Normandy & West Ireland Private Tour
Local Time
Why You Should Go
France’s Normandy has served as a critical playmaker in Europe’s history from the 1066 Normandy Invasion to the D-Day 1944. Such a dramatic history has imprinted Normandy with impressive symbols of its past, from the Bayeux Tapestry, D-Day memorials, and the magnificent Mont St. Michel. Jump to the west coast of Ireland, you will find yourself entranced by this mystical and lush environment. Irish villages rooted in tradition, dramatic cliff drops and wild rambles, and music being the West’s official language, you might struggle in your search for a single definition of this ancient region along the Atlantic Coast. However, with locals eager to tell their story at a warm pub, you may start putting together the pieces.
*From March 22 – September 22, 2024, you may wish to visit Normandy for the 150th anniversary of the Impressionist Festival(!). Normandy has been deemed the birthplace of this artistic style, thanks to Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise”. Events throughout the year will take place at the Cathedral (made famous by the work of Rouen), in Giverny (where Monet lived), Honfleur (home to the Boudin Museum!), Le Havre, and various other Normandy locations.
Best Travel Time: Spring Summer Fall
*All of our comprehensive private tour itineraries are inclusive of all luxury accommodations, private guide/driver throughout, daily meals as specified, INTERNAL flights/rail /private transfers as needed, & all taxes/service fees.
Sample Itinerary
10 Days
Each private luxury tour is custom to the wishes of each client. This itinerary is a sample. Partnering with our long-established relationship with United Airlines, our sister company, TRAVNET, may provide competitive Polaris/Business Class international airfare, along with mileage points conversion.
Day 1
Fly to Paris
Through our sister company, premium air provider TRAVNET, we may assist with your international airfare, as well as with mileage points conversion.
Meals: —
Accommodations: —
Day 2
Arrive Paris + Transfer to Port-en-Bessin
Upon arrival in Paris, you will be privately transferred to La Chateau Cheneverie in Port-en-Bessin. En route you may stop in Giverny, home to Claude Monet.
Meals: —
Accommodations: Chateau La Cheneviere
Day 3
Normandy Private Touring
Your stops today include the cities of Caen and Bayeux. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Caen has impressive architecture as a well as a compelling World War II history, with Le Memorial Caen being one of the most riveting story-telling of the Normandy during World War II. At Bayeux, you will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Bayeux Tapestry, 255-foot tall tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest of England.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Chateau La Cheneverie
Day 4
Normandy Coast Private Tour
Starting at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, you will be touring the coast of Normandy, where American parachutists were dropped as D-Day began. Other points of interests include Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the U.S. Military Cemetery and Interpretation Center at Collierville-sur-Mer. Amplify your coastal experience by sightseeing on bicycle for a portion of your tour.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Chateau La Cheneverie
Day 5
Mont St. Michel Excursion
Resting on a tidal island and taking over 500 years to construct, you will embark on a private tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mont St. Michel. Mont St. Michel has been a holy site since 708 when according to legend, Archangel Michael told a local bishop to build this grand fortification. Surrounded by water and salt flats, the granite outcrop is crowned by an Abbey that took more than 500 years to construct and is donned with a gilded statue of St. Michael.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Chateau La Cheneverie
Day 6
Transfer Normandy/Paris + Fly Paris/Shannon, Ireland
Upon arrival at Shannon Airport, you will be privately transferred to Europe Hotel & Resort in Killarney.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Europe Hotel & Resort
Day 7
Dingle Peninsula Private Touring
A change of pace, you will take to the lavishly green Dingle Peninsula sitting on the westernmost tip of Ireland. Dramatic cliff drops with a well-preserved Irish culture creates a mystical atmosphere. Off the coast of Dingle, your will be able to tour the Blasket Islands, a symbol of ancient Gaelic culture.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Europe Hotel & Resort
Day 8
Shannon Private Touring
Today you will board a “jaunting” cart for a six-mile trip along the mountain pass between McGillicuddy’s Reeks and Purple Mountain to Brandon Cottage exploring the Gap of Dunloe. You will later be transferred to the Dromoland Castle with the remainder of the evening free to spend at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Dromoland Castle
Day 9
Lower Shannon + Cliffs of Moher Private Touring
You will first stop at the 1425-constructed Bunratty Castle, surrounded by a moat. Thereafter, the Cliffs of Moher await you rising nearly 400 feet, certainly the iconic image of Ireland. You will then continue to the Burren, a UNESCO Global Geopark containing fragmented limestone landscape with unique flora and fauna in its fissures.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Dromoland Castle
Day 10
Transfer to Shannon Airport + Fly Ireland/Home
Hotels
Set amidst 30 acres of lush grounds and surrounded by rose gardens, we feel the 29 room luxury La Chateau Cheneviere to be the finest property in Normandy. The Chateau’s 55-acre location is priceless, just minutes from the D-Day Beaches and 1 hour from Mont St. Michel. The hotel includes the chateau itself in addition to two other converted structures, all decorated with a nice mix of contemporary and classic furniture. Among La Chateau Cheneviere’s amenities include a quality restaurant serving classic Normandy cuisine (seafood specialties!), a beautiful walled garden with a large heated outdoor pool, tennis and croquet, bicycles, and an adjacent golf course. The hotel’s vegetable garden provides fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables for the restaurant, while the nearby bee hives provide home-cultivated honey you are served at breakfast (!) Enjoy this special place.
Chateau La Cheneverie
Set amidst 30 acres of lush grounds and surrounded by rose gardens, we feel the 29 room luxury La Chateau Cheneviere to be the finest property in Normandy. The Chateau’s 55-acre location is priceless, just minutes from the D-Day Beaches and 1 hour from Mont St. Michel. The hotel includes the chateau itself in addition to two other converted structures, all decorated with a nice mix of contemporary and classic furniture. Among La Chateau Cheneviere’s amenities include a quality restaurant serving classic Normandy cuisine (seafood specialties!), a beautiful walled garden with a large heated outdoor pool, tennis and croquet, bicycles, and an adjacent golf course. The hotel’s vegetable garden provides fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables for the restaurant, while the nearby bee hives provide home-cultivated honey you are served at breakfast (!) Enjoy this special place.
The 187-room luxury Europe Hotel has an ideal location for touring the scenic southwest Ireland area and is considered the highest quality hotel in Killarney. Among the unique features here are wonderful views of Lough Leane Lake and the surrounding lakes from all rooms. Compared to continental Europe, Europe Hotel’s rooms are quite spacious, comfortable, and embody an understated contemporary design. Other amenities at Europe Hotel include a brasserie, its Panorama Restaurant offering traditional Irish food, and a very nice ESPA spa/wellness center. Outdoor activities include hiking, horseback riding, and golf.
Europe Hotel & Resort
The 187-room luxury Europe Hotel has an ideal location for touring the scenic southwest Ireland area and is considered the highest quality hotel in Killarney. Among the unique features here are wonderful views of Lough Leane Lake and the surrounding lakes from all rooms. Compared to continental Europe, Europe Hotel’s rooms are quite spacious, comfortable, and embody an understated contemporary design. Other amenities at Europe Hotel include a brasserie, its Panorama Restaurant offering traditional Irish food, and a very nice ESPA spa/wellness center. Outdoor activities include hiking, horseback riding, and golf.
Based on your slightly revised Ireland itinerary, you now have the opportunity to spend two nights at the amazing, 16th-century luxury Dromoland Castle. The Castle was the ancestral home of the O’Briens of baronial Dromoland, whose lineage dates back 1000 years to Brian Boru, the greatest of High Kings in Irish history. With only 99 rooms, the 450-acre estate has been a big draw of recent clients, which includes a lovely lake (with nice walking trails), expansive grounds, and even a hidden garden (!) Though all the rooms are done in original period aesthetics, they have been refurbished with modern amenities and marble baths. All the deluxe rooms overlook the estate’s lake and gardens. Your two restaurant options include the fine dining “Earl of Thomond” and the more casual “Fig Tree” restaurant. Amenities include a health/fitness spa (with 56’ indoor pool), an 18 – hole championship golf course, and many other outdoor activities. Past clients have taken part in the archery, fishing, and clay-pigeon shooting options as well. Your stay at the Dromoland Castle will be a very special end to your 9-day Normandy/Ireland trip.
Dromoland Castle
Based on your slightly revised Ireland itinerary, you now have the opportunity to spend two nights at the amazing, 16th-century luxury Dromoland Castle. The Castle was the ancestral home of the O’Briens of baronial Dromoland, whose lineage dates back 1000 years to Brian Boru, the greatest of High Kings in Irish history. With only 99 rooms, the 450-acre estate has been a big draw of recent clients, which includes a lovely lake (with nice walking trails), expansive grounds, and even a hidden garden (!) Though all the rooms are done in original period aesthetics, they have been refurbished with modern amenities and marble baths. All the deluxe rooms overlook the estate’s lake and gardens. Your two restaurant options include the fine dining “Earl of Thomond” and the more casual “Fig Tree” restaurant. Amenities include a health/fitness spa (with 56’ indoor pool), an 18 – hole championship golf course, and many other outdoor activities. Past clients have taken part in the archery, fishing, and clay-pigeon shooting options as well. Your stay at the Dromoland Castle will be a very special end to your 9-day Normandy/Ireland trip.
Location
Overview
Population |
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62.6 Million |
Language |
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French |
Currency |
---|
Euro |
Temperature |
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Highs: High 70’s |
Lows: Mid 30’s |
Area |
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543,965 SQ KM |
210,026 SQ MILES |
Capital |
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Paris |
Population |
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4.6 Million |
Language |
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Irish, English |
Currency |
---|
Euro |
Temperature |
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Highs: Low 60’s |
Lows: Low 50’s |
Area |
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70,182 SQ KM |
27,097 SQ MILES |
Capital |
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Dublin |