Guided Ireland Tours

Truly desirable destinations and experiences, especially the smaller, family owned tours like McGill's Brewery, the sheepdog exhibit, and the jaunting ride through the national park. Top notch trip leader --was like a walking encyclopedia! We ALWAYS choose Collette Tours for our trip itineraries!

This tour gave so many memorable moments it is impossible to narrow it down. The smallest most insignificant stops ended up being spectacular. I thought Bathe was a useless visit, I was wrong, it was incredible. York, just a stop between two major cities was my favorite place with such interesting living history. The Shambles were so cool, I loved being there. There was nothing I did not enjoy. Our afternoon Tea in London was so elegant. I never thought Tea could be so special. Norman Greene our tour manager was awesome. His insight helped us to understand the culture and history of the places we visited, which made everything more interesting and enjoyable. His recommendations for our down times were very helpful. He was absolutely the best. I am not a brave person, but I kissed The Blarney Stone, amazing. I never heard of The Rock of Cashel, but what an amazing sight and history. This trip is truly worth while and I would recommend it to anyone with any interest at all. Thank You Norman.

Tour was outstanding! Norman, our tour Manager went out of his way to ensure details were attended to. The Whiskey experience and the afternoon tea experience were beyond anything I imagined that they would be. Our Driver, Tommy, was masterful getting us where we were going through tight turns and narrow roads. The individual tour guides were excellent. Rather than naming a favorite event, I will say this. The history, beauty, and majesty that came to life, the emersive experiences like the farm, Cawl (traditional Scottish soup) in Cowbrige, the magnificent tea experience at the Claremont, the Irish dance and song event at the Belvidere and Norman telling stories and singing Irish folk songs are and will always be etched in my heart. Even after the tour was over, Norman was there for my wife and I offering sincere encouragement when our flight home had an engine bird strike necessitating that the plane return to Dublin and ultimately being cancelled. Norman was up in the wee hours of the morning seeing us off long before he had to be up and out. Thank you so much Norman for your kind attention and all the many things you added to this tour! The gent we worked with setting up the trip, Kessler, was outstanding as well.

I loved learning so very much from the tour guide Aidan about Ireland and its culture. Every place that we drove thru had a story that he shared. We learned about the folklore, learned the meaning of common phrases and Aidan gave us great recommendations about places to eat - which was very helpful with a dietary requirement that I have. I loved snuggling a week old lamb and seeing the sheepdogs in action. I enjoyed learned about goats and seeing where the goat cheese was produced. Staying overnight on the Aran Islands was a dream come true.

Ireland is a beautiful country. Tour guide John Fitzgibbon was hospitable , informative and just fun to be around. Driver was excellent. Would have liked air conditioning in all hotels. Overall Hotels were very nice and comfortable. The gardens and sights we saw will forever be with me. I would recommend this tour.

Everything was absolutely perfect.

most memorable experience was taking a train (on our own) to see a lighthouse. On our return trip, an Irish couple (about our same age) asked if they could sit with us. That impromptu event gave us about 30 minutes of extreme pleasure, having that couple ask to join us (complete strangers). Our conversation gave both couples plenty of information on each other. A-plus event.

The Irish people are so very nice. The sites and sounds in history of Ireland were made clear by our tour manager. I went with family and that was great family time. The Cliffs of Moher are beautiful. It was a great tour.

Excellent tour. Well planned and executed. The tour director and bus driver were outstanding. I definitely recommend Collette.

Our tour guide, Denis, was outstanding!!! We enjoyed his personal commentary and his knowledge!! Our favorite city was Killarney and favorite accommodation was Cabra Castle.

The tour was fantastic! I have already recommended it to friends. Our guide, Denis, was a bounty of knowledge, humor and craic. Our driver, Mike, is skilled beyond belief with the coach, and I felt safe in his hands (I'm typically a BAD, anxiety-ridden passenger). Assigned seats changed daily so as to have a different vantage point - liked that a lot. Daily updates were provided so we knew what to expect, and what to bring or prepare for. Dublin - amazing. Great hotel. Phenomenal breakfast spread. Lovely inclusion of dinner and Irish dancing. Landmarks chosen well - St. Patrick's Cathedral, Plenty of free time to explore the many things Dublin has to offer (Book of Kells, Trinity College, National Museum, Irish Whiskey Museum, Hard Rock Cafe). Kilkenny - Great. Enjoyed the trolley tour. Had delicious lunch at the Food Hall. Explored Kilkenny Castle, which is beautiful. Waterford - Good. Chose the factory tour, which is beautiful to see, and very informative. Would have also liked to have seen the Historical Museum. Not enough time to do both. Hotel was beautiful, but not all accommodations were available. 3rd floor had no air conditioning. Bathroom for our room had a toilet awkwardly squeezed between the shower and sink. Killarney - amazing. While I have ethical thoughts against using horses as workers, the Jaunting Cart ride through the park was beautiful. Another incredible hotel. Chose Tresk dinner option, and it did not disappoint. Had more than ample time to see what I wanted to - even got a tattoo to commemorate the trip, and honor my Grandmother. Saw a Summer parade! Ring of Kerry - amazing overall. The stop at Moriarty's Gift Shop was excellent. Would have liked more time to explore the Red Fox Inn, but had the best Irish Coffee there over anywhere else on the trip. McGill's was a nice inclusion, but with our large group (44 people) it was cramped and felt too long with the sing-along. Ample stops for photography, which was appreciated. Cliffs of Moher - great. Ferry ride was a delight. Got to see a dolphin! Had plenty of time to explore top side of the Cliff's lookout and get a lunch, but not enough time to explore both sides. Limerick - great. The hotel was fantastic. Appreciate the recommendation to shop at Dunney's for "real Irish goodies" to bring home. Bunratty Castle - amazing. Loved the Medieval Banquet option. This was joyful, plentiful, and engaging. Blarney Castle - great. The grounds are magnificent, and the touristy "kiss the stone" experience was simple and fun. They do disinfect after people kiss the stone. Do so at your own risk. Caherconnell Fort & Sheepdogs - I expected this to be my least favorite excursion, but I was wrong. The sheepdog show was a delight. I was/am extremely disappointed however, that I only had 5 or so minutes to explore the fort - I am a historical recreator, who delves into archeological sites and this would have been a place I would have liked at least an hour to explore. I did not get to see the gift shop. I felt rushed to get back on the coach and leave. Galway - ok. Two hours was not enough to explore the city and have lunch. Where we parked versus any of the recommended exploration options would have taken the majority of the time to walk there and back, and not actually see the sites. Way too rushed. Not worth rushing for. It is because of these stops and the "rush" that I score a "4" for inclusions. Had we more time, I would have happily given a rating of "5". Kilbeggin - great. The tour of the distillery was informative and interesting. Again, rushed to get on the coach, unable to purchase from the distillery (Sunday, left at 12:20 - sales opened at 12:30). Appreciated the stop at Kells for lunch. Splurge on the ice cream! You won't regret it! Kingscourt - amazing. The Cabra Castle... wow. Stayed in the stables, which was still like a palace. Great food, drinks, experience. Stayed an extra night and stayed for High Tea - recommend it wholly. Walked the magnificent grounds, got to see the Hounds, made memories to last a lifetime.

Ireland is an experience that I will never forget. The pictures I took don't do the countryside justice. It is so much more beautiful in person. The Cliffs of Mor was my favorite stop. The view was incredible. But I enjoyed the castles in Kilkenny, Kilarney, Blarney, and Cabra Castle, also.

I've never done a group tour before and I was terrific! Loved meeting the new people and seeing places along the way that I would have never stopped at on my own. Our tour director, Brian, was absolutely the best. Wouldn't have been the same without him. Some of my favorite stops were the gardens at Blarney castle, the farm with the sheep and scones, visiting the family home and seeing their organic gardens along with having tea, walking tour of Derry and learning more of the history. going to Faran's bar and Malin Head. The people were lovely and made some new friends.

Wonderful trip. Great tour guide Brian!

Very memorable trip, just the hotel in Waterford could be upgraded.

Awesome tour guide. Wonderful scenery. Enjoyed everything.

John F was outstanding as out guide!! He was very informative and so very funny!! I would want him again!! It was overall a great crowd!

The tour along the west coast of Ireland and the sheep dog demonstration. The Cliffs of Moher was a beautiful area despite the fog and light rain.

The entire thing is fabulous, I cannot recommend enough~I am in utter awe over all of the things we were able to pack into this trip. Thanks to the careful precision of Colette planning out most every moment yet also allowing enough free timme to explore independently. I've never taken a guided tour before and we could have never done all of these things on our own. It was amazing

We saw so many sites on this tour, but my favorite was standing at the Cliffs of Moher and looking out at the Atlantic Ocean.