Leap into Ireland with Vagabond Adventures

With March 17, a holiday honoring St. Patrick, approaching, Vagabond Adventure Tours of Ireland invites travelers to discover the real Ireland with a selection of unique trips around the country offered for travel next year

New on the roster of tours is Kerry UnCorked, distilling the best of counties Kerry and Cork in Ireland’s Southwest. The eight-day immersive trip includes recreational activities such as a day spent working with a shepherd on a classic hill farm, cycling in Killarney National Park, horseback riding on the Dingle Peninsula and the opportunity to try surfing along one of the Southwest’s most beautiful beaches. Starting from $2,045, including accommodations and breakfasts, Kerry UnCorked is available for travel May–September 2016.

Vagabond and sister company Driftwood Irish Journeys of Discovery also offer trips off the beaten path, taking travelers to lesser-known spots across the country. Destinations visited included the Skellig Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site off the coast of Kerry, where stone beehive huts built by Medieval monks still stand; the Garnish Island Gardens off the coast of Cork; or Inis Oir in the Aran Islands.

For a taste of Ireland, travelers can embark on a culinary journey featuring a hands-on cooking demonstration of traditional Irish recipes, meetings with local artisan food producers and craftsmen to see them at work on their farms and at their studios and visits to local pubs to chat with local musicians.