Agents take the scenic route in Ireland from the Ring of Kerry to the Cliffs of Moher with G Adventures

While 1.5 million and more people visit the Cliffs of Moher each year, travel advisors taking part in G Adventures’ Highlights of Ireland FAM got to take in the coastal landmark from a more unique vantage point.

“I’d like to take you a little bit off the beaten track and show you views that very few people get to see — views that in fact 0.8% of people get to see — with nobody around,” says tour guide Ollie Gleeson of Ollie’s Tours to a round of applause from the FAM participants. “So you get to see the best of both worlds.”

After taking in the classic views near the Visitor Centre, the Canadian agents then headed down the road with special access to take a hike on private farm land for remarkable views of the Cliffs of Moher and An Branán Mór, a sea stack just off the coast, with no other visitors in sight.

“One of my biggest highlights has definitely been the Cliffs of Moher. They were absolutely amazing, but getting to see them from a different viewpoint than most tourists was really special,” shares Joy Lynne Taggart, a travel counsellor with Travel Best Bets based in Mill Bay, B.C. “That’s something I would definitely use as a selling point for G Adventures.”

While a CEO — Chief Experience Officer — leads the group for the duration of the itinerary, the tour operator also uses local guides from various regions for hyper-local, specialized expertise and perspective, which also helps ensure that tourism dollars stay in the areas that travellers visit.

“The use of local guides at the Cliffs of Moher and in Galway allows us to hear a deeper, more local understanding, stuff you can’t Google. It also helps keep jobs, and income in the local economy,” explains CEO Ali (Alastair) Donaghy.

Following the route that clients would take in Ireland, the 9-day adventure kicked off in Dublin before heading to Killarney. While based in Killarney, the group embarked on the scenic 179-kilometre Ring of Kerry and took part in the add-on Celtic Steps show, showcasing a blend of traditional Irish music, song and dance. Then it was off to Galway, which served as the home-base to explore the Cliffs of Moher.

“I feel so much more confident recommending Ireland and G Adventures to my clients now, I can share my own experience and give them a better idea of what to expect,” Taggart notes, adding that being on the FAM and experiencing the itinerary, hotels and excursions that clients will see has been valuable.

Carrie Williams, a travel advisor with Personal Travel Management based in Nanaimo, B.C., notes that she was drawn to the FAM because she wanted to experience Ireland, but also plans focusing on groups so learning more about G Adventures has also been informative.

“I love that G is Canadian and I’ve always heard great things,” Williams shares. “I enjoyed the Cliffs of Moher, of course, and the real scenic views of the bus ride. The Celtic Steps evening was also a great evening, but meeting the other agents and learning from one another is always my favourite takeaway from any FAM.”

During the travel time between stops, Hilary Arsenault, GPS – Global Purpose Specialist Quebec and Atlantic Canada, took the time to share information about what sets G Adventures apart, values like the company’s Animal Welfare Policy and the work around the world that their non-profit Planeterra does.

“Essentially, it really does set up projects all around the world to help support women, indigenous youth, and communities as a whole,” she says. “It’s not just one person, but supporting the whole community, and it’s not a hand out; it’s a hand up, is what we like to say. We don’t just give the money and say have atter, pop off, have fun. We really work one on one with them to be able to build these projects so they can sustain themselves through tourism.”

The tour also featured some surprises like stops at Ross Castle, one of some 30,000 castles in Ireland, on the outskirts of Killarney, and a view of the Rock of Cashel ahead of the official stop.

“It’s important that you have a broad itinerary, so you know the framework, but within that, my approach as a CEO has always been at least once a day to do something or bring you somewhere that makes you go ‘wow, I wasn’t expecting that,’ because it adds to it. Stopping at some of those castles and viewpoints, meeting local guides, it enhances the experience,” says Donaghy. “Sometimes spontaneous is better than prepared. If I’m just following an itinerary someone has given me, it doesn’t mean I know the area. But if I include stops that are off the beaten track, it reassures guests that I know the area, I know the places to go, and I know the value of these places, the importance of them.”

Meanwhile, David Green, Global VP, Customer Sales & Solutions and Managing Director, Canada, for G Adventures, believes FAM trips are extremely useful for the advisors who get to see what the company is all about in person.

“When an advisor experiences a G Adventures trip firsthand, their entire approach to selling shifts from informative to deeply passionate. Instead of listing itinerary highlights, they come home sharing personal stories, and that authentic spark is what ultimately converts clients,” says Green. “Webinars are great for product specs, but a FAM delivers the feeling of a G trip. Advisors get to witness our CEO’s in action, feel the pacing of the trip, and see the real-world impact of our community tourism model. Once an advisor stands in a destination and sees where their client’s travel dollars actually go, they don’t just recommend G Adventures, they champion us.”

Today, the advisors head to the north of Ireland, where the tour wraps up in Belfast on Friday, but not before stops in Derry, Bushmills, the Giant’s Causeway, and The Dark Hedges.

Travel advisors who want to partake on an upcoming G Adventures FAM should be on the lookout for the 2027 registration in mid-October.

Stay tuned for more on location coverage!