Perfect Family Christmas Road Trip through Ireland

Once you arrive at the airport, pick up your car and drive over to your Dublin hotel. We stayed at the Merrion, which is a beautiful luxury hotel in a historic Georgian townhouse near St. Stephens Green. We even saw Bono in the lobby! Depending on what time you arrive, enjoy some free time exploring the city and seeing the Christmas decorations. There is usually a light show in St. Stephens Green and lights around the Temple Bar neighborhood. Depending on when you arrive, you can visit the Christmas at the Castle festival and market in front of Dublin Castle. Enjoy your night eating a local dinner at the Boxty. Head out to the pub and grab a drink afterwards if you desire!

Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel (free if you book with a Fora agent!) and then head out for a day of history. Begin your morning visiting the Book of Kells and Trinity Church. This famous medieval illuminated manuscript dates back to 800 AD and contains the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament. Then head over to Epic: the Irish Immigrant Museum. Once you enter, you are handed a toy potato, because you are about to learn that the Irish have so much more to give to society then potatoes! Here you will learn about the impact of Irish immigrants around the world in different sectors. Enjoy some free time in the afternoon. We indulged in pre-dinner drinks at the Cellar Bar and a delicious dinner at the Garden Room at the Merrion Hotel. Time to rest in those big fluffy beds!

Today starts with a fun visit to the Guinness Storehouse. Even if you are not a fan of the drink, the museum is huge and so cool to visit. It is beautifully decorated for the holidays and you will learn all about the history of the beverage, how they make it and even the advertising campaigns. You will get to try it and even enjoy a pint at the skytop bar taking in the beautiful views. Hop back in the car and begin your first drive (avg. 2 hours 30 min) towards the town of Waterford. It is a small riverside town with a great Christmas festival. Once you arrive at "Winterval" you can ride the Ferris wheel or the carousel, go shopping at the small booths, play the arcade games and watch the light shows. Families come in from all over the country to attend! At the end of the night, enjoy a local pub dinner at Grattons where there will not be a tourist in sight.

Granville Hotel is the best option in this small town, so if you are staying here make sure to try their famous oatmeal bar in the morning at breakfast. You can even add alcohol! If you are a crystal lover you can visit the Waterford Crystal Factory or you can head straight to Cork. Cork is a large university town with a bustling downtown. We stayed on the outskirts of town at the beautiful Hayfield Manor. Once we arrived, we enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea and spent some time relaxing and listening to live music on property. At night you can head into downtown Cork to see the city lit up with Christmas decorations! They also have a ferris wheel and a few small booths to shop at. If you are looking for Irish Trad music, then Sin E is the place to go. Listening to these musicians and the locals singing along was one of the most magical nights I had in Ireland.

Enjoy another delicious hotel breakfast and then head out to the famous Blarney Castle. While the gardens will not be in bloom in December, the castle will be almost empty and it's a perfect time to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone. Enjoy shopping at the large Blarney Woollen Mills store in town after. In the afternoon you can choose to head back to Cork to shop and enjoy the Christmas festival. Enjoy a delicious dinner back at your hotel at Hayfield Manor.

Happy Christmas Eve! Time to hop in the car and drive to the beautiful Park Hotel Kenmare. This chic, charming and historic hotel overlooks Kenmare Bay and is where we spent our Christmas holiday! Upon arrival, we enjoyed a festive welcome drink and enjoyed seeing all the decorations. After check in we spent some time relaxing and then got dressed for Christmas Eve dinner. It kicked off with tea time and live music before a fabulous meal in the dining room. This hotel is a Relais & Chateaux property, which means it is known for its food. To cap off the night we watched the kids leave treats for Santa at the fireplace and then watched a Christmas movie in the movie rooms complete with popcorn and hot cocoa.

Merry Christmas! Many of our rooms had Christmas trees in them so we were able to open presents together as a family! We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and then headed to Christmas Mass in the town of Kenmare. We spent the afternoon going on a walk around the bay, playing board games at the hotel, including specialty Christmas guessing games, and reading in front of the fire. At night it was time to get fancy for the champagne reception and Christmas gala dinner. What a magical night! There was live music, champagne flowing and breathtaking table decorations complete with a traditional and elevated Irish Christmas dinner. Before retiring to bed, we enjoyed another Christmas movie in the movie room!

Today is St. Stephens Day and it is all about relaxation. Enjoy the pools, saunas, steam rooms, relaxation rooms and especially massages at the Park Hotel Kenmare Spa. It is the perfect way to unwind after a busy trip and holiday season. Stay for as long as you want! The hotel had a scavenger hunt throughout town that we participated in and even won! Tonight is your last delicious dinner at Park Hotel Kenmare, so soak it all in. The best surprise is that after dinner they brought in a band and the guests had a dance party all night long! What a fun way to end the Christmas festivities.

It's time to check out of Park Hotel Kenmare and head to your final destination. On the way to Galway, make sure to stop at the stunning Cliffs of Moher. This is a must-see for any Ireland trip. There is a visitor center and you can walk along and take in the views. Continue your drive to Galway and once you arrive you are in for a treat. Its time for dinner at the iconic Pullman Restaurant, located inside of an original Orient Express train car. A dining experience you will never forget!

Today is your last full day in Ireland! Start the morning off right with a food tour with Galway Food Tours tasting food from around the city. Enjoy some time in the afternoon at the Christmas festival, shopping in the main square and visiting the Galway Cathedral. Enjoy your final night at a local pub listening to music and saying goodbye to Ireland. If you are up for something unique, head to O'Connell's Bar, which is a large bar hidden behind another bar. They even have an award-winning pizza shop called Dough Bros that uses local Irish ingredients.

Enjoy your last morning in Galway. It is time to pack your bags and head to the airport. This magical Christmas adventure has come to an end!