Travels through Irish history and culture
Exploring the Dingle Peninsula - May 20 to 28, 2026
This trip is run together with the OSHER chapter at Boise State University. Participation is limited to OSHER members.
Travels through Irish history and culture
May 20 to 28, 2026
Join us for a look back at Irish history and immersion into Irish culture in one of Ireland’s prettiest and most interesting regions, the Dingle Peninsula.
Nestled at the western end of Ireland and on the edge of Europe, the Dingle Peninsula is a place of breathtaking natural beauty where the mountains roll dramatically into the wild Atlantic Ocean. The town of Dingle, where we’ll be based, features brightly colored buildings and a bustling harbor.
Dingle is the largest town in an area where the Irish language (Gaeilge) remains the living, breathing language of the community. This linguistic heritage is the bedrock of Dingle's deep cultural identity, creating an authentic atmosphere where traditional music, storytelling, and customs are not relics of the past but are woven into the fabric of daily life.
The stunning landscape, however, holds the memory of a difficult history. The Great Famine of the 1840s left an indelible scar on the peninsula, as it did on all of Ireland. Before the famine, the area was densely populated, but the failure of the potato crop led to catastrophic starvation, disease, and a mass exodus that decimated the community.
From this history of hardship, modern Dingle has emerged as a resilient and cosmopolitan destination. While fishing and agriculture remain important, the town now thrives on a tourist economy, attracting visitors with its spectacular scenery, including the famous Slea Head Drive. It has also become a haven for artists, craftspeople, and musicians from around the world, who have blended their talents with local traditions to create a dynamic arts scene.
Why Ireland
One visits Ireland because it is absolutely lovely. There are more shades of green than you can imagine. You will see farms and fields, complete with sheep, cows and horses. Hedge rows divide the fields and hills rise up in the distance.
And don’t forget the ocean. There are cliffs and beaches, and dramatic islands shoot out of the water.
There are also the people. The Irish seem to always have time to greet you and engage in conversation and take an interest in you and where you’re from.
We will enjoy excellent pub food and have the chance to hear traditional Irish music nearly every night.
Dates: May 20 to 28, 2026
Location: Dingle, Ireland
Cost: $4550 (see below for details)
Maximum group size: 15
More:
This trip is run in partnership with the OSHER chapter at Boise State University
Receive a $350 credit on a future trip when you bring or refer a friend. Learn More.
Trip Details
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May 20 to 28, 2026 (8 nights - 9 days)
Total cost of the tour: $4550
Supplement for single occupancy: $575
Deposit required to reserve a place on the tour: $450
(Places in the tour are limited to 15 and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that you reserve your place early!)Payment schedule
$450 deposit. The deposit is refundable through December 1, 2025.
$2050 initial payment (Due January 15, 2026)
$2050 final payment (Due March 1, 2026)
All payments are refundable if we need to cancel the trip due to government restrictions or unsafe travel conditions.
** Receive a $350 discount when you bring or refer a friend. Read More.
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Excursions and special activities throughout the tour
Pick-up and drop-off at designated airport at designated times
8 nights lodging
8 dinners with appropriate amounts of alcohol
8 breakfasts
2 lunches
Local transportation by van and driver
What’s not included:
Airfare & Travel Insurance
6 Lunches
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We will stay at a top-rated Irish Bed & Breakfast in Dingle. Double rooms with either a single bed or twin beds are available, as are single rooms.
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Dinners will be taken at local pubs throughout the week. Breakfasts are at our Bed & Breakfast. Appropriate amounts of beer or wine are included with dinners.
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To extend your trip, and take some time to catch up on your sleep before the tour begins, you may wish to arrive early in Ireland.
You can easily add a few days in Dublin, if you wish, or visit other parts of Ireland.
While Travel Fever Tours does not organize this, we are happy to offer advice and recommendations.
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Your deposit is non-refundable after September 1, 2025 unless, of course, the trip is canceled for any reason by Travel Fever Tours. Natural disasters, political instability, or low enrollment would form the basis for canceling a trip. After that date, payments you make are nonrefundable.
You will be contacted once the trip reaches minimum enrollment so that you can proceed with purchase of your flights and make other travel arrangements. In all cases, review of enrollment numbers will not take place any later than the date of the First Installment payment.
Note: This trip will involve a reasonable amount of walking both within and outside the city of Oaxaca. Within the city there are cobblestones and other uneven surfaces. You should be able to walk distances, as city dwellers do, over uncertain surfaces to participate in this trip.
Meet your Tour Leader
Irish Tour Leader Kevin O’Shea
Kevin O’Shea
Kevin is passionate about Dingle. His guide experience, coupled with his deep knowledge of local culture and history, will enrich this trip for you.
Kevin will accompany us throughout the tour and share stories from the past and present, drawn from the history books, literature, and local folklore. All the while, Kevin’s love of the peninsula and Ireland as a whole come shining through.
Assisting Kevin is his ever-helpful partner, Claire, who organizes our days with care and enthusiasm. Travel Fever Tours co-founder, Bob Lawson, will also accompany your group.
Kevin will ensure you’ll have a great experience in Ireland.
“The people on the trip were great to be with... Bob and Cicely were uniformly positive and encouraging. Food was wonderful throughout the trip—at each breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’d recommend traveling again with Travel Fever Tours.”
“The scenery was truly spectacular. Our Irish guide was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The B&Bs were also comfortable and provided good, nourishing food... I could rave on and on about all the special elements of this trip! Thank you for a once in a lifetime experience!”
What we’ll do
There is so much to see and learn on the Dingle Peninsula, we’ll have a busy week. But we won’t be traveling far for each of these activities. Here is what we have planned for you:
Walking tour of Dingle with our guide
An introduction and lesson in Gaelic
Visit to the Dunquin & Blasket Island Interpretive Center
Irish dancing workshop
An archaeological tour to explore 7000 years of human activity
Visit with an ecologist who will explain how Irish folklore and traditional medicine meet
Take a short boat trip to visit Blasket Island, now deserted but once a center of Gaelic and Irish literature
Meet with a local fisherman to learn the importance of the sea to Dingle, Irish history (and current cuisine).
A road trip to Killarney, about 40 miles distant. Visits to Inch Beach, Killarney National Park, Muckross Abbey, and Ross Castle. We will also visit the town for a bit of shopping.
Farm visit to a working dairy farm
Falconry demonstration to learn about birds of prey
Optional visit to a local distillery
An exploration of Irish folklore with a video journalist
We will also have the chance to listen to traditional Irish music in pubs nearly every night
This is quite a lot, but we’ll do it without major travel distances and little “on and off the bus.”
Is this tour for me?
This trip will appeal to those with an interest in Irish history and culture or simply an appreciation for the great beauty of Ireland. It also appeals to those who wish to learn while traveling and those who appreciate being outdoors.
This is not a walking trip, but we will spend much time on our feet and our schedule will entail some moderate walks. While it will be possible to opt out of most walks, you will get the most from this trip if you are able to walk moderate distances and if you can manage uneven surfaces.
We will also take a boat ride to Basket Island, but again, one can opt out of this excursion.
Vegetarians and Vegans can be accommodated on this tour.
Where We’ll Stay:
We will stay at a top-rated Irish Bed & Breakfast in Dingle. Double rooms with either a single bed or twin beds are available, as are single rooms. All rooms have private bathrooms.
Reserve this trip today:
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