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Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival

  • Ireland
    •
  • OVERVIEW
  • ITINERARY
  • HIGHLIGHTS


itinerary Map

Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival

13 Days

On this tailormade Dream Escape trip, specially designed to coincide with the world-famous Galway Oyster and Seafood Festival, discover Ireland’s booming culinary scene. This chauffeur-driven journey combines some of Ireland’s most rugged and breath-taking scenery with the finest dining in the country.

Exclusive experiences are complemented with stays at luxurious properties, creating a wonderfully indulgent trip.

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ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS



Dream Escape’s gastronomic adventure could include any of the following experiences:

  • Visit bakeries, food halls, street markets and delicatessens on a privately guided walking tour of Dublin’s culinary highlights.

 

  • Experience ‘Ireland through the Ages’ with a 16th century feast in a private castle and artisan cheese tastings with the lady of the manor in her 18th century home.

 

  • Explore the lakes of Killarney National Park with an afternoon of kayaking past wooded islands and limestone caves.

 

  • Get the chance to attend the opening of the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival and soak in the electric atmosphere.

 

  • Uncover the heritage of Irish food as you get a hands-on experience in a private cookery class.

 

  • Take to the saddle and led by an expert local guide embark on a trail ride through Ireland’s first national park, the best way to admire the stunning scenery of the park.

 

  • Enjoy the fantastic programme of events at the Galway Festival; take part in cookery demonstrations, watch an array of tasting events and, of course, sample the renowned oysters.
  • Be welcomed into a private, contemporary lakeside villa by the charismatic owner and get the privilege of viewing her private collection of Irish art and sculptures.

 

  • Sit down to dinner at the first pub in Ireland to be awarded a Michelin Star and sample their rustic dishes that aim to replicate the natural flavours of Ireland.

 

  • Spend a day relaxing at the ‘best resort in Ireland’ taking advantage of the wide variety of activities available on the sprawling 350-acre estate.

 

  • Discover the Irish capital’s vibrant history and culture on an eco-friendly bike tour past the city’s highlights.

 

  • Pay a visit to Galway’s infamous covered market, exploring the vendors selling produce from around the world.

 

  • Embark on a specially arranged food trail through The Burren visiting a working sheep farm, an award-winning craft butcher as well as a traditional free-range pig farm.

 

Dream Escape recommends a number of five-star properties for your foodie adventure through the Emerald Isle. Begin your trip in a renowned Dublin hotel overlooking the grand St Stephen’s Green. Follow this with stays in luxurious, rural properties all offering breath-taking views and genuine Irish hospitality.

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HIGHLIGHTS

A visual glimpse of the key things to do and places that will be visited on this exciting itinerary

VIEW ALL HIGHLIGHTS


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HIGHLIGHTS

A visual glimpse of the key things to do and places that will be visited on this exciting itinerary

VIEW ALL HIGHLIGHTS

THINGS TO DO

DUBLIN HIGHLIGHTS

The wide boulevard of O’Connell Street, passing the General Post Office, scene of the 1916 Easter Rising and birthplace of the Irish Nation.

PRIVATE COOKERY CLASS

Enjoy a three-hour, hands on immersion into culinary Ireland is a unique tapas course.

ROCK OF CASHEL

Visible for miles is St Patrick’s Rock, also known as Cashel of the Kings. It was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years before the Norman invasion.

KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK

Killarney is an excellent spot from which to explore the outstanding natural scenery of Co. Kerry. Today and the National Park is renowned for its beauty; Ireland’s highest mountains raise a jagged edge to the sky while at their feet rest three still lakes (Upper Lake, Muckross Lake and Lough Leane) studded with little islands.

GALWAY OYSTER AND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

For over sixty years, at the end of each September the renowned Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival is held.

BURREN FOOD TRAIL

This trail includes a visit to a working sheep farm, a traditional free range pig farm and an award-winning craft butcher.

PLACES VISITED

DUBLIN

Dublin is steeped in history, with Viking, medieval and Georgian influences all having left their marks. Since the time of the Vikings, Dublin has been the principal gateway to the Emerald Isle. The medieval city, with its intimate knots of small alleys and broad streets south of the river, was developed in Norman times around St Patrick’s Cathedral and Dublin Castle, and later came to symbolise British rule in Ireland. The 18th century was the “Age of Elegance”, a time of relative prosperity when the Irish gentry set about remodelling the city into one of elegance, replete with graceful terraces, wrought-iron balconies and fanlight doorways. The city became Ireland’s capital with the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1937, and today is regarded as one of the liveliest and most atmospheric in Europe.

KILLARNEY

Located by the three lakes and mountains of the Killarney National Park, Killarney is well known for its excellent shops, restaurants and cosmopolitan appeal. During the summer months, the lively on-street musical entertainment complements the meandering of tourists and locals alike. On bright evenings, one can browse in a bookstore, admire art or savour the delights of homemade ice cream or a finely prepared lobster.

GALWAY

Galway is the official European Region of Gastronomy 2018. The region stretches from green fields and rich farmlands to the unique karst landscape of the Burren and into Galway city, the trout fishing capital of Europe, and along the wild, rugged Atlantic coast. Galway has one of the highest densities of restaurants in Ireland and includes two of the country ‘s Michelin Star restaurants: Aniar and Loam. Galway is a city with a proud seafaring tradition and Galway Bay is one of the most celebrated oyster fisheries, where the native Irish oyster is widely prized as a delicacy in the later months of the year.

LOUGH CORRIB

Lough Corrib is reputed to have hundreds of islands including the most famous one, Inchagoill where visitors can embark upon a private guided tour and enjoy spectacular views of the Maumturk Mountain Range. There are 5th and 12th century ruins and nature trails and charming woodlands perfect for many outdoor pursuits.

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    Clients of Jessica Thompson, Fairway Travel, Virtuoso

  • "....their time in the U.K. was PERFECT – loved everything you guys did for them, and sang praises for everyone! Thank you!! "

    Connie Hanes, Herff Travel

  • "Everyone, from the Tour Guides to our excellent driver, were amazing. All aspects of the trip were beyond expectations. Even changing our day schedule for outside reasons (like the airline sending my bag to a city 120miles away) they were always happy to help and move the schedule around so we could keep enjoying our trip. Everyone made us feel at home and like family."

    Client of Leah Molinari, Molinari Travel, Gifted Travel Network

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    Client of Trisha Rathke, VIP Travel Designs, Gifted Travel Network

  • "Dreamscape designed an itinerary that combined an exploration of Scottish history and culture and a visit to some of the filming locations for the hit TV show Outlander. The tour guides provided were personable and knowledgeable and responsive to our interests. Our driver who was with us for the entire trip was professional and pleasant and again, flexible and sensitive to our interests. The hotels were magnificent and the pacing of the trip, spending at least two nights in each hotel was perfect. The itinerary was everything we wanted!"

    Client of Susan Morley, Journeys around the World, Cadence

  • "Sally Strange was wonderful so knowledgable, friendly and fun. 100% would use her services again. We feel like we have a friend for life! We LOVED our tours, where we ate lunch, and spending the days with Sally......Thanks (once again!) for looking after our clients so well. We so appreciate you. "

    Lauren Ainsley, Black Tomato

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    Alex Martinetti

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    Clients of Kristen Meckem, Kristen Meckem Travel, An Affiliate of Brownell

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    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

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    The Pogue Family - Clients of Amy Spence, Strong Travel

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    Pat Bowden, Red Letter Travel, an independent affiliate of Brownell

  • "Michael does such an outstanding job with making sure every itinerary he works on with me is well thought out. He is attentive to detail and always allows for the clients interest to be reflected in their tours. He makes sure that the perfect tour operator and chauffeur is paired with each client. I wanted you to know what a pleasure it is working with Michael and knowing my clients will always be well cared for when traveling with Dream Escape! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Without a doubt, what made all of it so special and unforgettable was having the true pleasure of having Sally Strange as our guide. She was truly incredible..so full of life, energy, amazing historical knowledge anywhere we visited was extraordinary. Her sense of humor and fun personality made her extra special. Sally was a winner in every way."

    Clients of Betsy Talbot, Travel by Talbot (Brownell)

  • "Your team excelled on all levels! The execution of the itinerary was flawless!!! Well done. The clients LOVED Sally and this was just the second note from them about how exceptional she was. "

    Cathy Major, Cerulean World Travel

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    Krista Boyles, Unique Romance Travel

  • "I want to extend my deepest gratitude for your incredible work on this project, we really could not have gotten it across the finish line without you and your team 😊"

    Marieta Carrrero, Boost Journeys

  • "I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone at Dream Escape who helped in making the Gialamas' visit to London special. I know Dream Escape has many people behind the scenes that work on making an itinerary such as this flow seamlessly and I just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Activities & Tours - All the events and guides were outstanding.- Guides - Simply the best. All of them. All outstanding! "

    Black Tomato Clients

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    Gretchen Ashworth Stewart, Client

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    Nancy Ebel, Virtuoso Travel Advisor

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    Shannon Marie Long - Reed and Mackay

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    Josh Whitaker - Owner, Rudi Steele Travel

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    Rob Arrow, Al Tayyar Group

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    William A Heim, Client

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    Jean Newman-Glock, Signature Travel Network

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    Sharon Delano, Frosch

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    Thomas Cohen, Client

  • "THANK YOU a zillion times over for choosing/assigning Rosie to be with this family.  She MADE the trip for them – there’s no other way to put it! "

    Jill Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

  • "Our holiday in Scotland now tops their lists of best trips…… To their growing list of amazing and memorable first-time experiences, our sons may add fishing for trout and salmon on the River Tay; steering a motor boat on Loch Ness; and taking private guided tours on Culloden Moor Of the eight full days we were in Scotland, Alex and Mattie thought each and every day was the best"

    Michael Guadarrama & Trammi Nguyen, clients of Peter Carideo. CRC Travel

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    Max Levy, Direct client

  • "Thank you Karen and all of the staff and guides affiliated with Dream Escape…..the Flemings are having an awesome tour of Scotland. You all have made me look like a star! "

    Joni Gerace, The Travel Society, LLC

  • "Thanks for all your help and we can chalk this one up as a big success!   Our anniversary celebration was all we could have hoped for "

    Clients of Courtney Regan, Affiliate of Brownell Travel

  • "Rosie was MORE than outstanding – she went out of her way to help us in every regard...She was so knowledgeable – we all loved her"

    Jill A. Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

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    Cindy Evans, Travel Consultant

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    Carole McFarland, Universal Travel

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    Donald M. Davis, President, Luxury Travel, Inc.

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    Peter Carideo, CRC Travel

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    Ann Lipschitz, Worldview Travel

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    Debra Fini, VWTI

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    Financial Times, How to Spend it

  • "It was, without doubt, one of the most spectacular weekends I have ever had"

    Country Life

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    Conde Nast Traveller Magazine

  • "The level of service they provide is outstanding. They truly care about every aspect of the trip to ensure you have a fantastic stay. Rosie is a hidden gem of a tour guide. Just fabulous."

    Yvonne Malka, Signature Travel Network, April 2018

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