My husband, son and I are just back from 7 day Treasure Ireland tour with the Vagabond/Driftwood tour company. First of all, it is confusing that some of their tours are branded Vagabond and some Driftwood, with the Vagabond tours designed to be a little more adventuresome, but that is one of the few frustrations with this group. They picked us up in Dublin and squired us through beautiful countryside, wild coastline, some major attractions, a number of little treasures that we wouldn't have known about otherwise...........there was a good balance between group time and free time......and some flexibility about our wants and needs for the tour....both of our guides Damien and Sean were interesting, helpful, congenial and well informed about their country. Damien had more historical and political insight, Sean was a true outdoorsman. We loved them both. Our group bonded and had a good time together. Even though most of the group was over 50, our 25 year old son also had a great time. We had thought of touring on our own, but aside from the hassle, we all felt we experienced a lot more with the local expertise of our guides. Of the 6 nights of accommodation, two were truly stellar, and only one disappointing, but that was a night of torrential rain all over Ireland and the hotel was clearly overwhelmed. Ireland was great and we would seriously consider a return visit to see Northern Ireland with Vagabond/Driftwood.

I would highly recommend taking a Vagabond or Driftwood tour, especially the 11 day tour. Our guide was the most genuine person and shared his love and knowledge of Ireland. He sang, told stories, and allowed us to immerse ourselves in the culture, music, the landscape, and the rich historical past of this country, as well as the archaeology and folk history. Our group included 13 people and we all made lifelong friends. Ireland is magical and absolutely beautiful! We fell in love with Eire. We are definitely returning soon.

My wife and I just completed our 7 day Treasures of Ireland Vagabond / Driftwood tour. The entire experience was a "10" on the one to ten scale. Our guides, Damien and Sean, were outstanding. The itinerary was well chosen including both out of the way sites as well and a selection of tourist destinations. Our group had only 14 travelers at the beginning and for the last 3 days was a group of 8. This trip was like having a private, personally guided visit to Ireland. Our every need was addressed plus we could be on our own for dinners each evening which allowed us to pursue our "foodie" and musical interests. Vagabond even made sure we had tickets to an amazing concert of Irish music when we were in Dingle.

The hotels were, for the most part, well chosen. Most all were upscale and we would return to several of them happily. Each morning as part of the package a full breakfast was offered. All were quite good and several were really outstanding. Our last night included a stay at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel - WOW! Amazing place - room was gorgeous and the dinner was delicious food served in a palatial setting.

We did not just see the sites but we were immersed the history and culture of Ireland. Many in our group were well educated travelers and our guides knew and loved Ireland. We traced the history forward from Mesolithic / Neolithic times to the present and lived the history of Ireland with Celts, Vikings, Normans and the English. We covered central and southern Ireland on this trip. We plan to return to see the north of Ireland and to spend a few more days in Dublin and perhaps Galway. Our travel outside Dublin will be with Vagabond.