How to Tour Ireland

Decide which parts of Ireland are the most important and exactly what you want to see. There are so many amazing places in Ireland and vastly different types of tours to plan. For instance, you can plan a castle tour, a restaurant or bar tour, a city tour or several more types of tours.

Visit the city of Dublin. Dublin is the capital city of Ireland as well as the largest city. Dublin offers an amazing and walkable city area including many churches, schools and a zoo. You can also tour the Guinness factory, which was started in 1759. Dublin is also known as the party capital of the country. There is always a bar open and almost always a pub crawl that you can join or check out one of the walking bar tours of Dublin. There are many castles to stay in, as well as all of the popular chain hotels.

Visit the city of Waterford, located in the southeast part of the country. Waterford is the home of the famous, exquisitely crafted crystal; you can tour the factory that it is made in and visit the surrounding sleepy town. Stay the night at Waterford Castle, which is only accessible by a ferry (it's on its own tiny, private island). Waterford also touts itself as the first official city of Ireland.

County Cork is home to the world-famous Blarney stone. There are many bed and breakfasts available to stay in, or you can stay in the Blarney Castle Hotel. Then, climb up the narrow steps of Blarney Castle with only a thin rope to serve as a rail. Once you get to the top, you pay a man to hold your legs as you bend over backwards and kiss the Blarney stone. This is not for those with a fear of heights or enclosed places, but it is an amazing experience. Don't forget to visit Blarney Woolen Mills, one of the most popular stores in the entire country, for genuinely handcrafted Irish items.

Travel to Cong in the county of Mayo and stay at the 13th-century Ashford Castle, which once was home to the famous Guinness family. You will find some of the finest golf courses, skeet shooting, horseback riding and falconry available in Cong. This is also where celebrities who are traveling to Ireland tend to stay, as the city is a little out of the way and hard to find. So take a map!