With a maximum of six participants, this is one of the most intimate tours I run. A small group means genuine individual attention in the field; I can see what you’re working on, give feedback in the moment, and help you get the most out of every location we visit.

We’re also traveling with a local expert who knows the west coast of Ireland intimately. Beyond handling the logistics and getting us to the right places at the right times, he’s a serious landscape photographer himself, which means you have two experienced eyes on your images throughout the trip rather than one.

The post-processing sessions are where a lot of the learning happens. We’ll review images together, work through the editing as a group, and talk about the decisions behind each adjustment. By the end of the week, you should leave not just with strong images from Ireland, but with a clearer sense of how to approach your own editing back home.

Ireland’s west coast weather is famously changeable, and that’s part of what makes it so rewarding to photograph. Skies shift quickly, Atlantic light can appear and disappear within minutes, and conditions that look unpromising in the morning can produce extraordinary images by evening. The schedule below is built around this reality: we follow the best light rather than a fixed plan, and keep the flexibility to stop whenever something interesting presents itself along the way.

Over eight days, we travel from the north of Ireland south through Donegal, Mayo, Connemara, and Kerry, covering four of the most photogenic regions on the island. October is an excellent time to be here. Visitor numbers are low, the autumn light sits low on the horizon, and the landscapes carry a colour and atmosphere that summer simply doesn’t have.

The itinerary is organized around sunrise and sunset sessions at the locations best suited to that quality of light. There will also be time between sessions for secondary locations, smaller scenes, and the kind of spontaneous stops that often produce the most memorable images.

Day 1: Arrival and Malin Head

Guests are collected from Dublin Airport between 10am and noon, following an overnight near the airport the evening before. We drive north to Derry, check in, and head straight out to Malin Head for the sunset session. It’s a long first day, but Malin Head is one of the most dramatic headlands in Ireland and well worth the effort after a transatlantic journey.

Day 2: Fanad Lighthouse Sunrise, Transfer to Donegal

We check out before sunrise and drive to Fanad Lighthouse and Great Pollet Arch for the morning session, timed to the tide. Both locations offer extraordinary compositions and are among the most beautiful on the entire peninsula. After the session, we transfer south to our Donegal base in the Ardara area, with an early check-in if possible. The afternoon and evening offer a session at Crohy Head or Dunlewy Church, depending on conditions.

Day 3: Full Day in Donegal

A full day based out of Ardara, with a sunrise session at Dunlewy Church, the Poisoned Glen, or with Errigal in the background. After a break mid-morning, we head out again in the afternoon for a second session through to sunset at Sturral Ridge or Port. Donegal has some of the most varied and dramatic landscape in Ireland, and a full day gives us the space to explore it properly.

Day 4: Maghera Caves, Transfer to Ballina, Downpatrick Head

An early start for the tide-dependent sunrise session at Maghera Caves and Beach, one of the hidden gems of the Donegal coast. After breakfast and checkout, we transfer south to Ballina and head out to Downpatrick Head for the evening. The sea stack at Downpatrick Head is one of the most distinctive coastal features in Ireland, and the western light at this time of year catches it well.

Day 5: Transfer to Clifden

A sunrise session close to Ballina before breakfast and checkout, then a transfer west to Clifden in Connemara. An evening session close to our base rounds off the day.

Day 6: Full Day in Clifden

A sunrise session at Pine Tree Island, one of the quieter and more distinctive locations in the area. The afternoon and evening session takes us to the Screebe fishing hut, a beautiful spot that rewards careful composition and patience with the light.

Day 7: Clifden to Kerry, via Dingle

A final sunrise session near Clifden before the long transfer south. Rather than bypassing Dingle entirely, we detour through the peninsula for a single sunset session at Dunmore Head, Coumeenoole Beach, or Dunquin Pier, depending on conditions. These are among the most photographed locations in Ireland for good reason, and the late October light here is exceptional. We continue to our Kerry base after dark.

Day 8: Ross Castle Sunrise and Departure

A blue hour and sunrise session at Ross Castle on the morning of departure, kept close to the Kerry base to allow time for the return transfer to Dublin Airport. Guests should book return flights no earlier than 5pm to allow for the journey and any delays along the way.

A coast-to-coast journey through four regions Very few tours cover this range of Ireland’s west coast in a single trip. Moving from the Inishowen Peninsula in the north through Donegal, Mayo, Connemara, and Kerry gives you a genuine cross-section of Irish landscape photography, each region with its own distinct character and locations.

October light October is one of the best months to photograph the west of Ireland. The light sits low on the horizon throughout the day, the autumn colours are at or near their peak in places, visitor numbers have dropped significantly, and the Atlantic weather produces the dramatic skies that make this coastline so distinctive. It’s a month most photographers overlook, which is exactly why it works so well.

Intimate group, individual attention With a maximum of six participants, this is one of the smallest tours I run. There’s no waiting for a large group, no compromising on locations, and enough space in the field for everyone to work independently. I’m with you throughout, available for guidance whenever you need it.

Built-in flexibility The itinerary is structured around the best opportunities for sunrise and sunset at each location, but the schedule is kept flexible between sessions. Some of the most interesting images on a tour like this come from spontaneous stops along the way, and we have the freedom to make those happen.

Expert local knowledge We travel with a local guide who has photographed the west coast of Ireland extensively and knows these landscapes well. That knowledge is built into every location choice, every timing decision, and every backup plan when conditions change.

Post-processing sessions included Evening post-processing sessions throughout the trip give you the chance to review the day’s images with guidance, work through the editing together, and leave with a stronger understanding of how to process this kind of light.