Ireland
The Best of Ireland: A Week on the Emerald Isle
Program No. 22088RJ
Go off the beaten path and learn the story of Ireland as you speak with locals, taste authentic cuisine, discover ancient traditions and enjoy expert-led excursions to historic sites.
Participant Reviews
Based on 61 Reviews
SHOWING
A wonderful trip to a spectacular country, Ireland. Trip very well organized, with local guides with in-depth knowledge of Irish history, special mention to Kieran McCarthy in Cobh. Clayton Hotel in Cork very good, with spacious rooms, but not so good the Academy Plaza hotel, in Dublin.
I'd like to give my highest praise to the guide who looked after us throughout the trip, Kate Healy. Highly qualified, with a deep knowledge of Ireland History among other things, Kate is kind and sympathetic and had a special talent to deal with an unexpected and difficult situation in which I was involved.
— Review left October 28, 2025
This trip was wonderful. Everything was organized and set up to ensure we had the best possible experience at each leg of the trip. Frank was a joy to work with, always listening and addressing our inquiries.
Definitely a lovely experience all around. I’ll never forget the “Forty Shades of Green.”
Thank you.
Slaince
— Review left September 30, 2025
I loved Ireland! A beautiful country and friendly people.
— Review left September 28, 2025
Excellent trip filled with Irish history I had no idea about. It covered much of Ireland and highlighted it’s beauty and historical diversity. One of our favorites.
— Review left August 25, 2025
Wonderful experience. Good balancing of history and cultural aspects of Ireland in general, and specifically Cork and Dublin. Our leader, Richard, was truly outstanding. From songs, poems, stories, and general discussion, I believe he made this trip such a positive, pleasurable experience.
— Review left August 25, 2025
Really informative and fun trip in Ireland possibly too short as it left me wanting more,
— Review left August 17, 2025
Our trip to Ireland was just wonderful. We saw enough to know we want to go back. What a beautiful country! We had the best tour guide, Brendan! I highly recommend this trip!
— Review left August 17, 2025
This tour was very well organized overall. Our tour guide Karen did a remarkable job keeping us informed along the way.
Logistically this may not be possible, but the first day was too long. Arrive with little or no sleep, a long bus ride, lunch, checking into hotel in Cork, orientation, and dinner at 7pm. Any way to break this up?
Since the Blarney castle/grounds are so close to Cork, could you offer a longer time there? I would have loved to spend a half day with the gardens, and shopping.
The hotel in Cork was great, the one in Dublin, Academy Plaza, not so much. I would have been very willing to spend more $$ in Dublin to get a better hotel.
Overall, the trip was well planned with timing to sites optimized. So I realize that maybe the first day is what it is. Or could you start in Dublin? Would a hotel accommodate an earlier check in?
I will take one of your tours again, and I hope that my future guide will be as prepared as Karen.
Barb Andreassen.
— Review left June 14, 2025
I am writing on behalf of my wife, Maureen B., who is away. She and I talked and she agrees exactly with my evaluation of the trip to Ireland, so she asks that you review the evaluation that I, Robert B., already submitted.
In short, the trip closely met the description on the website. Most important, the leader, Kate Healy, was knowledgeable, friendly, and extremely helpful. I don't think there could have been a better tour guide. Also, the hotels, food, and bus rides were excellent.
Maureen and I were very pleased with the experience, and would gladly recommend Road Scholar to friends.
Sincerely, Robert B.
— Review left June 10, 2025
Everything we hoped to experience and more!!
— Review left June 5, 2025
One week in Ireland is too little but if that's all the time you have then this is a great "taste" of Ireland and certainly a stepping stone toward a longer visit!
— Review left May 22, 2025
This was a wonderful, if all too brief, introductory tour of some of the highlights of Ireland. Particularly noteworthy was the brilliant quality of our group leader, Kate Healy.
— Review left May 16, 2025
This was a wonderful trip! I was interested, entertained and cared for. I enjoyed the dinner with a family (though I had reservations before hand!), the Blarney Castle and grounds (not just a tourist attraction), and the Archeological Museum the most. The food was interesting and we had lots of choices. The activity level was as described. Our guide David was terrific. This is a great pick for a first visit to Ireland!
— Review left October 7, 2024
The Best of Ireland is a wonderful tour with many fascinating places to visit, much to learn and experience. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect.
— Review left October 3, 2024
We very much enjoyed our time in Ireland with Road Scholar and would definitely recommend this trip to others. Our accommodations in Cork and Dublin were well selected, not only for what was available to see in those cities, but also as jumping off points for day trips to other attractions such as Cobh, the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, and Waterford. These places and sites were well selected and afforded plenty of opportunity to view the beautiful Irish countryside. Meals and accommodations were good also, and we had a first rate and very helpful trip leader. So, good job Road Scholar!!
— Review left September 29, 2024
We had a beautiful honeymoon experience!!!
— Review left September 28, 2024
The trip was fabulous .
Coner our guide for the trip was very good, gave great suggestions & was overkill a very good guide considering his youthfulness.
— Review left September 21, 2024
Great trip...never a boring day....learned a lot and saw my grandmother's homeland in the process....
— Review left September 20, 2024
The 8 day Best of Ireland is an excellent opportunity to learn more about this country and the many invasions it has experienced over the years. It is a great exposure to gorgeous geography and good music.
— Review left August 12, 2024
My wife and I just returned from the eight day Road Scholar trip "The Best Of Ireland". This is an outstanding trip to major cities in Ireland from the southeast coast to the west, ending in Dublin. This has been our eighth tour with Road Scholar (inside and outside the U.S.A) and can highly recommend this company to anyone who doesn't just want to visit, but wants to learn quality, interesting information through the many guides and mini-tours within each program!
— Review left August 9, 2024
Excellent Guide for our trip. She was very knowledgeable and very organized and helpful.
The downfall was there was a couple on our trip with COVID who didn't abide early on with masks or isolation. I then got covid from them and was hospitalized in Dublin.
Our guide was very helpful getting us to a hospital and making sure my husband was taken care of at our hotel.
— Review left August 9, 2024
My wife and I had a wonderful time on this trip to Ireland. The trip was planned and managed very well and the itinerary was fascinating. We enjoyed our time in Cork as well as the visits to Blarney Castle (the gardens in particular), the ring of Kerry, in Dublin Trinity College and the tour of Waterford, as well as a wonderful night out with our group and leader to a local pub where the atmosphere and entertainment were very memorable.
We want to commend our tour leader Jack Redmond who was just wonderful. Incredibly knowledegable, witty and entertaining, Jack was the major reason our tour was so memorable. He really took care of the group, and we particularly appreciate his kindness on the first night when we had to skip dinner due to a family memorial service and Jack arranged to have dinner sent to our room. We were also so taken with Jack meeting us at 2:00 AM on our departure day to make sure we made our travel connection to the airport. Jack is really exceptional.
In terms of feedback on improving the tour we would suggest that for the Ring of Terry tour, which is sensational, there be more opportunity to get off the bus and do some walking in that beautiful nature area. Also while the group meals were enjoyable from a social standpoint the food could be improved upon.
Thanks again for a wonderful memory,
Marvin Berkowitz
Sharon Serinsky
— Review left July 22, 2024
This is a good way to introduce yourself to Ireland and Ireland to you.
— Review left July 12, 2024
A very enjoyable visit to Cork, Cobh, Ring of Kerry and Dublin areas. It was busy but not hectic, with enough free time for individual interests. (Personally, I might have enjoyed fewer meals on own.) I was travelling solo but found the group very friendly and welcoming, as on past Road Scholar trips. The amazing museums, lovely scenery, friendly local people, and dinner with local hosts in Cobh were highlights for me.
— Review left June 4, 2024
Just finished with Best of Ireland program, our 7th. While educationally it was a bit uneven with some local instructors and guides more interesting and informative than others, we absorbed a lot of information and visited many interesting sights in a short time. The accommodations in Cork were excellent, Dublin hotel not so good. High points for us were Trinity College tour including Book of Kells and library, Waterford tours, dinner with local family in Cobh, exploration of Blarney Castle and grounds, and a border collie sheep herding demo - quite the variety of highs suggesting there's plenty to satisfy on this "best of" program. Our overall tour guide was excellent keeping us to a tight RS schedule while always attending to our needs and imparting valuable information on Irish history and culture along the way. We had an excellent group of 22 and made many new friends.
— Review left May 28, 2024
Great chance to experience Cork and southwest Ireland as well as rich diversity of Dublin.
— Review left May 26, 2024
First trip with Road Scholar - I did this trip with two cousins of Irish descent to learn more about our ancestry and Ireland. This trip was fully satisfying - we had local tour guides, a fast paced agenda, great food and accommodations, and learned a lot. Would definitely travel with Road Scholar again.
— Review left May 21, 2024
Excellent program, well coordinated and very informative!
— Review left May 19, 2024
Fascinating program with unique educational opportunities. Not your typical tour.
— Review left May 4, 2024
IT is a wonderful educational program if that is your total focus.
— Review left September 28, 2023
A Week on the Emerald Isle was a great way to experience 2 important cities in Ireland and the nearby historical, cultural and natural sites for the first time. Whetted my appetite to see more of this lovely country.
— Review left September 20, 2023
First time Road Scholar traveler and we will return. Well organized, reasonably priced, and so many different adventures offered. We traveled Ireland and could not have seen or learned so much about this beautiful country without Road Scholar. Very satisfied with our first trip!
— Review left August 13, 2023
This program provided a wealth of educational information about each site we visited. Highly recommended!
— Review left August 4, 2023
Schedule the Ireland Emerald Isle tour for your next trip abroad!
And get ready to have FUN!!!
— Review left July 15, 2023
Going on this trip to Ireland was a lifelong dream and it exceeded my expectations. Our delightful leader who was knowledgeable and talented would impart lots of information and sing us great old Irish ballads. I really couldn't have asked for more.
— Review left June 21, 2023
This was an excellent trip, with an amazing group leader, Richard. We saw a lot of interesting sites in Dublin and in and around Cork and learned a great deal about Ireland and its history. We also really liked the people we met.
— Review left June 16, 2023
Great introduction to Ireland in just the right amount of time. Knowledgeable guides and instructors throughout ensure you learn about the Irish history you thought you knew and, in my case, opened my eyes to details I didn't know. Coupled with great scenery and plenty of activities to satisfy a variety of interests, this trip is worth it.
— Review left May 29, 2023
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— Review left May 26, 2023
This was our first Road Scholar trip. We really enjoyed every aspect of it.
The group leader was fantastic and the trip was very well organized.
We will definitely be taking advantage of other Road Scholar trips in the future.
— Review left May 26, 2023
This was our first trip with Road Scholar. Definitely won't be our last!
— Review left May 19, 2023
If nothing else go to Ireland for the beauty of it! This tour was so good I would do it again. The history of the country, the people good and bad was so well presented, a real honest reflection of whats there. Traveling in a group is I think the best way to do these tours as the dynamic of the group adds to the experience. I have had such good luck with the groups- people I want to keep in touch with after the trip. The pure pleasure of not having to think about anything other then the experience is just wonderful!
— Review left May 15, 2023
If you have the opportunity to go on this trip, seize it! Our guide was exceptional. And you can't beat the scenery along the Ring of Kerry.
— Review left May 7, 2023
Our tour of Ireland was delightful and very educational. This was our first Road Scholar Program but we certainly would like to do more. Our guide Frank was very good at making sure the trip went well and that people's needs were met.
— Review left October 3, 2022
Absolutely wonderful experience. Beautiful country side, friendly people, Road Scholar personnel were accommodating, knowledgeable, and very friendly, absolutely perfect.
— Review left August 24, 2022
This was an amazing trip. Our tour guide, Brendan Doherty, was the epitome of the perfect tour leader. He was so knowledgeable of the history of Ireland, that you felt that you too knew Ireland. Brendan was so concerned about the safety and health of all of us. As an example, Brendan made sure that every meal had a dairy-free option for my son. In Ireland with the fabulous cheeses and milk products, dairy free is difficult. But Brendan was always checking with the restaurant folks to make sure of the dairy-free options.
The tour itself was a great introduction to the beauty of Ireland. It had just the right number of tours and free time. Brendan had many great suggestions for free time fun.
Our hotels were comfortable, but Ireland was experiencing a heat wave for a few days. Our hotel in Cork was not air conditioned, so that meant some uncomfortable nights. The hotel itself was so beautiful and the staff were very accommodating. Location of the hotel in Cork and Dublin was perfect. We easily walked to some incredible sights and restaurants.
One evening in Cobh, a town close to Cork, we had dinner with a local family. Our host was so delighted to have us that any awkwardness disappeared immediately. It was a great way to learn about everyday life in Ireland. What a special night that was.
If I had to rate this tour, it would be a 10 out of 10: great guide, beautiful scenery, right number of tours and free time, lovely hotels with great locations, amazing food, comfy bus and excellent driver and reasonably priced.
— Review left August 19, 2022
This was a fantastic trip with great people, beautiful sites, great food and drink.
Jim Ward made the trip enjoyable and provided a lot of information. It all ended too quickly.
— Review left August 7, 2022
The Best of Ireland (South) is an excellent program - perfect for one's first foray into Ireland. I learned quite a bit and eagerly look forward to a return trip to continue exploring the Emerald Isle.
— Review left August 6, 2022
Road Scholar's program "The Best of Ireland" is a "must do" for first time visitors to the Republic of Ireland. The program is well planned, educational, and a stress-free way to enjoy the experience. Road Scholar provides top-level educational leaders that really enhance the experience. The educational aspect is mixed with wonderful accommodations and food, a lot of fun, and opportunities for free time exploration.
— Review left August 5, 2022
The program was well planned, the accommodations, transport, meals, etc. were fine, and the leader outstanding.
— Review left July 22, 2022
This tour gives such a full, rich experience of Ireland! One day you are in an interactive museum about the Irish emmigration to America and the next you are cradling a baby lamb on a traditional Irish sheep farm. You'll photograph gorgeous wide landscapes on the Ring of Kerry, and see up close amazing gold jewelry crafted many years B.C. and preserved in a peat bog. You'll hear wonderful stories -- often peppered with good Irish humor -- and great Irish music. For us, the thread through all of it was a wonderful guide and the lovely people we met in our group. Lots of wonderful memories to hold onto!
— Review left May 22, 2022
Great week!
— Review left May 13, 2022
This was my first Road Scholar trip (Best of Ireland) and it was a great experience. The seven days flew by but gave me a real understanding of the Irish people and culture. Our group was small and everyone got along well. Can't wait to go on another adventure!
— Review left May 2, 2022
The Best of Ireland: a Week on the Emerald Isle is a wonderful introduction to this beautiful land with a incredible history. The people we met were welcoming and lively. Hint: never try to spar verbally with the Irish. To your delight, likely lose.
— Review left September 20, 2021
Wonderful opportunity to learn about Ireland while experiencing the beauty of the country.
— Review left September 18, 2021
What a trip! We highly recommend The Best of the Emerald Isle. Didk Daley helped us make good use of any free time. We’ll worth the money. 10,000 thanks
— Review left September 16, 2021
A must see program.
— Review left August 22, 2019
This was my first trip traveling alone in Europe as a 77 year old female. Road Scholar had every detail covered so that it was very easy for me. The accommodations were fine and our tour guide was first rate. I would definitely take a Road Scholar tour again
— Review left August 9, 2019
Road Scholar allows you to focus on the experience and not get bogged down in maps, driving, stays, etc. I could just enjoy Ireland w/o having the stress of driving, finding hotels, etc. The background information given by our host allowed to understand and absorb the sights, and not simply gloss over them.
— Review left June 24, 2019
This trip was a best-ever adventure for my three friends and me. It was truly a well-planned sampler of all things Irish and a wonderful introduction to a beautiful country and its welcoming people.
— Review left June 9, 2019
I found the tour's mix of structured and free time to be just right. The physical demands rating of "3" was accurate overall, but some days the amount of walking and climbing stairs was not very much at all. The various presenters and entertainers were all quite good. Our hotels' locations were convenient, allowing those who wanted to explore more in the evenings to find restaurants and bars nearby.
— Review left April 22, 2019
I came away from this program proud of my 1/4 Irish heritage. I was very moved by our visit to Cobh, the port where my great-great-grandfather likely embarked for America in the early 1800s.
— Review left April 22, 2019