3-Day Northern Ireland Adventure

Enjoyed this tour with the wonderful Stevie. He is amazing guide and goes out of his way to make sure you see everything. He has to be best tour guide and driver we have come across. Thank you for a great trip Stevie (not frank).

I took a tour with Paddywagon 10+ years ago around the south of Ireland and it was so amazing that I worried that I’d be let down this time around. Definitely not the case! Our tour group was only 6 people so we got a super comfortable large van instead of a massive bus, which was a fabulous surprise. Everybody on the tour was really nice and the bus driver/tour guide Danny was amazing. He was so sweet, accommodating, and so great about telling us stories and tidbits of information about every place we went to. We saw so many amazing things in such a short time thanks to Danny’s attention to detail and time management skills. He really made the trip a 5 star experience. The accommodations were perfectly fine. Most of the people on the tour chose the upgraded option and they were put up in pretty nice looking but not overly luxurious hotels. I chose the backpacker option since I was traveling alone, so it ended up being me and the only other solo female traveler on the trip staying together. In Belfast we were in a traditional hostel with lockers for our valuables, 3 sets of bunk beds in the room, and communal bathrooms. We never felt unsafe and the location was great, but it was pretty basic. The second night in Derry was a whole other story, though. We shared a room at a b&b that came with comfortable beds, a private bath, and a fantastic full Irish breakfast. That was one of the highlights of the whole trip! The worst part of the whole trip was having to say goodbye to Danny and change to another bus to return to Dublin. Moving to a big bus with a more reserved bus driver was a necessary but sad change. I can’t recommend Paddwagon tours enough. Whether it’s a short day tour or a multi day tour, I think they find some amazing guides and really try to make it so everyone has the best time possible.

How do I even begin… The Paddy Wagon tour of Ireland came recommended for an informative and engaging way to explore the country and it delivered in every way. The part I wasn’t expecting was for our guide to feel like family by the end of our 3 day experience. Stevie gave us a trip to remember forever. His engagement with his guest exceeded any expectation. He made an effort to connect with each and every one of us. His banter and loving personality resulted in smiles and laughter for the whole day from all of us. He guided us on all the scenery and activities we encountered so we all were able to have a full impactful experience of Northern Ireland and show us a few extra local attractions that enhanced our trip! At the end of our visit we found ourselves at a tattoo parlour in Galway with matching shamrocks for 5 of us to remember this incredible trip( including my mum for her 70th birthday)! I have fallen in love with Ireland and if I am ever lucky enough to return I would book Paddy Wagon in a heartbeat and make sure to secure Stevie for the most amazing experience ! Erin

I really enjoyed my 3-day tour of Belfast, Derry and Galway before returning to Dublin. Our driver/guide Danny was super knowledgeable, funny, and engaging, and had a lot of great recommendations for the places we visited - I'd take a tour with him again any day. The included visits (Titanic Experience, etc.) were really interesting. We got to see a few off-the-beaten path locations as well, and learned about Irish and Northern Irish history along the way. Day 3 (Derry > short stop in Galway > Dublin) was a lot of driving and not much sightseeing, but overall it was a worthwhile experience. The hotels we stayed at in Belfast and Derry were very nice as well.

We had been in the Republic of Ireland before, but wanted to experience northern Ireland. Many in our group did not realize they are two different countries so it was good for them to learn. Also, many did not really understand Ireland's history known as the "Troubles" and so that was good for people to understand and see the key locations. We could have stayed at the Giant's Causeway all day. It's massive, epic and has hiking trails we didn't have time to climb. The stops in Belfast, Derry and Galway were short, but provided a broader perspective.