At a glance
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Don't forget that all of our itineraries are totally customized and so this is just an idea of what we can build for you.
Some of the best Pride celebrations in the world are also some of the smallest, built around a single parade route, a handful of familiar bars, and a city that turns out in full for one day a year, and Ireland’s are proof of it.
Its Pride season plays out in its cities rather than along its coastline, and it favors travellers who know where to look.
In early August, Cork and Galway hold their celebrations within days of each other, close enough that a single trip can move from one city’s parade to the other’s without doubling back.
Neither city stages Pride at the scale of other countries, and the appeal here is different. This itinerary opens in Cork, home to Chambers Bar on Union Quay, one of Ireland’s longest-running gay bars and the natural gathering point around its Pride weekend, then works north along the coast to Galway, where the festival closes with a parade through the city’s medieval streets.
We handle the stays, the transfers, and the reservations throughout, so the only real decision left to you is what to order at the bar.
In detail
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Don't forget that most of our itineraries can be totally customized. Our expert team will be able to talk you through all the options.
Day 1: Arrival in Cork
Settle in near the city centre, within reach of the English Market and the quays.
A private guide leads you through Cork’s food scene that afternoon, from the English Market’s stalls to a wine bar tucked into one of the city’s Georgian terraces, with stops chosen for what the city does best rather than what is easiest to find alone.
Day 2: Cork Pride Day
Cork’s Pride march and community events unfold across the city centre, with Chambers Bar on Union Quay serving as the day’s natural gathering point.
A reserved table there in the evening means you are settled in ahead of the crowd rather than arriving mid-celebration, giving the night a different weight than a festival tent would.
Day 3: Kinsale
A short private transfer south to Kinsale, a harbor town known for its colour-washed streets and its restaurants.
Spend the day at your own pace, with a stop at Charles Fort for the harbor views, before returning to Cork for the evening.
Day 4: North Through the Burren to Galway
A private transfer carries you north through the Burren’s limestone landscape and along the Cliffs of Moher, breaking up the journey with two of the west coast’s most striking stops.
The drive continues to Galway, where you settle in for the second half of the trip, within walking distance of Eyre Square and the Latin Quarter.
Day 5: The Aran Islands
A private boat crossing to Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, for the cliffside fort at Dún Aonghasa and a slow lunch overlooking the Atlantic.
The island moves at its own pace, stone walls and quiet roads a world away from the city you left that morning.
Return to Galway in the early evening for dinner overlooking the bay.
Day 6: Galway, Before the Parade
A day at the city’s own pace, through Shop Street’s buskers and stone archways, out to the Spanish Arch and the mouth of Galway Bay.
In the evening, a private guide walks you through the Latin Quarter’s pubs and oyster bars, ending at one of the city’s late-night live music sessions, where a single guitar can turn the quiet corner of a bar into the best seat in the city.
Day 7: Galway Pride Day
Galway’s parade moves from Eyre Square toward the docks, and a reserved viewing spot along the route puts you close to the celebration without needing to stand in the crowd.
The evening carries on at one of the city’s Pride afterparties, arranged in advance so you walk in rather than queue, closing out the trip on its highest note.
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