This was truly a luxury tour and well worth the cost.. Two top notch hotels, a cozy inn and more castles and culture than you can imagine. Stephen McPhilemy has to be among the top tour guides in existence today. He was a fount of knowledge in the history and culture of Ireland, entertaining us with interesting (sometimes hilarious) stories and traditional Irish sing-alongs as we watched the lush Irish countryside go by. He was very attentive to our needs. A memorable stop was along Slea Head Drive to a spot overlooking a perfect little beach, enjoyed with a picnic basket of Prosecco and cheese. We initially thought 3 days in Dingle was going to be too much, but in retrospect, it gave us an opportunity to explore on our own and partake in activities we might not have had time for.

If I could give this trip a million stars I would! Everything from our first adventure to Ashford Castle to the Dingle Peninsula and to Dublin was AMAZING!!! We made countless stops along our journey, learning about Ireland’s culture, history, traditions, and language. If I were to mention every spectacular place, my review would never end. Ireland is a beautiful country, filled with life, hospitality, and mouth watering food and drink. The landmarks and historic sights are far better in person, better than any movie or picture could ever exemplify. The food and drinks were absolutely splendid as well. I loved every meal and wished for more!! Stephen and Chris were wonderful guides. Their knowledge of Ireland is remarkable. They were able to answer all of our questions and share all their stories. Stephen filled our time with laughs, great stories, and music. He certainly knew how to entertain us and keep our tour lively. The great thing about this tour is that we are in a small group. We grew close to other tour members, eager to spend the day with them. With that said, there was free time to adventure off! Although we had a packed itinerary (which is detailed before booking), Stephen took the time to remind us of start times and our daily “to-dos”. He gave us plenty of time at all of our destinations. With a small group we were able to be adaptable, extending or shortening stays, based on the groups needs. Stephen made sure we were all happy and satisfied before moving off. Furthermore, if an event needed to be adjusted or moved, Stephen was very vocal about it, letting us know in advance. He helped us with personal reservations and suggested places to eat along the way. I am beyond grateful for this trip. I loved every second of it and will be booking my Northern Ireland tour in no time. I couldn’t ask for a better guide, tour group, and places to see. I recommend this trip to ANYONE!!! If you love to travel, to laugh, and of course drink Guinness this trip is for you!!! Ps. If you love dogs, you’d love this trip too!!!

Our Ireland experience on was magical! Stephen McPhilemy the owner of Essential Ireland Tours is a wicked historian, amazing singer, funny, thoughtful of our “wee wee” needs, and all needs, flexible and just plain wonderful! The tour was perfect and most importantly less than 12 guest!!! Ireland and its people are beautiful, filled with passion, & joy for life and so much history. We are so glad we chose your company to introduce us to this beautiful country and making our adventure outstanding. Thank you, Stephen