Our tour guide was a lovely gentleman named Peter. He was a font of knowledge and he went well beyond expectations for out tour in terms of the information he imparted to us. We travelled to Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher and Galway. He gauged the interest - (and energy levels!) of our group and worked with the bus driver to make a special stop at the Burren on route to Galway. His descriptions and anecdotes about the sites we visited and his general knowledge concerning Irish history were (and remain) memorable to us.

We met Paddy at the Heuston train station in the wee hours of the morning. He gave us an itinerary and two return rail tickets. We then walked to the train. It was standard seating, but a trolley with sandwiches, danishes, and drinks came around. Everything we ordered was great. The first leg is long - probably close to three hours. You’ll want to bring a charger or something to do. We then switched at Mallow to go to Killarney. Unfortunately, our rail had a terrible accident and we were delayed three hours. Paddy was constantly giving us updates and trying to make it work, but as the delays got longer, it just wasn’t. It’s November and it gets dark early. They promised to give a full refund. Anyways, when we finally got off the train in Killarney, Paddy found out when the next train would be, led us to restaurants in Killarney. Later, when the next train arrived, he never left our side and guided us back to Dublin. It wasn’t the tour’s fault, but it was so kind of him to not just abandon us when the tour was cancelled. These things happen and it was out of the control. Wish we got to finish the tour though. Next time!

What an amazing day!! Starting from the first train ride John Todd was absolutely wonderful. He told stories and gave us history lessons all along the way. We learned loads about this beautiful country with the ease and comfort of our own private guide. John was super helpful with taking our photo at each location. Thanks for capturing our memories!! This tour (and our guide) were top notch!!

We had done Ireland before without a guided tour and having a guided tour was so much better. We wanted our mother (in-law) to have a magical trip. John T was a very entertaining and informative guide. He kept us on a leisurely pace allowing us time to take plenty of photos while taking some group photos for us as well. John is very pleasant and kind, we would certainly take another tour with him.

The tour consists of a train ride to Killarney and a bus tour around the Ring of Kerry. Our first guide John T escorted us on the train where he gave a comprehensive overview of what to expect in Kerry. He also enhanced our experience with anecdotes of Irish culture and local history. The bus tour with another guide ended an hour earlier than we expected as we spent little time at most viewpoints. The bus driver sped to each destination making photos out the window difficult. On past tours the driver would often slow when we passed significant points so the guide could narrate while we absorbed the view and took photos.

What an amazing trip. This was an excellent way to see Ireland. It’s hard to say what was better… the train ride, the castle, the cliffs… it was a great day. Norman was funny and full of knowledge and Michael did an excellent job driving. Side note… people need to remember to tip your guides!

Mixed review…John was our Yellow Jacket for the day. Gave us incredible insight and history on the areas we were to visit. Upon arrival back at the station he walked with us and shared a great experience at the church. One of the best (with Paddy, Jerry, and Joe). 5 stars. Now for the actual tour…we felt extremely rushed. Liked herded cattle. Our photo stops were extremely brief. Our guide and driver had little personality and acted like they did not want to be there with us. Many passengers made comments that they feared being left behind. I did as well. Our driver exceeded the speed zones and nearly put us in an accident. Did not feel safe at times. We arrived at approximately 16:00. We were not scheduled to be back until 17:10. We were shorted over an hour of our tour we spent good money for. The high points were the National Park and lunch.

Really liked our rail escort John. He was really friendly and helpful with navigating the stations. The history lessons on the train were insightful and we loved the map he gave us at the end. But Norman and Mike… Mike was driving the coach like he was mad at us. Flying down the roads at what seemed to be too fast of speeds for the tiny winding roads. We almost got into two accidents (totally would’ve been his fault) and he was definitely not afraid of his horn or using the brakes. It was supposed to be a nice scenic drive and even with seat belts on, he was throwing us all around. Norman mumbled half of what he said and not sure if it was his fault or Mike’s but by the time he said what to look at and what side of the bus, we were already too far past it to actually see it! Most of the photo stops we got maybe five minutes and on other tours we got 10-15 minutes. And Norman was sure to start herding us back on as soon as the last passenger was off! Again, supposed to be a scenic drive and we couldn’t even stand long enough to really take in the view. We got back into Killarney right before 4 and John was absolutely shocked to see our group on the sidewalk, the coach already a distant dot on the horizon. We should’ve gotten back in right after 5 and it’s disappointing that we got cheated out of an hour plus of time that we could’ve spent actually taking in the beautiful scenery that the area is known for. Again, loved John Todd but Mike and Norman were not it! We stopped in Sneem I think and even the owners of the shop we were at knew of how bad they are. That’s pretty bad if you have a reputation with people that don’t even use your service.

It wasn't clear about departure time from Dublin, but we made the train, barely. Nice train ride. Blarney Castle was pretty, but didn't want to wait an hour to kiss anything. Walked around the gardens. You only pass through Cork in a bus, so you don't see much of the city. We were delayed with traffic, so we never got to see Cobh Cathedral on the inside. The museum in Cobh was ok and more about the Titanic and Lusitania.

Loved this tour. We were 4 of us from India and got to experience the Irish countryside. The tour was well organised and without any major delays..the guides were knowledgeable and friendly. They made it a point to talk and keep everyone engaged. Special mention to our guide whose name I think is John who was very funny ( John if you are reading this - it's summer time in Dublin during the Jazz festival ;) )

Everything that was listed, we got to see. The tour highlight was the Giant's Causeway. I was disappointed by the Dark Hedges. Our guide Quiggs was definitely the best part of the trip with his historical knowledge and humor.

My adult children & I went on a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, The Burren and Galway Bay. We were incredibly lucky that John Todd was our guide! He was brilliant!!! He generously shared his wealth of knowledge. And that was just the beginning. He took a real interest in everyone on his trip, stopping to chat with all of us on the train. He anticipated our needs and helped us make good choices for our free time. He went above & beyond, bringing our trip to life with deep knowledge, good humor & Irish wit! This trip was a highlight of our time in Ireland. Really, he was great!!! I hope he is your guide too:)))

It was a HORRIBLE experience! From the moment our tour began, we were caught in delays, overcrowded buses with inept "guides," numerous blunders (losing cruise liner passengers that were part of our "group," which was NEVER advertised in the tour description) and delayed return to Dublin (11p instead of 7p as advertised). THE COMPANY & VIATOR WOULD NOT GIVE US A REFUND, DESPITE OUR HORRID EXPERIENCE AND OUR REPORT OF RUDE TREATMENT BY STAFF. Stay away from this company and Viator if you want to keep your sanity! This "tour" ruined our last few days in Dublin, and we will not use Viator ever again.

This was a wonderful trip-- the castle visit was a highlight and the Cliffs of Moher were breathtaking! The train provided a lovely and comfortable trip, as did the small passenger van. Our guide, John Todd did an outstanding job-- giving us much history info-- and kept us at a good pace and chose a wonderful small, cozy pub for our lunch. He was a delight!

The Emerald Pullman 7 night/8 day private rail tour from Dublin was the best tour that I have ever done by far! Cannot say enough about the tour staff - knowledgeable, fun, helpful. The variety of tours provided a good overview of the island. Each hotel was different, from the grand old railroad hotel to the castle on the coast to the modern hotel in Belfast, each were unique and special. Overall a wonderful experience.