A Wee Ramble in Kenmare: Hiking Ireland’s Southwest Coast

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on September 26, 2025

Meet the group at Kenmare Bay Hotel & Resort in Kenmare

Start of Trip:  3:00 p.m. hotel check-in followed by Orientation at 6:00 p.m.

Getting to the site: From the Shannon airport to the hotel in Kenmare, you can take a taxi for approximately €300 - €400 (for 1-3 people) and it will take approximately 2.5 hours. You can book a taxi by contacting www.shannonairport.ie/passengers/to-from/airport-taxis. There is also limited bus service during the weekdays. From the airport, take the 343 or the 51 bus towards Cork. At the Limerick station, get on the 300 M7 or 13 Bus towards Killarney. At the Killarney station, get on the 270 bus towards Kenmare. The hotel is a short walk from the Kenmare station. Traveling by bus from the Shannon airport will take approximately 4 hours and cost approximately €35-€45. There are no buses running from Shannon airport to Kenmare on the weekends.

Getting to the site by train or bus: Available, but not an easy transfer on your own due to limited bus schedules and expensive taxi fare.

Your trip ends on: Friday, October 3, 2025 in Shannon at Park Inn by Radisson Shannon Airport

End of Trip: 10:00 a.m. after breakfast; 11:00 a.m. hotel check-out. Breakfast available depending on transfer times.

Getting to the airport: From the hotel in Shannon, it is a two minute walk to the airport terminals.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Road Scholar no longer offers complimentary transfers to participants with “Program Only” status. However, this program is an exception to that policy due to the distance and complicated nature of traveling to the first hotel. If you are arriving early or booked your own air, there is a possibility to reserve a seat on the group arrival transfer to the first site on the group arrival day. Please note that if you are booking your own air, your flight should arrive no later than 11:00 a.m. in order to ensure that you will be able to join the transfer. The transfer schedule will be announced in the Final Information Packet, which is released 4-5 weeks prior to program departure. Reservations on this group transfer can only be made after you have received the Final Information Packet, but no later than 30 days prior to departure. The Final Information Packet will include instructions on how to reserve space on the transfer. Transfer times will vary from departure to departure. There is no guarantee that the transfer schedule will coincide with independently booked flights. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.