Custom Irish Tours – Blog

Vital Tips For Travelling in Ireland

Tip 1: When you are planning your trip to our ‘forty shades of green’ island, try not to put too much pressure on yourself by making a ‘to-do’ list that is unrealistic. Don’t plan too many events. You won’t get to see everything, so choose carefully what you really...

Three of the Best Ways to Explore the Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Ireland. The Cliffs sit on Europe's most westerly tip and offer stunning views of the Atlantic coastline. Walk along and explore the breathtaking views and you will hear many birds...

5 Great Castles to Visit in Ireland

Tips for your Visit to Malin Head

Restaurants are not plentiful around Malin Head. I would recommend the Seaview Tavern. I have eaten there many times with my clients while touring and the food is always excellent, with a versatile menu. Top sites to visit in the beautiful County of Donegal. Here are...

10 Vital Tips when Travelling to Ireland

I am a tour guide in Ireland with over 15 years of experience in tourism. Below is a blog I have put together with some very helpful and important tips to help you with your planning a trip to Ireland ??. Tip 1. When you are planning your trip to our beautiful...

Ireland’s Top 5 Must See Castles

No trip to Ireland is complete without visiting our famous Castles. There is thought to be over 30,000 Castles on the island of Ireland. Most Castles in Ireland date back between the 11th to 15th century and we're built by Clan chiefs and then the Anglo Norman's. The...

Adam H

2022-10-10

10-day trip to Ireland - first time (Custom Irish Tours) First time in Ireland and I'm certain we picked THE BEST person to show us around. It was a 10-day trip so finding someone that adds to the experience each and every day was a tough job....but Derek delivered! From the first day he picked us up you could sense his passion and pride for the country, yet he was on top of his gave with information, wit, and just an all around great host. I can't recommend Derek enough and I can't wait to reconnect on our next trip to Ireland.

Trail56022971364

2022-10-05

South Ireland loop Derek (owner of Custom Irish Tours) created and executed a wonderful tour full of history, diverse landscape and Irish culture that connected with each of us. He filled our days with a nice variety of events and sites that fit the pace we were looking for. Each day you could feel his excitement and knowledge of every topic or site that was discussed. It was amazing to feel his love and passion as he was still awed by his own country's beauty along with us. We got to reap the benefits of Derek's wonderful network and relationships he has created throughout all of Ireland from hotels to the laundry mat. His connections and preparation allowed us to feel like we were travelling with VIP status and see so many things that would never been seen by a bus tour. I would recommended Custom Irish Tours to everyone.

Grace T

2022-10-04

Irish Adventure Our first contact with Derek was in January. He assisted with research, reservations, and recommendations. We committed to spend 10 days together in September. From arrival to departure, Derek delivered so much more than we ever expected. His genuine love of country and in-depth knowledge of past and present were shared with warmth, wit and wisdom. Not to mention his ability to maneuver city roundabouts and country roads. We visited typical attractions, but the off the beaten path stops left the greatest impressions - a cart & horse ride up the Gap; border collies herding sheep; personal tours of the Trim Castle and Hill of Tara. Not to mention samples of chocolate, perfume and spirits. Even witnessed a perfect rainbow. Derek provided all.

Larry G

2022-09-11

A great trip and so much better than a group tour. Plus all the background history and color. Highly recommend. Fantastic 2 days with Derrk with visis to Newrange, the east coast and Giant's Causeway. Derek is highly knowledgeable with a bubbly personality.

Dtrip

2022-08-20

Awesome day tour Thank you Derek for an amazing day tour of Meath. Your knowledge and enthusiasm was extraordinary and we appreciated all of the time you spent to make our day extra special.

Erik R

2022-08-18

3 days to remember Derek was a wonderful host for 3 days of adventuring and if it was not for his long hours driving us all over the country we would not have had nearly the experience of a life time. His humor and deep knowledge of his country matched ours perfectly. He was so excited to share his land with us and allowed us to see areas that you would never get the chance without a guide like Derek. We traveled to the Cliffs of Mohr, Wicklow Forrest, and a wonderful trip to Cork over 3 the days. We are lucky enough to get many personal guides and he is one of the best.

MaryAnneCullen

2022-08-12

Derek was extremely helpful in helping us set up tours when we visited Dublin. He really knows history.He is the best ! Derek is a fount of knowledge and really gave us lots of helpful information. He is punctual and courteous.He also helped us find contacts for drivers in other parts of Ireland.

JamesAndKathy2014

2022-07-27

Perfect Day in Ireland This was the second time we booked a tour with Derek Smith of Beautiful Meath Tours. Derek promptly picked us (5 adults) up at our Dublin hotel and we spent the day touring Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle, and Blarney Castle. Derek is passionate about the history and culture of his homeland and genuinely enjoys sharing with visitors. We heartily recommend Derek for custom private tours in Ireland.

foxlb

2022-07-21

Highly recommended tour Derek picked us up at our hotel and took us on an amazing day tour. He took us places we would not have known about and gave us the rich history of all the sites we say. It was a perfect day and the highlight of our visit to Ireland. We’ll worth the fee - we wish we’d scheduled more days with Derek!

Greg S

2022-07-20

Great advice, information, efficient use of time, great luncheon bookings, wonderful attitude, interesting, insightful, We were fortunate to have had the excellent guidance from Derek Smith . He took into account what our group of 4 adults wanted to see, made loads of suggestions, weaved together an itinerary that captured what we wanted & what he magically added (all in a comfortable Mercedes coach). Have fun!