Travel in Ireland Guide

Ireland is one of the most diverse islands in the world and with that diversity comes a wide variety of tourist spots and places to see. Some would prefer to do a tour on their own, but the best and most recommended way to travel in Ireland is via a tour. Tours vary in many aspects: from bus tours to cab tours, walking tours to pub tours, day tours to 10-day tours, and from budget to extravagant. This article will tell you all about the budget bus tours. Like I said before, all our reviews and recommendations are the best of the best - just because these tours cost less than the average, it doesn’t mean they are not good. An Irish vacation can be enjoyed with as little money as in any other destination. And the best part is you can book these tours from our online booking service.

Wicklow Day Tour

This tour’s first stop is the Wicklow Mountains, a range of mountains found in the southeastern part of the island. These mountains, also known as Dublin Mountains, offer astounding views like you’ve never seen and cross three counties of Ireland: County Dublin, County Wicklow, and County Wexford. After the mountains, the bus takes you to scenic Sally Gap, the highest crossroads in entire Ireland. This place proves why County Wicklow is known as the Garden County. Best enjoyed during winter, Sally Gap, which means “gap in the saddle” was referring to the space on the horse where St. Patrick lied behind Oisin – a local legend says that St. Paddy died in the area and was brought to paradise aboard Oisin’s white horse. Onwards you will be taken to famous film locations – for movies Braveheart and Ballykissangel. The great landscapes around Wicklow have been used in the movies Excalibur and Michael Collins as well. After going thru hidden paths and seeing lakes and waterfalls along the way, the next stop will be at beautiful Glendalough. You can visit this link for more info about Glendalough. Tourists will be able to walk around and will have the time to have lunch at this stop – which can be arranged to be included in the price. Lunch will be served with traditional Irish beer, of course. Going back will take you through the mountains once more and you will get a different view and scenery. One of those great views is the scenic Poulaphouca Lake, or Blessington Lake – an artificial lake used for generating hydroelectricity found in a tiny village of the same name. This tour starts in O’Connell Street, just outside Gresham Hotel at 9:20 AM. There’s also another pick-up point in Suffolk Street, near the Dublin Tourism Office at 9:45 AM. The tour ends at 5:30 PM. You can book this tour online from our site, just visit our online tour booking service page.

bus tour, tour bus, county meath, hill of tara, lia fail

Celtic Day Tour

This day tour starts at the Hill of Tara, found near River Boyne, an archaeological site in County Meath, Leinster which was once considered as the Seat of Power of the historical High Kings of Ireland, those who claimed lordship over the entire island during the Celtic years. It’s the perfect start for a folklore based bus tour. There you will find the Lia Fail or “Stone of Destiny” found in the Hill’s Inauguration Mound, which served as the coronation stone for the High Kings until AD 500. According to folklore, the stone will shout in joy when the rightful High King put his feet on it, and that it has the ability to rejuvenate a king and bestow upon him a long reign as High King. The next stop is at Fourknocks, in Naul village, cairns that were discovered way back in 1949. The four mounds from which it was named after contained a chamber and passage within it surrounded with strange stone engravings. The site is considered as 4,000 years old and also has prehistoric tombs and graves within. The next stop is Mellifont Abbey - the first Cistercian abbey to be built in Ireland. The first structure was built in 1142, and has since seen many mysteriously beautiful monasteries built all over the area. Then you get to Monasterboice, a collection of ruins found in one of the few early Christian settlements. 10^th century high crosses are all around the area, the most famous of which is the 5 and a half meter Muiredach’s High Cross. On your way back you will pass by another hill, the Hill of Slane – a 158 meter hill that also has a number of historic sites. Sites include the Metrical Denshenchas, burial site of King Slaine, for which the place was named after; a friary church and a former college. Hill of Slane is also where St. Paddy lit the Paschal Fire that proclaimed Christianity in the island. The tour bus pick-up point is also at Suffolk Street at 9:00 AM, and at the Royal Dublin Hotel at 9:20 AM. The bus tour will be finished by 5:00 PM. You can book this tour online from our site, just visit our online tour booking service page.

bus tour, tour bus, belfast, Battle of the Boyne, Republic of Ireland

Belfast Day Tour

This cab tour begins up North in the town of Drogheda – the largest town in Ireland. It is also connected to River Boyne and the fields of the Battle of the Boyne, where each force stood on opposite sides of the river. It is one of the more known battles in both British and Irish history, and was even a big story in Irish Protestantism. In the town cathedral is the decapitated head of St. Oliver Plunkett, former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland – the last Catholic martyr of England. The tour then crosses the border at Newry, where you will get to see the British forts in the mountains of South Armagh. Afterwards is the main event – Belfast – the largest urban area in Northern Ireland and second largest city in the island, next to the Republic of Ireland’s largest city, Dublin. This is where the country’s seat of government is located. Your first stop is at Charming McHughs, a pub that has been in operation for more than 300 years. Most tourists choose to have lunch here, served with a pint of course. It is one of the best architectural and historical sites in the city. Then you head down to Belfast West and its peace wall. You get to visit both sides, where you get to see the murals of the Protestant Shankill area and that of the Catholic Falls Road. Other parts will be visited as well in downtown Belfast. Then it heads back south again to Dublin. You can book this tour online from our site, just visit our online tour booking service page.

Bookmark to:

Posted on August 11th, 2008 under Tours. Tags: bus tour, cab tour, day tour, hop on hop off, tour bus. RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback.