Ireland has the capacity to mystify you with its natural beauty and rich history. It left an indelible mark on our souls and will be a memory we cherish forever.

Meet Your Travellers

Autumn

Jacob

We live in Southern Ohio where Autumn is a licensed esthetician and Jacob is a mental health counselor. When we get a chance to take a break from our day jobs we like to travel, and when we do, we like to go all in!

We are also proud to be Rick Steves tour alumni. In 2022, we embarked on the epic Best of Europe in 21 Days tour. That experience really seasoned us as travelers and instilled a newfound appreciation for the nuances of traveling abroad.

Since then, life has continued marching forward. On Leap Day 2024, we welcomed a new addition to our family - Harrison Lee. This trip challenged us as new parents as we prepared to spend the first significant amount of time away from our newborn baby.

Once we settled on our destination, we began the process of planning for our adventure abroad. We decided that this trip would be the perfect opportunity for four-month-old baby Harrison to spend some time quality time with his grandparents.

As we prepared to set off for Ireland, we sent with him with a disposable camera to document his summer vacation.

Heart of Ireland in 7 Days Tour

We were absolutely thrilled to be heading back to Europe after a two year hiatus. Ireland had always evoked a sense of wonder to us. Although we had our preconceived notions about the Emerald Isle, we have found that nothing compares to actually experiencing it.

  • We are staunch proponents of Rick’s “carry-on only” philosophy when traveling. Since it is a requirement on all Rick Steves tours, we suggest following these packing tips for the sake of simplicity. Packing light truly makes traveling easier!

  • We live in rural Appalachia some distance away from international airports, but we prefer flying direct when possible.

    We soon learned that Cleveland Hopkins International Airport had recently started providing direct flights to Dublin via Aer Lingus.

    We easily snagged two reasonably priced tickets several months in advance of our tour. This left us with a 4 hour drive followed by an overnight flight that would land us in Ireland the day before our tour was set to begin.

  • Every Rick Steves tour has an activity level associated with it. For the Heart of Ireland, it scored right in the middle.

    We found this assessment to be relatively true. Most attractions are at your own pace but we recommend taking advantage of every opportunity to experience what Ireland has to offer!

  • A few things helped us determine our budget:

    • A hearty breakfast is provided daily on tour.

    • Dinner is provided on roughly half of the nights.

    • Think about what you truly want to bring home. The lighter you pack, the more room you may have in your bag to bring souvenirs home.

    When it comes to spending, everyone is different! Since we planned to spend a few extra days in Ireland, we knew we needed to plan for additional meals and activities. Thankfully, most establishments in the country accept major credit cards, although some pubs appreciate dealing with cash.

 
For the full itinerary and to book your own tour, head over to Rick Steves’ website.

Meet Your Irish Team

  • Gearoid

    Guide

    Gearoid (pronounced “guh-road”) hails from Dingle town. He truly embodies the Irish spirit. He is a fantastic guide and has a great sense of humor. His local perspective and thoughtful recommendations made our trip worthwhile. In Irish terms, he directed us towards great craic and away from all the paddywhackery!

  • Adrian

    Guide - In Training

    We were lucky to have Adrian with us on this tour. He comes from Cork and has a background in live theater. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Ireland and possesses an incredible knack for storytelling. He will undoubtedly prove himself as a strong asset to the Rick Steves team moving forward!

  • George

    Driver

    George is a skilled driver and he got us from Point A to Point B with ease. He commanded our bus with precision and tact which was no surprise given his background serving in the Irish Army. When it was his turn to play some music on one of our rides, we learned that he is a big fan of Thin Lizzy and the Irish crooner Joe Dolan.

We tried something a little different on this trip. Rather than relying on our phones to document everything, we decided to use film instead. All of the photos you will see on this website were shot on 35mm film. The color shifts you may notice are from some of this film being 20+ years old along with us using an array of different brands of film.

Join us as we travel through the Heart of Ireland!