Dublin to Dunluce Castle, Giant's Causeway and Belfast Day Tour

I was very disappointed with this tour. The day started very bad. We arrived early, as requested by the company and were watching children pick pocketing people in the area. Having to arrive early to a place where petty crime is occurring is very disconcerting. Then, there was poor communication regarding which bus was which, causing lots of confusion about where you actually needed to go. Despite arriving in the earliest group because we had to move to another bus, we got shoved by other passengers to the middle of the line making us sit far back in the bus. I understand seats are first come first served but because of your disorganization people who showed up late got better seats. Then, our tour guide Matt tortured us the rest of the day with his lack of knowledge. When he did speak it was jumbled and not well organized. However, at least he kept his talking to a minimum as the day went on. He talked a little bit about Irish music then said he was playing Irish music, but by the end of the day we were just being tormented by his own personal playlist. We opted to do the tour with the walking tour of Belfast, but the Wild Rover Bus that left before us was almost 30 minutes late making the short 2 hours we spent in Belfast even shorter. The walking tour guide was new, so even starting late we tried to give him a chance, but the tour was so bad, we walked away, which I’ve never done before. It just felt like a waste to continue on with the tour. The only good part of the day was the time spent at Giant’s Causeway. However, I went with someone who knew the area and that some trails would be too long for our time, which Matt failed to tell us. I was very disappointed with our guide. Every time he wanted us to wake up he would walk around the bus whispering “wake up” in a way that will haunt my dreams. Matt also requested a tip and his driver watched us all as we left to ensure tips were given, it was very uncomfortable and unprofessional.

Wonderful experience, despite the rain! Great guides, very smooth journey!! Loved the Giants Csuseway, awesome scenery. Well worth the trip!! The Belfast walking tour guide was very friendly, easy to follow around.

Well... I went on this trip part of 1st wedding anniversary package with my wonderful wife. Initially as a gamble as the bus journey and a lind day... WELL... from the start. eoin .. krisner.. the host and driver.... started the day 7am... with laughter..... even before getting on bus.. heading off .. up the road Eoin plays his music.. laughs with everyone. Krishner... entertains with his smile and very happy nature. the castle... then giants causeway were brill... long day... well worth it...

This was our third trip with Wild Rover and we really enjoyed it. Our guide (Matt) and our driver (Krishna) were fantastic. We unfortunately went out in a rainy day so the visit to the Castle and Giants Causeway were quite wet. We did enjoy our time though and the scenery was breathtaking. I will warn you that the Giants Causeway was a highly tourist area. The Visitor Center was a ripoff. That is not the fault of Wild Rover so does not impact my review, but be warned if you visit. The area was very crowded and limited dining options. Due to the rain we spent quite a bit of time at the Nook having a few pints and some food. It was priced for tourists but the food was decent enough and we were dry.

I would like to begin by congratulating the guide , Matt, on his rather impressive approach to time management. He was, quite rightly, very particular about punctuality. At every stop, the return time was carefully noted, and we were reminded that even one minute of lateness would result in the bus leaving without us. It was reassuring to know that time was being taken so seriously. His sense of responsibility was equally clear. When I mentioned that the Belfast walking tour had started 30 minutes late, leaving us with only around 20 minutes afterwards before we had to return to the meeting point, he explained that they were simply following the company’s instructions and that the walking tour was not their responsibility. He kindly suggested that we raise the matter with the company by email. One can certainly appreciate the clarity of such an arrangement. To be fair, once we were back on the bus, the guide clearly noticed that I was unhappy. He made a point of coming over to apologise, which I appreciated. He also explained that he genuinely did not understand why the walking tour had been arranged in this way, with everyone having to wait for passengers from the second bus to join the tour. It was, at least, reassuring to know that I was not the only person finding the arrangement slightly puzzling. Another rather admirable quality was his honesty. This was my first local tour in Europe, and I was somewhat surprised when he openly informed everyone that tips were expected and that they were happy to accept them in any currency. It was certainly helpful to have this made so clear. There is, however, one small detail that I found rather interesting. When selecting the tour, I noted that the itinerary stated that we would have 2 hours 15 minutes at Giant’s Causeway and 2 hours 20 minutes in Belfast. In practice, we had two hours at each location. The difference was particularly noticeable in Belfast. After the walking tour, we were left with approximately 20 minutes of free time. One can only wonder what the intended use of those 20 minutes might have been. I had hoped to spend around 10–15 minutes walking to a local sweet shop to buy some traditional sweets. When I mentioned this to the guide, he simply asked: “Do you want to take the second bus?” It was, I must say, a rather interesting suggestion. Given that the reduction in our free time was not caused by the customers, I was slightly unsure what response was expected. Perhaps, in retrospect, this was simply another example of the tour’s very consistent approach to time management.

Each stop has plenty to see and explore. The guides are very knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining. It has very helpful to learn about Ireland and the experiences of its many people from those who know it first hand.

This tour was fun, but a very long day. About the time we made it to Belfast, we were exhausted and ready to go back, a lot of time on the bus, however what we learned was great, and our drivers were amazing. Top notch!

We had Brendan as our tour guide, and he was absolutely amazing. He kept everyone engaged with his entertaining commentary on the surroundings, as well as his knowledge of Irish history. He really added to the experience and was a class tour guide. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the bus driver, Sylvie. His attitude towards passengers was extremely disappointing. He repeatedly interrogated people about whether they were back at the bus on time—even when they were only a minute late, or in some cases, not late at all. In our case, we were actually back at the bus early, yet we were still berated. We had also been told that the tour was running ahead of schedule. At one point, he told us that he “had a life”, which I found completely inappropriate and unnecessary. The constant pressure and criticism about timings really took away from what should have been an enjoyable experience. I left feeling quite upset and disheartened, particularly as we had done exactly what was asked of us. Brendan was an excellent guide and deserves great credit, but unfortunately, the bus driver’s attitude significantly affected our overall experience. I would strongly encourage the tour company to address this, as this kind of behaviour could ultimately cost them future business.

Trip was well organized with good guide and driver. I recommend the red trail at Giants Causeway. Belfast was nothing great( more of a check the box activity

Superb trip - definitely would recommend to do. A terrific day out and great to experience one of our areas of outstanding beauty. Dunluce Castle was amazing - would love to go back and do it all again