The beauty of Ireland cannot be overstated or described accurately, you truly have to experience it for yourself. Ireland was incredible accessible in a way I didn’t anticipate. Rich in centuries of history, yet humble and unassuming. Proud, but also aware of it’s tragic parts in history and still retelling stories of the horror. One moment you are solemnly learning about the stone walls (locally called penny walls) and the next they are proudly speaking about their strength and resilience.
An Ireland day tour is a great way to cover a lot of ground during your visit if you don’t want to drive. The first two days in Ireland were filled with day tours before moving to focusing on Dublin which we’ll cover later this week! What I loved about these two days were how many of the iconic landmarks we were able to visit in a short amount of time. That’s no easy feat!
Please feel free to reach out to me via email or Instagram with questions as you plan your own trip!
Cliffs of Moher
Wild Rover Tours is what I used for my first Ireland day tour. I found them via Viator, but you can also book direct! This was my favorite tour company and was the most comfortable, educational and best organized. The tour is a full 12 hour day but a significant portion of that is driving so it’s easy to rest and take a nap if needed. The main stops are Cliffs of Moher, Wild Atlantic Way, the Burren and Galway.
Note: Every tour says their charter offers Wi-Fi but at best, it’s unreliable and spotty. I did not find this to be an issue as I was focusing on disconnecting but many people complained. If you want to watch something to pass the time on the trip, you’ll want to download ahead of time.
Can you really go to Ireland and not go to the Cliffs of Moher? No, you cannot. It’s great to visit this early in your trip so you can avoid every friendly Irish person asking when you are going to visit. It’s the pride of a nation for a reason. It was more beautiful than I anticipated. The cliffs are so expansive it’s almost hard to register the scale of what you are looking at.
The cliffs are almost unfathomable in beauty. The day we went there was no wind, rain or tourists. In fact, we were the only group until the end. During a typical year almost 2 million people visit the cliffs so it was astounding to be able to enjoy the Cliffs of Moher in such an intimate way.
There are two sides you can walk or climb. Either way you are going to walk a lot but one side is basically all stairs and the other is less step and easier. Below are photos from both sides, but there’s no way to have a bad view. Plan to discard a layer from all the walking and climbing.
The visitor center has a great café filled with local food and drinks and has a spectacular view of the cliffs. It’s build into the hill and the cliff and people watching is spectacular. There are some gift shops (that I did not visit) and a mini museum inside of the center. However, the bathroom and café were my main stops.
The Burren
This was a very quick stop on the way to Galway, but truly beautiful! The rock goes on for miles and it’s just really something you have to experience for yourself. For some reason I liked this just as much as the cliffs although not a stop I was aware of or see listed on many tourism sites. If you’re really adventurous you can hike or camp overnight in this expansive area. Or you can get back on your heated coach, like I did.
Galway
In case you’re wondering, I did change outfits, sort of. I looked at the weather and realized it was going to vary greatly throughout the day so I brought layers. Galway is a darling town that you will recognize from many things, not the least of which is Ed Sheeran’s Galway Girl song.
Galway I found to be energetic, which is not something I would say about many of the places I visited in Ireland. People hustled through the city and it had a a buzz about it. I loved Galway for the shops, but also the color and food. It was a small and quaint town but packed with charm.
Our tour guide recommended The Kings Head and I do too! Everything on the menu is Irish comfort food and it’s hard to go wrong. I went with mussels and chips and an espresso martini that I still think about to this day. I bought a dress from a shop and perused many local makers who specialized in everything from knitting to personalized apothecary.
This was the final stop and then we headed back to Dublin to be dropped off at Bachelor’s Way. That’s the drop-of point for most day tours as it’s in Dublin city center and easily accessed. On the way back most people slept and those that didn’t (me) got to listen to some Irish standards. They closed out with U2 as we passed by the The Clarence, U2’s Dublin recording studio (top floor) and hotel. (Truly not sure how I thought I would get away with going to Ireland and not hear U2.)
The second Ireland day tour I found was Paddywagon Tours. This was supposed to be a shorter day trip but also was about a 12 hour day. This group was much smaller and specialized in Americans visiting. The history was told through a strong connection to the states. And of course, our day ended with listening to U2.
Blarney Castle and Gardens
I did not expect to enjoy Blarney Castle and Gardens as much as I did. The actual castle is very cool to explore but there’s very little to do other than weave your way through a very steep, narrow and winding staircase. Once you get to the top (no shame in taking a break, you’ll be seeing everyone do that in one of the outside chambers) you’ll get an incredible view of the grounds and be able to see how castles truly were small cities.
You’ll easily spend a few hours here and there’s something for almost everyone. Incredible gardens, the castle, walking paths, caves, sheep and the list goes on. Apart from the actual castle there’s very little climbing (which was rare on the tours) so it’s an easy walking tour. I found it to be one of the most serene visits (once again there were very few people there) and what I remember most was the sound of the small creek that was running along the property. A small thing but it made me feel like I truly was stepping back in time and I slowed down a little to enjoy those moments along the path.
I just need to clear one thing up, kissing the Blarney stone is not for the faint of heart. I wasn’t going to just on principle of kissing a rock that everyone else has (turns out they spray it down after every kiss), but I did not realize the amount of trust issues I would have to deal with when seeing how it’s actually done. You can watch videos of how it’s done, but the videos do not, do not emphasize you are at the TOP of a castle, lying backwards, being held so you don’t fall through the bars that are supposedly there to catch you (there are not that many) and then you like, kiss a stone. That’s a pass from me.
One thing I had no idea about in Ireland is the incredibly diverse vegetation. Even though it’s a cold climate, so many tropical plants are able to survive. If you’re a plant mom like me, you’ll want to check out the gardens. If you don’t have time to see all, I recommend seven sisters, the jungle, forbidden and fern garden.
Smaller Stops
We had a late lunch in Cork and I had the best beef pie of my life here. If you have a chance to visit, check out Gallaghers Gastro Pub, it was highly recommend by our tour guide and once again, I recommend as well. Their signature pie is brilliant.
Another short stop we had was the Rock of Cashel. Not really something I was seeking out but an added bonus on the trip. It’s a quick and fun visit to explore the grounds, buildings and historic cemetery. The view along is worth the steep hill you’ll have to climb.
Shop My Outfit
Almost everything I wore is still in stock! My bag is the Moyen from Clare V and I LOVED it. It was great having a cross body that was so versatile. For the evenings I took off the leather strap and just used the gold chain to dress it up. Unfortunately this sweater was a limited-edition sweater from Clare V and is now out out of stock. (Don’t be alarmed by the ALC sweater color below, they have it in the cream!)
Day Tour Information
I greatly preferred the Wild Rover Ireland day tour, but I think it truly depends on what tour guides you get. Wild Rover was a much larger group but I learned a great deal and the host and driver were very passionate about their Ireland pride.
The only thing I had to pay for were meals. All admissions costs were covered and we had a fast pass for every stop. I loved that I prepaid so I minimized my costs while in actual Europe. It all evens out but I just enjoy being able to having things already arranged and not spend time in line.
I could have lived without the Rock of Cashel but that’s really only if I had to cut down. The drives were so scenic and it was nice to break up driving across the country (literally we went across one day and then down the next) with these smaller stops to stretch your legs and get fresh air.
The obvious answer feels too boring to answer, but you know why AND the fact that October is the start of their winter. Due to the unpredictable nature of October it’s not a popular time to visit. Villages in the more rural Ireland depend on tourism. In the last year they have been devastated so when you drive through residents stop and wave to welcome you.
Most likely it won’t be that empty again for years, which is why I was so thrilled and felt like I was getting special access to all of these places when essentially no one was there. Ireland has now opened up and expects to be bustling again so if you go during spring or summer 2022, expect long lines!
Meg @ Closet Fashionista
This is such a helpful post! I still have not been to Ireland so I’m definitely pinning this post to remember the tours for when we eventually get there! I both love and dislike tours. They make it so easy to get things done but then you can’t just go anywhere you want/skip things, ha ha.
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