The intimate setting allowed us to really hear and appreciate their music. "Everything was amazing I had several wow moments The Cliffs of Moher were breathe taking. Beautiful, atmospheric, unique every time.". Everyone we met was knowledgeable and kind. The food festival in Dingle with its crowds and the rain turned our visit there into less that perfect experience. I loved the tour because I felt like the hassles of transportation, buying tickets, parking , finding the best hotels and food were already in place. "As my time with the group was extremely limited, I still had some wow moments. He was very approachable and genuine, and quite funny at times also! Our guide Kelli was informative and fun as were all our local guides at various stops. Exceeded expectations. very nice fellow guests, Tour experience was great. We loved going out to the pubs in dingle and listening to music with fellow tour members.". The sheep wither their lambs, the hills and valleys with castles along the way. Bus: 4 hours. The weather was even quite pleasant. loved the tour! We love the Rick Steves tour model: professional guides, small groups, free time, surprises, a perfect mix of history and culture, great food, comfortable accommodations, and skilled coach driver. Amazing .". The town seems like a quintessential place to see in Ireland. "There are many but here are a couple: being inside a Neolithic burial site and having a delicious seafood chowder at a restaurant in Dingle". GREAT combination for a tour guide! Tour Questions? Our tours are physically active! The hotels were clean and the B&B was so charming, I loved them all. Our guide, Pascal, was great in informing us on the history of each site. It was stunning to stand in a tomb which was build 5000 years ago, see where the elite were buried, and to experience the re-creation of the winter solstice lighting up the passage. "Listening to Billy Keane. This was a fantastic tour! Now I wish we had booked the longer tour! Our Rick Steves tour guide Pascal, was amazing. I will now pursue tours for future European travel. "Bru na Boinne was absolutely phenomenal, not like anything I had ever seen before. 10 days in Southern Ireland: recommended itinerary. Even though sadly we lost one family member at the start and one three days later due to covid, we still continued on and had a fabulous tour. We had live entertainment at our group dinner there - a local Irish family who played lively tunes on their accordions and flute. Good pubs and live music but also had the falconry at the BnB as well as the private music session.". View Trip. Its hard to pick! Day 7: Dublin. In short the best vacation EVER!! Never spending too much time on a bus. This combination could not have been arranged without the expertise of RS and his guides.". I loved this trip so much! It wasn't on the tour but we saw eels in the River Fergus in Ennis. And we loved the bus driver, "The quadruple whammy of: handling falcons and owls, a performance by a world champion Irish dancer, a concert by a couple of spectacular Irish musicians, and a druid ceremony. "Though the scenery and culture we experienced was amazing, I have to say the biggest "wow" moment for me was our tour guide Stephen. The rock art is absolutely amazing, especially considering the artists had nothing but stone to work with. ", Well organized. Day 1: Dublin to Kenmare ## Madness, unless you plan NOT to get out of the car or even stop.Have a look at the timings on the aaroadwatch.ie site and then add on 1/3. Good accommodations, Good food, good company, "Flying the hawks, owls and falcons at the B&B.". I've previously posted and wasn't sure whether or not I'd have a car, but I have confirmed that I am renting a car from Hertz in Shannon. We had a wonderful group on the tour. We also found it to be a very beautiful country. Another top-notch Rick Steves tour! Overall, I was enthralled by the culturewe met many people in Ireland who were friendly and talkative, and made us feel welcomed to their country. My 6th Rick Steves tour. Bus: 5 hours. Made new friends. I came away with an appreciation of Irish history, land, and people. She was very knowledgeable about the people & culture, The lodging was mostly good. It's an essential part of the Rick Steves tour experience. The Slea Head Drive stops and Glendalough were big wows. The ancient history is mind blowing and the opportunity to walk inside the 3500BC mound was amazing. ", "The entire tour was actually "wow" for me.". We were extremely lucky to have beautiful weather for most of the tour, so that made things so much more magical. We suggest arriving a day or two before your tour begins to allow ample time to get over jet lag and be well-rested for the first few days of your tour. The falconry demonstration was unexpected and unique as well. I had visited these locations before but was traveling with my cousin who was in Ireland for the first time and the spots are all certainly on my favorite places list. Tour was very well organized with the right amount of tour time and free time. The hotels were lovely and the bus was very comfortable. It was so much fun and we saw so many dolphins, seals, puffins and even a minke whale. Tour Southern Ireland in summer 2023 in a comfortable mini-bus through Ireland's back roads and . I really like that all the logistics of the trip are taken care of. No bus. Steve had amazing insights and talked about interesting stuff that made me fall in love Ireland even more. That makes it difficult to pick only one wow moment. The time spent listening to and talking with Billy Keane was pure magic and a rare and special experience. The tour was well organized, full of interesting sights, and well paced. Our tour was a great experience and we were very happy with the sights and tour guide. I really appreciate learning about Irish history and culture, which was the focus of Rick Steve's tour. In addition, we had an opportunity to experience falconry in Dingle, which was definitely a bucket list moment. What to see in Ireland in 7 & 8 days Day 1, Wicklow Mountains & Glendalough Day 2, Kilkenny Day 3, Rock of Cashel & Cork Day 4, Blarney Castle, Bantry, & Killarney Day 5, Killarney National Park, Ring of Kerry & Tralee Day 6, Cliffs of Moher & Galway Day 7, Aran Islands & Galway Day 8, Sligo How much money do I need for my 8 days in Ireland You will need to rent a car in order to tour the island. After breakfast, we'll pack up and board our comfy bus, setting course for Ireland's Dingle Peninsula. Even the drenching rain (really, the only bad weather day) couldn't take away from the magnificence and the incredible historical significance of this site. The scenery is amazing. Kellie is a trained archeologist which really added to her understanding of many of the locations we visited. Stephen's outstanding skills in handling the coach were greatly appreciated. Made many new friends & hope to join some on another tour in the future..The weather was perfect and the scenery on our bus drives were breathtaking. I was informed on day 1 that this was the first RS Ireland tour after a 2 year pandemic hiatus, however, our guide Stephen handled the tour like a Pro. We sang along with Irish songs because Stephen had taught them to us on the bus. All that being said, I enjoyed the tour. "Music in Dingle--following a fascinating day along the Dingle peninsula. On day 3 we had a demonstration at the Dingle Crystal operation; the Falconry experience at our lovely B&B at Milltown. "The falconry demonstration in Dingle. The Irish people shared their warm hospitality, talents, and humor. The stunning views exceeded my expectations. For COVID-19 Travel and RS Tours information, The tour group was so much fun and all easy to get along with. This was our first RS tour, we have always aspired to booking one, and now that kids are in college my wife and I can get away without them! We have suggestions for improvements in that area. His native and studied knowledge of the history and culture of Ireland really "connected the dots" and brought the trip to life for me!!". The coach was comfortable. "The Cliffs of Moher actually brought me to tears with their splendor. "The scenery of course! I also loved the tour of the ancient passage tombs at Knowth and Newgrange.". Exceeded my expectations, very well organized and filled with fun activities and information about the culture. Absolutely beautiful, I could have stayed all day!". The overall tour experience was excellent. "Loved the down home Irish humor of Billy Keane at the Listowel pub where he entertained us.". The tour was well-planned and well-executed. We had nice weather nearly the entire time. Afterwards, we'll explore the weird and magical world of the Burren, Ireland's lunar landscape and home to fairies and leprechauns! I thoroughly enjoyed this tour of lovely Ireland. I also was wowed by our performers in Dingle at the Milltown House. Loved the falconry & the whiskey tasting too!! "I loved everything about the Dingle experience.". Light walking: 24 miles throughout the day on mostly level terrain. Such a beautiful small town with so much history. weather could have been better. Since almost everything was set up for us (hotel, travel, meals) allowed us to have a relaxing vacation. The Slea Head drive was breathtaking, and we had a demonstration of Irish dancing, and wonderful musicians, after dinner in our B&B on one of the nights. The birds were beautiful and the the falconers were very knowledgeable and friendly. 1. Definitely chilly and windy though. I felt good that I was able to keep up with the group in walking and hiking. ", "The Cliffs of Moher were very impressive.". Our tour group was meant to happen we left with so many friends and further connections. "We joined our bus driver in a pub in Dingle; we were in a small room in the front of the pub, then the nightly live entertainment performer walked in, set up, and started playing! That was pretty special. Tour guide was very good and informative. I was glad that we had free time to explore on our own. "Dingle, definitely!! Really appreciated the personal stories about growing up in Ireland , and the history. Many of the roads you will travel are not motorways or even "good" roads. The places we visited were really the highlights of Ireland and represented areas of the countryside, the coast, towns, and cities. ", It was well organized and informative. Strenuous walking: 28 miles throughout the day with lots of hills, stairs, and uneven terrain. Ireland is wonderful on its own, but the tour gives you so much more than you would probably ever get on your own. Through its history, people and places. I liked having the tour, but your own personal time too, "So many, but I especially loved the town of Dingle. Visit unique sites and stay in small towns in locally owned accommodations. I went alone on this trip and I was very happy with the openness and inclusion of the members on the tour. Kelli as a guide in training brought cool archeological perspective and gave a side tour of peat mummies in the museum. Joe Darcy was an excellent tour guide and we really enjoyed the tour up until several of us came down with Covid. "Watching Irish step dancing performance at Dingle Pub". Enjoyed getting to meet the other people on the tour. "There are too many to single out just one, but the biggest is the love the Irish have for their history and places.". Since he is from Dingle, he was able to set up some entertainment that I dont expect other guides might have been able too. Both are very important. One thing is for surewhat Rick Steves Tours say you will experience, you will experience! I'm 76 years old and they went out of their way many time to ensure my comfort and confidence. Everything was well organized and went smoothly. I was particularly inspired by the breathtaking scenery at the Cliffs of Moher and Slea Head Drive. Met so many wonderful Irish people who engaged with us in meaningful and enriching ways. "The private concert by two local musicians in Dingle. Slea Head Drive was incredible and I really enjoyed the visit to Newgrange". This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 1.1% loss on the day. "Lots of amazing sites but I have to say that the intimacy of the Dingle pubs has really stayed with me. We'll end the day in Dublin with an orientation and dinner together. This is a moderately active tour! Any time between April and October is a good time to visit Ireland. For example, our guide was a native of Ireland and studied history in college as well. George our bus driver was great! For our first Rick Steves tour and our first trip to Ireland it was a wonderful experience. Stephen was so informative. "Our visit to Dingle was the highlight for me. "The scenic drive around the Dingle Peninsula. For me, it didnt get any better, than seeing these two beautiful representations of Irish entertainment, truly memorable.". We learned so much about Ireland and especially enjoyed our knowledgeable tour guide, Kelli. "The surprise falconry experience is one that I will never forget! 10/10 already recommending to everyone I know! Learned a lot of Irish history. "Dingle Bay was gorgeous as well as the drive along the coast. We'll gather together at our hotel at 2 p.m. for a meeting and orientation. Our guide Gearoid, took great care of us, and I appreciated his humor and knowledge of Irish history, culture and Gaelic sports. 2.5 Go for a night out around Temple Bar. The boat ride took us out of Dingle Harbor, past the southern portion of the Dingle Peninsula to the Blasket Islands. The hotels were very good, an upgrade from our Paris tour experience. Also, on the the bus ride from Ennis to Dingle listening to Lynn talking about the history of the area and viewing the beautiful scenery.". "The "forty shades of green". Joe handled their situations with kindness and compassion, all while keeping us remaining members on schedule. It was very moving.". Tours of Ireland. Looking forward to our fifth scheduled for September! Food at Old ground was the best, as was that room.". see our FAQ. Sln leat! But my favorite was not a single specific thing--it was all of the Irish countryside. I did pay extra to ensure privacy as I was solo. I would do another tour sometime if possible. No "trip logistics" hiccups, good weather and fun sightseeing. Had not done a guided tour like this and it was well organized and our guide was very knowledgeable. Music that evening by a local couple. My family went to Italy in 2017 and used a travel agency - we got ourselves everywhere, but would have tour guides meet us in each city to show us the important sites. And, sad to say, making history at being in Edinburgh at the Queens death. Day 3: Kilkenny to Kinsale. Moderate walking: 26 miles throughout the day with some hills and stairs. She kept us on point without nagging: 3 people self isolated for Covid & Folks meeting timelines. Three California restaurants were recognized among the best Irish pubs in the U.S. just in time for St. Patrick's Day on March 17. Sleep in Kilkenny. .. will definitely consider another Rick Steves Tour in the future! 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