Travelling solo can mean two things—you’re without a companion but you’re joining a tour or you’re doing everything on your own. If you’re joining a tour, you don’t have to worry—there are operators offering the best Ireland tours for solo travellers.
In this article, we’ll talk about the details of such tours. There are several options for solo travellers out there, and we’ll be discussing some of the most sought-after for your reference.
Let’s begin!
Cost of Ireland Tours for Solo Travellers
Please note that the following rates are average ranges and come from various travel operators. The rates may or may not include taxes, so we recommend contacting the tour operators directly for a better estimate.
While updated, these rates might also change at any time without prior notice. They exclude airfares and most likely include local transportation, a tour guide, food, and entrance fees.
Top Ireland Tours for Solo Travellers
We’re listing down the top Ireland Tours for solo travellers using the following criteria:
1. Taste of Ireland
| Conveniences | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Itinerary | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Traveller reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
The Taste of Ireland Tour A is a 7-day–6-night tour hosted by CIE Tours. You’ll be joining a group during the tour, but even the accommodation can accommodate solo travellers, which is a convenience!
Speaking of accommodation, the tour covers transportation and accommodations in four hotels. You’ll also have local tour guides throughout your travels—plus a couple of voucher entrances to some attractions that need fees.
The tour is well-organised, which is one of the reasons you should book a tour as a solo traveller. You won’t have any problem with transportation, plus you have knowledgeable guides who’ll give you free information and guide you along the way.
What we love the most about this tour is that it covers a lot of areas—Dublin, Blarney, Galway, Kerry, and Killarney. The tour will start in Dublin and will end in Dublin as well, so it’s the main focal point of this tour.
Some of the sites you’ll see on this tour include Dublin City, Dublin Castle, Blarney Castle, Rock of Cashel, Ring of Kerry, Skellig experience, Cliffs of Moher, Medieval Castle banquet, and Galway panoramic tour. Definitely worth it, if you ask us!
One of the things the past customers complained about this tour is that it doesn’t include insurance or flight details. Most of them are willing to pay extra, but it only includes a local tour itinerary.
Another thing—sometimes they cancel tours weeks before the flight. They do inform you, however, it’s very disappointing most especially if you’re already looking forward to this vacation.
Pros
- Covers three areas—Dublin, Blarney, Killarney
- Solo traveller-friendly
- Covers major tourist spots in three areas
- Includes accommodations, transportation, and meals
- Local guides throughout the tour
- Organised
- Friendly tour director
Cons
- Doesn’t include flights or insurance
- Might cancel the tour weeks before the travel
Customer Reviews
Covers a lot of areas in Ireland
Loved the Taste of Ireland tour. It was busy but we covered a lot of things. Our tour guide was great and knew so much about Ireland and it’s history. I would not hesitate to take another tour with CIE— Terry, Tour Radar Reviews
Knowledgeable guides
The guide (Ermon) was extremely knowledgeable and courteous. I enjoyed the sites and the periods of freedom during the tour (so it wasn’t always rush, rush, rush). The plan was well thought out and executed. (Only some constantly late other passengers prevented a 5 star rating – since there were no consequences of being late)—Michael Chandler, Tour Radar Reviews
2. Emerald Explorer
| Conveniences | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Itinerary | ★★★★☆ (5/5) |
| Traveller reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Emerald Explorer is a 7-day tour covering 11 destinations in Ireland, starting in Dublin and ending in the said city as well. This tour is hosted by Overland Ireland Tours—very solo traveller-friendly and very organised as well.
We love that all you have to do is come to the meeting place and follow your itinerary. Some of the solo travellers who availed of this tour told us it’s very solo traveller-friendly because everyone in the group is friendly and accommodating.
The local tour guides are very friendly and know every single thing about the place you’ll go to so you can ask them if some things aren’t clear to you. They also cater to requests as much as they can, which is a good thing in our book!
Just remember though that flights and insurance aren’t included in the package. Dublin city accommodations or optional activities aren’t included either—you have to book them yourselves!
What we love about this is it also includes accommodations in hotels, local tour guides, and transportation. As a solo traveller, this is an advantage because you don’t have to worry about the logistics and just enjoy the trip!
You have to buy yourself lunch or dinner though. The only meal included in the package is breakfast at hotels where you’re staying overnight!
Some of the itineraries included a visit to Clonmacnoise (a monastery city), a full Connemara experience in Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Kingdom of Kerry, dolphin sightings at Dingle Peninsula, castle tours, and Kiss the Blarney Stone. It’s a very busy 7 days!
Pros
- Package includes accommodations, tour guides, and transportation.
- Very well-organised
- Covers 11 destinations in Ireland
- Friendly tour guides
- Breakfast included
Cons
- Lunch and dinner are not included
- Doesn’t include Dublin accommodation or other additional activities
Customer Reviews
Evenings can be spent exploring local pubs
Mike was amazing! We had such a great group of people, Mike was so full of knowledge about the history and culture of Ireland, and it was so laid back. We got to explore each destination at a leisurely pace and enjoyed most evenings checking out the local bars. Highly recommend!—Morgan, Tour Radar Reviews
Tour guide is easy to get along with
We just finished our tour of Ireland with overland and it was the trip of a lifetime. Our guide Eoin was absolutely amazing so knowledgeable charming and funny he was the unexpected bonus to our trip. I would use overland for all my travel if I could!!!!!—Al, Tour Radar Reviews
3. Wild South
| Conveniences | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Itinerary | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Traveller reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Wild South tour is organised by Wild N’ Happy Adventure Travel, and covers 16 destinations in Ireland! It’ll be quite a busy seven days—you’ll have your hands full!
This tour focuses on the cultural aspect. We love that because it doesn’t only let you get to know Ireland and its beauty, but also the history and culture that shaped it into the country that it is today.
We love tours with a purpose. The Wild South tour is one of those tours that allow you to experience the food, the traditions, and the history of the country.
Some of the itineraries are Rock of Cashel, Cork City, Mizen Head Peninsula, Ring of Kerry and Valentia Ireland tour, Dingle Peninsula, Killarney, Cliffs of Moher and Wild Burren, and Galway. The tour starts and ends in Dublin City, by the way!
The tour already includes accommodations, guides, shuttle transfers, and meals. You don’t need to worry about these things so you can just focus on the itinerary for the day.
We also love that the guides not only know what they’re doing, but they sound so fun when they narrate a story about a place. This makes the tour so much more interesting!
But what we love the most about this tour is that you can organise it based on your preferences! You can even upgrade your accommodations if you want—but of course, expect additional fees!
Speaking of additional fees—sometimes the are add-ons during the trip like extra fees for an extra guide and more. This can be a bit inconvenient, but we think it’s worth paying extra for things that make the trip better.
Also, remember that flights and travel insurance aren’t covered. You have to book those on your own!
Pros
- In-depth cultural tour
- Covers 16 destinations in Ireland
- Includes accommodations, guides, transportation, and meals
- Competent tour guides
- Accommodates last-minute requests if they can
- Customised adventure–you can create your own if you like
- Accommodation upgrade
Cons
- Flights and insurance aren’t covered
- Unexpected add-ons/fees
Customer Reviews
Lovely accommodations
Excellent tour and company. Tour guides and accommodations were second to none. If you want to know the real Ireland and its rich history in a comfortable setting and without the stress of driving you will not be disappointed. This was a trip of a lifetime and we would recommend it to anyone.—Dianne, Tour Radar Reviews
So many good spots to visit
Guides knowledgeable & fun. So many high points. Ring of Kerry, Killarney’s National Park and Lakes, Lahinch Beach & various local meals. Recommend seafood chowder, fish & chips & Irish coffee. If you can manage the expenses, stay at a hotel rather than a hostel. Most are clean & organized but very difficult to sleep in rooms of 6 – 8. I’m over 60. Thank you!!!!!.—Leslie, Tour Radar Reviews
4. The Celtic Voyage
| Conveniences | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Itinerary | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Traveller reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
The Celtic Voyage is a 6-day travel which includes 13 destinations. It’s also organised by Wild N’ Happy Adventure Travel, and has quite a fully packed itinerary.
The highlights of the trip are discovering Killarney, getting the chance to photograph the Cliffs of Moher, exploring the Gaelic culture of Ireland, learning a few Irish words and meeting locals, eating local food, and strolling Dublin! 6 days might not be enough.
In fact, a lot of people we talked to told us it’s their biggest disappointment—not having enough time to experience more of the culture. They told us they’re willing to pay for extra days as long as they can extend the experience!
Speaking of experience, we love that the tour includes things you usually worry about if you organise it on your own—guides, meals, transportation, and hotels. As a solo traveller, you just want to minimise inconveniences as much as possible, don’t you?
The tour is well-organised, which is another good thing! It means you’re following the itinerary, and you’ll have free time after the day to explore the area around you if you like.
The best highlight of the tour for us is that you’ll get to taste local food, most especially seafood. Experiencing the food of a place is also similar to experiencing its culture—hence, eating local food gives you a glimpse of the people’s way of life!
Accommodations are great by the way. And most of the solo travellers love the breakfast that comes with them.
Just a heads up that you can customise your tour. There’s an additional payment though, but we think it’s worth the splurge for the extra adventure!
Pros
- Includes guides, meals, transportation, and accommodation
- Fully packed schedule
- Accommodating local guides
- Local food tour (highlight: seafood)
- Can be customised
- Well-organised
- Great accommodations
- Tasty breakfast
Cons
- Additional activity requests need extra payment
- Needs more days to maximise the tours
Customer Reviews
Well-organised itinerary
The tour went as planned. The guide was excellent. Recommendations would be to extend the time to 8 or 9 days to maximize two days in Lahinch and Galway to experience more of the culture and scenery. One night in each of the cities does not allow for to that experience.—Cynthia, Tour Radar, Reviews
Excellent accommodations with a great Irish breakfast
The tour was exactly as expected and I was never disappointed. The accommodations were excellent with great Irish breakfasts. As much as the sites we visited were interesting and dramatic, the guide made them all the more so with his deep knowledge of Irish history and lore. It is impossible to overstate the difference Mike, the guide, made with his humour, personality and knowledge of what he was showing us. I would never hesitate to follow this company and Mike wherever they decide to travel. Giver yourself a treat and go with Wild and Happy.—Charles, Tour Radar Reviews
5. Castles & Coast Experience
| Conveniences | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Itinerary | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Traveller reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Travelling through time for 8 days is the purpose of the Castles & Coast Experience. It’s organised by Irish Experience Tours and covers 13 destinations in Ireland.
The itinerary includes a trip to Westport, then to Clifden, Connemara, Dunguaire Castle, The Burren, Doolin Village, Cliffs of Moher, Sheep Dog Herding, Dingle Peninsula, Ring of Kerry, Valentia Island, and Blarney Castle! This tour starts and ends in Dublin as well.
We love that you get the chance to try the local food, meet with the local people, visit little villages that you don’t normally run into, and experience mediaeval life by exploring manors and castles.
There are also entrance fees to several places, but we love that everything’s included in the package. You just have to enjoy the experience because everything’s organised for you.
What we love the most about this tour is that it’s not fully packed. You’re given a chance to enjoy a place and try activities instead of always hurrying up because the bus might leave.
We go on tours to experience culture and traditions. The fact that this tour considers that while planning for the itinerary is a good thing!
Speaking of the tour operator, one complaint from customers is that it’s a bit difficult to communicate with the office. So we hope the operator improves on that.
Also, there might be last changes in the itinerary. The good news is that this doesn’t always happen—only when it needs to, but it can still be a downer if you’re expecting to visit a place and you suddenly can’t.
Pros
- Castle and Manor tours
- Covers 13 destinations
- Quaint towns and villages
- Sheepdog demo on a farm
- Irish live performances
- Chance to meet locals
- Includes guides, meals, hotels, and transportation
- Includes entrance fees to other activities
- Journey can be personalised, but you need to be a group
Cons
- Last-minute changes in the itinerary
- Communication is slow between the office and the traveller
Customer Reviews
Lots of activities to do per destination
The trip was very well organized with lots of options to do things at each destination. Our tour guide Anthony was great. His knowledge of the area was very comprehensive and he told great stories as well. The Irish people were wonderful and the Irish breakfasts were delicious. It was a great way to see the country without having to navigate all of the narrow roads along the Wild Atlantic Way.—Faith, Tour Radar Reviews
Pace of the tour is good—not rushed or too packed
This experience was excellent because of our superb driver and guide Lee. Pace was a good mix of time, activities, socialising. Accomodate generally good to luxury. Transport was spacious. Driver helped with bags. Highly recommend—Susan, Tour Radar Reviews
FAQs About the Best Ireland Tours for Solo Travellers
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