Céad Míle Fáilte go dtí Carpe Diem Tours

Welcome to Carpe Diem Tours

Carpe Diem Tours is a unique tour company specialising in cultural tours and pilgrimages since 2007. We cater for the tourist who wants to get behind the scenes when they visit a destination, meet local people, and experience the local culture. Some of our local tours visit Irish speaking or Gaeltacht areas. Beidh seans agat Gaeilge a chlos is a labhairt más mian leat.

'Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'
- Mary Oliver

Booking is now open for our trip of a lifetime to the Holy Land which will take place 29th August to 8th September, 2023. See our pilgrimage page for details.

It was not possible to organise a satisfactory tour to the Balkans this year. Instead we are heading to the southern Mediterranean and two islands near the Toe of Italy, MALTA and SICILY. This tour takes place 12 - 22 October 2023, and booking is now open.

We also look forward to returning to our annual pilgrimage to Skelling Michael, Co. Kerry in late May 2023, weather and the OPW, who oversee this UNESCO Heritage site, permitting.

Our weekend tour to the majestic Dingle Peninsula including a trip to visit An Blascaod Mór will also take place in July 2023. We hope to announce the scheduled tour dates as soon as possible to this magnificent Irish-speaking part of Ireland.

We at Carpe Diem Tours look forward to the months ahead, when we can once again gather and enjoy diverse cultural experiences together; laughing, praying, singing and reflecting on the strange and unprecedented times we have all experienced over the past few years.

Beir bua is beannacht,

Mícheál De Barra
Tour Director

Tá Carpe Diem Tours lonnaithe i mBaile an Fheirtéaraigh, sráidbhaile gleoite i gceartlár na gaeltachta in iarthar Chiarraí. Tugaimíd cuairteanna mórthimpeall na háite seo gach bliain. ‘Sé buachphointe an turais do ghach einne ná cuairt a thabhairt ar an mBlascaod Mór. Mar an gcéanna an turas to dtí Sceilig Mhichíl. Is breá linn Gaeltachtaí na h-Eireann a thaispeáint d’ár turasóirí, go mór mór turasóirí ó thíortha thar lear.

Bespoke Cultural Tours of Ireland

As well as booking one of our scheduled tours, Carpe Diem Tours would be delighted to design with you your bespoke cultural tour of Ireland which may extend to a week or ten days and which will begin as soon as you arrive at your Irish airport. We have had several groups from Canada who availed of this facility.

Contact Mícheál for further details.

What our Pilgrims Say...

I have been on a pilgrimage to the rock off the south west coast of Kerry – Skellig Michael. You may not be very taken by pilgrimage, but it is possibly the only 'growth sector' of religious activity at the moment, now that the 'new age' spiritualties are rapidly fading or assimilating to mainstream culture. What image does the word 'pilgrimage' bring to your mind? Parish worthies piling off the bus in a damp car park at knock - shuffling off in search of a cup of tea? This was different. Firstly there are nine miles of sea to cross – and the sea is the open Atlantic... Gillies

Words like excellent, stunning, wonderful come to mind. The measure was full and running over. It had great variety and depth. Thanks for stretching our imagination. The grub was A1 (and I'm a vegetarian). The accommodation just got better and better. The driver, Director, Spiritual Director and guide formed a formidable team. Us folk in our strengths and weaknesses became an instant functional community. I loved all the elements and would not drop any. The riches of the area are so vast. Mar a duirt an té a duirt re Rome: One week perfect! One year, not enough. Lean ort faoi bhláth, A Mhichíl. Mo mhíle bhuiochas, Seán 2017

Read more Pilgrim's Stories