Last month, my husband and I went on the Driftwood “Discover Ireland Tour” and had the time of our lives! We couldn’t have asked for a better trip – from staying at magical little inns at the bed of a beautiful lake to a full day in Dingle to castles and manors (and sheep farming!), it was just a great experience. We met so many new friends and had terrific guides in Mark Dougherty and later, Larry (see photos). The tour also covered Northern Ireland which was fascinating and beautiful – and also a little melancholy (due to the conflict there). But it made for a well rounded trip. We really feel like we know Ireland now.

What also is outstanding about this particular tour is that the group is small -- around a dozen people. And the guides know how to schedule the more touristy things to do against the big bus tour companies so you are often getting to your destination without facing big crowds of tourists (a big plus as we went in summer).

I also suggest 3-4 days in Dublin – the one thing we regretted is we didn’t stay in Dublin longer. And I suggest choosing the hotel Vagabond recommends in Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel – since we had a four week trip throughout Europe, they let us leave a bag w them so we didn’t have to lug all our luggage for our Ireland portion. The hotel is in a good location with plenty of good eateries and canals nearby. And the staff was very nice -- positive review to follow.

The 7-day Treasure Ireland trip exceeded our expectations. The small towns and pubs were a perfect "off the beaten path" experience, and John was an excellent tour guide and driver. Even the weather cooperated - only a couple of minor sprinkles to mar the vistas. I would highly recommend this trip.

Just got back from the tour and had an amazing time! Had a great group that we really enjoyed, the guides were so knowledgeable and easy to talk to. We saw so much more of Ireland than we could have seen on our own. We did some of the touristy things, but managed to avoid the crowds when we did them. We really enjoyed several off the beaten path hikes that allowed us to see more of the country from a different vantage point. My only criticism is that sometimes the bus rides got a bit long, but the guides did try to keep those interesting too. Would highly recommend this tour!