Grand Tour of Ireland

On a self-drive tour, Nordic Visitor supplies you with a quality rental car and a detailed personal itinerary. You act as your own tour guide and driver, and you get to pick the road trip music!

All your services will be pre-booked by your personal travel consultant at Nordic Visitor. This includes your rental car and accommodation in Ireland, along with planned activities, as specified in the itinerary.

As this is a self-guided tour, you’re welcome to stop whenever and wherever you wish along the way. Except for accommodation and booked activities, other highlights we’ve listed in the itinerary are suggestions based on Nordic Visitor favourites.

And rest assured that we’re with you every step of the way. Upon your arrival, you’ll receive personalised information, including an itinerary, hand-annotated map and our very own Ireland Travel Guide. Plus, you’ll have access to our 24/7 helpline during your trip should you need to contact us.

The minimum age to hire a car in Ireland is 21 years old.

There is no maximum age, but our car rental partner has some requests for those 75 and older.

If you are between 75 and 79, you should be driving regularly. You will also need to provide 2 letters:

1. One from your doctor to state that you have been in good health for at least the last 12 months.
2. One from your insurance provider stating that you have not had an accident in 5 years. It should also confirm that you hold a car insurance policy and are currently driving.

If you are 80 or older, please contact us directly. We’ll look at alternatives for you.

This applies to all those who want to drive on your self-drive trip.

During your Ireland tour, you’ll stay in accommodation hand-picked by our travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.

In Ireland, you can choose from single or double rooms. Twin, triple and family rooms are not commonly available. Please also note that in Ireland room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.

For example, a double room often consists of 2 single beds pushed together. And single rooms are often smaller than the standard double.

Due to the historic nature of the properties we usually select, most of the rooms are only accessible by stairs. Lifts are not common in Irish hotels. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are not able to walk up stairs.

Travelling with your kids? No problem! Just let your travel consultant know during the booking process. We’ll arrange any cots needed at your accommodation.

If you need multiple rooms, please note that we can't guarantee family rooms or interconnecting rooms at all accommodation. You may even have rooms on different floors.

If you'd like us to arrange for a car seat to be provided for your trip, please let us know ahead of time. This will incur a small extra cost.

The roads in Ireland are usually in good condition all year long and are renowned for their road trip worthiness.

Please be aware that in Ireland motorists drive on the left side of the road (and on the right side of the car). If you are not used to driving on the left, we highly recommend choosing a vehicle with automatic transmission for your self-drive tour.

If you want a manual transmission vehicle, keep in mind that you will need to shift gears with your left hand (floor pedals are the same).

Drivers will need to get used to the narrower roads of Ireland as well as the rural single-track roads. If you meet another driver on one of these single-track roads, one of you needs to tuck into a passing place, which might be behind you. In these areas, you should also be careful of animals on the road.

It’s also a good idea to plan how you will navigate around Ireland ahead of time. Your travel consultant will prepare a detailed hand-annotated map of your route to help you stay on track.

We also recommend using navigation apps on your phone, such as Google Maps. Make sure to download the route ahead of time, in case you don’t have signal in the more rural areas.

For inexperienced drivers who still want to explore and discover Ireland, we recommend one of our guided small group tours or privately guided tours. On these tours you’ll have a local, experienced driver at the wheel.

While Ireland isn’t known for its heat, summers on the Emerald Isle usually feature plenty of warm days. It’s also the driest time of year to visit.

Between May and September, you can expect temperatures of around 13°C–18°C (55°F–65°F). Due to humidity, this can feel a lot warmer, especially in cities like Dublin.

That said, the weather is also very changeable, so you’ll want to come prepared for anything. Rain is always a possibility, and when the sun sets you might need a warm jumper or jacket. We’ve prepared a useful packing guide to help you decide what to bring with you.

Please note that sightseeing is dependent on weather and road conditions. This means that your itinerary might need to be altered if these conditions are not favourable during your visit. If something unexpected occurs, you can call our 24/7 helpline to speak directly with a Nordic Visitor staff member.

Whatever time of year you’re in Ireland, you’re likely to see lots of different types of weather. As you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors it’s a good idea to come prepared for a combination of weather conditions.

Here is a recommended packing list for a summer trip:

• A warm jumper or fleece
• A waterproof jacket
• Good walking shoes or boots (especially if you intend to hike and go on nature walks)
• Light scarf or thin sweater
• Reusable water bottle
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and a sunhat

For more information, check this packing list suggestion.

There are limited laundry facilities in Ireland’s countryside, but you will find some laundrettes in Dublin. Some hotels do offer dry cleaning for an additional cost.

On your Ireland road trip, you should budget for petrol costs of around €1.60–€2 per litre.

As for meals, your breakfast is included at all your accommodation in Ireland. For the rest of your food, your spending money will depend on the standard of restaurants you decide to go to.

Budget between €15–€20 per person for each day’s lunch. Dinners at casual restaurants might cost between €20–€25. Meanwhile at upscale restaurants, you can expect to pay €40–€50 or more. This does not include the cost of alcoholic beverages.

If you’re arriving from the UK, Canada, the United States, Australia or the European Union, you won’t need a visa to visit Ireland.

Visiting from another country? You can find the complete list of countries whose nationals require a visa to enter Ireland on the website of Ireland’s Citizens Information Board.

If you are not an EU citizen, your passport will need to be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your departure from Ireland. It’s a good idea to check your passport expiry date early in case you need to renew it.

Please be aware that from 2025 the UK requires citizens from a majority of countries to hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the country. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so if your tour includes a stay there, you'll need to apply in advance. This ETA also applies for transfers via UK airports.

By booking with Nordic Visitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s always someone there for you throughout your trip.

For support and advice during the day, you can call our office. And if anything unexpected happens outside working hours, you can reach us on our 24/7 helpline.

During your tour, there will always be an Edinburgh-based travel expert on call to handle any unforeseen situations, such as unusual weather or events.

Yes, you can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can easily add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades.

It’s best to book as soon as you can to secure your preferred travel dates. Once you have picked your tour, check the availability calendar to see which months are open for booking. Then, select the date you want and complete your booking. 

Nordic Visitor offers 10–20% deposits so you can reserve your trip as early as it’s convenient for you. The remaining balance is due 30 days before you travel. 

Many tours are also open for the following year if you like to plan well ahead. And if you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact us. 

After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip. 

At that time, they’ll confirm the availability of your tour. Then the booking process starts, which may take a few weeks. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip. You will also receive more information about what to expect during your trip.

You can get in touch with our Ireland travel experts ahead of your trip if you have any questions. The live chat option is useful for getting a quick reply as someone answers live every day during office opening hours.

Once you’ve booked, we’ll provide you with a travel guide packed full of local tips and top attractions for your visit. You can also check out our online Ireland Travel Guide where we’ve compiled useful information about topics, including:

• Which credit cards are widely accepted in Ireland
• What kind of electric adapters or converters you’ll need
• The native languages of Ireland that you might hear alongside English
• As well as tipping, local news sources and other useful information

After you have booked your tour, it will only take a few days to confirm its availability. But it may take a few weeks to create your itinerary and book everything. Once your trip details are finalised, we’ll send you e-copies of your travel documents.

Upon your arrival in Ireland, you’ll receive a welcome bag with hard copies of your itinerary, attraction and tour vouchers, the Nordic Visitor Ireland Travel Guide and more.

So when do you check in? And what can you expect upon landing in Ireland?

After picking up your luggage, make your way to your accommodation in the Dublin city centre. We recommend one of the airport buses or to hop in a taxi.

For a smooth and easy journey, we’ll be happy to arrange a private transfer to your accommodation for an additional fee. This means a driver will be waiting for you at the airport when you land to take you directly to your hotel. Just let your travel consultant know if you’d like to add this service.

Check-in times vary between hotels and guesthouses, but it normally starts between 2–4 PM.

You are welcome to request an early check-in for an additional fee. Although this isn’t always available, you’ll be able to store your luggage at the hotel if you have to wait. Please contact your travel consultant well in advance of your arrival if you’d like an early check-in.

When you depart may depend on the time of your return flight. Check out early if you’re heading to the airport for a morning flight. On the other hand, if you’re flying home later in the day, you might like to enjoy a leisurely day or visit one more attraction.

You will need to check out from your room, but will be able to store your luggage at the hotel reception. Simply return later to collect your bags before catching public transport or a taxi to the airport.

All bookings are billed in Euros (EUR), the local currency in Ireland.

Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. This means conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.