Essential Ireland Tour Reviews - our favourites
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- 5 hours ago
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Behold, a nice wee compilation of Essential Ireland Tour Reviews - our favourites from 25 years of welcoming guest on our award-winning tours of Ireland.
Pam writing on Rick Steves Travel Forum, 2024
Question:
We are hoping to visit in May (first trip, 3 adults) for a week, mostly hitting Wild Atlantic Way. For past trips to Europe, I've planned and booked everything direct using Steve's guides. But older and busier now, so want someone else to handle all arrangements and transport BUT we want very small group or private. Contacted AAA who had only 3 companies and their group tours were 40+ people and had very "touristy" stops and lodgings. I came across Essential Ireland Tours which seems to be run by current/former Rick Steve's guide. But I can't find much info on them other than their own site (for reviews). Any experience? BTW - I did check Rick's tours but timing doesn't work out. Thank you.
Answer:
That's Stephen McPhilemy's company. He's a long-time RS guide and knows Ireland. He has a couple of B&Bs in Dingle Town. Looks like the North Atlantic Way tour stays at Milltown House which is his first acquisition. (got a tour when he was still re-doing it!)
I had Stephen for an RS guide on the Best of Ireland tour. He's a great story-teller and had me laughing until I cried every day on the bus. He's very knowledgeable and certainly understands what US-based tourists want in a tour.
Posted by Pam
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
16690 posts
Rick Steves and his Ireland sidekick Stephen McPhilemy of Essential Ireland tours (not forgetting Seamus the Irish Wolfhound, who is the canine sidekick of Stephen McPhilemy)
Oct 2025 • Couples
My husband and I just returned from our first trip to Ireland. It was a trip of a lifetime for us and our chosen tour group did not disappoint! After lots of research we chose to travel with Essential Ireland for many reasons, but most of all because they offered small group travel, and because their Wild Atlantic Way tour included 3 nights in Dingle, the place we most wanted to see. What a fabulous week they provided! Sam, our tour guide was awesome and the perfect fit for our group of 7. He is a master storyteller and wove history into personal stories and songs and even poetry in Gaelic (Irish). We so enjoyed the small little stops along the way that big tour groups likely would not do - like giving us time to enjoy a tiny little chocolate shop, or tossing coins into a centuries old wishing well off the side of the road. These small moments are some of our best memoires! We spent one night in Galway and 2 nights in Killarney, but the highlight for us was our 3 nights in Dingle. The town itself is wonderful, full of pubs, restaurants, fresh and delicious seafood and lots of shopping. But the beauty of Dingle peninsula will forever be what I remember of Ireland. There are so few words to describe the breathtaking landscapes, the forceful Atlantic, sheep everywhere dotting the hilly pastureland, islands off shore that captivate, narrow roads through the hills that open up unto glorious vistas. That is what we will remember and hold in our hearts! I imagine lots of other tours drive around Dingle peninsula, but Essential Ireland gives you space and days to experience it and take it all in. For that and so many other reasons, I can heartily recommend Essential Ireland tours! You will not be disappointed.
2 contributions
Local Guide • 71 reviews • 132 photos
starstarstarstarstar 27 Sept 2023
When my husband and I were planning a trip to Ireland, he wanted a bus tour and I really, really did not. I like creating my own itinerary and having the freedom to set our own schedule. But he found the Essential Ireland site and, the more I read about it, the more I was convinced. If you are on the fence like I was, there were three things that tipped the scales for me: 1) The small group (no way was I going to be part of a group of 40 on a massive coach bus), 2) Having more than one night in most places. I didn't want to spend the whole time on the bus, and then unpack and repack every day, even if that meant getting to fewer places, and 3) The extra experiences included.
We booked the Wild Atlantic Way tour, which starts and ends in Dublin. The tour itself doesn't do a lot IN Dublin, so we flew in a couple days early to explore it and take some tours. The tour had us 2 nights in Killarney, 3 nights in Dingle, 1 night in Galway, with stops in between the towns such as the Rock of Cashel and the Cliffs of Moher.
Stephen McPhilemy, company owner and our tour guide for the week, is truly amazing. A student of history, he was able to teach us so much about the country's history, as well as the current political and cultural landscape. The bus rides passed quickly because it was so interesting to listen to him. When we stopped at historical sites, he was able to give us an informative tour of the spot. Add in that he is also a singer and taught us a few songs!
Noel, our bus driver, was a gem. He was skillful at navigating the twisty, narrow roads and always so helpful with the luggage. He's got a great sense of humor and knows a few magic tricks to boot!
The itinerary for the week was a nice mixture of events & experiences planned for us and free time to explore on our own. Stephen and Noel made recommendations for the free time; always nice to have the opinion of the locals!
The extra experiences really set this tour apart. We were able to take part in a falconry experience in Dingle. Falcons and owls flew to our hands (posing for a picture, of course), and then we had a tour of the aviary. One night, we participated in a Druid ceremony to welcome the autumnal equinox; it was a very special moment. We had a private performance from Riverdance entertainers. We got to sample Dingle Whiskey, see a demonstration of glass cutting, see a sheep shearing, and hold baby lambs. Such a great mixture of experiences! (We had family touring Ireland on their own during this same week and they were gobsmacked when I told them all we had done and learned!)
It should be obvious by now that I highly recommend this tour company!