Dingle Peninsula Private Tour: Slea Head Drive & Sites

Four hours, six centuries of history, and the Atlantic at every turn

A private 4-hour guided tour of the Dingle Peninsula covers the Slea Head Drive (a 30 km coastal route hailed by National Geographic as one of the world's most picturesque) plus stops at the Gallarus Oratory, Fahan Beehive Huts, Kilmalkedar, and An Riasc monastic site. Your guide provides expert storytelling on 6,000 years of history, culture and archaeology. All National Monument entry fees and private transport are included. Infants and small children can travel in a pram or stroller.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dingle Peninsula highlights

• Drive Slea Head along Atlantic Ocean
• Visit Fahan Beehive Huts
• Tour Gallarus Oratory church
• Explore Kilmalkedar ecclesiastical site
• Learn about Saint Brendan's voyage
• See An Riasc monastic community

The experience

The Slea Head Drive is the spine of this tour: a 30 km stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way that winds along rocky shoreline past Ventry Beach, ancient ringforts, and beehive huts, with views across to the Blaskets and Skellig Islands. The road itself has drawn Hollywood (Ryan's Daughter, Far and Away, and Star Wars all filmed here), but the real draw is the landscape: National Geographic named it one of the world's most picturesque locations, and you sit back while your private driver handles the turns so you can take it in without distraction.

The stops build backward through time. Gallarus Oratory is a 7th-century church and monastic site, the best-preserved ancient church in Ireland and one of the most beautiful ancient buildings on the island. Kilmalkedar, a mid-12th-century Norman ecclesiastical site, holds an alphabet stone, an ancient sundial, and a Promise stone among its corbelled Hiberno-Romanesque church. The Fahan Beehive Huts (19 subterrain and 18 standing clochans) are Iron Age structures your guide will lead you through, pointing out inscribed stones and earth ring forts. An Riasc is a 6th-century abandoned monastic community, the edge of the world as early monks knew it. Your guide, either Mossie or Helen, is an expert storyteller who connects these sites to the 6,000 years of history, culture, spirituality, music and song that shaped the peninsula.

The tour also touches on Saint Brendan the Navigator, who set sail from a small wharf in the sixth century on a voyage that may have taken him to Iceland, Greenland, and possibly Nova Scotia: a story compiled in the 9th Century and still told along these shores. All entry fees to National Monuments are included, and the private transport means the day moves at one pace without waiting for a group to gather.

What’s included

• Expert guide storytelling on 6,000 years of history and archaeology.
• private transport throughout the 30 km Slea Head Drive and all stops.
• entry fees to all National Monuments including Gallarus Oratory, Kilmalkedar, Fahan Beehive Huts and An Riasc.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private 4-hour TourUp to 3 per booking · Guide in English · 09:30 and 14:30Pickup is included for groups of 1-3 people

Half-day Dingle Peninsula tour for 1-7 people per personUp to 7 per booking · Guide in English · 09:30 and 14:30Includes pickup

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:30 and 14:30

Book up to1d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 12 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Mossie's Tours

Is this one for you?Book the 4-hour private tour if you want the Slea Head Drive and multiple ancient sites in one morning or afternoon without coordinating a group departure: the private transport and fixed itinerary mean the day holds together around your schedule, not the other way around. Choose the half-day option if you have more time and want a slower pace through fewer stops.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Slea Head Drive like on this tour?

The Slea Head Drive is a 30 km coastal route along the Dingle Peninsula that National Geographic named one of the world's most picturesque locations. You travel by private transport past Ventry Beach, ancient ringforts, beehive huts, and views of the Blaskets and Skellig Islands. The road has been used as a filming location for Hollywood films including Ryan's Daughter, Far and Away, and Star Wars.

Can I visit the Fahan Beehive Huts on this tour?

Yes, the Fahan Beehive Huts are a main stop on the tour. Your guide will lead you through the site, which contains 19 subterrain and 18 standing clochans (beehive huts), plus inscribed stones, sculptured crosses, and earth ring forts. There is an optional €4 fee to enter the huts and hold a baby lamb if you choose it at checkout.

What ancient sites will I see besides the beehive huts?

The tour includes four major archaeological stops: the Gallarus Oratory, a 7th-century church and the best-preserved ancient church in Ireland; Kilmalkedar, a mid-12th-century Norman ecclesiastical site with an alphabet stone and ancient sundial; An Riasc, a 6th-century abandoned monastic community; and the Fahan Beehive Huts. Your guide provides expert storytelling on the history and significance of each site.

Is private transport included in the tour price?

Yes, private transportation is included, and your skilled driver handles the Slea Head route so you can focus on the scenery and stops. All entry fees to National Monuments are also included in the tour price.

Can I bring a baby or small child on this tour?

Yes, infants and small children can travel on the tour. They can ride in a pram or stroller, and the private transport means you can move at a comfortable pace throughout the day.