Private Tour of Dingle and Slea Head

Private Tour
From€520
Private Tour
From€520
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  • 9 HoursDuration
  • DingleDestination
  • DSHPTTour Code
  • Mar-OctDates
  • 2/5Physicality
  • 14Group Size

Private Tour of Dingle and Slea Head

Our destination for the day is Dingle, one of Ireland’s most photogenic places!

On this Dingle and Slea Head private tour, we explore the very best of this dramatic and beautiful area, including its natural wonders and historical and archaeological sites. 

We head due west to the edge of Europe, also known as Slea Head. Feast your eyes on the breathtaking scenery of Ireland’s wild, rugged coastline, its golden beaches, and the magnificent Blasket Islands.

We then head to the colorful and vibrant town of Dingle, where you can explore and have lunch.

Our final stop on this Dingle and Slea Head tour is Inch Strand, a gorgeous golden sand beach. This beach is famous for being the place where an inch is actually three miles long!

Here, we take a short stroll along the soft sand and watch long, rolling waves crashing ashore. It’s a perfect, peaceful way to wrap up the day before making our way back to Killarney.

And for the culture lovers out there, you can be sure that this tour explores the region’s vast Gaelic culture along the way. You may even learn a cupla focal (some words) in Irish! 

If you’re ready to visit Europe’s western edge on your Ireland vacation, please get in touch with any questions you have about this tour of Dingle and Slea Head.

Do you want to explore more of the Kingdom of Ireland while you’re here? Consider our Discover Wild Kerry tour!

Why You Will Love This Dingle and Slea Head Tour

  • Experience the Dingle Peninsula
  • Discover its unique Gaelic culture
  • Gaze out upon spectacular landscapes
  • Explore the Slea Head Peninsula
  • Free time in the colorful town of Dingle

Start Location

We provide a Pick up/Drop off service for Private Tours to your designated accommodation venue in Killarney, Co. Kerry. 

Please confirm your accommodation venue in Killarney by emailing to [email protected].

Finish Location

We provide a Pick up/Drop off service for Private Tours to your designated accommodation venue in Killarney, Co. Kerry. 

Please confirm your accommodation venue in Killarney by emailing to [email protected].

Departure Day(s)

Tuesday to Sunday

Departure Time(s)

9:00 AM ­- 6:00 PM (Please arrive 20 minutes before departure time)

Included

  • Professional and experienced guide
  • Private bus transfer from and to Killarney
  • Dingle & Slea Head Tour
  • Free time to explore Dingle
  • Recommendations for food, entertainment and additional activity experiences
  • Photos of your tour experience

Not Included

  • Any activities/services not listed on itinerary

What to Bring

  • A pair of suitable trainers/walking boots
  • Rain jacket/trousers
  • Warm fleece
  • Hat and gloves
  • Food and water e.g. snacks, water (500ml approximately)
Optional Add-On Experiences
If you wish to avail of one of these add-on experiences you can select it in the booking process by clicking Add-On Experiences.

1. Dunmore Head Walk - No additional cost

Overview

This spectacular walk on Dunmore Head offers you dramatic views of the wild Atlantic Ocean, Coumeenoole Bay and breath-taking views of the Blasket Islands.

As you arrive at the top of Dunmore Head, you will discover an Ogham stone, unusual in that it indicates pagan ancestry of the commemorated. It was not discovered until 1838 and the two metre stone was re-erected the following year. Its inscription is still legible and reads as “ERC MAQI MAQI-ERCIAS MU DOVINIA” Erc being the name of the person who is commemorated here.

In front of you the vision of the stunning Blasket Island will capture your eyes and fill you with admiration for the extraordinary lives of the talented inhabitants of the island who lived there up until 1953 and their unique Gaelic culture.

Highlights

  1. Explore Slea Head Peninsula
  2. Discover it’s unique Gaelic culture
  3. Gaze out upon spectacular landscapes
  4. Experience Dunmore Head 
  5. Learn about myths and legends


Itinerary

10:30 AM: Arrive in Dingle – Departure point for Slea Head 

11:00 AM: Commence Slea Head Experience

11:30 AM: Dunmore Head Walk – Self-guided

12:30 PM: Departure for Gallarus Oratory

01:00 PM: Visit Gallarus Oratory

01:15 PM: Departure for Dingle 

01:30 PM: Arrive back in Dingle

 

2. Blasket Island Visitor Centre - Self-Guided - €5 per person

Overview

Take a magnificent tour around the spectacular Slea Head Peninsula. Once described by National Geographic as “the most beautiful place on earth” the peninsula is littered with archaeological and historical sites that are nestled into the breathtakingly beautiful landscape.

Discover a land dotted with majestic views as you explore the dramatic and wild coastline of Slea Head. Delve into this unique destination by taking a visit to the stunning Blasket Island visitor centre to learn about the extraordinary lives of the talented inhabitants of the island who lived there up until 1953 and their unique Gaelic culture.

Highlights

  1. Explore Slea Head Peninsula 
  2. Discover it’s unique Gaelic culture
  3. Gaze out upon spectacular landscapes
  4. Visit the Blasket Island Visitor Centre 
  5. Learn about myths and legends


Itinerary

10:30 AM: Arrive in Dingle – Departure point for Slea Head

11:00 AM: Commence Slea Head Experience

11:45 AM: Blasket Island Visitor Centre

12:45 PM: Departure for Gallarus Oratory

01:00 PM: Visit Gallarus Oratory

01:15 PM: Departure for Dingle 

01:30 PM: Arrive back in Dingle 

3. Slea Head Cycle - Self-Guided - €25 per person

Overview

Explore the world famous Dingle town and Slea Head with an amazing self guided cycling tour of the spectacular peninsula. In Dingle you will hop on your bicycle to experience the impressive Slea Head peninsula. Slea Head (in Irish Ceann Sléibhe) is a promontory in the westernmost part of the Dingle Peninsula and is considered one of Ireland’s most westerly points and is marked by a stone crucifixion scene, with dramatic and breath-taking scenery of wild rugged coastline, golden beaches and the magnificent Blasket Islands.

Take the opportunity to have some down time in Dingle town, a picturesque fishing town that is famed for its quirky and colourful streets, before making your return journey to Killarney.

Highlights

  1. Discover the majestic setting of Dingle Peninsula
  2. Explore Slea Head by bicycle – self guided
  3. Cast your eyes over the spectacular Blasket Islands
  4. Experience the unique Gaelic culture of the region  
  5. Visit vibrant coastal villages


Itinerary

10:30 AM: Arrive in Dingle – Departure point for Slea Head Cycle

10:45 AM: Equipment Prep & Route Brief for Slea Head Cycle

11:00 AM: Commence Self-Guided Cycle from Dingle 

12:00 PM: Explore and experience Slea Head  

03:15 PM: Arrive back in Dingle

Cycle Route 

Distance: 45 km/28 miles approximately

Description: The cycle route starts in Dingle Town and loops around Slea Head before returning to Dingle Town. It is an undulating road route.

Private Dingle and Slea Head Tour Highlights
Private Tour of Dingle and Slea Head Itinerary

09:00 AM:Departure for Dingle from Killarney 

Departure for Dingle from Killarney 

10:00 AM: Annascaul - The birthplace of Tom Crean

We make our first stop at the quaint village of Annascaul, which was home to Tom Crean, a famous Antarctic explorer. Tom was part of Captain Scott’s team that made one of the first attempts to reach the South Pole in the early 20th Century. There is a statue and believe it or not, a pub called the South Pole Inn in the centre of the village that commemorates Tom’s Antarctic adventures.  

10:30 AM: Rest Stop in Dingle Town

If you need a coffee or to use the toilet/restroom this is your opportunity. We will be back in Dingle for  lunch and time to explore.

11:00 AM:Departure for Slea Head Circuit

Our tour departs from Dingle, so sit back and enjoy the views of Slea Head.

11:30 AM: Slea Head Viewing Point

Slea Head is considered one of Ireland’s most westerly points and is marked by a stone crucifixion scene, with dramatic views of the Blasket Islands, Dunmore Head and the wild Atlantic Ocean.

11:45 AM: Coumeenoole and Dunmore Head Experience

You can either stop off at Coumeenole Beach & Dunmore Head which is a stunning location with wonderful views of Coumeenoole Bay and the Blasket Islands.

Alternatively, if you prefer an indoor experience you can visit The Blasket Islands Visitor Centre and learn all about the people who inhabited the island until 1953. There is an entrance fee of €5 per person for the visitor centre. 

1:00 PM: Gallarus Oratory

One of the most famous landmarks on the Dingle Peninsula and situated close to Gallarus Castle. The Oratory , “The Church of the Place of the Foreigners”, is completely made of stone and in some way resembles an upturned boat.

Various dates have been suggested for its construction but an exact date for the same is not available (ranging from 6th to 12th Century).  It is extremely well preserved and several archeological artifacts are to be found on the grounds of the Oratory. The Oratory and grounds are carefully maintained by the OPW.

1:15 PM: Departure for Dingle Town

We make our way to Dingle, or in Gaelic – An Daingean or Daingean Uí Chúis, meaning “Ó Cúis’ fort”.

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Lunch and explore Dingle Town

This is your time to have lunch and explore this vibrant and colourful town that is the epicentre of the peninsula. 

3:30 PM: Departure for Killarney 

Our tour departs from Dingle, so sit back and enjoy the views as we make our way back to Killarney.

4:00 PM:Inch Strand

Take a stroll along Inch strand, a golden beach that offers beautiful scenery of Dingle Bay. The strand is a sand spit jutting into the sea between Dingle Harbour and Castlemaine Harbour and consists of three miles of sandy beach for bathing, surfing and sea angling.

The film ‘Playboy of the Western World’ was shot entirely at Inch as was scenes from the film ‘Ryan’s Daughter’. 

You can also see wildlife such as sea otters and seals bask in the sunshine rearing their young, dolphins and gannets flying like arrows into the crystal blue waters.

5:30 PM: Aghadoe and The Lakes of Killarney 

We make our last stop of the day at Aghadoe, an incredible viewing point that overlooks the Lakes of Killarney, Innisfallen Island and the mountains of Killarney.

Aghadoe takes its name from Acha Dá Eo, which is Irish for “The place of the two yew trees”. (It was traditional for churchyards to have only one yew tree). There are ruins of a 13th century Parkavonear Castle and of “Aghadoe Cathedral,” an old Romanesque church.  

6:00 PM: Arrive back in Killarney

We make our way back to Killarney, where we will say our fond farewells. We really hope you have had an amazing time exploring the Dingle peninsula and its most unique destinations. Remember Ireland is now forever your home away from home.

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