It’s finally come; the completion of the K-12 and your family member now begins their rite of passage from adolescence to adulthood. Many American dads, moms, grandad, grandmoms and others decide to mark this special moment with a gift of a family graduation vacation to Ireland to explore a new land and celebrate their loved one’s life milestone. These routes will differ for family graduation trips to Ireland, dad and son graduations to Ireland, mom and daughter graduations to Ireland and so forth.

When considering a graduation trip to Ireland there is so much to consider, and Lore Luxury Travel are the experts to guide and welcome you on making your journey truly unique and memorable. Your graduation will likely be 17 or 18 years old and so each trip is going to have individual needs based on their areas of study, likes, dislikes, ancestry and culture. Each of Lore Luxury Travel’s graduation trips to Ireland are tailor made with possibilities as big as your imagination! That being said, we are happy to give you some ideas on the most popular routes chosen by our happy past clients. 

1. 10 Day - Private Mini Coach Graduation Road Trip in Ireland

This is the perfect option for the ultimate in flexibility with larger family or class groups up to 16 people and beyond. You will have your very own dedicated driver guide throughout the duration of the adventure. This offers the benefits that our guide will get to understand innately the preferences of everyone in your group along the way. 

A trip that includes many of the highlights for a graduation to trip Irelandwould include Dublin, Killarney and Galway. This would typically take about 10 days and young graduates love destinations like the museums of Dublin, learning about playing hurling or Gaelic Football sports, hiking in Killarney National Park, experiencing the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher and discovering the vibrant city of Galway and wilds of the Connemara region nearby. This type of journey usually takes 10 – 12 days allowing time to explore in each destination along the way and soak up the amazing Irish culture and people. The trip can be as active or relaxed as you wish.

2. 08 Day – Mom & Daughter Graduation Trip to Ireland

Mom and daughter Ireland graduation trips can be tailor made to suit your individual needs. We recommend a route to include Dublin, Cork and Killarney Co. Kerry as a super option that can be done in seven to eight days or so. It allows time to experience the Irish culture with fun Irish dancing lessons in Dublin, kissing the Blarney stone at Blarney Castle, exploring your family ancestry with an expert genealogist in Cork, enjoying a cooking class in an Irish home in Kerry, discovering pet lambs at a farm on the wild Dingle or taking a wildlife boat ride from the peninsula. 

On this mom and daughter Ireland graduation trip we take preference to include select accommodations which are located in central and safe locations along the way. This allows ease of access to any day tours whilst also allowing ease to walk to the best local cultural attractions. Your agent will always provide up to the minute advice on the best local bars, restaurants, music venues and local attractions. Over our years of planning and delivering the best mom and daughter Ireland graduation trip in Ireland we have unearthed some unique offerings. Examples being local Irish dance classes, pottery classes, visits to local artists, private museum visits, architectural tours, law tours, chef visits and so very much more. Feel free to ask our experts to create your very own and truly unique mom and daughter Ireland graduation trip in Ireland. 

3. 08 Day – Dad & Son Graduation Trip to Ireland

We have a host of dad and son graduation trips to Ireland, and each one is tailor made just for you. Some of the most popular activities over the years have proven to be a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) experience. Here you both get a change to participate in learning and playing the local field games of hurling and Gaelic football. A super way to get hands on immersed in the local culture of Ireland and meet some of the best players along the way. We can also include a real GAA hurling game to watch live at a local stadium.

Another popular dad and son graduation trip experience in Ireland is hiking to the highest peak in Ireland Carrauntoohil. This peak at just 3,406 feet might seem easy but is no easy task. You will have a challenging yet fun day out as you navigate places like The Devil’s Ladder together on your ascent to this fine peak with amazing views.

For animal lovers we have a special access tour with ranger Willie Duffy to Fota Wildlife Park in Cork. This super tour allows you to get up close and personal with the animals. Includes time to feed giraffes, penguins and even a hippopotamus! Willie is a true local character and the epitome of Irish warmth and friendliness. Definitely one of the best experiences in Ireland. When nearby here too why not venture with us to see a local genealogist and discover the history of your own family roots in Ireland. All is possible on our Lore Luxury Travel unique dad and son graduation trips to Ireland.

4. 12 Day – Wild Atlantic Way Graduation Trip in Ireland

This is the perfect graduation road trip of the Wild Atlantic Way of the west coast of Ireland. The Wild Atlantic Way is a wonderfully scenic journey of 1,600 miles. You can choose to do all of the route or break it up and take time to explore the wonderful cities and quaint villages along this winding coastline route. The official route begins at the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal and finishes in Kinsale, County Cork.

For the best Wild Atlantic Way Graduation Trip in Ireland, we have included adventures such as Archery at the Battery in Rathmullan, sea Kayaking at Fanad, Atlantic Ocean rock climbing, full moon night hike of Mount Errigal and all of those are just in County Donegal at the start!

Further on down the coast in Mayo we can offer exploration of the historic Céide Fields, world class big wave beach surfing on Achill Island or for the less daring we can do beach kayaking or cycling the Great Western Greenway.

Galway is a must stop and do city. It holds a big cultural centre and is surrounded by great landscapes. We can recommend food tours, exploring the bars with one of our great local guides and a visit to one of the local distilleries. Day tours from Galway can be great to see the Cliffs of Moher, wild Connemara, take a cruise on Ireland’s only fjord at Killary Harbour or visit the nearby Aran Islands. On these isles e biking can be a great way to explore.

South from Galway we bring you to the kingdom of Kerry and the rebel county of Cork. These destinations are amongst the best in the country. Famous destination in Kerry are the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula and Killarney National Park. Lots of great outdoor options of biking, kayaking, hiking and more. In Cork you can see the wilds of the Beara Peninsula as a hidden gem. Cork city is a welcoming destination with great local bars. We especially can recommend a visit to Spike Island to learn of Irish emigration. This tour is one of the very best in Ireland. Outside Cork be sure to visit Kinsale as a tranquil seaside haven for local cruises and a burgeoning gastronomic scene.

Remember when doing the Wild Atlantic Way that Shannon Airport on the west coast has many direct flights to destinations like New York, Chicago and Boston. It can be a great place to begin your graduation road trip of the Wild Atlantic Way

5. 08 Day – Surprise Family Graduation Trip to Ireland

We at Lore Luxury Travel create every single Ireland graduation itinerary as a unique entity, just for you. This means that your journey here with us can be a big as your imagination. We are happy to add some surprises for your graduate, that you might like to include. We can also draw upon a vast knowledge to add many unexpected wonderments along your journey with us. In the past we have included special visits concentrated on history, sports, culinary visits with chefs, technology visits as Ireland is a major hub, artist and craftsperson visits with hands on classes and so very much more. Feel free to reach out and ask our expert local Irish advisers.

When to Travel

The majority of K-12 graduations take place in May or June and so the months of May to July are perfect to travel in Ireland as it is summertime. Ireland always has the surprise of having a possible four seasons in a day and showers are never far away but typically the weather is pleasantly warm and there are long days of brightness.

Why Lore Luxury Travel for a Graduation Vacation in Ireland?

Our ethos is connecting people to place. Lore Luxury Travel has decades of knowledge in dreaming, creating and delivering the best graduation vacation trips in Ireland. This comes from our ability to listen to each client, bring our knowledge to the trip and then offer the trip into the capable hands of our world class local guides and staff. Deep local knowledge to create a journey of a lifetime for your loved ones.

As the poet R.S Thomas said, “Life is not hurrying on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past.”Instead, it's about appreciating the profound beauty of our world and those we hold dear to us. 

Life is short…. reach out today and begin your unique graduation adventure in Ireland by contacting your new friends at Lore Luxury Travel by clicking here.