My husband and I booked the 11 Day Ireland Driftwood tour that covered the entire Island in a... read more
My husband and I booked the 11 Day Ireland Driftwood tour that covered the entire Island in a... read more
Best tour of my life❤️❤️🇮🇪 I fell in love with Ireland and it is all because of the beautiful... read more
We have never taken an organized tour before, and chose Vagabond Tours because we wanted to cover a lot of ground and not have the stress of learning to drive on the opposite side of the road from the US. We had a wonderful time! It was so nice to have everything planned for us - the hotels, the routes - and even to have the knowledgeable people from Ireland at the Vagabond office choosing a variety of sites and activities. We did SO much that I could never fit it in Tripadvisor's allotted number of letters! Because our group was small, activities could be shuffled based on the weather and our group's inclinations. Our tour occurred during a heat wave/drought in Ireland, and our guide rearranged the itinerary to allow a trip to the beach! If we were staying at hotel away from a town, the guide would book dinner for us at the hotel, but when we were staying in a city/town, we could choose to go where we wanted which gave us a break from the group. There were some optional activities (distillery vs. ruins)(stay in town vs. scenic drive) that made us feel that we were not being herded about. Our guide, Sian, kept us advised about the plans every day so there was no feeling of 'where are we now?' She was also an amateur DJ, choosing the appropriate soundtrack for our trip, i.e., playing "My Donegal" as we approached that town, and "Whiskey in the Jar" every day until we could sing it as well as the Dubliners. I have many wonderful memories that will linger forever - especially one evening in Ballyvaughn when my husband and I were leaving a wonderful restaurant on the pier at the outskirts of town, and we stumbled across a group of local musicians playing in a little whiskey bar, and we sat listening as their friends and neighbors, and even the barmaid, took turns singing and playing. Or the morning that Mary, who had just served us breakfast in Kenmare, stepped into the van as we were leaving and sang "The Rose of Tralee" for us while the off-duty bus driver from across the street waltzed on the sidewalk beside the van. Or the Dingle Gin ice cream at Murphy's Ice Cream!
Hello lormacmom, WOW what a super review of your Vagabond Tour. It really sounds like the country and our guide captured your heart. I hope you enjoy your memories over and over again of your experience. Although we are a guided tour company we really try to be flexible where possible and give our guests options. Our guides are so good at being able to switch things up and a trip was no doubt badly needed considering our Irish heat wave this summer. Thank you. Rob Rankin, Owner.
Our tour guide and driver for the 12 day tour was Aidan. He has the perfect personality for the job; he is friendly, knowledgeable, interesting and has excellent, excellent driving skills. the tour itself was the perfect blend of driving, hiking, and activities. One of my favorites was horse back riding on the beach on a beautiful Clydesdale. I have been on a lot of group tours and this is one of the best I've been on. the fact that it is a small group tour helps a lot. The limit for this one is 13. The van is very comfortable and not crowded at all.
Hi Bill and Brenda, horse-riding on a beach is by far one of the most fun experiences you can have on our tours, so happy to hear you enjoyed it. We like to think we do things a bit different on our small group tours, keeping it local and authentic. Thank you for the review and maybe see you again one day soon. Kind regards, Rob Rankin, Owner.
My wife and I recently returned from the 11-Day Discover Ireland Small-Group Tour. Vagabond hit it out of the park with their mix of small, comfortable buses, accessibility to out-of-the-way destinations, lodging, service before the trip, and their guides! Our guide was Sean and he was funny and a consummate professional. Some of our friends have toured Ireland in the past with larger coach bus tours. While they enjoyed their trips (whats not to like about Ireland?!)...they left wanting for the intimacy and less-rushed approach a small-group company can offer. I will recommend Vagabond to all our friends and I hope this review is helpful to those considering them in the future. Well worth the money!
Hi Al, great to hear you really enjoyed your small group tour of Ireland with us. We work really hard to listen to our guests and offer you guys exactly what we think you will enjoy. Thank you for the review. Rob Rankin, Owner.
I suggest going to Dublin two days before your trip to allow you to see the sights before the tour begins. At the time of this review, they only start/end in Dublin and don't do any sightseeing there.
After my two day prequel, I was on the Driftwood 11 day tour. Driftwood is the sister company to Vagabond. The difference between the two is the activity level. Vagabond is for active individuals that like hiking and adventure. Driftwood is more laid back and a slower pace. While I'm an active person, for this trip I wanted a slow pace and chose Driftwood. The passengers ranged in age from 21 to 60s. Average was about 40s-50s.
The guide was friendly, informative, entertaining, flexible, and helpful. Each tour is limited to a small group. We had 14 on our bus. The buses are new and comfortable. The only negative thing I can think of is that the seats are a tad small, but no one had any problems or discomfort.
One passenger wanted to see a particular site that was not on the itinerary, but was on the way to our destination. Everyone agreed they would like to see it and off we went. I like that it isn't guided every single minute. I never felt rushed or herded like cattle on this trip. We had plenty of time to see/do what each person wanted.
All breakfasts were included and lunches, while on your own, were as a group. Dinners are on your own, most nights we chose to dine as a group, but it wasn't a requirement. The accommodations were excellent. They ranged from typical European private home/hotels to grand castles that made our jaws drop. Every hotel/castle was a place that I would visit again.
It was wonderful being on a small group. Everyone got to know each other. No clicks. No waiting for a bunch of people. In fact, no one wanted to be "That person" and everyone was always back at the bus at the appointed time.
The driver and other passengers were a pleasure and the entire trip exceeded my expectations. Don't even think about it, just book it and have the time of your life.
Hello Glenn,
Thank you so much for your review of the 11 Day Driftwood Discover Ireland Tour. Great tip regarding taking some time in Dublin pre and post one of our tours, it is a great city with a lot to take in. The small group is really a fantastic way to see Ireland and get around. Kind regards, Rob Rankin, Owner.
This was a truly fabulous experience. We were part of a group of 13 with Henry as our guide. Henry is a great guide; he is very knowledgeable; he wants to show and share his country. Henry kept the tour moving; he kept it adventurous; and kept us involved the entire trip. Our group included older couples and a family with teens. We all got along very well. He was able to show us places we would never have been able to find on our own. I cannot say enough good things about Henry.
The experience is well worth the cost. Accommodations along the route were excellent. We were well taken care of the entire time. The vehicle we rode in was comfortable and safe. Easy to see from any seat and easy to get in and out.
The office support staff were easy to work with and very supportive. If you are thinking about taking this tour register early cause you don’t want to miss it.
Hello Dennis, thank you for your review. Henry is indeed a wonderful tour guide with so much energy and love for what he does. Delighted to hear your whole experience from start to finish was good. Kind regards, Rob Rankin, Owner.
Touring Ireland with Vagabond was wonderful! Their website got me from the first time I viewed it. Our guide, John, was exceptional and took care of everything. His knowledge of the country and it's history kept everyone interested as we drove through the gorgeous countryside in our comfortable van along with some Irish tunes playing. It was great not worrying about the narrow roads and driving on the wrong side. The hotels were all exceptional and comfortable. Vagabond made us agree with their slogan "We want you to love Ireland like we do" as we certainly do!
Hello jajohn16, we are so happy to hear that our love of Ireland imprinted on you. In Ireland some of the best spots are down the narrow, winding roads, that is why we like to keep our small groups truly small. John is brilliant, it always amazes us the wealth of knowledge our guides have. See you again one day soon, Rob Rankin, Owner.