Walking Ireland
Walking Ireland
5
Multi-day Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Private Tours • Bus Tours • Day Trips
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Take our Sightseeing Tour along Donegal's Wild Atlantic Coast. With stops at: Killybegs (Ireland's Premier Fishing Port) Slieve Liag (said to be Europe's Highest Sea Cillf) Glencolmcille Folk Village The Silver Strand (Beach) Glengesh Glacial Valley, A tour to remember is promised. We also provide Multi-Day around Ireland as well as Private Tours to requested locations.
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5.0
84 reviews
Excellent
83
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
sarah s
3 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Our family spent four absolutely magical days with John touring sites in Donegal - Ben Bulben, the cliffs of Sliabh Liag, the Glencar waterfall, Away to Me sheepdog trials, etc - then on to Giants Causeway on our way into Belfast. John's van was spacious and his driving skill on everything from narrow country roads, motorways, roundabouts or even "magic roads" was incredible. I cannot imagine navigating the roadways, let alone seeing as much as we did, without his expertise as a driver. And yet, as skilled as he was at that, it is just the least of what made our time with him so special. As someone who grew up in Donegal and worked as a policeman there for decades, his knowledge for the areas we visited (truly the whole country) on everything from sports to politics to history to contemporary issues was deep and broad and easily kept pace with my husband who is an inexhaustible source of questions. John's deep connections to the community also means that he was known by everyone from Sligo to Belfast and greeted warmly in every spot we visited. This is not surprising in the least, as John is such a lovely person that he puts even the shy person (like me and my daughter) at ease in moments. By the end of the first hour, we had all adopted his motto "no rush, no panic", by the end of the first day we were laughing and chatting as though we had been together for days, and at the end of our 4 days of touring together, our family felt like we had spent all of that time seeing Ireland with a dear friend. In fact, our children (ages 10 and 14) said that the worst part of that final tour day was knowing that they would not be seeing John again in the morning. If that doesn't say it all, I don't know what will! Our family felt so lucky to have spent these days with John making memories that will last a lifetime and we cannot imagine our time in Ireland without his guidance, conversation, friendship, knowledge, and care. We look forward to coming back to tour the southern sites in Ireland and we will, without a doubt, book our friend John to lead our family's journey there as well. Thank you so much for taking care of our family!
Written 14 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind and generous review. It was truly my pleasure to help you see this area and I enjoyed every minute with your family. Until we meet again take care. John.
Written 18 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Elaine Gallaghe... C
California1 contribution
May 2023 • Family
John is a superb driver and tour guide with a delightful personality and wit. A true gentleman, he is also a wealth of information about the history and culture of Ireland. Being a Donegal native, John has a local and fluent expertise regarding scenic landmarks and settings with wonderful stories about everything we saw. He took us to incredible places we never would have seen otherwise. John’s vehicle is spacious, comfortable, and spotless inside and out. My husband and I couldn’t recommend John more highly.
Written 11 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
david r
2 contributions
Apr 2023
John is an incredible tour guide. He knows so much about Donegal and the rest of the country, and he took us to breathtaking spot after breathtaking spot. He was very friendly, chatting with us about a range of topics, but he also gave us space on our own to enjoy the natural sites.
He knows the sites, the roads, the people, the history -- he's really an ideal tour guide. This could not have been a better experience and I highly recommend taking a tour with John.
His van is spacious and immaculate, which was also nice!
He knows the sites, the roads, the people, the history -- he's really an ideal tour guide. This could not have been a better experience and I highly recommend taking a tour with John.
His van is spacious and immaculate, which was also nice!
Written 1 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zach Wajda
5 contributions
Jun 2019
We did a week long trip all around Ireland, and this tour was definitely a highlight. We had a group of four and were joined by two others in the spacious van. The small group dynamic was great for us, as it felt like a personal tour. John was by far the best tour guide we had out of all the tours on our vacation. He has so much knowledge ranging from history, agriculture, sports, politics, and more. He was able to answer all the questions we had, and was very friendly. Donegal county has some beautiful views including beaches, farms, and of course the Slieve League cliffs if the weather is good enough. But this tour is worth it even if that particular view isn't available on the day. The whole experience exceeded expectations, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to experience some of the less traveled areas of this beautiful country.
Written 16 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GarySuth
3 contributions
Mar 2020
John was the best tour guide. John is knowledgeable in genealogy, history and culture. I really enjoyed it and it was by far the highlight of my trip
Written 20 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacqueline G
Galena, IL6 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
My husband and I traveled to Donegal to see the sites and of course one of the major ones was Slieve League, unfortunately there was ice and hail that day (2/26), and our hotel recommended that we not make the drive due to possible icy road conditions. We were disappointed but made the best of it and
walked around town on icy sidewalks shopping and visiting the sites in town. We eventually made our way to the Visitor Center and that was when our luck changed🍀.We told the woman at the center of our disappointment and that was when she recommended John McGroary, she made the call to John and he was at the center within 20 minutes! John was knowledgeable about the history of Ireland, Gaelic language, Folklore and history of the towns we drove through. We were thankful to have John drive so that my husband could enjoy the scenery too...not only having to drive on the opposite side of the road, the roads are very narrow the closer you get to the top. The views were breathtaking!!! On the way back down we stopped at the fishing town of Killybegs and a beach. John is a great tour guide and is enthusiastic about the Ireland he loves. We were so happy to have toured with John as he has made our trip to Ireland memorable and extra special!
walked around town on icy sidewalks shopping and visiting the sites in town. We eventually made our way to the Visitor Center and that was when our luck changed🍀.We told the woman at the center of our disappointment and that was when she recommended John McGroary, she made the call to John and he was at the center within 20 minutes! John was knowledgeable about the history of Ireland, Gaelic language, Folklore and history of the towns we drove through. We were thankful to have John drive so that my husband could enjoy the scenery too...not only having to drive on the opposite side of the road, the roads are very narrow the closer you get to the top. The views were breathtaking!!! On the way back down we stopped at the fishing town of Killybegs and a beach. John is a great tour guide and is enthusiastic about the Ireland he loves. We were so happy to have toured with John as he has made our trip to Ireland memorable and extra special!
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cgreenegens
Cleveland, OH1 contribution
Sep 2019
We had a wonderful time this past fall with John. We had a limited amount of time to see as much of the country as possible. John helped us make the vacation magical. We appreciated his knowledge, promptness and friendly nature. He exceeded all expectations. We highly recommend his tour.
Written 10 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eléna Léonard
2 contributions
Dec 2019
This private tour was an unexpected and last-minute plan activity while we were staying in Donegal town. It was a great experience, John brought us to some hidden gems around Donegal. He was kind, fun and shared with us a lot of knowledge and interesting stories about Ireland.
I felt so lucky we had the opportunity to do it, I won't forget this day and I would strongly recommended this tour to anyone going up in the North of Ireland!
I felt so lucky we had the opportunity to do it, I won't forget this day and I would strongly recommended this tour to anyone going up in the North of Ireland!
Written 7 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fran C
Falmouth, MA8 contributions
Sep 2019 • Friends
I would like to give a shout out to John McGroary. I organize custom group tours to Ireland with a focus on visiting as many hidden gems as possible. I hire local guides to give my guests the most local experience.
This past tour I had the pleasure of working with John. He responded to all my emails and together we gave my group an amazing 2 days in Donegal He was with us the whole time and having him onboard our coach was a gift!
He is professional, knowledgeable on the area and most of all his passion for Donegal is palpable!!
I urge anyone visiting Ireland to include the Donegal area in your itinerary and definately reach out to John to maximize your experience...you will not be disappointed!!
This past tour I had the pleasure of working with John. He responded to all my emails and together we gave my group an amazing 2 days in Donegal He was with us the whole time and having him onboard our coach was a gift!
He is professional, knowledgeable on the area and most of all his passion for Donegal is palpable!!
I urge anyone visiting Ireland to include the Donegal area in your itinerary and definately reach out to John to maximize your experience...you will not be disappointed!!
Written 23 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judeat11
Towcester, UK34 contributions
Sep 2019
We really enjoyed our tour ( by minibus) with John. It was a great way to see some of Donegal's stunning coastal scenery. A local man, John has a wealth of interesting information about the history, flora and fauna of the area. We only had time for this excursion on this visit but will definitely use John again when in the area. Highly recommended!
Written 22 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
