A land of rolling emerald plains dotted with castles and ringed by rocky mountains, Ireland looks like something out of a fairytale. But believe us – it is very, very real. The true magic of this place presents itself in the lived-in details: the characteristic taste of a pint of dark stout poured by a wizened bartender in a small-town pub; the crisp, clean air that fills your lungs as you wander through a Stone Age cemetery; the spongy feel of the impossibly lush turf beneath your boots as you hike into the hills. Ireland is where fiction becomes fact and myth is more real than anything you’ve lived before.
GEEO was formerly partnering with the Center for European Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. On 3/12/2020 UT Austin barred international travel for faculty, students, and staff through August 31 due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. Unfortunately as a consequence, there will no longer be a UT staff member accompanying the GEEO Ireland trip.
Please click here to go to our general FAQ, which has essential information that applies to all of our programs.
Visit our recommended reading page to see the list of books GEEO recommends reading before your program (this is not required reading). We also have lesson plans and Pinterest boards that may be useful for you as you learn about your destination and prepare to bring lessons back to your classroom.
It is very important for you to visit our Terms and Conditions page before signing up for this program.
All cancellations must be submitted to GEEO in written form by emailing your request for cancellation to travel@geeo.org. If you do not receive a confirmation that we have received your written cancellation request, please call us at 1-877-600-0105. Verbal cancellation requests will not be honored.
All GEEO/G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of G Adventure’s group leaders, which they refer to as Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues, and introduce you to our local friends. Our itineraries often have plenty of free time to explore on your own.
While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting – we think it’s the best of both worlds.
This trip includes light walking and optional moderate hiking that is suitable for most fitness levels. The hike on the Cliffs of Moher can be difficult for some people, but you don’t have to do the whole hike, if you let your tour leader know in advance. It also can be muddy, so boots are handy there.
Half of the people that travel with GEEO are traveling by themselves, so please don’t worry if you have no one who can join you on your trip. Our pricing is based on double occupancy or, in other words, two people to a room. You never have to pay for a single room unless you want one. GEEO can find you a roommate of the same gender. Most of our trips have a “My Own Room” option, also known as a “Single Supplement,” which is an extra fee that will allow you to have a room to yourself. If you want to room alone, please email travel@geeo.org. To see the price for the “My Own Room” option, please click here where you can look up your trip in the extra services spreadsheet.
Please note that Day 1 is an arrival day, and no activities have been planned. Upon arrival to the city on Day 1, or earlier if you have booked pre-accommodation with us, please make your way to the joining hotel. Please note: Check-in time will be in the afternoon. Once you arrive at the hotel, look for a note at reception from your tour leader. This note will give the details of your Welcome Meeting on Day 1, usually between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., at which you will get a chance to meet your tour leader and other travelers, as well as learn more about how the tour will run. If you don’t see a note, please ask reception for details!
If you miss the Welcome Meeting, your tour leader will leave a note at reception for you with any information you may need and with instructions for the next morning.
Getting to the Fleet Street Hotel:
The blue Aircoach and Airbus 747 both travel directly by road from Dublin International Airport to O’Connell Street. Journey times vary between 25-45 minutes. Avoid rush hour traffic (7:30-9:30 a.m. and 5:00-6:30 p.m.) if possible. Prices are approximately 7 EUR one-way and 12 EUR with return. Taxi fare from the airport should cost approximately 25-30 EUR, depending on traffic and the number of people traveling to Temple Bar.
If you are arriving by train, you will probably arrive at either Heuston or Connolly Station. These are Dublin’s principal railway stations. The Fleet Street Hotel is a short taxi ride from both stations. A feeder bus runs between Connolly and Heuston Station, passing through the city center approximately every 10 minutes.
If you are coming from Connolly Station, ask the driver to stop the bus at Aston Quay. Get off the bus and walk toward O’Connell Bridge, take a right turn onto Westmoreland Street, and take the next right onto Fleet Street. We are located on the right hand side next door to the Palace Bar.
If you are coming from Heuston Station, ask the driver to stop at Bachelors Walk, get off the bus and cross O’Connell Bridge, cross onto Westmoreland Street, and take a right turn onto Fleet Street.
Should you need to contact G Adventures during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS
G Adventures UK office (8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.)
+44 (0) 2072439878
If you are unable for any reason to contact the local office, please call the numbers listed below, which will connect you directly with the 24-hour Sales team, who will happily assist you.
Toll-free, from calls within North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from within UK: 0844 272 0000
Outside North America and the UK: +1 416 260 0999
For absolute emergencies after office hours please contact +44 7817 262559
If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.
Please read this article on GEEO’s blog for our staff’s suggestions on the best gear to pack for your upcoming travels. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them up and down stairs, on and off transportation, and to hotels. As a rule, we try not to have to walk more than 15-20 minutes with your bags, which is why we recommend keeping the weight of your bags between 22-30 lb. Most travelers carry a backpack or rolling bag of small to medium size. No XXL bags please! A daypack is also essential for carrying everyday items. Space is limited on transportation, so there is a limit of one main piece of luggage per person plus a daypack per person.
We recommend bringing enough clothes so you don’t have to do laundry during the trip. You won’t be sweating much, so it should be pretty easy.
All GEEO trips require that the participant have a valid passport. Please see our general FAQ for information on obtaining a passport. As with all of our trips, we try to provide the most accurate information we can, but governments sometimes change visa rules. It is your responsibility to double check the information we provide below by searching here.
Americans do not need a visa for travel in Ireland and Northern Ireland (UK). Non-American participants should check with their government or nearest Irish Embassy and British Embassy to find out if they need a visa.
Ireland uses the Euro as its currency. Northern Ireland uses the British Pound. As currency exchange rates fluctuate, we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com. ATMs are also widely available that distribute the local currency, and this is what we recommend as your primary source of cash while traveling. Please make sure you bring at least $200 USD in cash as emergency money just in case you have trouble with the ATMs or lose your bank card. Major credit cards are accepted in most shops but they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee. Visa and MasterCard are useful for cash advances in an emergency situation. Please note: If you are carrying U.S. Dollars, they should be in good condition (i.e., not torn, wrinkled, or marked on in any way) and printed recently.
It is customary in Europe to leave a small tip for service providers, such as waiters, if you are pleased with the service (1-2 EUR for snacks or 10% of a meal bill). Tipping is an expected – though not compulsory – component of your tour program and an expression of satisfaction with the persons who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels.
Tipping during the tour program is similarly not expected, but it can be a way to express satisfaction with the persons who have assisted on your tour. Recommendations for tipping local guides would range from the equivalent of $3-5 USD per day, depending on the quality and length of the service. Ask your tour leader for specific recommendations based on the circumstances and culture.
At the end of each trip, if you felt your G Adventures Tour Leader did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference. As a budgeting guideline, $40-$50 USD per person per week can be used.
You do not need any vaccinations to travel on this program.
We often find the best prices for purchasing flights is 60 days before departure, but of course this varies greatly from route to route and year to year. You must wait until this trip is confirmed with the minimum number of required participants before you book your flights. Typically, we reach the minimum number needed at least 90 days before departure. GEEO and G Adventures bear no responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed. You can find out whether this trip has been confirmed here.
Your trip begins Dublin and ends in Belfast. Please double check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Dublin. You can arrive at any time of the day you choose, but we strongly urge you to arrive by 6:00 p.m. on Day 1 for our group meeting. You can depart from Belfast at any time on the final day of the trip.
There are two components to provide external power to your device: adapters and transformers. The adapter is the plug, adapting the prongs on a standard U.S. two to three-pronged power cord to match the prongs required by the local outlets. The transformer changes the local voltage to that required by your device.
Ireland and Northern Ireland use a British-style Type G plug with three square prongs. Their voltage is 220-240 Volts. U.S. outlets are 120V. Most new devices (phones and laptops) can handle the different voltage rates, but some devices only work on the U.S. standard of 120V. Check your device to see what voltage range it handles. Most transformer blocks will have an “Input” line that defines its voltage capacity. For example, “Input: 100-240V” means that it will work on voltages from 100V to 240V. If your transformer can’t handle the different voltage, you’ll need to purchase a voltage converter. You can find world regional voltage converters power packs at various vendors.
Before you decide on traveling with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the information about the program you are considering. Remember, our programs are quite adventurous.
Hopefully this is the kind of adventure you are interested in!
While it is our intention to adhere to the routes described on our website, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable, to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The information on our website is a general guide to the tour and region, and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.
“The weather is unpredictable. Dress in layers. Bring a coat so you won’t get sick. You’ll probably wear it everyday. Always carry an umbrella and/or a waterproof jacket. It’s definitely worth hiking the Cliffs of Moher. Irish pub music is fun!”
“In Ireland, they like CASH, especially for food, and many places were reluctant to take credit cards. Most people came expecting to use credit cards for their meals. Also, most purchases had a value added tax of about 20%, which you could try and recoup later if you asked the merchant for a form (a big pain).”
“Most travelers brought very small suitcases or duffel bags. I had a medium/large suitcase, which was not a problem since we did not need to carry it often. However, I don’t think several suitcases of that size would have fit on our bus.
“This was made pretty clear on your website, but you need sturdy shoes most days. The Cliffs of Moher path is slippery when wet, and there were some hills to walk up during stops along the Ring of Kerry.”
“All but one hotel had soap provided and all but one had a blow dryer provided.”
Irish weather can be unpredictable, so the Irish like to discuss it. A lot. The warmest months of the year are July and August, when you will get about 18 hrs of daylight and it gets dark only after 11:00 p.m. Hence the well-worn phrase in Ireland: “sure, there’s a grand stretch in the evenings.” Even at the peak of summer, it is still quite mild with typical highs in the 60’s F and lows in the 50’s F. You will almost surely get some rain showers during your trip, but they don’t tend to last too long.
Please keep in mind this trip offers some free time to pursue activities that interest you. Make sure you look over all of the optional activities and note these additional costs when deciding whether you can afford this program. The prices below are in U.S. Dollars and are rough estimates for budgeting your trip.
See our price in the top right corner
$50-$200 USD
Roughly $700-$1,200 USD
If you require assistance in booking your international airfare, we would be happy to help you.
$25-$200 USD
Please note: It is mandatory for all of our travelers to have Emergency Medical insurance that covers both emergency evacuation and repatriation to the sum of $200,000 USD. We also strongly recommend purchasing cancellation insurance as well.
$40-$50 USD for your G Adventures tour leader; $30 for tipping local guides and your driver
$305-$400 USD
Make sure you budget for these types of expenses
Variable. At your personal discretion.
$100 USD (Suggested donation)
This is only for non-educator guests traveling with an educator on a GEEO trip. Educators and retired educators should not make this donation.
Most optional activities are booked and paid for locally in the local currency. You do not have to decide in advance for which activities you would like to sign up. The prices listed are based on the latest information we have received from our participants and G Adventures. They are not guaranteed to be accurate. Please feel free to use them as a guide for budgeting your trip.
Newgrange and Hill of Tara Tour: 35 EUR – Highly recommended day tour; leave around 9:30 a.m., return around 3:15 p.m.; book online here: http://newgrangetours.com
Dublin Castle: 8.5 EUR
Christ Church and Crypt: 6 EUR
Guinness Storehouse: 16.50 EUR
Jameson Distillery: 13 EUR
Historic Dublin City Tour: 12 EUR
National Park bicycle rental: 15 EUR
Boat ride on the lake: 10 EUR
Gap of Dunloe (time permitting): 35 EUR
Hike Carrauntoohil (time permitting, 4-6 hrs): 55 EUR
Ulster Museum: Free
Belfast Botanic Gardens: Free
Titanic Belfast: 17.50 EUR
