I did the Southwest tour through Ireland and I really enjoyed it. We traveled with a nice small group, only 9 people, and the great guide Aidan. Aidan is easy going, very friendly and knows a lot about his country. If I were his employer I would give him a raise. I recommend the sunset kayaking tour. Due to good weather conditions we could go all the way to the end, into the caves and we saw Fungi the dolphin. Awesome! I also enjoyed Killarney and the entire west coast, including the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher, the island of Inisheer (Inis Oirr) and Galway. I was the only one in the group who had the hostel option where I also met many other people. It was a journey to remember. One comment: check the itinerary. The whole group thought there was only 1 night in Killarney, but we stayed 2 nights at the same location. No probleem, but it would have been nice to know in advance, since we were now ready with packed bags, while that was not necessary.
We did the private 1 day Dingle peninsula tour (from Killarney) with Rory. I recommend this to any group or family. If you want something more than sitting in a bus all day, this is for you. Rory took us off the beaten path for an adventurous day. There was no pressure, no rush. He was full of wonderful commentary and conversation. He got a good feel for our family and made suggestions, and he was open to requests too. This is a private tour and he was very flexible. We loved the town of dingle so much, we spent time there twice, once for a little shopping, the other for a late lunch/early dinner meal. The Slea Head hike was breathtaking, and the beach was astounding (bring towels and baby powder to get the fine sand off your feet). Rory actually took us to 2 beaches that day (we had unbelievable weather). Countless little hikes, vistas, waterfalls, bouldering. Our family ranged from ages 9 to 54. Do this tour, and ask for Rory.
This was a great tour. Being a small group, the guide was flexible and accommodated whenever possible. We hit off the path hikes, as well as the major highlights. We were told of the attractions in each area and where to find things. I felt really looked after.
What a terrific tour we had. We were fortunate to get Sean for this tour and he did a wonderful job throughout our trip. Sean met us as we got off the ship with a perfect sized tour bus (we all had our own seats!). He drove us everywhere we had planned on going and even added a few "bonus stops"! The highlight, of course, was the Cliffs of Moher which proved to be so much more spectacular "in person". Throughout the trip, Sean kept us entertained with what we were seeing and his incredible sense of humor. Everyone in our 14 person party mentioned that they had a terrific time on this tour!
If you like off the beaten path and spectacular hikes, this is the tour for you. We saw some of the key sights, like the Rock of Cashel and the Cliffs of Moher, which are famous for a reason, but we also hiked around a glacier lake that was unbelievably gorgeous and we were the only ones there!
