Historic Irish Castle Tour 2024

My husband & I did the Historic Irish Castle Tour and our excellent & outstanding guide was Sean O’Sullivan! Couldn’t have had a better person for our first time in Ireland. Very organized & knowledgeable with any questions we had. I wish we would have booked a couple of days longer, but will the next time we come. Sean always made sure our luggage was picked up & brought to the rooms of every place we stayed. Thank you Sean, can’t say enough of how great you were. We were also blessed with a great group of people where we all had enjoyable times at meals and our nightly rounds of card playing. Great experience & would definitely use My Ireland Tour again!!

My husband and I just returned from the 7 day Historic Irish Castle Tour. What a great time we had! Our tour guide and driver Davey Thompson was such a wonderful person. Always had a smile and was a wealth of knowledge. His driving skills through some of the smallest roadways was amazing. The tour was everything we expected and more. Our tour was a little smaller than expected - only 17 people, but what a group! We all had a great time and really got to know one another. The castles were so beautiful and the meals were wholesome and delicious. Never went hungry. The days were busy and chocked full of things to do and see. The pace of the day while going from one sight to another was well timed with built in comfort breaks and meals. Never felt rushed, but Davey kept us on schedule. My Ireland Tours was an excellent company to work with. Shauni answered all our pre-travel questions promptly. Everything went smoothly from start to finish. Our only concern before going on the tour was regarding air travel and our concern that our flight might be delayed or cancelled. We accommodated for that by going to Ireland 3 days earlier (on our own) which also allowed us to adjust to the time difference before the tour began. Everything worked out perfectly!

Hi Jon, thanks for the five star review. Glad to know you enjoyed your time with John on our Historic Irish Castle tour

My husband and I, along with his parents, went on the historic castle tour of Ireland. Our trip was spectacular! Our guide, John Denanny, was definitely the key to making it such an enjoyable trip. Our hotel stays, the food, the tours and excursions surpassed our expectations. I would book another trip with My Ireland Tours, in a heart best!

My wife and I did the Irish Castle Tour in June 2024 and it was a fantastic experience. From pick-up to drop-off everything was handled with the utmost of care and focus on our having a great experience. Our driver/tour guide was Column and he went out of his way to make it a memorable experience. His knowledge of Irish history was insightful. I highly recommend using My Ireland Tour if you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience.

My sister and I have just returned from our 7 day Historic Castle Tour and let me just say, 'don't walk….RUN' to book this trip! From start to finish it was exceptional. Rain was forecasted for most days but our amazing tour guide, Tom Lavin, called in a few favors from up above and we were blessed with the most delightful weather throughout with the exception of a few raindrops while we were en route. We met Tom at the Dublin airport early in the morning. He greeted us with a smile and was kind and pleasant. When we arrived at our hotel Tom worked some magic and got us checked into our rooms early so we could freshen up then later explore the streets of Dublin. The next morning Tom reviewed the itinerary for the day as he did each morning. As we set out for the Epic Irish Emigration Museum Tom skillfully maneuvered the bus around the busy streets of Dublin while highlighting attractions, monuments and sharing some history along the way. After exploring the museum we made our way to the Guinness Storehouse Brewery and sipped on a complimentary pint of lager before heading to Kinnitty Castle nestled in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom mountains which would accommodate us for the night. On day three we toured the infamous Rock of Cashel and enjoyed a traditional farmhouse luncheon outside of Kilkenny. Greta, our gracious host, gave us a demonstration class on the making of her traditional home baked scones. From there we toured Kilkenny Castle and roamed the city streets before heading back to Kinnitty Castle for the night. Next off to Clifton, graced with another beautiful sunny day, to experience the majesty of the Cliffs of Moher. Oh what a sight to see! Abbeyglen Castle accommodated us for the next two nights. There we were wined, dined and entertained by the Castle owners who shared the history of the Castle at a champagne reception each evening. The accommodations, food and service were exceptional and we truly felt pampered. Following was a self guided tour of the historic Kylemore Abbey in the heart of the Connemara Mountains. We strolled along the expansive trail system which took us to impeccably manicured Victorian Gardens before seeing the splendor of the castle and grounds. There were many stops and sights seen along the way, some planned and others spontaneous. Tom had a few surprises for us which were very much appreciated. From pristine shores to vivid green landscape dotted with livestock, the views were breathtaking. Dublin City was our final destination. The group passed on a tour of the Pearce Lyons Distillery so we could pick up a few gifts in Dublin and rest up for the grande finale, dinner and entertainment at the Merry Ploughboy Pub. There we sampled delicious epicurean dights , sipped on spirits and were treated to hours of live traditional music and dancing. A tour guide can make or break a trip and we have Tom Lavin to thank for making our experience both memorable and enjoyable. Throughout the tour he skillfully navigated the narrow winding roadways while sharing great insight into Irish history, current events, family life politics and personal stories about growing up in a three generation household. He explained how land in Ireland is cherished, coveted and preserved which was evident by how clean, manicured and virgin the countryside is. I particularly appreciated Tom’s dry sense of humor. He is quiet and soft spoken but witty and quick with hysterical rebuttal. Did we laugh! The tour and attractions were icing on the cake. Tom Lavin WAS the cake!!! Thank you Tom for keeping us safe, happy and in stitches throughout!!!

We had an amazing trip! The Historic Castles of Ireland tour was excellent, our guide Colm was the best, very knowledgeable and brought the fun! We quickly made new friends and enjoyed every minute of this tour! Highly recommend.

I did the 7 day castles tour in Ireland with one of my young sons. Overall, it was a very nice trip. Pros: early communication, itinerary, accomodations, etc were all very transparent. It was a good overall value. There are well planned rest stops for longer bus rides and a chance to grab lunch every day. The two castle accommadations were interesting. The guide was knowledgeable and tour group small. It would have been nice to take ten min to intro everyone. The food at Riu Gresham was not great and cold for dinner although breakfast was a nice buffet. Consistent on food was that it lacked 'typcial' Irish faire. Disspointing because we had avoided it in the few days before the tour. There is also no beef or lamb and after seeing thousands roaming the country that was weird. A sample menu for each place would be nice because it otherwise was pretty good. While the castles were really nice, the first one at least was very remote which resulted in a lot of extra bus time. The second was walkable to town if you don't mind hills. The farm lunch is nothing to get excited about, would have preferred to be dropped at a pub. We didn't do the dinner show because there was too much bus time on the last day and we are not night owls. Overall, this was good for a group tour. Much better than some of the tour buses I saw packed with people. The tour operator knows how to communicate and packs a lot in. My son was able to make a nice presentation for his class using all the info he absorbed.

This was our first time to Ireland and the Historic Irish Castle tour was absolutely amazing. Our tour guide, Michael C. was wonderful. We were amazed with all the knowledge Michael provided throughout the entire tour...he's a walking encyclopedia. He also took into consideration the length of some of the drives and made sure to make interesting and enjoyable stops along the way. We plan on scheduling another My Ireland Tour in the future and will definitely request Michael to be our guide.

Hi Judith, Thank you for the five star review for our Historic Irish Castle Tour. Glad you had an enjoyable time touring Ireland with Brian ☘️

We completed the Historic Castle tour Sept 2023 extremely pleased and satisfied! Our driver/guide Colm provided a masterclass in touring. He is a font of knowledge, history, humour, and graciousness. We enjoyed every minute. In particular Kinnitty Castle, Kilkenny Castle, stop at Rock of Cashel and Cliffs of Moher (Colm arranged a break in the weather for us!). Accommodations, pacing of the tour, stops, and good craic were all found on the tour. We highly recommend My Ireland Tour and go raibh míle maith agaibh to Colm and all the staff who welcomed us. We look forward to seeing you again.

The responsiveness, organization, and attention to detail of My Ireland Tour is unparalleled. Our driver/guide Colm Clarke was a jewel. His sense of humour and 'gift of the gab' made our journey through Ireland a pleasure. The sites and hotels included in our 7-day Historic Irish Castle Tour were exceptional. From the atmospheric Kinnity Castle and its resident ghosts to the warm welcome at Abbeyglen Castle in Clifden, Connemara, My Ireland Tour got everything right!

Just returned from a seven day stay in castle tour. Our guide Michael was excellent. He had a wealth of knowledge and could educate you on anything you wanted to know about Ireland. The castles were a great experience. Even a little haunting in one. A great way to experience the beauty of Ireland.

I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for the staff at My Ireland Tours. I booked the week-long historic castle tour as a gift for my son's high school graduation. It was his first time out of the United States and the first mother-son trip that we have ever taken together. First, Shannon was incredibly helpful in providing me with answers to questions regarding the booking so that there were zero concerns before my arrival. Second, I had by far the BEST tour guide that I could have imagined. Colm was amazing! He was incredibly attentive to all of us and made me feel completely safe and welcome. The itinerary for the week was just the right amount of time to see many of the main attractions in Ireland. I have heard and seen other schedules where too many activities were packed into each day. But this one was paced just right. The size of the tour was great in that it was large enough to have a nice variety of other fellow travelers to get to know, but intimate enough to feel like we were a nice little family by the end of the tour! I especially enjoyed getting a history of Ireland as we toured through the countryside. As a person of color who also has her own Irish roots, it was nice to see the connection of Ireland to other cultures acknowledged by both our driver and in the amazing interactivity of the EPIC museum in Dublin. It was a welcome reminder that we all have a shared history as part of the human experience. Overall, the trip far exceeded all expectations. I fell in love with the country, with the people, and with this company. I sing nothing but the highest praises for My Ireland Tours!

Upside: The Historical Castle Tour Itinerary and our Bus Drive Colm, were absolutely fantastic! I can't say enough good things about his vast knowledge of history and quick wit. Being a single Mom I was a little concerned about how things would go, but my 2 teen boys and I all had a great time! Thank you Colm and My Ireland Tours! Downside: At no fault of the Tour... I did have some issues with the booking of 2 rooms NEAR each other at the Riu Gresham Hotel and waited several hours for the second room, even after giving advanced notice both times. Remember... with the Historical Castle Tour you are staying in actual old castles and they have their quirks. Biggest concern for me was that none of the restaurants list MSG as a food allergy, so be sure to ask before ordering. Otherwise, all the stays tried to be as accommodating as possible. Overall: I LOVED traveling with My Ireland Tours, felt very safe and look forward to traveling with them again!!!

My mom and I recently returned from the 7-day Historic Castle Tour. Our driver and guide was Colm Clarke. I cannot say enough great things about him! He was so knowledgable about Irish history, very accommodating, punctual and had a fantastic sense of humor. He was very skilled at driving the big motor coach and we felt very safe. He truly made the trip so enjoyable but also taught us so many facts and tidbits about Irish history and culture. He always made sure we were comfortable and checked to see how we liked the lodging, the sites and the food. Our luggage arrived a day late from the airport and he even called the castle we were heading to, to alert them that it should be arriving there for us. He even managed to squeeze in two extra stops for us that were not on the original itinerary: Bunratty Castle and a visit to Galway. Colm is a huge asset to My Ireland Tour! I would highly recommend this tour company!!

We had a blast on our historic Ireland castle tour. Our tour guide Michael was amazing. We would love to go back to Ireland and take another tour and when we do, we will be requesting Michael as our guide. Thank you for an awesome experience.

We had an incredible trip on the Historic Irish Castles Tour with My Ireland. Our guide (Colm M.) was knowledgeable, personable, and organized. His commentary along the drives and the efficient way he handled the few (unavoidable) hiccups, really added to our trip in a wonderful way. The hotel in Dublin and the castle hotels were all beautiful, with excellent service and incredible food. It was truly the trip of a lifetime!

Our experience with the 7-Day Historic Irish Castle Tour was very good. The castles accommodations were all very comfortable and the meals excellent. Our driver/guide Colm was nice, witty and very kind, he provided us with Italian descriptions of the attractions we visited. He also quickly managed a bus malfunction on the third day while we were at Kinnity Castle, in three hours we were on the road again. Pity we could not visit the Rock of Cashel. At Keylemore Abbey we had one hour and a half for lunch and visit, that was definitely very short. We would have appreciated a longer stay considering that we arrived in the town of Clifden (10 minutes walk to the hotel) before 4.00 p.m. Otherwise excellent trip.

Historic Irish Castle Tour, 6 days. Absolutely wonderful tour. Exceeded our expectations on every level. Brian, our tour guide/driver was exceptional and I could not ask for a more knowledgeable, fun guide. Each of the hotels/castles we stayed in had their own unique character and provided a once in a lifetime experience. The meals were great and also exceeded my expectations. Ever aspect our or tour went off like clockwork. I highly recommend My Ireland Tour and will use them again if I go back to Ireland.

This was a tour of a life time. Our driver/guide, Sean O'Sullivan was the absolute best. He was very knowledgeable, Funny and also very attentive to our needs. We had a very complete tour but never felt rushed. Ireland is a beautiful country. We were very fortunate to have a driver with such passion for his country. This was our first time on an organized tour, not sure that the next one will be able to live up to this one. Cheers!

My family and I went on the 7-day Historic Irish Castle Tour at the end of September and we all have a wonderful time. The tour was well planned out, the food was delicious, and we captured many beautiful photos. Our driver and tour guide Sean was very professional and accommodating throughout the week. Fortunately, it only rained one day, but I guess it's not a true Ireland experience if there isn't rain (smile). My only two suggestions would be 1) more time at Cliffs of Moher even if just an additional 30 minutes and 2) a dedicated tour for Scotland :-) Thank you, My Ireland Tours!

Our experience on the Historic Irish Castles Tour was wonderful! Our representative from My Ireland Tours, Eric was great to work with, from the initial planning, to postponements from Covid, to answering numerous questions, and then lastly making the final preparations to make our tour a go! The tour included just the right amount of castles, attractions, culture, history and fun. The coach we traveled in was very comfortable, clean and included WiFi. Our driver/guide Tom Lavin was phenomenal and an especially skilled driver. His navigation of the back roads was incredible. He was amazingly knowledgeable of Ireland's history and culture. Tom shared many interesting facts, personal reflections and pointed out so many things along our tour routes. Our first trip to Ireland, and traveling internationally, was wonderful and unforgettable! Thank you My Ireland Tours for an awesome experience! You will be highly recommended!

What can I say but, magnificent! The Historic Castle tour was more that we expected. Sleeping in the Castles was the best. Tom, our tour guide and driver was spot on. Full of information and made sure we had a great time. Thank you. Denise and Ray

My husband and I recently returned from the historic Irish Castles tour (Backroads and Castles). It was such an amazing trip and we loved every second! From staying in castles to a beautiful sunny day at the Cliffs of Mohrer we were smiling the whole week! Ken McConnell was our driver and was wonderful and made everything better and was a great driver!!! The tour is well planned out and you don't feel rushed and we saw so many amazing sights! We had a great group of people as well which just made the experience more enjoyable. Food and service were delicious everywhere we went. We will definitely use My Ireland Tours for our return trip because we are definitely going back! Thank you for making our 1st trip to Ireland so amazing!

Thank you, My Ireland Tour for creating memories that will last a lifetime. I just returned from the Backroads and Castles tour with my mother, mother-in-law and daughter. We were truly treated like royalty during our overnight stays at the castles! Ken O'Connell, our tour guide was knowledgeable and had a fantastic Irish sense of humor. The tour offered a variety of sites such as the Cliffs of Moher, the Rock of Cashel, Kylemore Abbey, and stopping along the road to take pictures of the sheep! I will never forget our time in Ireland and I'm already making plans to come back!

Just got back from the wonderful Backroads and Castles tour. As expected, the experience was amazing. First: our driver/guide, Ken O'Connell was the best I have ever experiences, and certainly the most knowledgeable about Ireland. Also, my travel companion get ill on the trip, and Ken could not have been more solicitous nor kind in helping us along. The castles were beautiful, and the staffs at both places went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and at home. As it always does, the Rock of Cashel touched my heart. We were also blessed with a gorgeous clear day at the Cliffs of Mohrer. The show at the Merry Ploughboys was a wonderfully fitting end to a great journey. As I have come to expect, My Ireland Tour came through in a big way!!

Historic Castle Tour: Wonderful Tour. George our driver was so knowledgeable, we learned so much history. Food was good. Highly recommend taking this tour.

Great tour itineraries & they take care of you. I did two tours back-to-back and they were wonderful. The Castles & Backroads Tour was my absolute dream trip & MIT delivered: it was great staying two nights in one place instead of bouncing around every single night, perfect balance of bus time-stops-walking ,my feet did not hurt once from too much walking). Wi-Fi on the bus was a pleasant surprise and ended up being a necessity for me. Our driver/narrator, George, was so kind and incredibly knowledgeable, and not to mention provided some great craic! He made sure we all were on the bus each time we pulled out, and even made sure each and every one of us was taken care of transportation-wise at the end, if we were not using MIT's services to get to the airport. The one request agreed by most was to have dinner a bit earlier. Since they tend to be longer dinners ,2-3 hours), ending late deterred a lot of us from hitting the town at night. When this concern was voiced, our driver/guide/MIT got a few of our dinners moved earlier to accommodate - true service. Not much free time, but it was a well-packed schedule to maximize the trip, and if you so choose you can forgo a scheduled tour and explore on your own ,just let your driver know!).

Castles and Backroads tour end of June 2019. Pretty nice set up and planning by this 5-star company. Food was very good ,too much of it, and coach was always on time. Our driver was spectacular. Well informed, on time, pleasant and kind. The quality of hotels ,castles, were really good, comfortable beds and full of historic flavor. I would definitely use this your company again. Very happy with everything.

Just got back from Castles and Backroads tour. Cannot say enough great things about the entire experience! Many praises and accolades for our guide Tom and the company in general. From start to finish we were well taken care of. Tom did a stellar job driving, narrating and bringing us safely to every destination. Tom gave us many laughs, history, local lore and insight to life in Ireland. We were well fed and attended to all along our way. Martina our reservationist and company contact was always attentive to our needs and provided us promptly with all info requested. The tour was an incredible value considering we could not have done all we did on our own. Thank you...My Ireland Tours for a stellar experience and I highly recommend their tours!

I cannot say enough great things about this tour, and our driver George! I went on the Castles and Backroads Tour with a close friend and we loved it. George was so nice and informative. Along with everyone else we met, he was so welcoming! If I ever take another trip to Ireland in the future, I will definitely be using this tour service again! Loved it!!!

We had an awesome time on our trip to Ireland with My Ireland Tour. We wanted to travel in early October 2017, and started planning this experience about a year before. We wanted to structure a private tour for our family of 9 ,including two granddaughters, and right from the start we had a wonderful reception from Kristal. We had a vague idea of what we wanted to see on our first visit to Ireland and chose a modified itinerary for the Castles and Backroads Tour that My Ireland Tours provided but not at the time we wanted to travel. We wanted to substitute a couple of child friendly activities and Kristal came up with two great ones. As you can imagine over the course of a year many things can change and each time we reached out to Kristal she replied quickly and with a “can do' attitude. We took a leap of faith with a company we had never used before and entrusted our family happiness to them. They did not disappoint us. I would highly recommend My Ireland Tours for anybody wanting to have a wonderful experience.

My Ireland Tour to the backroads of Southern Ireland was a wonderful Irish experience Harry, our guide, was charming helpful, animated, full of history and quite personable. This was first trip to Ireland for my daughter and I, we saw so much beautiful countryside, stayed in lovely accommodations with good food, perfect organization and friendly atmospheres. Thanks for such a charming, well organized, experience. As a side note, our last day connecting flight required that we leave for the airport at 4:00AM, this request was met cheerfully and we were picked up in a timely manner even though all the other quests were leaving at a more reasonable hour, our request was well handled.

Back Roads and Castles Tour was amazing. Something about this vacation pops into my head every day since returning. Brian our guide was lovely and I enjoyed every minute of the tour. I will be back! I'd do this one again, but I will head north next time.

Our family took a 'Castles and Backroads' tour in August 2017, and it was a great experience for our first Ireland visit. Prior to our booking, the My Ireland Tour staff ,Kristel and Eric, were very helpful in going over all possible options and discussing our food allergy requirements. When we decided on the specific tour, they kept us informed by email about all the details and helped us with suggestions about day tours we can take before and after the main one. Our driver-guide, Brian, was really excellent in telling us stories about the places we visited ,Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, Galway, Kilkenny Castle, and others). The hotels ,Kinnitty Castle and Abbey Glen Castle, were very romantic and beautiful, and the food was excellent. We certainly recommend this tour to anyone new to Ireland and looking to see its historic countryside.