Ireland Fitness & Adventure Retreat: 9 Days from Killarney to Belfast

Day one you fly into Shannon Airport, get picked up, check into The Brehon Hotel & Spa in Killarney, do a light welcome workout in Killarney National Park and have dinner in Killarney town. From there the trip rolls south and west before heading east and north. Day two is a gym workout, lunch, then a visit to Inch Beach and Dingle town, finishing with a cooking class that doubles as dinner. Day three is the big scenic one: the Ring of Kerry, lunch, a whisky tasting in Portmagee, and a boat tour around Valentia Island and the Skelligs.

On day four you transfer to Dublin, fit in a gym workout, and take a city centre tour before dinner. Day five is a private tour of Croke Park stadium, lunch, a Gaelic games drill training session (so you actually play, not just watch), then dinner with a traditional Irish dancing show. Day six gives you free time in Dublin in the morning before heading to Belfast, with a gym workout and dinner on arrival. Day seven is a Belfast gym workout, lunch, the Black Taxi Peace Walls tour, free time in the city centre and dinner. Day eight is the other big excursion day: a gym workout, then the Giant's Causeway and the Glens of Antrim, which doubled as Game of Thrones filming locations. Day nine is breakfast and departures from Belfast.

What separates this from a standard hiking or sightseeing tour of Ireland is that it's built around a training group. You're doing coached workouts most mornings, several of them outdoors, and the activities lean toward things you do rather than things you look at — Gaelic drills at Croke Park, a boat out to the Skelligs, a cooking class. It's also logistically handled: three hotels booked, all transport between cities arranged, airport pickups at both ends, and meals organised so you're not figuring out dinner for twenty people every night.

The three bases are The Brehon Hotel & Spa in Killarney (three nights), House Dublin (two nights) and Tara Lodge in Belfast (three nights). Rooms are either private single, private double, or shared with another guest of the same gender. The price covers accommodation, three meals a day, all workouts, all activities, all transportation between locations, and a retreat shirt. Flights, travel insurance, alcohol and personal spending are not included.

The trip is run by Grown Strong, who describe it as one of a series of retreats rather than a one-off. Workouts are scaled to whoever turns up, and the page is explicit that you can opt out of any session or excursion without any fuss. The final day has no scheduled activities, so you can book a flight out whenever suits after midday.

What's included

- 3 nights at The Brehon Hotel & Spa, Killarney - 2 nights at House Dublin, Dublin - 3 nights at Tara Lodge, Belfast - Three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) - All workouts and coaching - All activities and excursions - All transportation, including airport pickup and drop-off - Exclusive retreat shirt

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Alcohol and drinks - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Optional early arrival or extended stay