic ‘Ring of Kerry.’ Plus, there'll be lighthouses, shipwrecks, and thatched cottages. And a four-day optional extension takes in Northern Ireland’s ‘Causeway Coastal Route,’ including such iconic venues as the Giant’s Causeway, the eerie Dark Hedges glade, and Dunluce Castle (all three of Game of Thrones fame), plus Derry’s Bogside Murals.

Unlike almost every other company, we’ll also immerse ourselves in Ireland’s culture as we explore winding lanes and remote villages to photograph Irish step dancing, musicians performing in cozy pubs, and craftsmen making traditional harps and Uilleann pipes. Plus, no Ireland itinerary would be complete without a visit to one of Ireland's oldest whisky distilleries for a tasting and tour.

The combination promises a truly memorable experience!

Co-led by National Geographic author & photographer Christopher P. Baker and one of Ireland's leading landscape photographers, you’ll gain the insights of two masters of photography, with a focus on teaching the art of interpreting a scene in front of you and, by evaluating color, form, light, and shadow, to convert looking to acutely seeing the subject’s creative potential and to composing for full-frame perfection without need for cropping or Photoshop. Whether you're a beginner or a professional, and whether you're shooting with a  DSLR camera, smart phone, or iPad, our goal is to help you return home with sensational photographs to cherish forever.

Of course, this being Ireland, the weather is sure to be fickle. We'll therefore work with whatever Mother Nature delivers, adjusting the daily itinerary as may be needed based on light and other conditions.

ITINERARY (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

DAY 1
We begin this evening with our welcome reception and dinner in Dublin, including a presentation on our itinerary and the art of seeing and composition.
O/N Dublin (Davenport Hotel, Trinity City Hotel, or similar)

DAY 2
We’ll spend today exploring Dublin, focusing our attention and cameras on the Temple Bar District, the city’s cobbled former red-light district but today an artsy “bohemian quarter” full of friendly pubs. We’ll also explore Grafton Street, a chic and bustling shopping venue lined with photogenic shopfronts; plus Trinity College, world-renowned for its astounding library, with its world-famous Long Room lined with marble busts (and a great venue for practicing long exposures to blur the motion of people). This evening, it’s only a short distance from our hotel to the modern Samuel Beckett Bridge (inspired by an Irish harp), which we hope to photograph at sunset and when floodlit at night.
OP/N Dublin (Davenport Hotel, Trinity City Hotel, or similar)

DAY 3
Today we head west to the city of Galway, tucked along the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. En route, we’ll stop at Kilbeggan Whiskey Distillery, where we’ll enjoy a whisky tasting and private tour, made photogenic by the distillery’s copper stills and its venerable cask warehouse. After hotel check-in and lunch, we’ll explore Galway’s lively Latin Quarter, jam-packed with colorful buildings and culture, as well as the surprisingly modern (1958) Galway Cathedral; we’ll also shoot the cathedral framed by autumn foliage from across the River Corrib. For sunset, we’ll head to The Claddagh waterfront to shoot across the harbor towards a terrace row of pastel-painted centenary houses. We'll spend two nights at a deluxe country house hotel outside Galway.
O/N Galway (Glenlo Abbey Hotel, or Park House Hotel, The Hardiman Hotel, or similar)

DAY 4
We’ll explore the Connemara coast today, following the panoramic coastal route (part of the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’) that loops around the peninsula. Our photographic stops include Cnoc Suain--a thatched cottage enclave offering sensational photo ops and cultural activities. Then on to Roundstone, a quaint fishing village where we’ll hope to shoot Galway “hookers” (traditional gaff-rigged sailing vessels), as well as the spectacular thatched “Home of the Stars” (owned by composer and musician Bill Whelan, famous for composing ‘Riverdance’). We may also visit craftsman Malachy Kearns, who makes Bodhrán drums in his rustic workshop; and/or Roundstone Ceramics, next door. Then it's on to the lovely coastal town of Clifden. A little further we’ll arrive at Kylemore Abbey, magnificently set on the shores of Lough Pollacappul; then Lough Derryclare, which its uber-photogenic Pine Island against a backdrop of the rugged Twelve Bens of Connemara.
O/N Galway (Glenlo Abbey Hotel, or Park House Hotel, The Hardiman Hotel, or similar)

DAY 5
This morning we head south via the magnificently craggy coastline of The Burren—an other-worldly mosaic of cracked limestone rocks and boulders—and the Cliffs of Moher, rising sheer for 700 feet and pinned by the spire of Doonagore Castle. After lunching in the charming little coastal community of Doolin, we’ll catch the 2:30pm ferry to Innisheer (the smallest of the Aran Islands), whose rugged landscape is a maze of rambling stone walls. After checking into our hotel, we’ll head to the Plassey Shipwreck—the rusting hulk of The Plassey steam freighter, which ran aground here in the 1960s during a gale. Later, we'll travel by traditional pony-and-trap to the Inis Oírr Lighthouse for (weather permitting) a spectacular finale at sunset.
O/N Innisheer (Inis Oirr Hotel)

DAY 6
We’ll spend the morning photographing on Innisheer (including a chance to photograph the Plassey shipwreck again, at dawn). The rambling stone walls will prove inspirational for creative compositions, not least for their unique and intricate designs. So, too, the windswept churchyard, where stone crosses rise above tall grasses and the sunken ruins of 15^th-century Teampall Chaomháin (Church of St. Cavan). After lunch, we’ll catch the 3:45pm ferry back to Doolin, then via the Killimer-Tarbert Ferry to reach Killarney and our hotel in time for dinner.
O/N Killarney (Cahernane House Hotel OR The Lake Hotel, or similar)

DAY 7
Our day is spent circling the Dingle Peninsula. Acclaimed as Ireland’s most scenic route, the coastal 'Slea Head Drive' via Minard Castle leads to Dingle, with its photogenic harborfront and many cozy pubs. After lunch here, we’ll head to Slea Head, picture-perfect Coomeenoole Beach (made famous in Ryan's Daughter), the craggy cliffs and stacks of Dunmore Head, plus the idyllic pocketbook wharf of Dunquin. Beyond, in late afternoon, we’ll hike the Ballydavid headland for a sensational view from Dun Morain ruin of the Three Sisters peaks perfectly aligned as they jut into the ocean. Today, we hope to photograph Cormac Begley, Lian O'Connor, or another of Ireland's top concertina players, at one of the above outdoor venues, or perhaps at Gallarus Oratory--a 1,000-year-old ancient church.
O/N Killarney (Cahernane House Hotel OR The Lake Hotel, or similar)

DAY 8
We’ll begin our day close to our hotel as we photograph Ross Castle rising over Lough Leane and, nearby, ruined Muckross Abbey, with its sensational graveyard and a mature yew tree growing up through the roofless cloisters. We’ll then follow the Ring of Kerry counter-clockwise to explore Killarney National Park and the Iveragh Peninsula. Our photographic stops include Kells Sheep Centre/Caitins Pub, at Kells, where sheepdog trainer Brendan Ferris/Tim O’Sullivan will give a demo of sheep-herder with his Border collies; and the iconic Valentia Lighthouse (spectacular during rough seas), on Valentia Island. After a gourmet lunch and to-die-for coffee at the Scariff Inn, we’ll hike up to the Stone Age Coomakista wedge tomb, framed by a magnificent seascape above Coomakista Pass. We end our day photographing Eagle’s Nest Mountain from the banks of Upper Lake at sunset.
O/N Killarney (Cahernane House Hotel OR The Lake Hotel, or similar)

DAY 9
Spectacular in autumn with its fall colors, our first stop is St Finbarr's Oratory—a tiny lakeside church surrounded by a panorama of trees and mountains. We then head east via the lovely harbor town of Kinsale before continuing to Nohoval Cove to photograph the magnificent coastal vista at sunset. From here, it's a short drive to Cork. 
O/N Cork (The Imperial Hotel & Spa, Maldron Hotel South Mall Cork, or similar)

DAY 10
After breakfast and check-out, we make a short journey to the hillside coastal town of Cobh, with its charming harborfront and a sloping street of 23 19^th-century houses known as the ‘Deck of Cards’ colored as if by Crayola, with lofty St. Colman's Cathedral behind. We then head back to Dublin via the ‘Rock of Cashel’—a limestone crag topped by a ruined cathedral and fortress that comprise the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland. The balance of your afternoon is free. We end our tour with a slideshow of your images before our farewell dinner together.
O/N Dublin (Davenport Hotel, Trinity City Hotel, or similar)

DAY 11
Depart Dublin for home.

OPTIONAL EXTENSION (ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

DAY 11
This morning we’ll drive from Dublin to County Antrim to photograph iconic sites associated with the Netflix blockbuster, Game of Thrones. First up is The Dark Hedges, a long glade of beech trees planted in 1775 and made famous as the 'Kings Road' in the TV series. After lunch in Ballycastle, we’ll drive the short distance to the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, high above crashing waves and linking a small island boasting sensational seascapes. From here, it’s only a few minutes’ drive to the Giant’s Causeway and nearby Dunluce Castle (which served in Game of Thrones as the exterior for 'Pyke', the seat of House Greyjoy), each among the most photogenic sites in Ireland. The coast road is ranked among the world’s most scenic drives! Depending on the weather conditions, we’ll linger through the ‘golden hour’ for spectacular photography here before heading to Derry.
O/N Derry (The Ebrington, Bishop’s Gate Hotel, or similar)

DAY 12
Our morning begins with a sunrise shoot of the modern Peace Bridge looking west to the Guildhall. After breakfast, we’ll take a guided walking tour of the ‘Bogside Murals’ in Derry’s Catholic neighborhood. These giant street murals offer sobering comments on Northern Ireland’s turbulent sectarian history, especially during ‘The Troubles’ (1968-1990s). The afternoon is at leisure for you to explore more of Derry’s history—perhaps by walking the medieval city walls—before we drive to Malin Head (the northernmost tip of Ireland) or Fanad Head Lighthouse for dramatic ‘golden hour’ and sunset photography.
O/N Derry (The Ebrington, Bishop’s Gate Hotel, or similar)

DAY 13
We’ll head back to Dublin today EITHER via Enniskillen, one of Ireland’s most beautiful cities, where we’ll photograph Enniskillen Castle and the River Erne; OR via Tollymore Forest Park, with its exquisite river walk through the forest (at this time of year, the autumn colors should be sensational). Your afternoon in Dublin is at leisure.
O/N Dublin (Trinity City Hotel, Davenport Hotel, or similar)

DAY 14
Depart Dublin for home.