Destination: Ireland

Ireland has a single time zone (excluding its overseas territories), Greenwich mean time . The nation observes daylight saving time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

If you’re on an Odyssey tour, we take care of tipping so you don’t need to give it a second thought. However, in your free time, or if travelling independently, it’s essential that you make sure you tip an appropriate amount for services, as is the case throughout much of Europe. It’s customary to tip 10-15% of the bill at restaurants, or 1 to 3 GBP at a more casual establishment. It’s polite to round a bill up to the nearest whole figure or leave the change when buying drinks.

Internet access is easily accessible, and most hotels and many cafes will be able to offer it.

Check with your cell phone provider to see whether you’re able to make calls and use data while in Ireland. Many providers will offer a daily fee that allows you to make calls and check the internet while only being charged your regular rates. However, be certain to inform your provider that you’re heading overseas, because just like a bank they can turn off your service as a result of unusual activity.

Odyssey’s small group tours of Ireland allow the senior couple to explore lush green landscapes. The emerald isle is any nature-lovers’ dream, with its beautiful ocean vistas and hilly panoramas combining to create some truly spectacular scenery. Our small group adventures with a local tour guides, explores Magical folklore as it relates to Irish history and some of the most awe-inspiring feats of nature, stunning scenery that includes the 214-metre-high Cliffs of Moher or the hexagonal Giant’s Causeway, both of which are home to a plethora of sea birds. On an Odyssey small group tour of Ireland you have the opportunity to enjoy a guided city tour of Dublin with additional highlights including St Patrick’s Cathedral, amazing quaint villages , green hills, and other hidden gems, such as the rocky island of Skellig Michael with its distinctive stone huts or Connemara, the Dingle Peninsula or Aran island. On each Ireland tour you also see the Book of Kells and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

You can find all Odyssey Ireland tour itineraries , departure dates and tour costs here.

Odyssey’s tours to Ireland ranges from 6-19 days.

The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.

Odyssey Traveller offers the following tours to Ireland:

Treasures of Ireland

Walking tour of Ireland and the Lake District

Gardens of Ireland

Belfast City tour

Odyssey hires knowledgeable local expert guides and a great Odyssey tour leader who has an interest in the theme of the tour.

Odyssey’s tours are scheduled in April or August when the mild weather and smaller crowds, allows for this journey to award-winning historic as part of a small group of up to 12 people on a small group adventure

Odyssey’s small group tours for seniors include all accommodation, transport, most meals, applicable entry fees and services of local guides, tipping and gratuities, services of an Odyssey Tour Leader Detailed tour information booklet.

In major cities, Odyssey escorted small group tour stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses.

Odyssey’s tours typically start at breakfast, between 8:30- to 9am.

Odyssey specialises in educational small group tours for seniors, typically groups sizes are between 6 to 12 people.

Being Travel fit for mature and senior travellers remains an important element of enjoying a small group tour. This page shares tips about diet, solo travel, packing tips and footwear to help you plan you vacation to Europe, United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand for example.

Odyssey’s tours have a range of activity levels between level 1 to level 4.

The majority o our tours have an activity level 2 (moderate):

Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, be in good health, mobile and able to participate in 3-5 hours of physical activity per day, the equivalent of walking/hiking up to 8 kilometres on uneven ground

Please do not read into this too much, 8 kilometers is actually not very far if spread out over a day; Odyssey’s tour are developed for seniors, with an inquisitive mind and a good general physical health. We do not expect our participants to be walkers or with great strength or endurance. Our tours are also very flexible due to our smaller groups and we often offer alternative activities for participants who would like to skip an activity/sightseeing or take a day of rest.

If you are on a standard tour with Odyssey, we estimate that you will walk on average up to 8 kilometres per day. If you are on a walking tour with Odyssey, this distance is longer. Please ask our office staff for more details.

Yes, Odyssey’s leader will advise when hotels have laundry services or when there is a nearby laundrette, during the duration of the tour.

As Odyssey tour includes all accommodation, most meals, applicable entry fees and services of local guides, tipping and gratuities, the only money you will spend during your Odyssey tour is on souvenirs, laundry and some meals.

You will transfer between cities, mainly by coach. The time spent on the coach depends on your tour itinerary. For more information, please contact our office.

Odyssey’s small escorted group tours travel on moderns comfortable coaches, typically 14-16 seaters.

These are the public holidays observed in Ireland. Public holidays in Ireland (as in other countries) may commemorate a special day or other event, such as Saint Patrick’s Day or Christmas Day. On public holidays, most businesses and schools close. Other services, for example, public transport, still operate but often with reduced schedules.

The nine public holidays in Ireland each year are found here.

On an Odyssey small group Ireland tour you have the opportunity to enjoy a guided city tour of Dublin with additional highlights including St Patrick’s Cathedral , amazing quaint villages , green hills, and other hidden gems, such as the rocky island of Skellig Michael with its distinctive stone huts or Connemara, the Dingle Peninsula or Aran island. On each Ireland tour you also see the Book of Kells and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Odyssey recommends the following books before you travel to Ireland:

• The Ancient Paths: Discovering the Lost Map of Celtic Europe by Graham Robb
• Ireland, The Autobiography: One Hundred Years of Irish Life, Told by its People by John Bowman
• Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict by David McKittrick

The best time to visit Ireland is between March and May, and September to November when it’s not as crowded as it is in summer, or as cold as it is in winter.

Ireland has an oceanic climate, cool and damp, cloudy and rainy throughout the year. Summer heat and winter frost are rare.
Temperatures do not vary much; however, the western coasts are milder in winter and cooler in summer. The southwest coast is particularly mild in winter.
In Ireland, Atlantic weather fronts move relentlessly one after another over the country, resulting in a rapid succession of cloudiness and sunshine, rain showers and subsequent improvements. Days with completely clear skies are rare: the weather is more likely to be variable or unstable, and in the interludes between disturbances you can expect, rather than clear skies, clouds running in the sky.