Heart of Ireland - Northern Ireland & Donegal - April 2027
Heart of Ireland
Northern Ireland & Donegal — Giant's Causeway, the Antrim Coast,
Derry and the wild northwest, guided by Shane Hayes.
A small-group journey through Ireland's great distilleries, famous and forgotten.
The Heart of Ireland: Whiskey, Music & Landscape
Come to Ireland for the Whiskey. Stay for the coastlines, castles, conversations, and late-night tunes you'll talk about for years.
The Heart of Ireland: Whiskey, Music & Landscape is a boutique, host-led experience through the most dramatic corners of Northern Ireland and Donegal — pairing legendary distilleries with tiny family-run operations, roaring Atlantic cliffs with quiet Gaelic villages, and world-class Irish music with stories you won't find in guidebooks.
This is Ireland at full volume.
Rugged. Wild. Welcoming.
And deeply personal.
Book Now"Roinnimid an talamh, an fharraige, agus an scéal."We share the land, the sea, and the story.
This is our first Northern Ireland & Donegal tour — below are some images from our other Ireland journeys to give you a flavour of what a Shane Hayes Ireland tour looks and feels like.
Where Whiskey Meets
Wild Ireland
This is first and foremost a whiskey journey — but not the kind that only stops at the obvious names.
You'll visit legendary houses alongside micro-distilleries hidden in mountain villages and coastal towns. New-generation producers reviving lost traditions. Family-run operations where founders still pour the drams themselves.
You'll hear about cask experiments, farming decisions, revival stories, and the risks families take to build something that may not reach its peak for decades.
This is Irish whiskey in the middle of its modern renaissance.
And you're seeing it from the inside.
Three Reasons People
Book This Trip
For the Landscapes
Sea cliffs that stop you mid-sentence.
Storm-beaten castles on headlands.
Silent glens, Atlantic roads, national parks, and island-dotted loughs.
From the Giant's Causeway to Slieve League, Glenveagh to Donegal's wild coast, this is Ireland at its most cinematic.
For the Music
Your host is Shane Hayes — internationally touring Irish musician and founder of Socks in the Frying Pan.
Throughout the week you'll experience Ireland's living music culture: informal sessions, invited guests, local legends, and carefully chosen evenings where the country's best players share tunes, stories, and pints.
It's not a stage show.
It's the real thing — heard in the places it belongs.
For the Whiskey
Six distillery visits. One hosted tasting event.
From historic giants to tiny producers with three stills and a dream.
You'll meet the families behind the brands, hear how communities are rebuilding lost industries, and taste spirits that may be famous worldwide in ten years.
You're not chasing labels.
You're meeting the future.
A Journey in Three Acts
City and revival. Seaside and spectacle. Wild Atlantic Ireland — three landscapes that each demand their own pace and attention.
The City & the Revival
Begin in Belfast and the Ards Peninsula — where industrial history, farmland and tidal loughs have given rise to some of Ireland's most exciting new whiskey producers.
The Seaside
Move north along harbours and cliff roads to the Causeway Coast: Bushmills, Dunluce Castle, and crashing Atlantic waves. Evenings bring music and sea air in lively coastal towns.
Wild Atlantic Ireland
Cross into Gaelic-speaking Donegal for towering cliffs, empty beaches, mountain passes and nights of storytelling, whiskey, and tunes in remote communities.
Postcard Ireland — without the crowds.
Shane Hayes
This is not a rotating-guide experience.
You'll be hosted personally by Shane Hayes — an Irish musician who has spent decades touring internationally and building relationships with distillers, publicans, and players across the island.
That means:
- • Access you don't get on big tours
- • Conversations that keep going after the tasting ends
- • Music nights arranged because of friendships, not marketing
- • The comfort of being led by someone who knows these roads as home
You're not following flags.
You're traveling with a local.
Heritage in Every Glass
Irish whiskey is not just about liquid — it's about land, farming families, coastal trade routes, revivalists reopening closed stills, and communities reclaiming lost crafts.
Throughout the week you'll hear those stories.
Who built these places.
Why they risked everything.
What the next generation is trying to revive.
It's whiskey with roots.
Even If Whiskey Isn't Your Only Reason…
Many guests come primarily for the landscapes…
or the music…
or simply a beautifully paced week in Ireland.
They leave talking about all three.
Small Groups.
Real Ireland.
This is intentionally limited-capacity travel.
No megabuses.
No rushed tastings.
No souvenir-shop circuits.
Just a superbly run week through Ireland's north and northwest — where every stop has been chosen because it matters.
Ready to Travel the Heart
of Ireland?
If you're dreaming of wild Atlantic roads…
late-night sessions…
and whiskey you can't buy at home —
this is your trip.
Book NowThe Offer
Airfare not included
Single supplement available on request
Book Now
FAQ
Everything you need to know before booking. If you have a question that isn't answered here, use the contact form below.
Not at all.
This is a whiskey-led journey, but it's also about landscapes, heritage, music, and meeting the people behind the distilleries. Many guests come primarily for the scenery or the Irish music and end up loving the whiskey along the way.
Non-drinkers are very welcome — you'll still enjoy the distillery visits, coastal walks, castles, conversations, and musical moments that make the week special.
This tour is limited to one coach only, keeping the experience intimate, social, and relaxed.
No megabuses.
No rotating guides.
Just one group traveling Ireland together.
The tour is personally hosted by Shane Hayes — founder of the internationally renowned Irish band Socks in the Frying Pan and a touring Irish musician.
Shane travels with the group for the entire week — handling logistics, storytelling, introductions, and musical connections — so you're always being guided by a local who knows the people and places behind the scenes.
Yes — music is woven into every day of the journey.
Some days feature pub sessions or informal gatherings; others include invited guest musicians or hosted performances showcasing some of Ireland's finest players.
Because of Shane's network, these experiences come through friendships rather than tourist programming.
You'll experience a mix of:
- Historic, world-famous producers
- Micro-distilleries
- New-generation operations reviving lost traditions
- Family-run businesses building something for the future
Many of the most memorable stops are at small, up-and-coming places most visitors never reach.
Your tour includes:
- Luxury coach transport throughout
- Six distillery visits & tastings
- Scenic sightseeing stops & national parks
- Premium hotels in Belfast, the North Coast & Donegal
- Four hosted group meals
- Daily cultural storytelling and hosting
- On-tour logistics handled from start to finish
Flights are not included — just get here… we'll take care of the rest.
We offer group transfers around the main arrival and departure windows — primarily to and from Belfast, with limited options from Dublin depending on flight schedules.
Because we travel as one group on one coach, transfers are coordinated carefully to keep things smooth for everyone. Full details are shared once flights are booked.
The tour begins in Belfast and finishes in the northwest of Ireland.
Return transfers to Belfast can be arranged, and onward travel options — including Dublin connections — can be discussed during booking.
Gentle to moderate — coastal viewpoints, castle grounds, gardens, and town strolls.
Everything is optional and paced for enjoyment rather than endurance.
Absolutely.
Couples, friends, and solo travelers are all very welcome — the small-group format makes this a naturally social experience.
Single travelers should note that a single supplement applies for private rooms. We'll clearly outline the supplement cost when sharing dates and pricing, and you're welcome to ask about availability.
Guests typically range from their 30s to 70+ — anyone with a love for Ireland, whiskey, music, and travel will fit right in.
It's best described as boutique premium: excellent hotels, private tastings, smooth logistics, and thoughtful pacing — without anything flashy or artificial.
Yes — and we're happy to help.
If you'd like to add extra nights before or after the tour, we can advise on hotels, transport, and onward travel plans to make the most of your time in Ireland.
You can — and many guests will be doing exactly that.
This whiskey tour finishes on the evening of April 17, with the Italy journey beginning on April 19. On April 18, we'll travel together from Ireland to Italy — you'll be on the flight with Shane.
From there, the next adventure begins: Rome, the Amalfi Coast, and a week of Italian culture, food, and scenery.
We can handle the logistics between the two tours so it feels like one seamless journey.
Register your interest or request dates and pricing using the form below.
We'll follow up personally with availability, the full itinerary, and next steps.
Thank you!
Shane will be in touch with you personally within 24 hours. We can't wait to start planning your journey.
Back to the websiteRegister Your Interest
Tell us which journey interests you and we'll send full details, availability, and next steps.