28 Sep 2023
Cannot speak highly enough of our Overland Ireland tour! Our family of five took an individual, small group tour of Southern/Western Ireland from Dublin- a total 10 days.
Leah and Jessica were a crucial part of the planning process and helped with creating the perfect trip itinerary for our family, while also remaining cognizant of our budget. They were very responsive to emails and even met via video call to go over questions we had, which eased our anxiety about traveling abroad for the first time. They also were very helpful in establishing special reservations for restaurants and attractions prior to our visit, and updated us as changes were made to our itinerary.
Our journey started in Dublin, where we were charmed by the history of the Castle Hotel, and made visits to the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery, but our real journey began the next day when we met our driver Pat and ventured into "True Ireland". Over the course of our 10 day visit, we were able to see more than we ever anticipated and stopped at sites along the way that we hadn't expected. Some of our favorite sites included- the Rock of Cashel, Gap of Dunloe, Barry's walking tour in Kinsale, Muckross House, Ross Castle, Kylemore Abbey, the Blasket Center, Inch beach, The Quiet Man museum, Sean's walking tour in Galway, and Ashford Castle. Each day, Pat worked hard to personalize our trip and remained open to adventure! He was incredibly flexible and willing to adjust the schedule based on our needs for the day, and he always kept the van clean/tidy. Pat often had fantastic suggestions for food and shopping, and overall kept us well entertained with stories and conversation along the way! Pat truly became one of the family. The memories he created for us will never be forgotten, and would not have happened on a larger tour bus. Additionally, every hotel/bed and breakfast was clean and perfectly located. We enjoyed the breakfast selections and amenities. Each town also had a great selection of restaurants and local music.
On the final day of our trip, I can honestly say that we were all very sad to leave Ireland. The kindness of the Irish people, the beauty of Ireland's landscape, the rich history, music, and culture are unmatched. We just want to thank the team at Overland Ireland for making this trip so special and for creating amazing memories for our family! We will be back soon and there is no other company we would rather travel. 110% recommend for small group/family tours!