Lunch Options
Whether you favour a bountiful buffet deep in the forest glade, a barbecue in the wilds, or an exclusive five-star feast with all the trimmings, we can add a creative lunch to fit perfectly with your day, and your chosen activities.

Photography
Renowned adventure photographer Valerie O’Sullivan grew up in Killarney where the wild places of her surrounds captured her spirit from childhood. She is a well-known photo-journalist in our community - but it is as a dedicated photographer of the natural and cultural landscapes of the south west, along with the people of this place, that has earned her a distinctive reputation. In recent years, Valerie has developed friendships with a large community of hard-core adventurers; among them climbers, kayakers, adventure racers and surfers, which has led to a new wave of imagery from the region. Valerie innately brings out the creative gifts and powers of observation in each of us. A Venture Ireland photography “workshop” allows this infectious energy and talent to inspire you!

Helicopter
There is no feeling quite like the buzz of a helicopter lifting you off the ground and carrying you over these spectacular landscapes. This is a rare chance to see and feel what few others can claim - the knife-edged ridges of Ireland’s highest mountains, gliding over endless seascapes, and witnessing ancient monasteries perched dramatically atop jagged offshore islands.

Walking
Passing through incredibly diverse landscapes, our walks are graded from easy and moderate, right through to difficult and very challenging. From low island walks taking you through 8000 years of human and geological history, to scaling the ridges of the highest peaks, our walks provide the opportunity for all people – regardless of their levels of ability or fitness – to connect with the natural world around them in the company of our passionate guides. There connection is always positive and magical as a group reawakens together.

Rock Climbing
With Ireland’s highest mountain range as inspiration, there are hundreds of great climbs in the region. Among them are the mountain crags of the Gap of Dunloe, and the sea cliffs of Dingle, Valencia and Beara. All climbs can be suitable tall ranges of ability.

Surfing
Surfing in Ireland is the single fastest growing sport following on from recent high profile visits from leading surfers of the world. Many Irish reefs and beaches are now spoken of in the same breath as Hawaii, Mexico and the Great Barrier. Wind and kite surfers are regulars here too, skimming the wave tops on windy days throughout the bays of the Southwest. Among them is Brandon Bay, regarded as one of the top ten windsurfing locations on Earth!

Canoeing & Kayaking
Canoe through a variety of settings in Ireland’s south west – from placid river and lake touring to world-class sea kayaking and white water rapids.

Cycling
Choose from a variety of trails, ranging from easy, moderate, and difficult. All routes pass through beautiful countryside on safe, off-road trails and paths.

Island Hopping
Ask us about adding island-hopping to your tour. The coastal and lakeland islands of the area hold diverse birdlife and the most incredible Christian Celtic monastic sites in in the world; those of the early Celtic Christian eremitical movements. Even boating through these mighty waters and gaining another view of our shores is an adventure in itself!

Sporting Events and Competitions
From golf championships to hurling and all kinds of field games, adventures races, and novelties, we can take care of all the planning so that you simply arrive…and play!

History, Archaeology & Cultural Field Trips
These special interest tours are suited to any size group, and can be added as a side trip to most programs. Great for people of any age with plenty of options for disabled guests, the countryside here is abundant with sites of interest and significance. These tours work particularly well with conference/ incentive groups, and day programmes for spouses. They can be arranged to concentrate (or not!) on any special interests guest may like to connect with.

Garden Tours & Gardening
In the company of experts, these small, intimate guided walks visit the gardens of grand manor houses and historic hotels in the southwest. The microclimate here (at the latitudes of New Foundland and Warsaw) allows native, arctic, alpine, and tropical flora to thrive side by side, and especially exciting is the variety of plant life resulting from the 18th century Victorian trend of collecting plant specimens.

Slow Food
The Venture Ireland crew is passionate about food, and we love to indulge our guests in the very best of locally grown Irish produce. The south west of Ireland, in particular, is foodie heaven, with hundreds of Slow Food producers and growers dotting the countryside, including world-famous cheeses, breads baked fresh, and smokeries for meats, fish and specialty sausages. Nothing beats a gourmet “slow food” picnic in a meadow, or a chance to visit a cheese maker or spend a day learning farming techniques and picking organic vegetables on a farm. End your day with an afternoon of cooking courses, perhaps preparing a dinner of seafood caught that day and delivered by boat.

Painting & Drawing
Come with us into the countryside for a chance to capture the magic of our surroundings. We’ll take you to locations perfectly framed and awaiting your creative eye to bring the canvas alive. Great for art groups, or as an add-on for any group, to encourage trying something new.

Nature & Ecology
Forests, sea cliffs, long, sandy beaches and tidal pools filled with sea stars, urchins and anemones. Raised bogs where ancient artefacts are preserved for
thousands of years, heather, grasslands and meadows, our location in the south west has some of the wildest landscapes in Ireland.

Birds & Wildlife
Whether you’re a dedicated ”twitcher” or just a casual observer, the southwest is a birder’s paradise; dozens of sea birds including puffins, and notable world populations of storm petrels and gannets. Spot the recently re-introduced White Tailed Eagles soaring once again over Kerry, or catch sight of rare Choughs performing their spectacular aerobatics over coastal cliffs.

On land, learn about our Hares as part of our oldest ecosystem and as a sub-species of the arctic hare. Or spend an afternoon spotting our largest land mammal - the majestic Red Deer - able to survive in these wild places when it became extinct elsewhere throughout Ireland. To see a stag among the landscapes of the Killarney Valley and McGillycuddy Reeks is simply awe-inspiring. Other notable populations include our Atlantic Grey Seals dwelling among the bays and islands of the area, the densest population of Otters in Western Europe, and the largest population of the Lesser Horseshoe Bats in all of Europe.

Guest Speakers
In a land where the art of story telling and the story teller remains honoured, Venture Ireland is privileged to bring great communicators to the table. Powerful men and women with tales of adventure, vision and endurance. Passionate scholars in an array of studies and pursuits, poets, musicians and sages.

Ask us about our:
- Survival Courses - Team Building - Tyrolean/Zip-lining, climbing and abseiling - Adventures for disabled or handicapped groups - Private whiskey, wine, and stout tasting