Little Gem are exclusively private tours for groups of all sizes.

 

We specialise in crafting customised itineraries which include private luxury transport, a professional driver guide and a selection of boutique and luxury accommodations.

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We ensure our tours are flexible, personal and professional and are designed around each private groups wishes.

 

We endeavour to take you off the beaten path and away from the crowds whilst also taking in the main attractions along the journey.

As our tours are individually customised our tour prices vary depending on a large variety of requests including - Tour Length / Group Size / Accommodation Style / Activities Requested.  

 

Our tour prices will include Transport / Driver / Guide / Accommodation / Breakfast and certain selected activities.

 

Our contact form provides enough information for us to generate an initial cost so please contact us for further details.

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CONTACT

Step 1 - Browse our website for inspiration on your trip to Ireland.

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We have suggested day trips and multi-day tours throughout our website. Take a look through the options and remember - your tours are private and fully customisable!

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Step 2 - Contact us with as much details as possible.

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Provide details around your length of trip, the number of people and your preferences on attractions / locations / accommodations / room styles, etc. The more information you provide about yourselves and your likes / dislikes the more likely we are to design your perfect tour.

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Step 3 - We revert with initial suggested itinerary.

We will now assign your private tour planner who will be your dedicated point of contact for your travels. You will receive an initial itinerary proposal. This will include our costs with full itinerary details including accommodation options and day to day sight seeing and activity options.

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Step 4 - Feedback on the initial proposal.

Now is your chance to provide feedback and any requested amends on the initial tour itinerary.

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Step 5 - Deposit payment to secure your tour dates

We finalise all initial itinerary details and request a deposit of 25% to secure your dates of touring. This allows us to proceed with your accommodation bookings if required.

* Note: For day tours we request full payment up front.

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Stage 6 - Accommodation Confirmations !

We will get back with your confirmed accommodations for your adventure as well as details of room styles and upgrades.

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Stage 7 - Balance payment and condensed driver guide itinerary.

Approximately 60 days before your tour date we will request the balance payment for your tour. At this stage we will then also go through the finer details of your day to day activities using a condensed driver guide itinerary.

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Stage 8 - Pack your bags and get ready for an adventure of a lifetime with the Little Gem Tour Team !!!

Daily costs will vary depending on individual cases however a rough guide would be as follows...

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Note: We do not include activity entrance fees in our quotes. The reason for this is to allow for flexibility in terms of the tour content. 

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Meals -

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Breakfast each morning is included in all of our multi-day tours.

Lunch - Approx € 10 to € 15pp

Dinner - Approx € 25 to € 100pp depending on style of restaurants

Quality Pub Dinners - Approx € 20pp

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Activities - (there would be usually one or two of the below per day)

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Boat Trips - Approx € 20pp 

Museums - Approx € 5 to € 15 

Heritage Farms - Approx € 10pp

Large Exhibitions - Approx € 20pp

Brewery's - Approx € 15pp

Distilleries - Approx € 15pp

National Heritage Sites - Approx € 5pp

Live Music Shows - Approx € 50pp

Private Hawk Walk - Approx € 60pp

1 Hour Private Demonstrations - Approx € 80

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Entertainment -

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Pint of Guinness - € 5 to € 6pp

Pint of Beer - € 5 to € 6pp

Pub music - Usually Free

Theatre - € 15 to € 50pp

Live Music Show - € 20 to € 50pp

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We have a huge range of accommodation options from luxury 5 Star Castles to boutique farm stays. Once again this is a completely flexible and customised element of your tour.

 

We find that guests like a variety of accommodation styles so we try to mix up our overnights with a combination of 5 Star / Luxury B&B / Farm Stays & Castle Stays.

 

We will always ensure that the accommodation is of the highest quality standard regardless of the ratings.

All of our tours are individually customised based on our clients requests therefore our tours always vary and every tour is a new adventure.

 

Our website features some suggested itineraries however they are all flexible.

This depends on the style of tour you have chosen.

 

Day Tours -

The lengths of our day tours will vary depending on the distance travelled. For example... A Dublin & Surrounds Day Tour could be 5 Hours whilst a Northern Ireland Day Tour could be 13 hours. 

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Multi Day Tours -

The days on our multi-day escorted tours are usually 8 hours and based on a recommended 9:30am to 5:30pm schedule.

 

This is entirely flexible and depending on the itinerary and the group, days can be shorter or a little longer.

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Driving Times -

Although our vehicles are of the highest comfort nobody likes driving too long.

 

We try to design all of our tours so you will have a stop of interest every 1.5 to 2 hours at the most.

 

There will be exceptional circumstances where a drive of 3 hours is required on our longer day tours.

There is no set guidelines for tipping in Ireland. People will usually tip based on the quality of service they receive.

 

A general guideline for top quality service would be 10-15%

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Meals –

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This depends entirely on the quality of service and food. The food standard has greatly increased in Ireland over the last number of years and we know some gems of coffee shops & restaurants around the country. 10 to 15% is a good guideline.

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Drinks –

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Bar staff behind the bar would not normally be tipped. Lounge staff who serve you at your table would be tipped approx 10 to 15% percent. Once again this depends entirely on the service quality.

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Driver Guides –

 

We are often asked how much should I tip a tour guide in Ireland?

 

Driver/guide gratuity is always appreciated and the amount is entirely based on your tour experience.

 

If you feel that your guides have gone out of their way to provide a unique experience, an average tip would be somewhere between €50 and €100 per day total.

 

This is entirely up to and and should be based on the quality of your experience.

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Hotel Staff –

 

A tip for porters & chambermaids is always appreciated but again, this depends on quality of service. 

Well, each of the seasons and months have their own advantages and charms when it comes to travelling in Ireland.

 

Take a look at our blog post on the topic on when to travel in Ireland for more details about Irish weather...  

 

 When To Travel in Ireland Blog Post

Ireland's weather is always an interesting subject and is a subject dear to our hearts!

 

Our weather is constantly changing. Expect during the course of your visit to see all the seasons - days of sun, light rain, rainbows, wind and lots more besides. One point to note however is that we tend not to have extremes. 

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Layers are the best way to go. Bring a fleece, a light raincoat and under armour. Layers are a great way of dealing with Ireland's changing weather !

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Also we do recommend good waterproof walking shoes. Not necessarily hiking boots, just a simple pair of waterproof shoes that you can wear for all occasions whether in the van or in the pub!

 

Ireland would not be a particularly formal country in terms of dress so casual wear would be suggested. An exception is when staying in some higher scale 5 star castles. In this case formal dining wear may be required.

We are often asked if there is somewhere to wash clothes along the tour route. 

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The answer is yes! There are opportunities to wash clothes throughout your trip, in every location. Your driver guide will also help out with suggestions for this.

In Ireland the power plug sockets are of type G. The standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz.

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Most appliances like smartphones don't need a converter. They just need an adaptor as they are built to manage the voltage.

 

Appliances such as a hairdryer would need the voltage adaptor. Hairdryers will be readily available during the course of your travels in the various accommodations

 

You can get a mored detailed description here - 

https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/ireland/