12 Day Ireland Private Tour

On a private tour with Nordic Visitor, you can sit back and enjoy a curated itinerary, led by your personal driver-guide.

Your guide will be an expert in Irish history and culture. They’ll share their local knowledge and stories with you and take you to hidden gems across the country. They will also be happy to tailor your journey to your unique needs and interests along the way.

Your experience will also begin and end with private airport transfers.

Depending on availability and on the size of your travelling party, we can offer a range of vehicles, such as premium executive cars, 4-wheel drives and touring vans.

It’s best to book as soon as you can to secure your preferred travel dates. Once you have picked your tour, check the availability calendar to see which months are open for booking. Then, select the date you want and complete your booking. 

Nordic Visitor offers 10–20% deposits so you can reserve your trip as early as it’s convenient for you. The remaining balance is due 30 days before you travel. 

Many tours are also open for the following year if you like to plan well ahead. And if you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact us. 

Yes, you can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades. 

If you have something specific in mind, please let your travel consultant know at the time of booking. They'll see what they can do to accommodate you. 

Yes, we highly recommend adding optional activities and extra nights to enhance your tour. This way you can customise your trip with what you want to see and do most.

We recommend adding them now to secure your spot, as popular excursions often sell out. And we suggest booking no more than one additional activity per day for the best experience. You can also add up to 3 extra nights at the beginning or end of your tour.

You can add optional activities and extra nights to your tour in the booking steps.

If you’d prefer extra nights in the countryside or other locations, please speak with one of our Travel Consultants who can recommend the best itinerary to suit your needs.

To find out which dates you can start your trip on, navigate to the "Find your price" section on the tour's page. Under "Tour start date", you'll see a calendar symbol. Select this and you'll see all the available dates to start your tour.

If you can't select a certain day, this means there are no departures available then. In that situation, please get in touch and one of our travel consultants will look into the options for you.

So when do you check in? And what can you expect upon landing in Dublin?

After picking up your luggage, make your way to the arrivals hall, where the driver of your private transfer will be waiting for you. They’ll welcome you to the country and take you straight to your accommodation in the city centre.

Check-in times vary between hotels and guesthouses, but it normally starts between 2–4 PM.

You are welcome to request an early check-in for an additional fee. Although this isn’t always available, you’ll be able to store your luggage at the hotel if you have to wait. Please contact your travel consultant well in advance of your arrival if you’d like an early check-in.

Arriving on different flights? The arrival transfer included is for one specified flight per group. That’s because our drivers aren’t able to combine guests arriving on different flights due to risk of delays.

Just let your travel consultant know if that’s the case and they can add more transfers for each flight to your package, at an extra cost.

During your tour, you’ll spend some time in Northern Ireland. This is a separate region from Ireland, and in fact is one of the 4 nations that make up the United Kingdom. This means that UK law applies here, and their currency is the British Pound.

Just like their Celtic neighbours, the official language of Northern Ireland is English, though you may hear Irish Gaelic or other dialects spoken here. The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast, a port city with plenty of its own history and culture.

If you feel you have received an outstanding tour experience, tips are very welcomed and appreciated.

During your Ireland tour, you’ll stay in accommodation hand-picked by our travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.

In Ireland, you can choose from single or double rooms. Twin, triple and family rooms are not commonly available. Please also note that in Ireland room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.

For example, a double room often consists of 2 single beds pushed together. And single rooms are often smaller than the standard double.

Due to the historic nature of the properties we usually select, most of the rooms are only accessible by stairs. Lifts are not common in Irish hotels. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are not able to walk up stairs.

There are limited laundry facilities in Ireland’s countryside, but you will find some laundrettes in Dublin. Some hotels do offer dry cleaning for an additional cost.

While Ireland isn’t known for its heat, summers on the Emerald Isle usually feature plenty of warm days. It’s also the driest time of year to visit.

Between May and September, you can expect temperatures of around 13°C–18°C (55°F–65°F). Due to humidity, this can feel a lot warmer, especially in cities like Dublin.

That said, the weather is also very changeable, so you’ll want to come prepared for anything. Rain is always a possibility, and when the sun sets you might need a warm jumper or jacket. We’ve prepared a useful packing guide to help you decide what to bring with you.

Please note that sightseeing is dependent on weather and road conditions. This means that your itinerary might need to be altered if these conditions are not favourable during your visit. If something unexpected occurs, you can call our 24/7 helpline to speak directly with a Nordic Visitor staff member.

Whatever time of year you’re in Ireland, you’re likely to see lots of different types of weather. As you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors it’s a good idea to come prepared for a combination of weather conditions.

Here is a recommended packing list for a summer trip:

• A warm jumper or fleece
• A waterproof jacket
• Good walking shoes or boots (especially if you intend to hike and go on nature walks)
• Light scarf or thin sweater
• Reusable water bottle
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and a sunhat

For more information, check this packing list suggestion.

Your breakfast is included at all your accommodation in Ireland. For the rest of your food, your spending money will depend on the standard of restaurants you decide to go to.

Budget between €15–€20 per person for each day’s lunch. Dinners at casual restaurants might cost between €20–€25. Meanwhile at upscale restaurants, you can expect to pay €50–€100 or more. This does not include the cost of alcoholic beverages.

We’re here to help make sure your trip goes well – and that includes eating well. Just let us know your dietary requirements when you book and your travel consultant will factor them in from the start. Whether that’s an allergy, intolerance, lifestyle choice, or anything else. Breakfast is included at your accommodation each day, and we’ll make sure your needs are flagged in advance. Typical breakfast spreads include baked goods, cheese, jam, yoghurt, cereal, fresh fruit, juice, and coffee, so there’s usually a good range to work with. For lunches and dinners, most places are used to accommodating different requirements. Just let the waiting staff know when you arrive.

Vegetarian options are widely available, and gluten-free awareness has grown significantly in recent years. Vegans may find it more of a patchwork depending on the destination, but easier in cities and larger towns, patchier in rural areas. If you have a severe allergy, it’s always worth communicating this clearly and, where relevant, having a short written note explaining your needs in the local language. We’re happy to help you put one together before you travel.

Yes, we highly recommend getting travel insurance for your trip.

There are numerous insurance providers online, offering policies with varying levels of coverage. These will protect your finances in the event of illness or other medical emergencies, lost or damaged luggage, flight cancellation, trip curtailment, theft and much more.

If you’re arriving from the UK, Canada, the United States, Australia or the European Union, you won’t need a visa to visit Ireland.

Visiting from another country? You can find the complete list of countries whose nationals require a visa to enter Ireland on the website of Ireland’s Citizens Information Board.

If you are not an EU citizen, your passport will need to be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your departure from Ireland. It’s a good idea to check your passport expiry date early in case you need to renew it.

Please be aware that from 2025 the UK requires citizens from a majority of countries to hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the country. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so if your tour includes a stay there, you'll need to apply in advance. This ETA also applies for transfers via UK airports.

All packages starting in Ireland are billed in Euros (EUR), the local currency.

Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. This means conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.

When you book this tour, we’ll ask for a 10% deposit to secure your spot. Then you’ve got plenty of time – the rest is due 30 days before you arrive.

Here’s a tip: if you pay a 20% deposit instead, we’ll include our cancellation protection at no extra cost. It's there to give you breathing room if your plans need to change.

Booking last minute? If it’s less than 30 days until your trip, we’ll need the full payment upfront.

Want to know more? Check out our payment and cancellation terms or just get in touch – we’re here to help.

Your remaining balance is due 30 days before your arrival date. Apart from the deposit, all remaining payments are managed through our Customer Portal. On this portal, you also have the option to split your payments if preferred.

After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip. 

We aim to complete bookings within a few weeks. During this time we take care of booking your accommodation, activities, and transport, confirming all parts of your journey. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip. 

When we get back to you might depend slightly on how far ahead you’ve booked your travels and other tours running at the time. 

You can get in touch with our UK and Ireland travel experts ahead of your trip if you have any questions. The live chat option is useful for getting a quick reply as someone answers live every day during office opening hours.

Once you’ve booked, we’ll provide you with travel guides packed full of local tips and top attractions for your visit. You can also check out our online regional Travel Guides where we’ve compiled useful information about topics, including:

• Which credit cards are widely accepted in the UK and Ireland
• What kind of electric adapters or converters you’ll need in the UK and Ireland
• The native languages of Ireland and Scotland that you might hear alongside English
• As well as tipping, local news sources and other useful information

After you have booked your tour, it will only take a few days to confirm its availability. But it may take a few weeks to create your itinerary and book everything. Once your trip details are finalised, we’ll send you e-copies of your travel documents.

Upon your arrival in Ireland, you’ll receive a welcome bag with hard copies of your itinerary, attraction and tour vouchers, the Nordic Visitor Ireland Travel Guide and more.

By booking with Nordic Visitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s always someone there for you throughout your trip.

For support and advice during the day, you can call our office. And if anything unexpected happens outside working hours, you can reach us on our 24/7 helpline. 

During your tour, there will always be a travel expert on call to handle any unforeseen situations, such as unusual weather or events.

No need! Nordic Visitor is already working on offsetting the estimated carbon footprint of your package. We’ve partnered with an environmental fund in Iceland to carbon offset all our tours.

Carbon offsetting your international flights is not included, but we highly recommend you look into possibilities with your airline or directly through a local environment fund.