ef tours ireland reviews

Off Duty Traveler

Travel tour reviews and views, ireland tour review: ef tours.

After a successful trip to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and London we joined the Wilmington College tour group again on their EF Tour to Ireland in 2014. Our trip took us to Dublin, Blarney, Kinsale, Cork, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry and the Rock of Cashel, ending back in Dublin for a final day before our flight home. As far as flights to Europe go, this one is fairly easy at 6 hours, making Ireland a great place to visit for first-time travelers to Europe. Additionally, there’s no language barrier and the trip is far more relaxed and laid back than other European city tours. It’s also astonishingly beautiful. Here’s what I thought of our EF Ireland Tour.

Dublin, Ireland

Our group landed in Dublin, Ireland and was met by our guide at the luggage pickup. We hopped on a bus and immediately got an overview of Dublin, a city rich in history and character. Our entry into Ireland also included a walking tour of the city, including the famous Temple Bar area, known for its nightlife, the history, a stop in the church where Handel first performed The Messiah, a walk through the beautiful shopping district of Grafton Street, a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and, of course, a tour of the Guinness Factory where we learned how to properly pour and drink the famous stout.

Our Itinerary in Dublin, Ireland included:

• Bus Tour of Dublin
• Walking tour of O’Connell Street, shopping district and Temple Bar.
• Visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral
• Visit to Trinity College to see the famous Book of Kells
• Tour of Dublin Castle
• Dinner and a fantastic Irish Step Dancing performance
• Expert guided walking tour on the history of the Easter Uprising
• Time on our own to explore and shop

Dublin Tour Review

Lodging: Good. Our Hotel in Dublin was a short walk to O’Connell Street, the rooms were clean but small, as is typical in Europe. Bathrooms were small but functional.

Food : Fair. Irish meals consisted mainly of meat, potatoes, and an overcooked vegetable. That being said, the pubs have wonderful beers on tap, the whiskey is great and I had the best Irish Coffee I’ve ever had in my life on our tour of the Ring of Kerry. The dinner and Irish dancing event in our hotel was spectacular.

Excursions and Itinerary : Excellent. The walking and bus tours are a great way to get an overview of the city, and the trip to Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and time to explore the city and hang out with the locals in the pubs at Temple Bar was fun and exciting.

Kinsale, Ireland

After our stay in Dublin, we boarded our bus to head to Blarney, with a lunch stop and walk through the beautiful fishing village of Kinsale, Ireland. Taking the bus gave us the opportunity to see the lush, green countryside for which Ireland is known. Instead of dropping us off in town, we disembarked outside of the village and walked into town, where we could enjoy the beautiful views of the village and ancient fortresses before stopping in a local pub to get some lunch and, of course, an Irish Stout.

Blarney, Ireland

We visited in March, so, unfortunately, our weather was cold and mostly rainy throughout the week. In fact, our guide mentioned to us that the spring had been unusually rainy and they were experiencing flooding in some parts of the country. Thankfully this did not affect our visit to Blarney. Our stay was short, one day and one night, but well worth the stop. We stayed in the restored Blarney Woolen Mill, converted to a hotel, pub, and shop. The shop sells the most extensive selection of Irish woolen items I’ve ever seen, along with plenty of wonderful Irish gifts. When I discovered that they would ship my purchases back to the US, well, let’s just say I bought a few things.

Our visit included a trip to the famous Blarney Castle and the opportunity to climb the Keep and kiss the Blarney Stone. Doing so, according to legend, will give you the gift of the gab. Blarney Castle and the surrounding grounds is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life. The castle soars out of the lush green undergrowth like something you’d see in a fairytale movie.

Our Trip to Blarney Included

• Dinner in Blarney Hotel – Hint: I learned from a local Irishman that it’s NOT ok to sample Jameson and Bushmills whiskeys together. He seemed quite horrified and made sure I knew of his disappointment.
• Visit to Blarney Castle
• Overnight Stay in The Blarney Woolen Mills Hotel
• Plenty of time to shop in the wool factory

Blarney Tour Review

Lodging : Excellent. Staying in the transformed mill was a great experience.

Food : I honestly do not remember what we ate. I’m sure it was adequate but I’ve not been impressed with food from this region.

Excursions and Itinerary: Excellent! The visit to Blarney Castle was self-paced, leaving us plenty of time to explore and take photos.

Pace : Moderate. There was plenty of time to shop and explore the small town on our own.

Cobh Heritage Center

Our visit to County Cork also included a brief lunch stop to Cobh Heritage Center. Once described as the “saddest place in Ireland,” Cobh was the center of the mass emigration of the Irish during the Great Famine, the port taking criminals sentenced for petty crimes to Australia, and the last port of call for the fated RMS Titanic. The location was most likely the port from which my Sweeney Irish ancestors departed on their route to America, where they settled in Upstate New York and live there still. For this reason, this stop was especially meaningful and emotional for me. It was here that I purchased a silver Claddagh ring in memory of my family’s journey.

Outside the Cobh Heritage Center stands an iconic statue of fifteen-year-old Annie Moore and her younger siblings about to leave for America due to the potato famine. Annie was also the first person to pass through Ellis Island in New York State , and there stands the same statue, depicting their safe arrival. Her image will forever represent the millions who passed through Ellis Island in pursuit of the American dream.

Killarney, Ireland and the Ring Of Kerry

Our next stop was Killarney, Ireland in County Kerry. Our hotel was a short walk from the main shopping and business district; however, our weather was cold and very rainy, making it hard to enjoy being outside. Despite the rain, we did take a traditional jaunting cart ride and visited some of the shops and pubs on foot. I highly recommend the jaunting cart tour as the guides are hilarious and it was a fun overview of the region! Our driver brought us through the countryside and into the woods to visit Ross Castle, but the rain had flooded the area and overturned trees, so we were unable to get close up. I did receive a marriage proposal from our jaunting cart driver, but that’s another story.

During our first evening in Killarney, we ducked into a pub and discovered locals getting together to play traditional Irish music with their own instruments, including the spoons! After the rain and cold it was wonderful to cozy up in the pub and get a taste of the local culture and music.

The following morning we departed for a day-long bus ride around the famous Ring of Kerry, which would typically provide breathtaking views of the Irish ragged coastline. It was so rainy and foggy that we could not see out the windows of the bus. This was by far the most disappointing day of our trip, as aside from the initial stop in the 19th century Kerry Bog Village and a very wet and cold Sheepdog demonstration, the day was wasted. It was raining horizontally during the Sheepdog demonstration; however, the dogs and their trainer were amazing, even in that weather. If you’ve never seen these dogs in action, I highly recommend this stop.

Our visit to Killarney, Ireland Included

• One night stay in a local hotel
• Evening meal with the group
• Bus ride of the Ring of Kerry
• Trip to the Kerry Bog Village and museum
• Sheepdog demonstration

Killarney Tour Review

Lodging : Fair. The rooms were drafty and very dated, circa 1980s decor. Still, they were clean and functional.

Food : I honestly can’t remember anything I ate here except for the Irish Coffee.

Excursions and Itinerary: The weather destroyed most of these, which would have otherwise been great.

Pace : Slow. We had plenty of time to explore on our own.

Rock of Cashel

From Killarney, we circled back toward Dublin, which would be our final destination to our flight home. On the way, we stopped at the Rock of Cashel, also known as St. Patrick’s rock, located in County Tipperary, Ireland. This location was the traditional seat of the King of Munster and was reputed to be the location of his conversion by St. Patrick in the 5th century.

Visitors can tour the ruins of the castle and explore the grounds, which include a graveyard containing many beautiful and ancient high crosses. Most of the buildings you’ll see here date from the 12th and 13th centuries. If you’re one of the lucky members of the remaining family, you can still be buried in the cemetery, and I was excited to discover what might be a distant relative of mine newly buried right outside the exit of the main castle. Here’s another place where you really get the feel of ancient Ireland through art, architecture, and religion. From here, we traveled back to Dublin for one more day exploring the city before heading home.

Ireland Tour overview: If you Go

This EF Educational tour is a great overview of Ireland, the pace was moderate and allowed plenty of time to explore on our own, spend time in the pubs, listen to local music and shop in the beautiful wool and jewelry shops. There was an extension available for Northern Ireland, which, due to work schedules, we did not join. I think that extension would have rounded out the trip and provided a great overview of the country, the conflicts, and the culture.

Do you have advice for those visiting Ireland? Leave me your tips in the comments!

To see photos of my trip to Ireland visit my Flickr page, my Google Photos , or follow me on Instagram @offdutytraveler . I’ll see you on the next trip!

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

One thought on “ Ireland Tour Review: EF Tours ”

• Pingback: 10 ef college break ireland reviews Ideas

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Is EF Tours right for you?   

So your kid just came home from school with a gorgeous full color brochure about an upcoming trip to Europe with EF Tours that one of their teachers is leading.  He or she is super excited about all the cool things they get to do and is just begging you to let them go.  

It sounds great, but as a responsible parent, you want to know exactly what you’d be sending your child off to do, and how things would actually work on this trip.  

Well, lucky for you we took a 12 day visit to Europe with EF Tours, and have all the details to decide if taking an international trip with this company is right for you or your teenager.  

We’re going to start with the breakdown of how things work with EF and what to expect as a participant or a parent, and then move on to our specific experience with our tour.  

I always like to start my reviews by reminding you that I was not compensated in any way to write this post.  All opinions are my own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience.

What is EF Tours? 

EF Tours is a travel company that specializes in international tours for students.   

According to their website , EF Tours has been in operation since 1965 and offers trips for students and teachers designed to “provide immersive, life-changing education.”

Basically, EF Tours organizes international trips for students to a wide variety of destinations, promising “compelling itineraries” full of “experiential learning.”

They also promise to have the “lowest price on the market” for this type of travel.  

EF, as a company, offers may types of tours ranging from group trips for adults to organized gap years for high school graduates.  While these options are available, the bread and butter of the company is the basic high school student tour which is what we took.  

How do EF Tours work?

EF Tours have a pretty straightforward process during the sign up period, prior to departure and during your trip. 

Before we get into that, it must be said that EF Tours operate fully independently of the local school district, and are not endorsed or supported by them whatsoever.  

While this may seem like a school trip, it is not.  It is a trip run by a business who just happens to recruit participants through the school system.  Your local principals, school boards, etc. have zero control or influence on these trips.  The school is only involved in the process as far as whether they allow teachers to hand out information in schools or not. 

The EF in EF Tours stands for Education First.  According to their website, EF claims to “design tours to help educators teach, and so students can learn more—about tolerance, other perspectives, and themselves.”

The Sign Up Process

EF Tours are set up to be “hosted” by a local teacher who is then designated as the “group leader.”  Teachers are incentivized with free and reduced price travel to recruit students to join their tours.  

Tours are advertised by the group leader/teacher to students at their school and to their local community.  Interested students and parents are invited to attend informational meetings either in person or virtually where the group leader/teacher goes over the itinerary and any questions potential participants may have.  

Students and parents can then sign up directly through the EF Tours website, and submit all payments directly to the company.  

Trips are usually initially introduced about two years before the travel date so that participants can make smaller monthly payments to cover the cost of the trip.  Costs for these trips can range widely, depending on the destinations and length of the trip.  

EF has the group leader/teacher set up deadlines for signing up to go on the trip, sometimes including small discounts to encourage enrollment.  This tends to give a false sense of urgency to the sign up process. 

We found that participants can sign up just about any time before the trip departs.  We signed up about a year out from the trip, while another student who traveled with us signed up just a month or two before we left.  

Anyone was allowed to sign up for the trip.  We were encouraged to invite friends and family to join us on the tour, whether or not they were associated with our school or even local to our area.  

Adults did need to pass a background check in order to participate in the trip, since adult tour participants are traveling with minors.  

We were not given specific dates for our trip, but instead we were given a window of time during which the trip would occur.   Our dates were finally confirmed about two months before our departure.  

There are usually two or three optional excursions that can be added to any tour.  These usually include some special activity or visit to an additional landmark.  

Tour participants may also choose to upgrade the insurance for the tour. 

Before Your EF Tour

Once you’ve signed up for your EF Tour, you’ll be given access to a tour portal on the EF website where you can track your payments and what steps you need take next to participate in the trip.  They also provide a fundraising page, where friends and family can pay EF directly to offset the cost of your trip.  

Our group had a few in person meetings at a local restaurant prior to our trip where we discussed issues ranging from passports to packing for our trip to Europe , and got a chance to meet our fellow travelers.  This may or may not be true or all groups that are traveling with EF.  

Each participant in our tour was required to submit a copy of our passport to EF to insure that we had the proper documentation to travel.  

Information about our flights was not available until about a month before our departure, and information about our hotels was not available until we were about three weeks out from leaving.  

EF Tours uses a wide range of airlines, and travelers do not get to indicate a preference.  EF books all travelers in economy class seats for all transportation methods.  EF will book with whatever airline has space available for the lowest price for the group.  

As for hotels, travelers know very little about where they are staying ahead of time.  Per the website, tour participants are assured that “travelers can count on safe, clean and comfortable hotels with private bathrooms” but much beyond that the info is sparse.  

Students can expect to room with one to three other students, and possibly have to share beds.  Adults can expect to share a room with one other person.  For a fee, a single room can be requested for the tour. 

EF does indicate up front that hotels may have small rooms without air conditioning, television, or elevators, and that WiFi may not always be available.  

During an EF Tour

All transportation arrangements are made by EF Tours, including flights, buses, trains, etc.  They book all accommodations and attraction admissions for tour participants. 

Two meals a day are included in the cost of a trip with EF Tours.  Breakfast is provided each day at the hotel, usually continental style, but sometimes with hot offerings just depending on your hotel.  Dinners are are pre-arranged with a preset menu by EF at local restaurants.  EF will make accomodations for those with specific dietary needs, such as gluten free or dairy free meals.

While the teacher recruiting students is designated as your group leader, they don’t actually lead the tour once you start traveling.  EF provides a Tour Director to accompany your group through the entire trip.  

This Tour Director is supposed to handle just about everything on your tour, including all your pre-booked accommodations, meals, excursions, tickets, and transfers.  This person is there to direct the group and handle any problems with logistics you may encounter along the way.  

During the tour, your group will meet up with various local guides who will give you some sort of tour of the city or historic site that you’re visiting.  These tours are usually walking tours, but sometimes are bus tours, depending on the location.  

Tour participants are also given access to an EF Tours App, that just lists your daily itinerary for your trip.  

Our EF Tour Review

Our specific tour featured quite a daunting itinerary.  We toured Europe for 12 days, visiting sites in London, Paris, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and Capri, with no more than two nights in any destination.  

Our tour consisted of 26 travelers from our high school: three teachers, seven adults and 16 students.  We were combined with a group from upstate New York consisting of 14 travelers: one teacher, one adult, one child and 11 students.  There were a total of 40 people on our tour.  

What EF Tours Promised

Before our tour, the group leaded made sure every person who showed an interest in going on the trip got the glossy, full color brochure that outlined our itinerary and told us what to expect on the tour.  

The brochure promised that participants would be “surrounded by the people, the language, the food, and the way of life” of the destinations on our itinerary.  We were assured that our tour director would be “with us around the clock, handling local transportation, hotels, and meals while also providing their own insight into the local history and culture.”  

We would be spending time in three different countries, seeing some of the most beautiful and historic cities in Europe.

The brochure also claimed that students could earn educational credit while on tour, and that all tours feature “experiential learning activities.”

Our tour left some of these promises unfulfilled, but did give us a glimpse at some fantastic destinations in Europe and some amazing memories.  

Our hotels along the trip started out stellar but seemed to go downhill from there, unfortunately ending in truly unacceptable accommodations.  

Even though this wasn’t guaranteed, all of our accommodations had some sort of air conditioning, with some that functioned better than others, and all of them had WiFi.  

For the first four nights during our stays in London and Paris, we were sent to Hilton Hotels .  They both were on the higher end of what I expected based on the descriptions provided by EF Tours of what our hotels would be like.  

The rooms at these Hiltons were very new, immaculately clean and extremely comfortable.  They were both located about an hour outside of the city center, but that wasn’t too much of a problem.  

When we reached Italy, things changed a bit.  

For a quick overnight in Milan on our way to Florence, we stayed at and AS Hotel in Limbiate.  This hotel was a bit older than the Hiltons we’d stayed in, but it was clean, spacious, and comfortable.  

Between Florence and Rome, we spent the night at the Hotel Villa Ricci (not pictured).  This hotel was significantly older than the other three we had stayed at, but it was still clean and comfortable.  While the room wasn’t much to write home about, some members of our group lucked out and got spectacular balconies. 

Once we arrived in Rome, the Villa Aurelia was our home base for two nights.  We learned that this hotel had once housed men studying to join a monastery, which explained the doritory feel of the place.  Again, we found these rooms to be clean and pretty comfortable.  

On our way to Southern Italy, we spent the night in Sorrento at Sisters Hostel .  This was the only true hostel on our trip.  While they still stuck with four students to a room, several of the student rooms had enough beds to sleep up to 12 people. 

Though not quite as refined as the Hiltons, and a little slap-shot with the furniture, we found this place to be clean and welcoming.  While it wasn’t quite as comfortable as some of the other places we’d stayed, it was completely acceptable and had a spectacular view of the Gulf of Naples from the rooftop terrace. 

Things took a turn for the worse on our last night of the tour, when we stayed at Hotel La Pergola in Rome.  This place was truly one of the worst hotels I’ve ever had the misfortune to stay at (and as a travel blogger, I’ve stayed at a LOT of hotels).  

Things started off badly when we discovered that the lights in all the hallways were not on, and that we had to hunt around with our cell phone flashlights to find our way to our rooms.  I asked the front desk to remedy this, but it was never addressed, and we had to repeat the blind search for our rooms every time we went up.  

Upon arrival in my room, I found it to be extremely dirty.  There was a layer of dusty film all over my bathroom and my pillow had an unidentified crusty stain on it.  My daughter’s room had the same layer of dirt in the bathroom, plus a shoe print from where someone killed a bug on the wall.  I checked our beds for bedbugs and thankfully did not find any. 

The front desk did not seem to care and we were told no one was available to come clean the bathrooms.

But the worst experience in this hotel went to a dad on our trip, who’s single room contained only a sofa.   Not a sleeper sofa, but just a hard couch.  There were no linens or towels available to him whatsoever. 

When he asked for these items at the front desk, he was told that we should have called earlier to request them since they were all locked up in a cabinet by the time we arrived at the hotel.   He ended up sleeping on a towel laid out on the sofa with a travel neck pillow, that had been provided to him by his daughter from her room.

The front desk attendant seemed more than annoyed anytime someone from our group would approach them, and insisted that we all leave our keys at the front desk when leaving the hotel for dinner that night.    

We weren’t left with much recourse, since this was a group trip and we were on our last night, so we decided to just grin and bear it, and did our best to get some sleep.  

Overall, I’d say that the hotels provided were quite good, with the exception of Hotel La Pergola.  For ten of the eleven nights of our trip, we were provided with clean, safe accommodations that lived up to what the EF Tours website told us to expect.  

At the time of this publication, EF Tours has been notified of this unacceptable hotel and has yet to respond.  

Meals on the tour ran the gamut from weird to stellar, but overall were not to bad.  Breakfast and dinner every day were included in what we paid for our tour.  

All breakfasts were served at our hotels.  Sometimes they were just continental breakfasts with cold offerings, and sometimes we were given hot breakfasts with eggs, bacon, and such.  Sometimes it was quite obvious where our group was supposed to go, and sometimes it wasn’t. 

Overall, breakfasts were adequate throughout the trip.  

Lunches were not included in the initial price of our trip and were paid out of pocket each day.   

Lunches were always a gamble.   It all depended on where we were and what was going on whether or not we’d get to select a restaurant on our own or if the group would be directed to eat at somewhere specific, and if we’d have lots of great choices or really limited options.  

For example, on our first full day of the trip, we visited the Tower of London.  We told to make sure we ate lunch after our tour, before rejoining the group to get on the bus.  The only options available to us were food trucks along the river right next to the Tower complex.  

It was the worst during our travel days.  We were frequently told we could just grab a bite to eat at the train station or the airport, only to be left with minimal time and very limited options.  

But some days lunch was great.  During our time in Rome, lunch came with some free time to wander, so we were able to go out and select the restaurant of our choice.  

Some days our tour guide would set up a lunch option for us, having arranged a preset menu and price with a local restaurant.  Those options were usually something like a burger, pizza or a cold sandwich.  

I’m not sure if the lunch situations were like this because of our tour guide or because of EF itself.  Sometimes it seemed inevitable, like when we were stuck in an airport or train station.  Other times it seemed like our guide might be creating these situations by not fully informing us what was available near by.  

All dinners were set up at local restaurants before our arrival.  We did not get to select from a menu and were all served the same thing each night, with the exception of those who had special dietary needs.  Each meal came with water, but we were allowed to order additional drinks at our own expense if we choose to do so.  

The worst dinners EF provided happened during the first few days of our trip.  During our entire time in London, we were not once served any traditional English food.  Our Tour Director said it was because “London is a melting pot of cultures,” but our group didn’t buy that.  

Our first group dinner in London was at a Korean restaurant where the group was served a hot stone bibimbap with chicken.  I’m normally a big fan of Korean food, but this wasn’t great. 

The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries.  

When it became apparent on the second night that we weren’t going to be getting any traditional English food, my daughter and I made arrangements to go get dinner on our own, and pay for it out of pocket.  Four other members of our group chose to join us.  

We simply got information from our Tour Guide when and where to meet up with the group after dinner and selected a nearby local pub so we could have a traditional English dining experience.  

Dinners seemed to improve when we got to France. During our first night there we had a lovely traditional French meal of chicken with mushroom sauce in the back room of a small picturesque cafe with a ton of ambiance.   On the second night we had a traditional Alsatian dish called Flammekueche, which was sort of like a pizza with a creamy sauce.  

In Italy, the dinners were quite good.  Of course we were served a lot of pasta, but we also had braised beef in tomato sauce, gnocchi, and pizza.  

According to the folks on our trip who had special dietary needs, the dinners were pretty good for the most part.  Although it did seem that everywhere we went in Italy, anyone who was gluten free or dairy free was served watermelon for dessert.  

Before we left on our trip, we were told by our group leader that we shouldn’t need more that $25 US dollars per person per day for lunches and snacks.  We found that that number was not quite accurate for us, especially if we ever wanted to stray from the planned meals that EF Tours had set up for us.  

We also found that we frequently needed to buy water to stay hydrated in the high temperatures of Italy during the summer, and at most of the locations we visited, water was marked up quite a bit.  

Overall, the meals on our trip were pretty good, but could definitely have been better.  

Our Itinerary

We knew going into this tour that our itinerary would be extremely hectic.  With no more than 48 hours in any location, we expected it to be jam packed.  It was kind of like a tasting menu, where you got a little bit of each destination.  

What we didn’t expect was the significant amount of wasted time and changes to our itinerary that happened on our tour.  

Things started off poorly when our tour guide was an hour late to meet us at baggage claim and then our bus was over another hour late to pick us up at the airport.  

While our tour guide was a very sweet, personable woman, she didn’t seem to understand how to manage the timing logistics for a group of 40 travelers.  

Our group was quite good about being on time to meet up locations with a couple of small exceptions that could not be helped.  No one wanted to be the person that made us late.  

Our tour guide didn’t seem to have this mentality.  She was frequently the last person downstairs at our hotels to meet our bus 15 to 20 minutes after the time she told us to meet her, and did not budget in adequate travel time to most of our destinations. 

For example, while we were driving across Italy, she had our driver stop at a large gas station for a bathroom stop.   She told us we only had five minutes to use the restroom and get back on the bus.  It’s completely impossible for 40 people to make use of just a handful of bathroom stalls in five minutes. 

We were late to our tours in London, Florence, and the Vatican.  We were late to our tour of the Colosseum in Rome.  We were late to our appointment at the Louvre.  We were so late to our tour of Pompeii.  This significantly hindered what we were able to see at our destinations, and made the whole tour seemed very rushed every day.  

Things like this happened over and over again throughout the trip.  This resulted in our group being habitually late to most of the tours we went on, and significantly cut into our time at some really important places.

The only times it seemed like we weren’t late was when we had to catch a flight, a train, or a ferry.  

There were also some pretty significant changes to our itinerary. 

Several items listed on our initial brochure were changed before the trip due to pandemic restrictions and travel challenges, which was fine.  We had ample notice and knew what to expect.    

But there were several instances where visits to certain locations were dropped off our itinerary completely, and visits to other non-advertised locations were added.  

Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating.  

In London, a walking tour of Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and Leicester Square was replaced with “free time” at the British Museum, which we really didn’t mind. 

But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation.  

On our way to Rome, our guide added a stop in Ovierto, a beautiful small town with picturesque views, wonderful dining and great little shops which we enjoyed immensely. 

But in Paris, a visit to Montmartre was abandoned, even though our dinner restaurant was within a mile of the historic location.  

The best unexpected addition to our trip in my opinion was the opportunity to see a musical in the West End of London.  Our guide was able to secure tickets (for an extra fee) for those who wanted them to a performance of Wicked during our free evening.  It was absolutely fantastic.  

But in the most frustrating example, during our time in Paris a visit to the Frogonard Perfume Museum was added to our itinerary.   No one asked to go there, and most of us seemed annoyed that we were stopping.  We were assured that the stop there would only last 30 minutes, but it ended up taking three times that, leaving us only an hour and a half to visit the Louvre before we had to be back on the bus to catch a flight to Italy.  

These added stops almost always involved additional costs as well, which we were not informed of before leaving for our trip.  This caused problems for a few kids on our trip who weren’t expecting these costs, and they unfortunately had to miss out on some of the better additions. 

There also seemed to be major sites in some of these cities that were not ever even an option to visit or see, due to our limited time in each city.   We didn’t go to Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral while we were in London, and there were too many things to count in Paris that we didn’t even glimpse.  While we were aware of this upfront before the tour, it really did feel like they didn’t allow enough time in any location to really see the cities we were in.  

Despite these frustrations, the itinerary did take us to some fantastic places and we had some absolutely unforgettable experiences.  We had a fantastic time seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.  We enjoyed a truly magical and unexpected sunset under the Eiffel Tower in Paris.  We got to listen to an orchestra perform in Piazza della Signoria in Florence.  We were able to marvel at the unparalleled artwork inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.  We saw the stunningly beautiful sites of Capri from a private boat tour.  Those memories are truly priceless.  

During our trip there were extra excursions offered in any city we stayed in more than one night. 

In London, the excursion was a visit to the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel type ride that gives riders a birds eye view of the city.  In Paris, it was a trip to Versaille to tour the palace and the gardens.  In Rome, it was a tiramisu cooking class.  

We choose not to participate in the excursion in London because I’m not the biggest fan of heights, and in Paris because my daughter wanted the opportunity to spend some extra free time in the city.  

I’m extremely glad we made those decisions.   

While the London Eye excursion seemed to go well for those who went on it, it was over priced.  EF Tours charged each participant $60.  Tickets can be purchased individually at the ticket booth for just $42 USD or for groups ahead of time for just $24 USD.  I’m not sure what EF added to the experience to warrant that upcharge.  

By skipping the London Eye, we were able to have a bit more time to explore and plenty of time to enjoy our pub dinner that we mentioned earlier since the London Eye excursion was timed to happen right before dinner.  

In Paris, those who went to Versaille told us the experience was underwhelming because of the limited time available inside the palace, and the lack of lunch options available to those who went.  

The Versailles excursion seemed overpriced as well.  EF Tours charged $114 USD to each participant.  Tickets to the entire estate are free for those under 18 years old and cost under $30 USD for anyone else, and that’s without a group discount.  Even if every single person had to buy a ticket,  I can’t imagine that the cost for a group tour and the transportation to get the group there cost an additional $84 USD per person.  

The tiramisu cooking class in Rome was not optional for our group for some reason.  I think our group leader made that choice when she set up our trip.  We paid an extra $85 USD above and beyond the base tour price to experience it.  While I could not find information about individual class pricing, I highly doubt that EF paid that much per person for us to spend an hour making tiramisu. 

I will say that the class was a fun experience at a great location, and we all enjoyed the desserts we made together.  

Overall, unless an excursion is of special interest to you, I wouldn’t recommend participating in them, simply because they seem overpriced.  Having extra free time to see the sites of your choice seemed to be the best option during our tour.  

Education on an EF Tour

EF Tours makes a big deal out of their tours being focused on education.  We were promised “experiential learning activities” during the trip.  They even claim you can earn credit for going on these tour.  

We found that there wasn’t that much education attached to our tour.  

The local tour guides who showed us the sights of each city were the most informative folks on this trip, with extensive knowledge of the history and culture at each stop, but we were forced to use amplifying devices called Whispers in order to hear the guides.  These Whispers often had glitches or were garbled, making it very hard to understand our guides.  

Other than the local tour guides and maybe the tiramisu class, I wouldn’t call just visiting these historic places an “experiential learning activity.”  

We also learned that our high school would not give any credit to students who participated in these trips, even though much was made of the educational credit during the pitch to get us to join the tour.  

This isn’t to say that we didn’t learn anything on our trip.  We did have some great cultural experiences while we traveled.  But learning seemed to take a back seat to just being in another country in most circumstances.  

Safety with EF Tours

As a parent considering an EF Tour for my teenager, I know safety was a big concern for me.  

When my husband and I decided to send our daughter, we felt like one of us should go with her since she was only 15 at the time we went on the trip, and had not traveled internationally like this before.  

For the most part, I felt quite safe during our trip.  

Before our trip, our group leader did make sure to advise us about pickpocketing and theft at major tourist sites in Europe, and advised us to be prepared.  She did make sure we were always wary of our passports and where we were keeping them during our travels.  

While on tour, there was only one time that I felt like our group was taken to an unsafe area.  That was during our terrible last night in Rome when we had to walk from our hotel to our dinner restaurant through some pretty sketchy areas of the city.  

Although student were allowed to go out on their own during our free time, they were asked to go in groups of three or four and were left in pretty safe areas to spend their free time.  

The biggest problem I saw with safety was when our Tour Guide would take off walking at a breakneck speed, frequently leaving half our group stuck at crosswalks or a few turns behind.  She usually did a count to make sure everyone was there when we were ready to leave, but she did leave people behind at least twice during our trip and have to go back and get them.  

Most of the time we had no idea where we were headed when we were walking to different locations.  We were never given the names of the restaurants or addresses of where they would be unless we specifically asked for them.  I think communicating with the group more about where we’re going could have avoided some sticky situations that a few of our travelers found themselves in when they were left behind.  

We also didn’t have a way to contact our Tour Guide directly.  Only a couple of people were given her contact information, which made communication confusing and difficult during our free time, especially when she got delayed during our free evening in Paris and our meeting time had to be pushed back significantly.

Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didn’t set many boundaries for our students.  

Since the legal drinking age in the areas we visited was 18, student who met this requirement were allowed to drink alcohol on our trip, but were asked to limit it to one drink with dinner.  By and large, our students respected this request and did not take advantage of the lowered drinking age to go and party it up.  

Trips like this EF Tour require students to be pretty mature when it comes to safety.  We had a wonderful group of kids who took their personal safety pretty seriously, and didn’t take unnecessary risks that would put them in jeopardy.  Had it been a different group of personalities, I’m not sure how it would have gone.  

EF Tours:  Our Final Verdict

Would I travel with EF Tours again?  That seems to be the question at hand here.  

My EF Tours experience definitely taught me a lot about group travel.  As someone who travels pretty frequently , I usually make most of my own travel arrangements, from flights to hotel reservations to activities.  It was quite nice not to have to worry about any of that.  It really did take a lot of pressure off to just let someone else do all that work. 

But relinquishing that control does require a certain amount of trust.  There were some areas that I would definitely trust EF to arrange again, and other areas where I really think they could do better.  

For this trip it really came down to adjusting expectations once we were traveling.  I really did expect there to be more education involved in what we did while on our tour.  I really did expect to spend some quality time at these major historic sites. 

Once I realized that time would be much more limited at every destination than I expected it to be, the trip went much more smoothly.  

I think our experience would have been better with a more seasoned Tour Guide.  Ours just didn’t seem quite ready to handle all the pressures and logistics that are required for managing a group of 40 people for 12 days.  

EF Tours is definitely a budget tour company, and for the price, you do get a good experience.  

Did EF Tours create the trip of my dreams?  Not by a long shot. 

Did they create a good experience for students who haven’t done a lot of international traveling?  I’d say yes.  

Do I regret going on an EF Tour?  Absolutely not.  I had some incredible experiences in some amazing locations with my only daughter, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.  

Would I go on another EF Tour?  I think I would, but I would definitely choose a slower paced itinerary with more time in each destination.  

Do you have any questions about EF Tours that I didn’t answer?  Feel free to ask me in the comments!!

EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Friday 12th of April 2024

I have gone on 4 EF tours (England and Scotland), (London and Paris), Rome, and one called Bell'Italia, which was basically a road trip through Italy. The meals are always meh, and the hotels were usually ok to good. I'm surprised at your lackluster tour guide. We have ALWAYS fallen in love with all 4 tour guides!!! They are all friends for life now. I wish you could have had that experience. The kids just adored them all. I did find the more jam packed the itinerary is, the more stressful the trip can be, but on the other hand, you get to see it all.

Thursday 14th of March 2024

Thank you so much for your insightful review! My daughter is headed to S. Korea in a few weeks and reading all these comments & your review...I'm just hoping for the best at this point. I wanted to ask about the tipping. Our group leader has requested $145 paid to her in cash, which I was completely caught off guard, considering the financial commitment of the trip itself, but reading this, it seems that it is quite normal. I contacted EF and the representative said that according to the tour itinerary, the total suggested guideline should be significantly less. Do you know what happens if there is a surplus or shortage with the tipping amount? I'm just wary about giving someone I don't even know (group leader) cash.

Saturday 13th of April 2024

@Louise Emery, I can't thank you enough for you review. My school is planning a trip to Rome, London, and Paris in June 2025. I've been honestly on the fence, and I still have time to cancel. I'm a teacher at the school, but not actually a chaperone. I have to pay the full cost for the trip, but I know I will likely still need to supervise the students during the day. I don't necessarily mind this, but I wonder if I'd be able to explore at night. What time did you typically get back to your hotel? I really hope we are not an hour away from the Rome, London, or Paris city centers. I would love to be able to go out for drinks on my own at night time once the students are in the hotels. Louise, do you think it might be better to plan my own trip to Rome, London, and/or Paris? I'm a single man with no kids hahah.

Louise Emery

Tuesday 2nd of April 2024

I really am not sure what would be done with a surplus. I would definitely ask the group leader about the discrepancy between their request and the recommendation of EF.

Melissa Levy

The parent in charge of the tour I’m about to go on is asking for $200 for tips from each parent going on the trip and $120 for each kid. Based on what I’ve read, this seems like a lot. What do you think?

I think it depends on where you're going and what you're doing. We paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 per person. We had a LOT of tours and there were many people to tip. My only concern is the different amount for parent vs student. I wonder why they are breaking it down that way.

Wednesday 21st of February 2024

Expectations make a difference!

Thanks for taking the time to go through all these details. My son did go on one of these trips in his junior year of HS and loved it. I can understand the concerns you mentioned and makes those points something to think about when scheduling a group tour. As an adult, I have been to Europe twice with groups (travel award from workd) I know EF Tours has groups for that as well, and have been apprehensive to just 'jump in". Trying to analyze what is the best option to finally get to the Grand Canyon. Thanks for your perspectives

Suggested companies

Ef education first, explorica us, passports travel.

EF Educational Tours   Reviews

In the Tour Agency category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

14,115 total

Most relevant

I was able to accompany my daughter and…

I was able to accompany my daughter and we had an amazing experience! We loved all of our tour guides and Sarah, our guide from beginning to end was phenomenal. It was truly a wonderful, unforgettable time that I will treasure.

Date of experience : April 24, 2024

Trip was amazing

Trip was amazing. There were parts of the trip that felt rushed and could have used more time or better planning. We visited the Vatican, had to break up the group due to size and there just wasn’t enough time to explore. It was very busy, potentially scheduling that tour in the morning vs the afternoon. Hotels were far, leaving less time at each location due to travel times. Meal options at dinner would be nice, kids often did not eat as there was only one choice. Overall good experience and I would recommend EF for anyone looking to take a trip.

Date of experience : April 25, 2024

My son had the trip of a lifetime with…

My son had the trip of a lifetime with his teachers & school mates! He couldn't stop taking about it for a week! The structure and organization of the trip was wonderful!

Date of experience : April 26, 2024

Great experience

They packed a lot of stuff into this trip. The kids had so many great experiences. A delayed flight caused them to arrive much later than anticipated, buy the tour group rolled with it.

She loved Paris and the tour guide!

She loved Paris and the tour guide!! She was very disappointed in the meals, as she was hoping for an authentic experience and was given quite basic food. The Amsterdam hotel was not clean and “not worth what parents spent”.

Great experience!

My daughter has done two EF Tours with her school and she has loved the experience both times. Both times the trips have been packed with learning as well as recreational activities for the students to do. The accommodations are good and the food is great as per my picky kid. As long as she continues to enjoy these trips and the school continues to make them available my kid will be going!

Date of experience : April 08, 2024

Reply from EF Educational Tours

Amazing! We're glad your student enjoyed their tour abroad with their classmates. We are thrilled your daughter had comfortable food options available to her. To accommodate both adventurous and less adventurous travelers, we aim to offer a blend of local cuisine and familiar dishes. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for being part of the EF Tours family!

Overall, still a worthwhile experience

I was disappointed that EF cancelled two sightseeing points within a few weeks of departure. I fail to see how a trip planned two years in advance could not acquire the correct tickets to those tour points. The cancelled events were replaced with other worthwhile sights, however, less exciting and less known. The replaced events were also not updated in the EF app-- and while I did know ahead of time about the change, I hadn't realized entire days would be flip flopped to accommodate that switch. Therefore for two days I could not follow on the app to know what my child was experiencing on that day. Overall, this was still a worthwhile travel experience for my daughter. I just also feel there were some pretty large details that were overlooked for her particular tour.

My daughter just returned from the Cuba…

My daughter just returned from the Cuba trip. I do not recommend visiting this country with kids. It is particularly a horrible time to go, in-terms of extreme poverty and unavailability of the internet. The weather is always very hot and humid, the air is filled with cigar smoke. Most of the kids were ill half of their trip. My daughter was hospitalized 4 times, had blood taken multiple times and put on a IV, all without our knowledge. This has been a painful experience to watch unfold. It’s too much to ask of everyone to handle this type of experience. Our local doctor thinks our daughter contracted dengue fever, she is on a cocktail of antibiotics. The staff Dr Abrams personally took care of our daughter for the 3 days, the best he could under the conditions. Having our daughter back and being thankful for Dr. Abrams for being with our during a traumatic experience.

Excellent tour director - wonderful experience

The tour was packed with many activities and tours of many sights. The tour guides were very informative and entertaining. Overall the tour was a very positive experience. They also accommodated requests by some of us to attend activities outside the planned tour.

Date of experience : April 06, 2024

Wonderful trip and amazing sights

Wonderful trip and amazing sights. Some things I think could be improved: students enjoyed free time, but maybe fee time during the day with some events in the evening as well, especially in Tokyo. I’m sure there was a reason, but the travel from Osaka to Hiroshima and back to Osaka seemed unnecessary. We needed more explanation of history and facts about some of the shrines and temples we visited. Overall, the trip was amazing and the students enjoyed it very much.

Date of experience : April 04, 2024

Great Experience!

Our daughter had an incredible time with her friends on her trip this year. EF Tours did a great job with organizing. The tour guide was incredible and our daughter had only wonderful things to say about her. Highly recommend!

Date of experience : April 18, 2024

The tour director made our trip great!

The tour director made our trip special. He knew a lot and researched what he didn't. A great tour director makes such a difference! This trip covers many cities so bus time is expected. We did miss the inside of the Colosseum and Sistene Chapel because of ticket issues which should have been resolved ahead of time and that was disappointing. There is a lot packed into this trip but a few things we moved through a little to quickly. The group food was generally good but repetitive so we found other things on our own during the day.

Date of experience : March 21, 2024

This was the third time I have sent one…

This was the third time I have sent one of my kids to Europe on an EF Tour. Trustworthy, fully planned and thought out, exceptional. They give the kids the opportunity of a lifetime. And, most importantly, their trips instill confidence as citizens of the world. Do not hesitate to go on an EF Tour, they are the best at what they do.

Thank you for your fantastic review! We take immense pride in our professionalism, organization, and friendliness. Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is our utmost priority, and we’re thrilled to hear that it contributed to a great tour experience. Your kind words mean a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you and your students back for more memorable adventures!

Incredible Value and Life-Changing Experiences

I went on an EF tour when I was in high school, I led several when I was a teacher, and now my son has gone on one. This is an amazing company front to back and they take care of everything. The value is incredible for the price that you pay and I am so jazzed that my son had the time of his life his excursion. 10/10!

Date of experience : April 01, 2024

Our tour directors (TDs) went above and…

Our tour directors (TDs) went above and beyond every day of our tour. Whenever I texted EF with a concern, it was addressed. Travel can be hectic, it is reassuring to know that EF is with us every step of the way.

This was my sons second tour with EF…

This was my sons second tour with EF Tours and he had a wonderful experience. Tour guides were very knowledgeable and made safety a priority without taking away from the adventures of a foreign country.

Amazing! We're glad your student enjoyed their tour abroad with their classmates. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for being part of the EF Tours family!

As a parent there were many check ins…

As a parent there were many check ins throughout the whole process. Reminders to complete forms, passports and were available to answer questions. They held a pre meeting which also helped with anxieties and used Whats App as a means of communication when they were away First thing my son said to me was that it was "a life altering experience!"

Date of experience : April 21, 2024

Great EF Experience!

Our tour guide (Claudia) was amazing and so was our bus driver (Maurizio)! The locations we visited were very interesting, the hotels were very nice, the meals were good, and the extra excursions were very fun. EF Tours is a well organized company with a website that has a lot of excellent information to prepare you for your trip. Thank you so much for making our trip so memorable and enjoyable!

Date of experience : March 29, 2024

Well thought out and fun travel experience.

From a planning perspective, you made it very easy and clear to be prepared for the trip. From an activity standpoint, you did a very good job of planning and filling each and every day with fun and educational experiences. Also, the tour guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. My daughter had an amazing time. Thank you!

Date of experience : April 23, 2024

My son had a great very busy 9 days in…

My son had a great very busy 9 days in Italy - I think some of the hotels were less than great but some were wonderful from what i understand. The tours sounded really fun for the kids and they appreciated their guide very much. Nice balance of arts and historic sites/architecture it seemed.

Grand Tour of Ireland

This is the Ireland you’ve always imagined: pub-lined streets, lush emerald countryside, historic castles and cathedrals, and more lakes and lochs than you can count. So whether you’re Irish to your core or only on March 17, there’s plenty of good craic to go around.

Picture yourself

Sipping a freshly-brewed pint at the Guinness Brewhouse

Kissing the Blarney Stone to score the gift of gab

Connecting with nature throughout the Ring of Kerry

Pub crawling along Quay Street in Galway

Searching for puffins high atop the Cliffs of Moher

What you'll get

Round-trip flights & airport transfers (or book 'em yourself)

7 nights in handpicked accommodations

7 breakfasts and 2 dinners

Expert Tour Director

24/7 support from our travel gurus

Insider city tours with local guide

Guinness Storehouse tour and free pint

Guided tour of St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Stop at the world-famous Cliffs of Moher

Find your seat, pick a movie, and then try to get a wee bit of shuteye. The majesty and raw beauty of Ireland awaits.

Welcome to Dublin, the capital of Ireland! Once you arrive and drop your bags off at the accommodation, take a stroll to St. Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street, and Temple bar, where pub culture, literary history, and all-around charm await.

In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner of local cuisine and drinks with fellow travelers at an authentic local spot. Afterwards, you’re free to take the party elsewhere!

Today's highlights:

• Land at the airport and meet a waiting EF representative.
• Transfer to your hotel to check in and check out your room.
• Get familiar with the area around your hotel with an introductory walk with your Tour Director.

Today, see the best Dublin has to offer with a local guide on a tour of the city. Afterwards, enjoy a free afternoon in this bayside Irish capital.

• Enter St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the 800-year-old church named after the famous saint.
• Visit the Guinness Storehouse for a crash course in the history of Ireland’s signature beer. Then, let it all soak in high above Dublin with pints at Gravity Bar.
• Pass by Trinity College, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, home to the storied library that inspired Hogwarts’ own.
• Sample Dublin’s natural beauty and urban escape at Phoenix Park—the largest park in Europe.

Free time suggestions

Book of Kells: Stick around Trinity College after your tour for a chance to see the Book of Kells—a pristine 1,200-year old illustrated collection of biblical stories—up-close. Jameson Distillery: Sick of stout? Switch things up in favor of the strong stuff with a guided tour and whiskey tasting at the Jameson Distillery Bow St.

Continue by bus to Kilkenny a small city full of Irish charm, medieval architecture, and the most iconic ale in the country. Get ready to eat, drink, drink again, and be very merry.

• Watch the emerald hills roll along as you head from city to countryside.
• Arrive in Kilkenny and check in to your accommodation.
• Walk "The Medieval Mile,” featuring 14th-century castles, inns, and towers.
• Raise a glass of Smithwick’s, Ireland’s best red ale that has been brewed since 1710.

Kilkenny Design Centre: Buy yourself something nice at the Kilkenny Design Centre. Here you can find handcrafted, artisanal gifts from all over the country. It’s like Etsy, but you can touch stuff before you buy. Bridie's General Store: From the outside, Bridie’s General Store looks like an old-fashioned store to buy groceries or souvenirs. And it is. But continue to the back and find a full service pub (indoor and outdoor seating). Talk about a winning combination. Kilkenny Castle: We promised you medieval architecture, and Kilkenny Castle delivered. Originally built in 1195, the castle has had a full makeover, and is open to the public for guided tours of its stunning interior and gardens.

Shamrock shake things up as you leave Kilkenny behind for the quintessential Irish countryside of County Kerry’s rolling hills, tranquil lakes, and plenty of sheep. On the way, stop at the famed Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone.

• Board your private bus from Kilkenny to County Kerry, taking in the pristine Irish countryside along the way.
• Stretch your legs—and your lips—at Blarney Castle. Legend has it that those who smooch the namesake stone are bestowed with that iconic Irish charm: the gift of gab.
• Continue on to County Kerry and enjoy some free time to hit the pubs in the evening.

County Kerry Pubs: County Kerry is known for its raucous pub scene. Locals and visitors alike drink and sing with the bar band well into the wee hours of morning. Irish Cuisine: The Irish know comfort food. Try the shepherd’s pie, corned beef & cabbage, or Guinness beef stew.

Clear your camera roll and prepare to become Instagram famous as you traverse the must-see Ring of Kerry, stopping at each amazing panoramic vista, castle, or ocean view.

• Encounter magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Lakes of Killarney, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, and more.
• Pick your jaw off the floor after a day of unreal views, and head back to County Kerry for some nighttime free time.

Irish Whiskey Experience: The Irish Whiskey Experience in Killarney is the perfect masterclass for aficionados and new-comers alike. Buy a ticket and sign up for a class of your choice—from taste-testings to cheese plate pairings. Killarney National Park: Need more outdoors time? Take visit to the wondrous expanse of Killarney National Park. Where else can you find mountains, castles, woodlands, and waterfalls all in one place?

You’re off to Galway, a city famous for live music, street performers, and art shows. On the way, stop at the Cliffs of Moher for breathtaking views of the coastline.

• Gawk at the Cliffs of Moher—limestone walls of rock that dominate the coast for five miles and rise to staggering heights of 700 feet
• Arrive in beautiful Galway and take it all in on a walk along the banks of the River Corrib, gaze at the picture perfect Galway Bay, then get stoked for a night out in a new town.

Quay Street: Quay Street is a pub-crawler’s heaven. Pick a starting point, have a pint, and see where it takes you. Buskers: Busking, or street performing, is basically Galway’s favorite pastime. Catch the best fiddle player you’ve ever seen on one corner, and a blazing banjoist on the next.

Raise your glass, here’s to one more rowdy day in the British Isles! We know you’ll make it count. Before heading out for the day, take a moment to reflect on all the Guinness, rolling meadows, hearty food, and  craic  you’ve had. Ready? Go make some memories!

Eyre Square: The end of the rainbow in Galway leads to Eyre Square—a bustling center of shops, cafes, and art, though no known pot of gold sightings—yet. Irish Coffee: Vodka Red Bull’s Irish cousin packs a caffeinated punch of coffee, whiskey, and Bailey’s. Please enjoy responsibly.

Farewell Dinner Share some last laughs and revisit the best moments of the trip at this included farewell dinner with the group.

Take a ferry ride to the Aran Islands, where old traditions and iconic Irish countryside are hanging on strong. Don't miss Dún Aengus, a 2,000-year-old fort with walls that go right to the edge of a cliff high above the sea. Why wait? Save money by booking this optional excursion before your trip departs.

Slán libh, a cháirde! Translation: Goodbye, friends. Before you head to the airport, make sure to take one more group photo and grab that final drink. But this isn’t goodbye because you can always get the gang back together for another trip soon. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, we have a couple ways to keep your vacation going.

EXTEND YOUR TRIP 2 WAYS

1. Double the fun A lot of our trips line up back to back! Give us a call—we can help you add another and save big while you're at it.

2. Go ahead or stay behind Extending your trip is easy! During checkout, you'll have the option to fly to (or from) the gateway of your choice for an additional fee. We'll adjust your flights accordingly, but you'll be responsible to take care of your transportation, hotels, and other logistics outside of tour.

Note: Depending on your desired gateways, additional fees may apply.

Don’t think twice, book this trip now!

Ireland was the most amazing experience. The week was so fun. Shane made this trip an unforgettable one!

I loved Ireland!

As my first EF trip and my first time traveling alone in a different country, I had a blast in Ireland. I felt like I experienced everything the country had to offer and got some incredible memories there. Our tour director Shane was the best. He always had suggestions for our free time and often accompanied us or we followed him to his favorite spots (and t... See more

Best trip ever.

This has been my third trip traveling with EF and my favorite. Our whole group owes our gratitude to Diarmuid for making it so special. You would be very lucky to get my as a tour director! The itinerary covered so much ground and we were able to see so much! Diarmuid was also great at reading our group and suggesting activities to us. I will definitely be t... See more

Select your date

Flights  @media (min-width: 768px){.css-f9wcc4{display:none;}} departing from:.

• No Flights Included  
• Albany, NY  
• Albuquerque, NM  
• Amarillo, TX  
• Anchorage, AK  
• Atlanta, GA  
• Austin, TX  
• Baton Rouge, LA  
• Billings, MT  
• Birmingham, AL  
• Bismarck, ND  
• Boise, ID  
• Boston, MA  
• Bozeman, MT  
• Bradley, CT  
• Bristol, TN  
• Buffalo, NY  
• Cedar Rapids, IA  
• Charleston, SC  
• Charleston, WV  
• Charlotte, NC  
• Chattanooga, TN  
• Chicago, IL  
• Cincinnati, OH  
• Cleveland, OH  
• Colorado Springs, CO  
• Columbia, SC  
• Columbus, OH  
• Corpus Christi, TX  
• Dallas, TX  
• Dayton, OH  
• Denver, CO  
• Des Moines, IA  
• Detroit, MI  
• El Paso, TX  
• Fairbanks, AK  
• Fayetteville, AR  
• Fresno, CA  
• Grand Rapids, MI  
• Great Falls, MT  
• Green Bay, WI  
• Greensboro, NC  
• Greenville, SC  
• Helena, MT  
• Honolulu, HI  
• Houston, TX  
• Huntsville, AL  
• Indianapolis, IN  
• Jackson, MS  
• Jacksonville, FL  
• Kansas City, MO  
• Knoxville, TN  
• Las Vegas, NV  
• Lexington, KY  
• Little Rock, AR  
• Los Angeles, CA  
• Louisville, KY  
• Lubbock, TX  
• Madison, WI  
• Memphis, TN  
• Miami (MIA, FLL)  
• Midland, TX  
• Milwaukee, WI  
• Minneapolis, MN  
• Missoula, MT  
• Mobile, AL  
• Nashville, TN  
• New Orleans, LA  
• New York/New Jersey (EWR, LGA, JFK)  
• Norfolk, VA  
• Oklahoma City, OK  
• Omaha, NE  
• Orlando, FL  
• Pensacola, FL  
• Philadelphia, PA  
• Phoenix, AZ  
• Pittsburgh, PA  
• Portland, ME  
• Portland, OR  
• Raleigh Durham, NC  
• Rapid City, SD  
• Richmond, VA  
• Roanoke, VA  
• Rochester, NY  
• Saginaw, MI  
• Salt Lake City, UT  
• San Antonio, TX  
• San Diego, CA  
• San Francisco, CA  
• San Jose, CA  
• San Juan, PR  
• Savannah, GA  
• Sacramento, CA  
• Seattle, WA  
• Shreveport, LA  
• Sioux Falls, SD  
• South Burlington, VT  
• Spokane, WA  
• Springfield, MO  
• St.Louis, MO  
• Syracuse, NY  
• Tampa, FL  
• Traverse City, MI  
• Tucson, AZ  
• Tulsa, OK  
• Vancouver  
• Washington DC (BWI, IAD, DCA)  
• Wichita, KS  
• Wilmington, NC  
• Winnipeg, MB  
• Jun 7 – Jun 15 Call to book $2,779 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 14 – Jun 22 Almost Full $200 off Was $2,779 Now $2,579 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 15 – Jun 23 $200 off Was $2,379 Now $2,179 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jun 21 – Jun 29 Call to book $2,879 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 29 – Jul 7 Almost Full $2,329 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jul 5 – Jul 13 $200 off Was $2,329 Now $2,129 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jul 9 – Jul 17 Almost Full $200 off Was $2,729 Now $2,529 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jul 16 – Jul 24 Few Spots Left $300 off Was $2,729 Now $2,429 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Aug 2 – Aug 10 $2,329 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Aug 9 – Aug 17 Few Spots Left $2,529 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Aug 16 – Aug 24 $200 off Was $2,529 Now $2,329 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Aug 17 – Aug 25 $300 off Was $2,129 Now $1,829 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Aug 27 – Sep 4 Call to book $2,629 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Sep 7 – Sep 15 Almost Full $2,129 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Sep 10 – Sep 18 Almost Full $2,529 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Sep 17 – Sep 25 Few Spots Left $2,529 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Sep 24 – Oct 2 $2,129 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Sep 24 – Oct 2 Almost Full $2,529 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Oct 4 – Oct 12 $1,969 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Oct 4 – Oct 12 Almost Full $2,409 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Oct 11 – Oct 19 Almost Full $2,409 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Oct 25 – Nov 2 Almost Full $2,409 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Nov 8 – Nov 16 $200 off Was $1,969 Now $1,769 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Nov 8 – Nov 16 $300 off Was $2,409 Now $2,109 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Dec 6 – Dec 14 $200 off Was $1,969 Now $1,769 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Dec 6 – Dec 14 $300 off Was $2,409 Now $2,109 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Dec 29 – Jan 6 $200 off Was $2,499 Now $2,299 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Dec 29 – Jan 6 $300 off Was $2,999 Now $2,699 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Feb 28 – Mar 8 $2,609 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Mar 4 – Mar 12 $200 off Was $2,609 Now $2,409 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Mar 6 – Mar 14 $300 off Was $2,089 Now $1,789 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Mar 18 – Mar 26 $200 off Was $2,609 Now $2,409 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Apr 11 – Apr 19 $2,089 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Apr 11 – Apr 19 $300 off Was $2,609 Now $2,309 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• May 6 – May 14 $300 off Was $2,689 Now $2,389 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• May 8 – May 16 $2,149 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• May 16 – May 24 $200 off Was $2,219 Now $2,019 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• May 16 – May 24 $200 off Was $2,769 Now $2,569 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• May 30 – Jun 7 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• May 30 – Jun 7 $3,099 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 13 – Jun 21 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jun 13 – Jun 21 $200 off Was $3,099 Now $2,899 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 17 – Jun 25 $200 off Was $3,099 Now $2,899 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 19 – Jun 27 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jun 20 – Jun 28 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jun 20 – Jun 28 $3,099 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 24 – Jul 2 $3,099 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jun 26 – Jul 4 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jul 1 – Jul 9 $3,099 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jul 3 – Jul 11 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jul 8 – Jul 16 $3,089 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jul 10 – Jul 18 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Jul 15 – Jul 23 $200 off Was $3,089 Now $2,889 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Jul 17 – Jul 25 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Aug 8 – Aug 16 $2,269 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Aug 8 – Aug 16 $250 off Was $3,089 Now $2,839 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Aug 23 – Aug 31 $2,979 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Aug 29 – Sep 6 $2,179 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Aug 29 – Sep 6 $2,979 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Sep 5 – Sep 13 $2,179 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Sep 5 – Sep 13 $2,979 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours
• Sep 12 – Sep 20 $250 off Was $2,179 Now $1,929 Essential tour Learn about essential tours
• Sep 12 – Sep 20 $250 off Was $2,979 Now $2,729 Plus tour Learn about Plus tours

Back to the Passport

Vita, vino, e viaggio!

Review: EF Go Ahead Tours’ Highlights of England, Scotland, and Ireland

We’ve traveled a few times on guided group tours, I’ve gone with some girlfriends on EF Ultimate Break tours and Rick and I did a guided tour with Go Ahead back in 2018 on our Barcelona, Southern France, and the Italian Riviera tour .

We enjoyed that tour way back when and when we got home we got a travel credit of $100 and we put that toward the Highlights of England, Scotland, and Ireland tour with the plan to go in June 2020…

I’m sure you can guess that that did not work out as planned.

We decided to get a voucher for the amount we’d paid and we could use that for a future trip which ended up being the same itinerary just in September 2023 instead.

I’m happy to report we’ve finally crossed Scotland and Ireland off our travel bucket list and finally did this tour that we’ve been waiting to go on since before we were married five years ago!

Why group tours?

Just like any form of travel, group tours are not for everyone but they can also be great options for travelers!

One reason I like booking group tours is when we’re doing multi-country tours and I’m not in the mood to figure out trains, planes, and automobiles on our own. Most of the trips we’ve done with groups have been to several countries as it just makes it easy to hop on a bus and be taken to a new destination.

We also are planning a group tour to Japan in 2024 as it’ll be both of our first times visiting Asia and I’d prefer to have a guide. Otherwise, we’ve started to discuss unless we’re doing multi-country tours, we can navigate these trips on our own in the future.

Some benefits of booking a group tour:

• Organized transport: Like I said, there are some destinations that I’d rather just let someone else figure out how to get us from Point A to Point B and I can just enjoy the ride.
• Off the beaten path places: Another thing Rick and I agree on with these types of tours are that we have stops in small towns or places we wouldn’t normally plan to visit on our own. Like on this tour we stopped in Kendal in Cumbria, which we probably wouldn’t have gone out of our way to visit if we were on our own. But it’s definitely neat to visit some of these smaller stops.
• Mix of free time and organized activities: I also like that these tours know why people are visiting the cities we do and make sure to include stops to the important sightseeing stops or attractions while also giving us free time to explore on our own. Like this tour included Edinburgh Castle, Blarney Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, and so on, but also gave us time to do our own thing. I like the inclusion of the major sites as I don’t have to worry about buying tickets and getting the timing just right as so many attractions are moving to a timed entry system.
• The tour director: Lastly, it’s always nice having a tour director who organizes everything and takes charge of the day’s plans. Plus, the directors know what to recommend and what to skip so you’re not wasting your precious time in each stop along the tour.

The Go Ahead tour review

We chose this tour due to its itinerary as we wanted to see a variety of places in Ireland without worrying about figuring out how to get to all these places on our own.

The Highlights of England, Scotland, & Ireland itinerary:

• Day 1: Overnight flight
• Day 2: London (2 nights)
• Day 3: London (sightseeing tour & free afternoon or paid excursion)
• Day 4: Train to Edinburgh (2 nights) and included dinner
• Day 5: Edinburgh (sightseeing tour & free afternoon)
• Day 6: Liverpool (1 night)
• Day 7: Ferry to Dublin (2 nights)
• Day 8: Dublin (sightseeing tour in the morning and free evening or paid excursion)
• Day 9: County Kerry (2 nights) & a stop at Blarney Castle
• Day 10: Sightseeing tour of the Ring of Kerry
• Day 11: Dublin & the Cliffs of Moher
• Day 12: Flight home

So, we did change the itinerary just a bit! The tour officially started on Monday, September 4 and we figured we should fly out early to acclimate to the time change and add on a stop to our tour. I know, we were very ambitious.

We contacted Go Ahead and asked instead of flying us to London on Monday, could they fly us out to Paris on Friday instead? We just had to pay for the change in airfare otherwise it wasn’t a problem. We also obviously had to pay for our own accommodations in Paris and then get ourselves to London to join our tour group. No problem!

It worked out really well for us as I could finally get Rick to Paris for a weekend and then the Eurostar to London is super easy to navigate.

I was so excited for this tour’s itinerary as we got to go back to London but then see all new places in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Again, I like this style of travel when we’re visiting multiple countries.

I’ve had my eye on Edinburgh for a while now and Rick has always wanted to see Ireland so this itinerary was the perfect compromise. We got a taste of Scotland and now know we have to go back and we got to see quite a bit of Ireland!

What we did on our tour

Here’s a high-level breakdown of each day of our Go Ahead tour, with our included activities and our use of our free time.

We started our tour in Paris on our own and planned to arrive on Tuesday, Sept. 5 in London to meet up with our group. Day one of these tours is always a travel day with an overnight flight so most people were arriving on Tuesday in the mid-morning or early afternoon.

Some in our group did the tour extension so they arrived in London on Saturday. We got into London around 1:30 and bought our oyster cards so we could take the tube to our hotel in Kensington.

We had some free time to freshen up before our welcome drinks and dinner that night. We met in the hotel bar and got a complimentary drink as Colin, our tour director, introduced himself and discussed some housekeeping items and went over the itinerary for the trip.

He handed out printed itineraries (we could also use the Go Ahead app to track our day-by-day activities), and our Vox boxes and headphones so we could hear the local tour guides while on our walking tours.

Then it was off to our included dinner at a nearby pub where we could get to know our fellow travelers. After dinner, Rick and I went out to another pub as it was a lovely night.

On our full day in London we started off at 8:30 a.m. with a guided tour of London by bus and got off at Westminster Abbey (the tour does not include going inside the abbey) and then walked through a park to get a spot to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

Then, we had a free afternoon or London or we could have done the excursion to Hampton Court Palace (11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Rick and I were fine skipping the palace and just enjoying London on our own.

We collected our stuff from the bus and made our way toward a pub for a lunch of fish and chips and beer while we planned the rest of our day. We had seen posters for the Back to the Future: The Musical show while on the tube and then passed the theater on our guided tour that morning and found there were tickets available that night!

We had originally planned to do a Jack the Ripper tour, but we can do that anytime we return to London so we canceled our tour and booked tickets for the show. I mean, our blog’s name is in honor of that amazing trilogy, we had to go!!

But, we had some time to kill between lunch and our show. I’ve always wanted to visit the Shard and saw some spots open for afternoon tea. So, we booked a tea time for two hours later!

We then rushed back to our hotel to change for the evening and grab our portable chargers and anything we needed for the night.

We then hopped back on the tube back to the Shard for our afternoon tea at Aqua Shard. They had a Peter Pan-themed set menu and it was fabulous. We both added a glass of sparkling rose to our order!

My favorite savory item was the sausage roll though the cucumber sandwich was also very tasty. The desserts were delicious and we had a chocolate cake, raspberry mousse and a shortbread cookie, a coconut cake, and super yummy scones!

After our tea, we walked across Tower Bridge where I snapped 100 photos and went to visit a magic shop Rick likes.

Then we strolled through London back to the theater district to see the show.

It was an amazing performance and they adapted it to the stage so well! I’m so glad we skipped our Jack the Ripper tour to see this show as it doesn’t look like it’s coming to Denver anytime soon.

It truly was a fabulous performance for us Back to the Future nerds and the special effects were mind-blowing. There were a few changes to the story but Rick and I both agreed they still work within the movie’s original canon and made sense as to why they were changed.

The rest of our group also went to the theater that night as our tour director had scored a deal on some tickets to Wicked.

Afterward we hopped back on the tube back to Kensington as we had to pack up for our train ride to Scotland in the morning.

The next morning it was time to eat before boarding our train at King’s Cross to take us to Edinburgh! Of course we stopped for a photo opp at Platform 9 3/4.

We had to have our bags ready at 8:15 a.m. and our train departed at 10:30 a.m. and arrived in Edinburgh at 3:15 p.m.

We took the LNER train to Edinburgh and arrived mid-afternoon. We got checked into our hotel and then we joined Colin on his guided walk of Edinburgh which ended with a hike up Calton Hill to take in the amazing view over the city – and to try some typical Scottish snacks and drinks.

Colin lives in Edinburgh so it was great to get his perspective on what to do in the city and he gave us recommendations of pubs and restaurants to check out while we were in the city.

That night we had an included group dinner at Indigo Yard at 7:15 p.m. After dinner, Rick and I checked out our neighborhood and went to one of Colin’s recommendations, Pickles, the wine bar. It was a cute spot and we each had two glasses of red wine.

The next day we had a free morning in the city as we opted not to do the excursion to Abbotsford House and Melrose Abbey (8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.). I do think the abbey would have been neat to see, but Rick and I also just enjoy wandering through cities and seeing what we see as we stroll.

We took the time and wandered over to Dean Village for the picturesque views, then up toward Edinburgh Castle, and then down the Royal Mile while popping into some souvenir shops along the way as I was not leaving Scotland without some shortbread biscuits!

After walking along the Royal Mile, listening to the locals play the bagpipes and buying some Scottish souvenirs, we made our way to the end of the road to have lunch at The World’s End pub, where we dined on the traditional dish of haggis!

As soon as we had driven past The World’s End pub we knew we were going to be eating there at some point as I’m a huge Simon Pegg fan!

After lunch, we met back at our hotel to join our group for a guided tour of the city that ended at Edinburgh Castle. We had to be back at 2 p.m. as the bus was getting us at 2:15 p.m.

Our guided sightseeing tour was by bus and we drove around the city while learning about Edinburgh’s history before being dropped off at the Castle and walking around the grounds. We got some time to visit the castle, enjoy the views, and see the Crown Jewels.

I do wish we had had a bit more time to explore the grounds as I think we had an hour of free time there, but it goes by very quickly when waiting in line to see things or get into certain buildings.

After our tour of Edinburgh Castle we jumped back on our coach to go back to the hotel to change, get some more cash, and our chargers so we could head out for our ghost tour! The activity I was super excited about in Edinburgh as the city is supposed to be extremely haunted.

We didn’t have time for dinner as we were done at the castle around 4:30/5 and our ghost tour was at 6:30 p.m., but it was fine as we were sooooo full from our giant lunch.

So, we made our way back to the Royal Mile to meet up with our ghost tour guide and group.

On our ghost tour of Edinburgh we got to explore the Blair Street Vaults and Canongate Cemetery.

Some of the highlights from our Edinburgh ghost tour include:

• The grave in a parking lot that’s used today
• The story of half-hanged Maggie
• The story of William Barton and his deal with the devil
• The Blair Street Underground Vaults and the ghosts that reside there, including Jack, the cobbler, and Mr. Boots (AKA The Watcher)
• A visit to Canongate graveyard
• The story of Burke and Hare, the Edinburgh body snatchers and murderers

After our great ghost tour we made our way to Greyfriars Kirkyard to recognize some names from Harry Potter. We weren’t ready to turn in yet so we walked back up Calton Hill to see the view over Edinburgh at night.

We ended our evening at Keller which was just around the corner from our hotel and got a charcuterie board and some beers.

The next morning, we packed up everything on the bus by 7:45 a.m. and made our way toward Liverpool by way of some smaller stops for bathroom breaks, such as a stop in Kendal in Cumbria, which is famous for its mint cakes.

Most of the people in our group opted to do the Beatles museum while in Liverpool but Rick and I weren’t that interested so we just decided to Google what to do in Liverpool not Beatles-related.

We ended up booking a cruise on the River Mersey while learning about the history of Liverpool. The cruise afforded amazing views of the city, but the voice over was pretty rough and hard to hear.

So we mostly enjoyed our drinks and the views as we cruised the river for 50 minutes. The river cruise was only £12, so worth it even if we couldn’t hear the commentary.

After that we went for a ride on the ferris wheel that also gave us great views over Liverpool and the river we were just on.

After our ride on the Wheel of Liverpool, which was also £12 per person, we crossed the street to Royal Albert Dock and found this great wine and tapas bar and dug into some of our favorite foods from Spain!

To be honest, we were both a bit fish and chipped and beer’d out at that time.

So we gorged ourselves on sangria, croquetas, sardines, meatballs, and paella. It was amazing.

We had about five hours total in Liverpool before we had to be back on the bus to head to Chester, where we were spending the night.

Our hotel in Chester was gorgeous and had a lively bar scene, so we dropped off our suitcases in our room and went downstairs to be social with the other travelers in our group.

We couldn’t stay up too late though as we had to pack up and get ready for the ferry ride to Dublin! We loaded up our luggage on the bus at 8:15 a.m. and made our way to Holyhead to climb aboard the ferry over to Ireland.

On our way, we stopped at the seaside village of Llandudno to stretch our legs, get a snack, and use the restrooms.

After that stop we were back on the bus to continue our drive through Wales toward Holyhead.

But, before we got there, we had one more stop to make just for the photos alone! A stop at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch! It’s the Welsh village with the longest name in Britain!

As you can see, the English translation is below which is “The Church of Mary in the Hollow of the White hazel near the fierce Whirlpool and the Church of Tysilio by the Red Cave.”

That’s a name right there.

After that stop it was onto the ferry to head over to Ireland! The Stena Line ferry took about three hours and I was glad I brought a few books with me. The ferry is large but there aren’t many that many communal spots. We first had to snag seats in the theater but finally we made another lap by the bar and found a table to sit at.

I can get seasick when we travel by water but this ferry is so slow that I didn’t feel a thing while onboard. All in it was an easy journey. Good to know if you want to pay in cash on board it was euros, not pounds.

We got into Dublin around 6 p.m. and got picked up by a new bus and new driver, Declan, who took us to our hotel in Dublin. Luckily our hotel had a restaurant inside so we could eat when we got there.

After dinner, it was time to check out Dublin’s nightlife and we headed off to the Templebar district for some beers and live music!

We found a great spot where a musician was playing a fantastic mix of ’90s and early ’00s jams as well as some traditional Irish pub music.

Of course we got ourselves some Guinness and sang along – at least along with the songs we knew! It was exactly what we were expecting on our first night in Dublin.

We also did go out on a night when Ireland was playing football against the Netherlands, and unfortunately lost, but we were in our green cheering them on anyway!

The next day, our full day in Dublin, we started at 8:30 a.m. with a guided tour of Phoenix Park before a guided tour of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

We had time to get off the bus at the park, though it was raining so most of us just snapped some pics and got back on the bus. Then we drove over to St. Patrick’s and had time to explore inside the church and take our photographs.

After the Cathedral, we took a little walk to visit the Molly Malone statue. Poor Molly has been fondled for almost ten years as tourists will rub her bosom for “good luck.”

Next up on our itinerary was a stop at the Guinness Storehouse at 11:30 a.m.! We had to go and get a perfectly poured pint at the Gravity Bar!

The tour was interesting and really went in-depth on Guinness’ history, production, and marketing for the brand. The storehouse is a museum meets tasting room meets restaurant venue. Rick and I have been to Coors over in Golden, CO and the Guinness experience blew the Coors one out of the water. It was just floor after floor of beer history and information.

Of course we made a stop at the tasting room where we could smell the different ingredients that gives Guinness its flavor and ruby red (yes, ruby red) color. Then we learned how to taste the beer, much like doing a wine tasting.

We continued our exploration a bit and went to get our free beer up at the bar located on top of the building and then we headed back down for lunch. We stopped at the 1837 Bar & Brasserie where Rick tried a different beer and I opted for a black velvet cocktail which was a Guinness stout mixed with prosecco. Not going to lie, it was damn good!

Of course we also got Irish coffees at the end of our meal. It was still raining out so we needed something to warm us up before heading back out into Dublin!

We decided to take one of the carriages back into town and that was a mistake. They told us one price and then asked us for something different at the end, so I would not recommend going with them no matter how fun the ride looks.

I was also dumb and didn’t realize we would need tickets to see the Trinity College library, and we’d been dropped off there. So we walked the campus a bit but then headed back to our hotel to rest up and freshen up before our dinner that evening.

That night we were booked for the Go Ahead excursion of a Traditional Irish Dinner & Show at The Merry Ploughboy pub, from 6-10 p.m.

This was really fun as we got both live music, singing, and dancing! The dinner was a set menu and I opted for the cheese plate starter, the fish for my main, and the apple pie for dessert. Rick got the seafood chowder to start, chicken, and he also had apple pie.

The food was good but you’re really going for the entertainment and these guys and gals are true performers. They encourage audience participation for some songs and are all extremely talented.

Killarney + County Kerry

The next morning we were back on the bus at 8:30 a.m. and heading off to Blarney Castle, where yes, we did kiss the Blarney Stone!

I want to say we had two or three hours at the castle grounds so we had time to get in line to kiss the stone, check out the rooms of the castle (including the murder hole room), and walk the grounds and poison garden. We also had time for a little shopping and to pick up some lunch before getting back on the bus and heading off to Killarney for the night.

That night we had a group dinner near our hotel after getting checked in.

On our second day, we took a bus ride along the Ring of Kerry and made various photo stops as well as just enjoyed the stunningly beautiful scenery and many, many sheep sightings.

We checked out the Kerry Bog Village, had a stop for some shopping and complimentary Irish coffees, visited Sneem, and a few other coastal stops.

Our day included a stop at a restaurant with Ireland’s best known view (fog permitting). You be the judge:

I decided to try a seafood pie and Rick got a sandwich and some chips. We both got salads too as we were all set in the carbs department!

We explored a few more stops and enjoyed the rolling green hills before heading back to our hotel in Killarney.

Even though we had done the Irish Dinner & Show, Colin was also organizing a group in Killarney to see the Celtic Steps at 7:30 p.m. It doesn’t take much convincing to get me to a show, especially one that’s about dance, so we obviously asked for tickets.

The dancers at Merry Ploughboy were good, but the dancers at the Celtic Steps were another level. It was a fabulous show and makes me wish I was just as talented as those dancers!

After the show, Rick and I wanted to check out the nightlife there in Killarney and got dropped off in the city before the bus took everyone else back to the hotel.

We found a nice pub with live music and thought what the hell, we haven’t had enough Guinness yet in Ireland! We were at the pub for an hour to hour and a half before it was closing time and walked back to our hotel.

Killarney was very walkable! Again, I think our hotels were all pretty centrally located for anything we wanted to do with our free time and not needing public transportation or a taxi to get us there.

Cliffs of Moher + Dublin

On our last day of the trip we finally made it to the Cliffs of Moher!

We had about three hours to explore the beautiful work of nature and it wasn’t enough for me! I loved being able to walk the cliffside trails and we got extremely fortunate with our weather that day as it was sunny.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, that I’ve talked to who has been to the Cliffs of Moher warned me it would be windy, it would be cloudy, it would be rainy. It was none of those things when we were there the second week of September!

In fact, it was so warm I ended up getting some ice cream from the shop!

Afterward, it was time to head back to Dublin for the night before departing for home. We had our farewell dinner at the hotel which was ideal as we had a 5 a.m. alarm set the next morning for our flight to Zurich and then on to Denver.

It was hard saying goodbye to our fellow travelers! You would really have to go out of your way to not make friends on these types of tours.

Go Ahead also offers extra excursions at a cost during the tour. We ended up only booking one on this itinerary compared to our last trip where I think we ended up doing all of those add-on excursions. The only one that caught our attention was the traditional Irish dinner, music, and dancing show.

Our time in London and Edinburgh were too short to want to do excursions when we had our own list of things we wanted to see and do, such as afternoon tea, the theater, and a ghost tour.

The tour director

Our tour director was Colin and he was fantastic. Truly fantastic! He was always engaging, friendly, and knowledgeable. He was also very communicative, even when the group was having technical difficulties with WhatsApp. Like Rick and I apparently went against their terms of service, as did a bunch of people on our tour (I still never got a real answer from stupid Meta what that was about), but Colin just made sure to communicate through the Go Ahead app as well.

He even added his own excursions to the itinerary (we just paid him in cash for his add-ons), and it worked out well as some of his picks were things we wanted to do anyway!

Some of Colin’s excursions:

• A ticket to Wicked in London (we actually did end up going to the theater that night but opted to see Back to the Future: The Musical instead!)
• A walking tour of Edinburgh & hike up Calton Hill (he’s an Edinburgh local!)
• The Guinness Storehouse & Gravity Bar
• The Celtic Steps in Killarney

He also offered a few other excursions that unfortunately didn’t pan out due to low enrollment, such as the seaweed hot tub on our Ring of Kerry day and the Cliffs of Moher cruise due to weather.

Colin was always on time, energetic, and ready for whatever. He was a great guide and really made sure everything on our tour went as well as it could.

Accommodations

I did notice a change on this tour compared to our Spain, France, and Italy tour with Go Ahead. This time we stayed in more chain hotels, like Holiday Inns. It was fine, I just felt like our last trip we stayed at more boutique or locally-owned hotels.

Though, this change might be due to some of the travelers as people in our group complained in Dublin that the hotel didn’t have AC. Which the weather in Dublin wasn’t warranting the need of AC, at least in Rick’s and my opinion.

The hotels we stayed at:

• London: Holiday Inn Kensington High Street
• Edinburgh: Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre GAT
• Chester (Liverpool day): Indigo Chester Hotel
• Dublin: Cassidys Hotel
• Killarney: Earls Court House Hotel
• Dublin: Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport

All of our hotels offered breakfast each morning with most serving up a breakfast buffet or a continental breakfast with a limited menu for made-to-order eggs or pancakes. Most of the breakfasts also featured the standard hot coffee station that had americanos or lattes, so don’t expect our typical American drip coffee.

I really enjoyed the breakfasts at our hotels as I could make full English or Scottish breakfasts with beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs, and bacon, and even black pudding at some hotels.

We were booked in a double room, so we often had the two beds pushed together in our rooms, and all of our accommodations were comfortable and provided what we needed. Minus one very important thing for me. For the life of me I cannot understand why only one of our hotels had both shampoo and conditioner.

This was a lesson learned for me as I was trying to travel light and did not bring my own shampoo, conditioner, and soap as every hotel we’ve been to offers those things. Every hotel we stayed at had soap. But there was at least one hotel that didn’t have shampoo in our shower. So, lesson learned that I need to bring my own conditioner next time we’re traveling through Europe!

I realize this is a total first-world problem, but it was something I just didn’t expect.

But, all the hotels were very nice and most were very centrally located. We never had a problem walking back to our hotels after a night out, especially in Edinburgh and Dublin. The only one that wasn’t in walking distance of much was our hotel in London, but the tube is easy enough to manage.

Transportation

The transportation between all of our travel destinations was handled all by Go Ahead.

Our flights to and from Denver were fine, though they are booking us on cheaper flights as I know there are direct flights from DIA to Paris, but they booked us on a flight that had a layover in Munich, which was fine honestly. We flew out from DIA at about 4 p.m. on Friday and arrived in Paris at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

But our flight home from Dublin made no sense. We flew Dublin to Zurich and then back all the way to Denver. So we left Dublin at 8 a.m., changed planes in Zurich, and landed in Denver around 4:30 p.m.

Go Ahead is willing to take any accommodations you have into account if you’re willing to pay for those changes, like seat upgrades or when we switched from flying into London to flying into Paris. You just have to call the customer service line and make those requests.

The reason we do book flights with Go Ahead is in case anything goes wrong, their customer service will handle our rebookings and getting us where we need to be. Especially with so many flight delays and cancelations happening across the board, I’d rather know we have someone in our corner who can take care of the airlines should something go wrong instead of stressing out about it ourselves.

Airport transfers

If you book flights with Go Ahead, transportation to and from the airport is included with that fee. You can also add on airport pick up and drop off. I want to say it was around $25 when we looked at it for our Barcelona trip.

The majority of the transportation on this trip is by bus, but that wasn’t a problem for us. Most of our buses had giant windows so you could see everything, snap some pictures, and just enjoy the ride.

All the bus drivers we had were great drivers, friendly, and funny. They also do a lot of work in getting our luggage stowed away when it’s time to drive to a new hotel.

I am just truly amazed at how skilled our bus drivers are at navigating these small streets with super tight turns, but they all do it like it’s nothing!

Do note that it’s a toss up if your bus’ bathroom will be unlocked and available to you. On some we could use the on-board facilities and some we couldn’t or it was difficult to unlock the door. But, the itinerary allows for quite a few bathroom breaks on bus-heavy days so it wasn’t really a problem.

This trip did include a train ride from London to Edinburgh. You are responsible for getting your own luggage on and off the train though our tour director knew someone who worked for the train and gave him a tip to help us with our bags. Colin had all the connections!

Pace of tour

This tour is very fast-paced as you have a lot to see in two weeks! We were so, so glad we packed in carry-ons for this trip as we were changing hotels a lot. But, that’s to be expected when visiting four countries and cramming a lot of sightseeing in.

If the idea of spending one or two nights in a city before moving onto the next sounds too chaotic or challenging, this itinerary might not be for you. We were on the move a lot, but that’s what Rick and I were expecting. We’ll often use these types of tours to get a taste a place and see if we need to come back, like we realized with Edinburgh!

We knew we’d be moving around a lot on this tour and prepared accordingly by packing light and being able to pack up our room quickly.

Price of tour

Take our price of the tour with a grain of salt as we originally booked this tour in 2018.

Tour cost (per person):

• Tour: $3,659
• Flights (from Denver): $1,345
• Trip insurance: $329

Go Ahead does offer other excursions and add-ons, though we only did one, the Irish Dinner and Show. Here are the excursions offered on this itinerary and their costs per person:

• Windsor Castle: $119
• Abbotsford House & Melrose Abbey: $99
• The Beatles: History & Story Museum: $99
• Traditional Irish Dinner & Show: $109

We did apply a few discounts, such as an online promo ($200 off) and our Club Go rewards ($100).

Inclusions: Group dinners

Some nights of the tour do also include group dinners, which can be great especially after a long day of traveling, we didn’t have to worry about finding somewhere to eat.

Colin was great on these nights as I do have a food allergy and he always made sure to pop over and let me know if I had to avoid any dishes on the menu due to my allergy.

I will say that we heard some complaints about these included dinners from other travelers. Were these dinner like eating at a Michelin-star restaurant? No. Were they fast food dinners? Also no! I’d compare these dinners to conference or wedding catering.

It was typically a set menu with three or four options for mains, sometimes a starter, always a dessert served with tea or coffee, and a complimentary drink, such as white or red wine, beer, or cider. You could get more drinks with your dinner out of pocket.

Here’s what Rick and I had during our included group dinners:

• London: We both had the steak pie, London Pride (beer), and brownie with ice cream
• Edinburgh: We both opted for a beer and both got the same soup starter, then I had the shrimp pasta, Rick had the cheeseburger and fries, and we both got sticky toffee pudding for dessert
• Killarney: I started with a meat and cheese plate, then had the bacon and mash, and dessert was a coconut chocolate tart. Rick had the lemon sorbet, beef stew, and the same dessert. Rick had red wine and I had a cider.
• Dublin (farewell dinner at the hotel): I had the cod, a cider, and salted caramel cake for dessert. Rick opted for the chicken and same dessert as it sounded fantastic, and it was!

Overall thoughts

Rick and I were able to check off most items on our bingo card of what the other travelers would say to us as we were the youngest couple on the tour. These tours tend to have travelers from the 50+ age demographic, but we also don’t mind being the youngsters. You’ll still make friends and many of the people in your group are excited to be there and enjoy traveling.

We’re booked on another Go Ahead trip in March to Japan and we’ve got our eye on a food and wine tour of Spain with Go Ahead that might be put on the schedule for 2025.

Like I said, group tours are not for everyone. But, we’ve enjoyed the ones we’ve done with Go Ahead and would (and will) travel with them again in the future.

We really enjoyed this itinerary as it was just what we were looking for in a guided experience and we packed a lot in during our two weeks in Europe, which is exactly what we wanted.

If you’ve got recommendations of other group tour companies we should check out, please let us know in the comments!

Hey, I'm Stephanie! I'm a copywriter living in beautiful Denver with my husband Rick, and our dog Rocco. I love traveling, writing, reading, and being outside as much as possible - unless I'm on the couch binge watching Stranger Things with a glass of wine! Thanks for reading and being a part of the adventure with Back to the Passport! ❤️

You might also like

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A traveler’s review on England, Scotland, and Ireland

Go Ahead traveler Stephanie embarked on our 12-day tour of England, Scotland and Ireland . We caught up with Stephanie to see what she thought of her tour and get some advice. Here’s what she had to say about her adventures in England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Explore England, Scotland & Ireland on tour

4.5 out of 5 stars

4.7 out of 5 stars