The Best Tour Companies in Ireland

Ireland. It’s a scenic country full of rolling green hills, photogenic cliffs, impressive castles, cozy Irish pub, friendly locals, and a lot of Irish charm.

I’ve loved every part of my experiences in Ireland.

My first trip was a quick 24-hour visit to Dublin, but, I loved it so much I’ve gone back about four times since. Ireland has a special magic to it that makes every visitor fall in love. (Ok, not everyone, but most people love it here!)

While the cities are incredible and have a lot to offer, Ireland is best seen by car so you can get off-road and visit the small little villages, castles, and parks that dot the country.

However, if you’re like me, and not a fan of driving (especially driving on the left!), the next best thing is going on a tour in Ireland. Given the country’s small size, you can see a lot of it in a little time and a tour can be a good way to pack it all in without the hassle of organizing all the details yourself.

There are lots of tour options here — from walking tours in Dublin to multi-day tours around all of Ireland. Here is a list of my favorite tour companies in Ireland, each of which have something unique to offer:

The Best Day Tours in Dublin

Walks

Walks is my favorite walking tour company across Europe. They offer in-depth history, food, and cultural tours in cities across Europe and the U.S. I love their small-group tours because they offer exclusive behind-the-scenes access other companies can’t get. Plus, they use really incredible and knowledgeable guides.

In Dublin, they offer several extensive tours, like their Dublin in a Day Tour as well as a Cliffs of Moher & Galway Day Trip. If you can, definitely take a tour with Walks! I can’t recommend them enough.

Devour

For foodies, my go-to tour company around Europe is Devour. Their passionate guides are experts in their field, so you’ll not only feast on delicious eats but learn a ton about the food and culture too.

On their Ultimate Dublin Food Tour, you’ll indulge in the best of Ireland’s dairy scene, sample Dublin’s best seafood, and savor homecooked Irish baked goods and comfort food. I love taking Devour tours. I always enjoy myself as they really take you to the best places!

Historical Walking Tours of Dublin
The city of Dublin is such a fascinating place to explore. It’s full of historical spots that you might just wander past if you’re not with a guide from Historical Walking Tours of Dublin. They’ve been operating tours since 1986 and one of the reasons they’re so good is their guides all have postgrad history qualifications – but also know how to lead a tour with a good Irish sense of humor.

Each walking tour is just over two hours long and they start from the front gate of Trinity College at 11am every day (just Fri-Sun in the winter), with an extra tour at 3pm from May to September. They’ll take you to many of the highlights of Dublin like the House of Lords, Temple Bar, Christ Church Cathedral, and Dublin Castle and you’ll end up with a great overview of Irish history. Tickets are 19 EUR.

Get Your Guide

If you’re looking for even more unique tour options, Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. Get Your Guide runs their own tours called “Get Your Guide Originals” (in Dublin, they offer a few, like their coastal boat tour to a nearby fishing village), but they’re largely a platform for local companies to list their tours. That means that most of the money you spend stays within the community.

The site has tons of tour options including cooking classes, workshops (like this one in Dublin where you learn to forge your own silver ring!), walking tours, food and drink tours (like this whisky distillery tour in Dublin), day trips, and more!

I always check Get Your Guide when I’m somewhere new. It’s a great resource for being able to compare different operators and tours all in one place. You never know what kind of unique activities you’ll find!

The Best Multi-Day Tours in Ireland

Paddywagon Tours
An Irish born-and-bred tour company that started in 1998, Paddywagon Tours offers both day tours for lots of popular tourist attractions in Ireland as well as multi-day tours ranging from two to nine days long, with accommodation choices ranging between B&Bs and hostels.

If you’re time-pressed and looking for some day trips from Dublin to quickly see a bit more of Ireland, Paddywagon has trips to places like the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, and even up to the Giant’s Causeway and other highlights of Northern Ireland. Costs range from 40-80 EUR for these trips. They also run day trips out of other centers like Belfast, Limerick, and Cork.

Paddywagon’s multi-day tours range from 199 EUR for a two-day trip up to 975 EUR for their All Ireland eight-day tour, with backpacker accommodation (or 1,895 EUR if you want B&B stays). Even though you could easily spend a month in Ireland, given its relatively small size you can actually get a lot out of eight days. If you’re a student they also run some student special trips at even lower costs so keep an eye out for them.

Wolfhound Adventure Tours
Wolfhound Adventure Tours is a boutique tour company run by Trinity College history-graduate Dave O’Connor. Tour groups have a maximum of 12 travelers and tours include some biking and hiking, which are optional but definitely a big part of the fun. Wolfhound trips can also include kayaking, horse-riding, whale watching, and even surfing lessons and are a great choice for anyone looking to get active!

Tours range between six and ten days — the shorter tours give you an option of going to the north to the Giant’s Causeway or heading west to see the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands, both of which are 1,540 EUR.

Vagabond Tours
Vagabond Tours is an Irish company and offers two kinds of small group tours: Driftwood Tours if you want to take it easy, and Vagabond Tours which include activities like hiking, sea kayaking, and cycling.

They offer the common itineraries, such as a Northern Ireland tour taking in the Giant’s Causeway and Belfast and the Giant Irish tour which circumnavigates the country, but they also have a few specialty trips like a music-themed tour and a tour for history buffs focusing on castles and kingdoms. Tours range in length from five to fifteen days, and in price from 1,300 EUR to 4,600 EUR per person.

Rob Rankin, co-founder of Vagabond Tours, is a huge advocate of responsible and sustainable tourism and the leader of Ecotourism Ireland, and Vagabond Tours has been eco-tourism gold-certified since 2017.

Intrepid
An Intrepid trip is always a good option — they’re my go-to multi-day tour company no matter where in the world I’m heading. With small groups, carefully-hired local guides, and a relaxed pace, Intrepid tours really can’t be beaten. They offer just one trip in Ireland but it covers all the major sights and attractions, a nine-day adventure that spans from Belfast in Northern Ireland to Killarney in the south-west.

Their Ireland tour will take you through Dublin and Galway and includes sightseeing hotspots like the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway, as well a chance to explore the Aran Islands. The tour starts at 3,600 EUR per person.

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From walking tours to help you understand the history and culture of the great city of Dublin to multi-day adventures circumnavigating the whole of the island, taking a tour in Ireland will make sure you get to know lots of interesting locals and learn more about what makes the Irish tick.

Whether it’s the crazy ritual of kissing the Blarney Stone, exploring the incredible landscapes in Northern Ireland Game of Thrones was filmed, or simply knowing which pub in Galway is the best spot for a Guinness, these Ireland tour companies will help make your Irish experience the best it can be!