Magical Ireland Reviews

4.9 Rating 132 Reviews

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smarTours is a leading provider of direct-to-consumer, affordable travel experiences to exotic global destinations. The Company offers travelers curated, pre-packaged itineraries to over 50 destinations across the globe. By offering tours directly to consumers, the Company provides premium-quality experiences at value prices, and as a result, has cultivated a highly passionate and loyal community of repeat travelers. More than 200,000 travelers have taken a smarTours trip since the founding of the Company in 1996. smarTours is… the smarter way to see the world.

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“Beautiful country and hosted by a lyrical, informed and very personable guide, Paul Kealy. I learned more about Ireland that any history book could include and enjoyed the food, the friendly Irish, and the gorgeous countryside. Paul took excellent care of us and the tour provided all the amenities that could be provided. If you are looking for an excellent and enjoyable adventure, don't miss this one!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“This was my 1st bus tour and I was a little nervous, but overall it was fantastic and unforgettable. My Mom & I had an immensely enjoyable time. First, some of the things I could see improved: There was definitely NOT enough time at a few of the stops, specifically the Titanic Belfast, Ring of Kerry vista points, and Blarney Castle. Regarding Titanic Belfast: Since the city center was so close and no other excursions were planned immediately after, I think there should be the option to stay longer on your own to do some more exploring of the site. Personally, I could have spent at least 4 hours there. A small warning: Every single hotel offered the same exact menu options for dinner: salmon, chicken, or a meat. By the end of the tour, it was very tiresome and redundant and some of us joked that we didn't need to see a menu because we already knew what was on it. On the last Saturday of our tour for the Ring of Kerry drive, there were too many little stops (20-30 minutes each) at some smaller Irish towns. I would have rather spent much more time at the vista points, taking more pictures and just enjoying the scenery. The numerous town stops were, in my opinion, too many and not memorable at all. I would prefer more time to enjoy the Irish scenery. The last day in Limerick just isn't enough time to see or enjoy the city. Because my Mom & I booked our own flights, we were able to stay in Limerick and enjoy a guided walking tour on our own. Limerick is a LOVELY city and we learned so much history. I would suggest getting into Limerick a bit earlier on Monday (which would perhaps require the coach leaving 45-60 minutes earlier from Killarney to have enough time at Blarney Castle & get into Limerick to enjoy an afternoon guided walking tour), but it is well worth it. I feel the rest of the group that had to leave early really missed out on learning about and enjoying Limerick City. Finally, I am sad to say I was disappointed with the breakfast staff at the last two hotels: Killarney Randles Court & Limerick City Clarion Hotel. The hotels themselves were beautiful and in great locations. I only had breakfast at Randles Court one day and the breakfast staff was not friendly at all. I thought it was just a fluke until we stayed at Clarion Hotel and experienced the same situation with the breakfast staff there. They were not as friendly as the other hotels' staff and it was a bit of a shame to have that last impression on an otherwise superb tour with usually upbeat, friendly, smiling staff throughout. (This is not necessarily a reflection of SmarTours, but I think they should be aware of the wait staff at these last 2 hotels.) Now, the fantastic, glowing review: Above all, the success of the tour is because of the knowledgeable, witty, extraordinary driver/guide Paul Kealy. Yes, it is true! The second reason for success is just Ireland itself! And yes, it is in that order even though we were blessed with the luck of the Irish and had unbelievably fantastic weather throughout our tour!! Paul actually enhances the beauty of Ireland! He spouts out so much fantastic information, history, anecdotes, jokes, facts, statistics, stories, and Irish lore that I hope to recall even 10% of it to share with others. He also gives many, many great recommendations and even gave us some "extras" during our trip that really added to the tour even more. We got to see all of Ireland with an Irish "expert" and I don't think you can find such quality and quantity at this price point anywhere. Also, we had a great group and I am grateful to have made some new friends. I also liked that there was enough "free" time to do our own thing so that we could book other excursions, get a massage, or just relax. We paid extra for the 2 optional tours and I would recommend them because they are well worth the extra cash and time spent at them. Overall, I am happy with my 1st bus tour and I would recommend and even try another tour with SmarTours again. Thank you for an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“This was our fifth SmarTour and it was one of the best. We have been to Ireland before on cruise stops and business, but never really got the feel of the country. This tour took us all around the country allowing us to see the differences in the areas. We had a very congenial group (as usual) of different age groups. Our driver/guide Paul was was very knowledgeable, organized, informative and yet irreverent enough to keep us on our toes and entertained. We saw all of the famous sites and also did other things like visit a sheep farm and spend evenings in pubs with the locals listening to traditional music and having fun. We did both optional tours and highly recommend them. Paul arranged for fresh mussels to be available on the river cruise and also added a few extra stops to the trip. He made good restaurant recommendations and was always available. We highly recommend this tour.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“My wife and I celebrated our 40th anniversary on the Magical Ireland tour that departed on May 14th. A couple of criticisms before the glowing review. One problem we had was the time it took to get our flight information. We wanted to upgrade our flights but by the time we received our flight information from SmarTours, we got the last two seats available in the first class cabin and couldn't get two seats together from Newark to Dublin. Fortunately another passenger worked with us and all ended well but things would have neen easier if the flight information was available from SmarTours a couple of weeks earlier. Next, the coach was short on leg room. I'm not that tall but still found it a little crowded. Ok, enough negative. This was a fantastic tour. The itinerary was excellent. The one thing I may have changed is the amount of time alloted at the Titanic Museum in Belfast. We really could have used even an extra hour there. I was hoping to walk down to the Titanic Dock and Pumphouse but just didn't have enough time. That was a disappointment. The itinerary as a whole though was great. The optional tours were well worth the money, as was the tour in its entirety. Great value. The dinner and music at Kate Kearney's made for a fantastic night out, and I can't think of a better way to cap off the tour than the midieval castle banquet on our last night. The performers at the banquet were incredibly talented and put on a great show. All of the local guides were excellent and informative. The most important element of the tour though, was also the best. Matt, our coach driver and guide, has to be the best in the business. This man made our vacation. He is personable, has a great sense of humor, and frankly is a walking encyclopedia on Ireland. As we drove across Ireland and Northern Ireland he provided a nonstop narrative on everything ranging from agriculture to "The Troubles." All of it very interesting and educational I might add. And, we didn't have any extraordinary needs but Matt made it clear that he was available day and night if anyone did need anything at all. Your guide can make or break your tour and Matt is top notch in every regard. All in all, I don't think you can find a better tour of Ireland. The itinerary and guide were both great, the hotels which were clean and comfortable were all located right in town or close to it, and the provided meals were excellent. The beer in Ireland is pretty doggone good too!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Weather reports said the coldest May in decades but it didn't put a damper on an incredible tour of all Ireland. We didn't come for the sunshine. Matt Rafter, our driver and tour director, kept up the chatter non-stop as we drove point A to B. He definitely kissed the Blarney stone and we loved it. Forty shades of green underestimates this emerald isle. Between the full Irish breakfast at great hotels and all the places visited around the island in the big bus, memorable. Great people to travel with - as we have found on all the Samrtours. I might mention we had plenty of time to wander in each city on our own.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“It was the best escorted tour we have ever been on. The points of interest we visited were outstanding. The meals were absolutely wonderful. The service was perfect. Our driver, Matt Rafter, was the most informative and helpful driver we ever could have hoped for. He was an excellent driver of our bus throughout our tour. His information on Irish history and agriculture was excellent. His personality and the respect he gave his passengers was remarkable. He is an important asset to your company. At the Belfast hotel, the Fitzwilliams, four couples were given handicap rooms even though we protested. They said it was arranged through a third party. We would not recommend this hotel again unless this practice is stopped. The United airline was ok. The seats were small and couples were not seated together. This was a problem for many people including my wife and I.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Our trip to Ireland was indeed magical! The hotels were fantastic, food delicious, and our guide, Paul was very knowledgeable. Paul was also extremely organized. Luckily our group was not only punctual, but very congenial. This made for an easy and smooth tour. We also felt that we visited a good mix of what makes up Ireland. Paul always had interesting information about the areas we visited and shared with us the history of the country. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend this tour. In fact, we are thinking of doing it again with some of our family!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Just returned from the Ireland trip. In one word: AWESOME! Everything from reception to tours, hotels, food, etc., was wonderful. A huge thank you to Paul Kealy, the tour guide, who made this trip so successful. Best tour guide we've ever had: honest, great sense of humor, and went out of his way to make it happen. This was our third trip with Smartours and it was the best!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago