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Slea Head ©Irish Air Corps

Slea Head Drive Tour in Ireland

Slea Head Drive is a highlight of the Dingle Peninsula and the Wild Atlantic Way coastal route. Take on a scenic road trip with a flexible itinerary crafted by Ireland experts at Nordic Visitor.

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About Your Slea Head Drive Road Trip

Looking for a Slea Head Drive tour? You’re in the right place!

This scenic and circular drive is part of the rugged Dingle Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland. Slea Head is an ideal destination for a fun self-drive tour, filled with historical landmarks, sweeping Atlantic Ocean views, and delicious seafood.

Browse our travel packages to find the perfect fit for you. Or let us know if you want to spend more time along Slea Head or any other locations. We’ll tailor your preferred route to your tastes and preferences.

When you book a trip with Nordic Visitor, you get handpicked accommodation, transportation reservations, access to our 24/7 helpline, and many other benefits as part of the package. You’ll also enjoy the personal service of your own dedicated travel consultant.

Get in touch via our toll-free numbers or live chat and we'll happily plan your Ireland adventure.

 

— WHY US?

Why book with Nordic Visitor

  • Specialists in Ireland self-drive holidays
  • Flexible tour options
  • Experienced travel agency that takes care of all the details for you
  • Dedicated to providing personalised, quality service

TOUR PACKAGES INCLUDING SLEA HEAD DRIVE

Take your pick from these self-drive itineraries to explore Slea Head Drive and the Dingle Peninsula. They include handpicked accommodation, rental car, and more.

Ireland
Save up to 750 EUR
Best seller
Self-drive
17 days / 16 nights
4.7
Apr - Oct

Grand Tour of Ireland

3979EUR

3604EUR

Eur

View map
Save up to 750 EUR
Best seller
17 days / 16 nights
Apr - Oct

3979EUR

3604EUR

EUR

Close map view
Scotland & Ireland
Self-drive
25 days / 24 nights
Apr - Oct

Ultimate Tour of Scotland & Ireland

Scottish Highlands, North Coast 500 & Wild Atlantic Way

5481GBP

Eur

View map
25 days / 24 nights
Apr - Oct

5481GBP

GBP

Close map view

TRAVEL TO IRELAND’S CELTIC NEIGHBOUR, SCOTLAND

Nordic Visitor offers some excellent Scotland road trips as well as combination tours with Ireland. Choose from these itineraries to immerse yourself in Celtic and Gaelic cultures.

Scotland
Save up to 390 GBP
Best seller
Self-drive
10 days / 9 nights
4.8
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland

1893GBP

1698GBP

Eur

View map
Save up to 390 GBP
Best seller
10 days / 9 nights
Apr - Oct

1893GBP

1698GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Save up to 630 GBP
Best seller
Self-drive
17 days / 16 nights
4.7
Apr - Oct

Grand Tour of Scotland

Scottish Highlands & North Coast 500

3606GBP

3291GBP

Eur

View map
Save up to 630 GBP
Best seller
17 days / 16 nights
Apr - Oct

3606GBP

3291GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Best seller
Self-drive
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland at Leisure

2640GBP

Eur

View map
Best seller
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

2640GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Best seller
Self-drive
17 days / 16 nights
Apr - Oct

Complete Scotland at Leisure

Scottish Highlands, North Coast 500 & Outer Hebrides

3538GBP

Eur

View map
Best seller
17 days / 16 nights
Apr - Oct

3538GBP

GBP

Close map view

Ireland Travel Experts

As a travel agency with offices across Europe, Nordic Visitor knows how to make the most of your time in Ireland. We offer self-drive, private and small group tours that take you to must-see attractions, as well as lesser-known highlights handpicked by Edinburgh-based travel experts.

To ensure a seamless trip, we handle all the details for you – accommodation, activities and local transport such as car rental and ferry bookings.

It's easy to make changes to your tour online. Add extra nights, upgrades, and optional excursions to your liking as you go through the booking steps. If you'd like to personalise your itinerary further, just ask your dedicated travel consultant, they know Ireland inside-out and will design your dream tour.

Customer Experiences Of Ireland Tours

Don’t just imagine your visit to Ireland - read what our amazing guests have to say!

Ann, United States
Classic Ireland, October 2023

So happy I found Nordic Visitor!

I'm so happy I found Nordic Visitor! Our 10-day self-drive tour of Ireland made our trip feel like a carefree vacation. The accommodation were outstanding, and finding ourselves within walking distance of city centres was wonderful. Our hotels/inns offered lovely breakfasts and some had excellent evening dining on-site. The Nordic Visitor travel guide was a pleasure to follow, filled with many choices to plan our daily excursions. Nordic Visitor is highly professional and thorough, from website to bookings. We appreciate all the planning Chris put into creating a fantastic itinerary for us!

John, United States
Scenic Ireland, July 2023

Top notch

This was excellent. We truly enjoyed our experience. We accomplished about 90% of the suggested sites. They were all top notch. Hotels and accommodation were all great. I would recommend to anyone going to visit Ireland and I will use them again when we go to Scotland.

Suzanne, United States
Scenic Ireland, October 2023

Extremely helpful

Nordic Visitor offers a package for every type of traveller. Travel consultants are extremely helpful and steer travellers to the perfect package to meet their interests.

Barbara, United States
Express Scotland & Ireland, July 2023

Truly enjoyed our trip

Truly enjoyed our trip to Scotland and Ireland and the ease in travel. The itinerary booklets and maps were essential and used daily during our trip. We loved our trip and have shared your website with several friends already. We have 2 sets of friends looking at doing the same trip next year and one considering your Iceland package. Look forward to booking with you again!

Pamela, United States
Wonders of Ireland, August 2023

The best trip I've ever been on

This was a great tour, well laid out and hitting the highlights. Touring with a small group is always much smoother and more amicable and our group became fast friends. I can't say enough about our tour guide Brian. He brought a wealth of knowledge, not only about our destinations, but also local history, geography, language, customs as well as funny anecdotes. My daughter-in-law said "This was the best trip I've ever been on".

Caitlin, United States
Wonders of Ireland, July 2023

So grateful we went with Nordic Visitor

We had such an amazing experience with Nordic Visitor who hosted the "Wonders of Ireland" 8-day tour. The group was small, 16 people, so we could use a large van rather than the huge buses that take forever for people to load/unload at each stop. The hotels were top notch, the sites we visited were diverse and enjoyable (distilleries, castles, gardens, waterfalls). Our tour guide Brian was truly incredible. He had a wealth of knowledge about the history, music and folklore of Ireland. He made the trip both informative and fun, and helped the group come together with his warm and engaging personality. Melissa our driver was also fantastic - kind, helpful and chatty. They both went above and beyond to ensure everyone was cared for and enjoyed the journey. I was torn about which company to use, and am so grateful we went with Nordic Visitor.

Jean, United States
Classic Ireland - Private, August 2023

I will use Nordic Visitor again!

We toured the highlights of Ireland via private vehicle and guide. All of our accommodation were very nice and what we requested. Our guide/driver was excellent! He went the extra mile for us in every way. The Nordic Visitor representative listened to what we wanted for our trip and delivered a great package. I was sent in depth details of the sites we could see at each stop and suggestions as to their top three choices. All the information provided was very helpful. I will use this company again!

Alistair, New Zealand
Scenic Ireland - Private, June 2023

First-rate

Nordic Visitor's website and logistics were first-rate. Overall we had a wonderful time getting to see Scotland and Ireland, connecting with ancestry and generally enjoying all the arrangements made for us.

Getting to Ireland

Ireland has 10 airports, with the three main international ports being: Dublin, Cork and Shannon. Unless customised to begin elsewhere, all Nordic Visitor tours in Ireland start and end in Dublin, the capital city.

Flight times to Ireland are, for example, 6 hours from New York City or Boston and 1.5 hours from London. Major international airlines with flights to Ireland include (but are not limited to) Aer Lingus, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Ryanair, and KLM.

The Republic of Ireland is on GMT time. If your journey involves one or more connecting flights, or if you're crossing several time zones to get here, your dedicated Nordic Visitor travel consultant can add extra nights in Dublin to your package so you can rest up after arrival.

Please note that your flights to Ireland are not included in Nordic Visitor packages. However, if you have booked a combination tour of Scotland and Ireland, we include flight costs between the two countries in the package price.

IRELAND PACKAGES BY LOCAL TRAVEL SPECIALISTS

What would you like to experience in Ireland? Our Ireland travel experts have created thrilling tour packages for your dream Irish road trip.

IDEAS FOR A SLEA HEAD DRIVING TOUR

Imagine yourself walking along high sea cliffs and taking in the sweeping viewing points of the Slea Head Drive. You could also wander through ancient Celtic monuments, walk along green hills, and learn about Gaelic culture. Sit in a typical pub tasting the local brew and listen to live Irish music.

Pick one of our tailor-made tours of Ireland to immerse yourself in the stunning scenery and historic sights. The ideal Irish holiday consists of exploring the cities as well as the countryside, to take in the culture, history and beauty of the Emerald Isle.

Good to know: Our travel experts have designed these Ireland trips so you’ll get the most out of them. But you can also customise your itinerary. For instance, you could add extra nights, optional activities or upgrade your accommodation. Personalise your tour online or speak to your travel consultant.

What is the Slea Head Drive and its points of interest?

Slea Head Drive is a circular road that makes up the westernmost edge of the Dingle Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland. Beginning and ending in the town of Dingle, it is only 47 kilometres (30 miles) long and an easy day trip. Some call it the most scenic drive in Ireland!

The Dingle Peninsula is famous itself as being part of the Wild Atlantic Way and perfect for a road trip. In fact, did you know that National Geographic once declared the Dingle Peninsula “the most beautiful place on earth”?

The peninsula stretches from Tralee all the way to Dunmore Head. And it is known as one of the Irish-speaking regions of Ireland, or Gaeltacht.

If you want to discover Slea Head and the Dingle Peninsula, you can expect steep sea cliffs, windswept islands, friendly dolphins, ancient monuments, and more. You can make this journey in a day, or take longer to explore as much as you wish.

Here are the top things to visit during your Slea Head tour, Ireland:

  • Step into history at the Gallarus Oratory
  • Stop by Dunquin Harbour with views of the Blasket Islands
  • Visit historical sites, such as Dunbeg Fort
  • Discover the mythical beehive huts, also named clochán.


On a clear day, you may also be able to admire the Skellig Islands on the horizon. You may recognise Skellig Michael, the largest of the islands, as it was recently featured in the Star Wars film series. We offer boat tours to the islands from the Ring of Kerry as an optional activity.

In the greater Dingle Peninsula, there are also a few more highlights you shouldn’t miss while you’re here. This includes hiking up Mount Brandon for majestic views, spending a sunny day on Inch Beach, and taking on the impressive Conor Pass.



Want to go on an Ireland road trip?

Did we tickle your curiosity with all these fun highlights? Ireland is ripe with them! There are so many areas to discover and scenic drives to experience. For a round trip around the country, we recommend at least 6 to 8 days to make the most of your time here.

Here’s an example of a two-week tour around Ireland, including the Slea Head Drive:

  • Day 1 – Arrive in Dublin and explore the city.
  • Day 2 – Pick up your rental car and drive north to County Donegal. Overnight in Donegal.
  • Day 3 – Start your adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way coastal route. Overnight in Donegal.
  • Day 4 – Wander through a Stone Age cemetery and visit majestic sea cliffs. Overnight in Westport.
  • Day 5 – Drive around Achill Island. Overnight in Westport.
  • Day 6 – Explore the Connemara National Park. Overnight in Galway.
  • Day 7 – Sail to the Aran Islands to learn more about Gaelic language and culture. Overnight in Galway.
  • Day 8 – See the Cliffs of Moher. Overnight in Doolin.
  • Day 9 – Visit the highlights of the Killarney National Park. Overnight in Killarney.
  • Day 10 – Tour the Ring of Kerry. Overnight in Killarney.
  • Day 11 – Take in the highlights of the Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head Drive. Overnight in Killarney.
  • Day 12 – Admire Ireland’s south coast and explore the city of Cork. Overnight in Cork.
  • Day 13 – Kiss the Blarney Stone and visit the Rock of Cashel before dropping off your rental car. Spend your last night in Dublin.
  • Day 14 – Depart from Dublin Airport.


The best part? You won’t have to worry about where you’re going or sleeping, because your Nordic Visitor travel consultant will plan your trip and sort all the details before you arrive.

We’re with you every step of the way. You’ll receive our Ireland Travel Guide, a hand-marked map with your route, and other useful documents. These include tips for driving in Ireland, such as making you aware that you may encounter road signs in English and Gaelic.

We reserve your accommodation, rent a car for your trip, and can book day tours to fill your itinerary with more adventures. You’ll also have access to our 24/7 emergency helpline should you need to call us at any point.



When is the best time to visit Ireland?

Ireland is a beautiful country all year long. This means you can’t go wrong when you book your Irish getaway. That said, we recommend the summertime or its shoulder months for the best experience.

The summer, consisting of the months of June, July and August, is the high season. It is marked by long daylight hours and the best (and most stable) weather of the year. Attractions also operate under longer hours and more availability than in winter.

However, you may find that top attractions are very popular at this time. Indeed, Ireland attracts visitors from around the world especially in summer.

If you would rather have a quieter holiday, visit during the spring or autumn. These shoulder months include April, May, September and October. During this time, you’ll find the best of both worlds: quieter attractions but plenty of good weather and daylight to explore.



Are you interested in exploring Scotland too?

Combine a tour of Ireland with a road trip around Scotland for an epic Celtic itinerary. We recommend a minimum of 10 days for this, however, so you can have enough time to have a taste of both countries.

To include Slea Head Drive and the Dingle Peninsula in your combination itinerary, we recommend our Ultimate Tour of Scotland and Ireland. This tour is 25 days long, giving you ample time to dive into both cultures and their magnificent landscapes.

You would spend the first 8 days in Scotland, touring the rugged Highlands and even discovering the Isle of Skye. Following that road trip, you would then fly to Dublin to drive around the entire island of Ireland.

Or you could ask your personal Nordic Visitor travel consultant to tailor one of our combination tours with extra days to visit the Dingle Peninsula. Don’t hesitate to ask!

Scotland is a great destination to complement a tour to Ireland. Their cultures and history are so closely linked and you’ll be able to meet the locals and get immersed in both.



Scroll down to learn more about Nordic Visitor’s services.

 

— OTHER DESTINATIONS

See more of Northern Europe

  • Explore Ireland’s Celtic neighbour, Scotland
  • Experience stunning scenery and midnight sun in Iceland
  • Combine culture with nature by discovering Scandinavia
  • Head off the beaten track in wild Greenland or Svalbard

Ireland Travel Guide

Be prepared for just about anything on your Irish adventure.

Our Services

On your Ireland Nordic Visitor package, you will receive personalised service from a designated travel consultant and high-quality travel documents. What's more, all self-drive clients receive a hand-marked map that outlines the route, overnights and highlights along the way. Travel with ease knowing that Nordic Visitor has close professional relationships with local service providers, which are carefully selected by our staff for their consistently high standards.

Book with Confidence

  • Protect your money & plans with our flexible booking terms  .
  • 97% of customers say they’d recommend us to friends.
  • We work closely with trusted, high-quality suppliers.
  • Enjoy personal service from Ireland travel experts.
  • Get peace of mind with a 24/7 helpline during your stay.
  • We’re here for you in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Contact us

Whether you’re looking to book your dream Ireland trip, want to add an extra night in Dublin, or have questions about your tour, we’re happy to help. Get in touch with our friendly team to answer any of your travel queries.

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+44 (0)131 344 4630

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