7 Day Magnetic North Adventure
This was my second tour with Vagabond. I did the 8 day Wild Rover tour in 2019 and planned to do this one last year, but of course, had to reschedule. I was a bit apprehensive due to Covid, but I didn't want to wait another year. Traveling solo, I knew I'd be in great hands with Vagabond, but this tour exceeded my expectations by 1000%!
Leading up to the tour, the communication and Covid updates from Vagabond were excellent. There were some travel restrictions announced right before my tour, and Rob Rankin, the owner of Vagabond, personally answered my emails, assuring me that all was well.
The tour began at the Grand Canal Hotel in Dublin early on Sunday morning. I was greeted by Rob Rankin, and was so impressed that he took the time to see everyone off. One of the great things about Vagabond is the 4x4 vans they use, which really do go off the beaten path, far from the large tour buses. There was only one other couple on my tour and our guide, Andrew was warm and funny right from the start. I had emailed Emma at Vagabond about my ancestry prior to the tour; my 6th great grandfather, Patrick McSherry was born in Newry in 1725 and I had asked whether we'd be driving through there on our first day. She replied that it wasn't a scheduled stop, but that she would mention it to our guide. Andrew kindly took the time to go into the town and gave me extra time to visit a cathedral, which was coincidentally named St. Patrick's! That was just the start of an amazing week. He went SO far above and beyond on every step of the tour, from booking lunch and dinner every day, to hiking with us and booking activities that we wanted to do. He was funny (I laughed til I cried!), kind and caring, and incredibly knowledgeable on the history of every town and place we visited. His stories and fables kept us entertained, which I loved hearing. He even knew the history of the wells of St. Patrick that we visited.
It's hard to say what my favorite part of the tour was...every day was fantastic and a new adventure! The tragic history of Northern Ireland was so interesting. Andrew suggested a great hike at the Giants Causeway, which took us up to cliffs overlooking the ocean. He arranged for us to kayak in Sheepshaven Bay in Dunfanaghy, which was amazing! I loved Donegal and Slieve League. On the last day, we all hiked Croagh Patrick, with beautiful views of Clew Bay.
If you’re looking for a small group tour that’s adventurous, takes you to places no other tour company does, want to have a ton of fun and learn the history and wonderful fables of Ireland, then I can’t recommend Vagabond highly enough. I will surely return for tour #3!
Thanks a MILLION to Vagabond for being the BEST tour company in Ireland AND to Andrew, for the MOST wonderful week in Ireland that I ever could’ve imagined!
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Second Trip- This time to see the Northern Half of Ireland
Three years ago, we did the 7 Day World Tour with our grown children – who said this was the "best vacation ever"!
My husband and I enjoyed it so much, we booked Vagabond, this time focusing on the north and again, we were not disappointed.
First, let me say that frequent communication was key to overcoming the travel challenges due to COVID. Originally booked for 2020, Vagabond allowed us to rebook, applying our deposit to our 2021 trip.
Over the past 18 months, owner Rob sent regular emails with general updates regarding the current situation in Ireland so we always had accurate, and up-to-date information regarding our ability to travel.
Back in the office, Emma kept us informed about our specific tour, travel requirements and forms, and COVID testing protocols, etc. She helped us to navigate where and when testing was needed and provided a listing of testing centers within walking distance of our hotels so we could travel into Northern Ireland and back home to the USA without issue. We received an immediate response to every email, answered all of our questions professionally, and was a huge help to us during the pre-trip planning phase.
Our tour started on time with Andrew as our guide. Throughout the week, he shared information about the sites, local lore, and historical facts. He told us endless stories and fables as we were travelling through Antrim, Londonderry, Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, and Rosscommon, giving us a real sense of true Ireland. His smile, his energy, and his enthusiasm for his job and Vagabond as a company, were never-ending. He treated us like royalty and made sure we were taken care of the entire tour. Andrew worked very hard to make reservations and reconfirm bookings for all our excursions and dinners. During our tour we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary. Andrew went out of his way and bought us a cake to celebrate and played music while we danced outside the ringfort of Grianan of Aileach. That will be a memory of a lifetime. Some of the other trip highlights were hiking up Croag Patrick and Slieve League, sea kayaking in Inishtown, the Black Cab tour in Belfast, and of course the Giant’s Causeway. The accommodations and the people that run them were equally outstanding. The two that really stood out to us were Londonderry Arms where Churchill stayed and the beautiful Mount Falcon Estate.
Whether you are a first timer or going back to Ireland to explore more of what the country has to offer, we highly recommend Vagabond. Sure, you can visit Ireland on your own, but why not “experience” all of Ireland through the guides who live and work there. Vagabond offers something for everyone – adventure tours for active folks and more relaxing tours for those who enjoy taking it all in. You won’t be disappointed!
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7 Day Magnetic North Tour
This is our second tour with the company, having done a Driftwood tour 3 years ago. This time we wanted to do something slightly more adventurous and booked the Magnetic North Vagabond tour. The Magnetic North tour is pretty off the beaten path but that was the slice of Irish culture we were looking for.
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