solo travellers group holidays ireland

Solo Travel to Ireland In 2024

What is small group solo travel to Ireland like? We've answered your concerns in this handy guide.

Solo Travel To Ireland At A Glance

🥰 Ireland Is Super Friendly & Safe

👩‍❤️‍👩 New Friendships On Tour Are Very Common

👴 Solo Travel Suits All Ages In Ireland

🚐 Solo Travel Is Better In Small Groups

💰 Your Solo Tour Doesn't Have To Cost More

🌇 Dublin Is A Haven for Solo Travellers

"Someone who travels with just one wagon."

That's how one lady once defined a Vagabond to me.

Travelling solo has moved on since then. Yet it remains an exciting and enriching way to travel.

Being one of the world's safest, friendliest and most hospitable countries, Ireland is a great place to go vagabonding!

Below we've run down the reasons why we think travelling solo to Ireland is an excellent idea.

🥰 How Friendly Is Ireland?

Ireland is known as the land of a hundred thousand welcomes.

( Céad míle fáilte literally means 100,000 welcomes in Irish).

Travel solo in Ireland and you're sure to meet friendly locals. As we say here, 'there are no strangers here, just friends that you havent met yet'.

👍 How Safe Is Ireland For Solo Travellers?

Ireland is consistently named as one of the safest places in the world for tourists.

The Global Peace Index named us number 10 in the world in 2018.

Our off the beaten track ethos means that you'll be in smaller, rural communities on tour.

You may notice endearing customs out in the countryside. Irish strangers may greet you unexpectedly, stop for a chat or ask where you are from. This is very common while out hiking or while spending time in small villages.

Drivers often wave or signal to each other, even if they don't know the other car.

Feel free to wave back - it's just their way of saying howaya!

👩‍❤️‍👩 Will I Get Along With The Other Guests On Tour?

You'll never step twice into the same stream, as they say.

No one's Vagabond tour will be the same as another. This is also true of passengers. Our guests tend to represent a melting pot of ages, backgrounds and nationalities.

That said, our 2 distinct tour types broadly reflect our passenger interests.

• Vagabond Tours are upbeat, activity-focused and energetic.
• Driftwood Tours are more relaxed and centred on culture, crafts and history.

You'll find more BFFs on a Vagabond tour if your idea of a dream holiday is hiking, biking, kayaking and generally not keeping still for long.

The opposite is true of Driftwood. Your fellow guests will enjoy more time to stroll quaint villages, a bigger focus on culture and craft stops with less adrenaline expended.

We find that the friendships forged on tour are something truly special and inspiring.

Just read this from 2019 guest, Rick, via TripAdvisor :

"We enjoyed traveling in a small group which made it easy to make fast friends. We highly recommend Vagabond for an exciting adventure in Ireland."

👴 Ireland For The Chronologically Challenged

Don't presume that Vagabonds are young and Driftwooders are old.

The general perception is that solo travel is the reserve of 20- and 30- somethings. We find that ever greater numbers of solo travellers are in their 40s, 50s, 60s (and beyond).

More mature solo travellers can be just as adventurous as their younger counterparts.

We feel that this mix of ages makes Vagabond tours unique. Guests at different stages of life and from opposite ends of the earth often share amazingly similar interests or worldviews.

We have had 60 year olds try surfing for the first time on tour - no word of a lie!

Read Kevin's Driftwood Diary about travelling solo to Northern Ireland

💭 What Do Guests Say About Solo Travel In Ireland?

"As a solo traveler in my mid-20s, I knew I wanted to see more than the inside of a Contiki Coach Bus... While I was the youngest on our tour, there were other solo travelers, and a wide range of interests."

Allyson, TripAdvisor

"Our group was so wonderful, being a solo traveler my concerns turned out to be for naught. ...The activity level for me was great...The food and accommodations were outstanding."

arbt10, TripAdvisor

"Although I was alone, I was never alone because of our exceptional guide and 10 traveling companions from around the world... Our group was very diverse and we all enjoyed getting to know one another through our range of adventures."

Melanie, TripAdvisor

🚐 Why "Small" Group Tours Of Ireland?

Small group tours offer special benefits to the solo traveller.

Your 100% compostable VagaGuide will help you squeeze the juice out of Ireland.

Our tour guide team are trained to lead you to secret hotspots, away from crowds and generally make your trip less daunting.

At meal times, small group tours offer companionship. Shared activities (blood, sweat and tears!) can also be a great bonding experience.

Many guests leave Ireland with lasting friendships.

True story #1 : A now-married couple first met on a Vagabond tour!

True story #2:  One group of Driftwooders got on so well, they're planning their VagaReunion - back in Ireland with us!

💰 Will My Tour Cost More As A Solo Traveller?

The answer is no.

And also yes.

NO, it's cheaper - Solo travel in Ireland means more control over costs than if you were in a larger group.

Vagabond tours offer you the flexibility to choose your own lunches and dinners. This is great if you're on a budget. If you prefer your own company from time to time. Or if you just prefer tasty, quick street food to fancy, formal dining.

Our flexible itineraries allow you independence. Feeling flush? You can opt to try every single one of our activities.

Looking to save on extra expenditure? Just wander the colourful streets of whatever quaint village you're stopped at.

YES, it costs more - We do charge a single supplement for solo travellers' accommodation. Our hotel providers charge more per person for single rooms. We have to pass on this additional expense (at cost price).

Our single supplement prices range from 220 - 490 depending on the length of tour.

For example, our 7 Day Vagabond World Tour of Ireland costs €1,699, with a €230 single supplement for solo travellers.

🌇 Dublin: A Haven for Solo Travellers

It's hard to talk about solo travel to Ireland without mentioning Dublin.

All of our tours start and end in Dublin. The days in Dublin before and after your Vagabond tour offer a great opportunity to explore one of the liveliest cities in Europe.

Pubs, clubs, live music venues and a fantastic food scene - it's all here!

Need Dublin travel tips? We've put together this handy guide of non-touristy things to do in Dublin.

So, What Are You Waiting For?

Don't wait to get out there, to discover Ireland, experience friendship and enjoy yourself.

Our tours of Ireland are the perfect blend of adventure, culture, sightseeing and local experiences.

Get in touch if you'd like to know more about solo travel in Ireland

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Southern Ireland Tours for Solo / Single Travelers

176 southern ireland tours for singles / solo travelers with 4,753 reviews.

• In-depth Cultural
• Coach / Bus

The Celtic Voyage - Multi-Day - Small Group Tour of Ireland

The Celtic Tour by Wild N Happy went way beyond my expectations! It was a complete delight to be enlightened by such knowledgeable, native guides of Gaelic Irish culture who authentically could share the stories of the historical unfolding of Irish history. I would only trust driving to the tour guide along those narrow and windy roads to awesome ancient historical landmarks along the amazing western coastline. Our guide knew the best spots to go to, depending on what your desire was to explore in the quaint villages and gave us plenty of time to assimilate. The Tour provided diversity, a well thought-out mix of outdoor and indoor activities, lots of surprising stops along the way, and everyone seemed fulfilled and reluctant to end this highly recommended Celtic adventure!

3-Day Blarney Castle, Kilkenny & Irish Whiskey Small-Group Tour from Dublin

Mike was a great tour guide.

7-Day Great Atlantic Adventure Small Group Tour

Exceeded my expectations. Culture, landscapes, language, history, activities…so much in just a week. Accommodations were very comfortable, food was delicious and plentiful, people were welcoming and generous. Our guide (Pat O’Mara) made the entir3 experience an absolute joy. He was knowledgeable, told stories and histories in a folksy and humorous tone. He was competent, flexible, and inspired with a clear love of his own country that made us love it too.

10 Day Wild Irish Experience - Small Group Tour

Excellent tour. Lee, our tour guide was outstanding at getting us to every place. He gave us lots of suggestions for meals, activities etc. Lee is a wonderful tour guide who really enjoys sharing the history of Ireland. The tour was well planned. Bed and breakfasts were very good. I really enjoyed the tour.

• €99 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Wild South - Multi-Day - Small Group Tour of Ireland

The Wild South Tour was an excellent tour overall, very good value! The guides (Diarmuid and Michael) were great. The add-ons were reasonable and well worth the extra cost. We (my husband and I) especially liked the boat trip to the Skellig Islands. There was a lot of time in the van, but we realized that the best sites were far apart, so the travel was necessary. It was okay. We were so glad to see so many beautiful and memorable sites in very congenial company. I have recommended this tour to friends, with one caveat (see below). However, there was one glaring anomaly: the night and hotel in Cork. Our room at the REZz Hotel is the worst I’ve ever encountered. It was tiny, even too tiny for a single, and unbearably hot with no AC or fan. There was no place to sit (seriously, no chairs at all and only one person at a time could sit on the bed because most of it was blocked by a wall!!). No place to open luggage except on the floor in front of the door. Fire hazard. It all looked and felt dirty and kind of creepy. Totally UNACCEPTABLE! Breakfast featured packaged cookies/bars and half-rotten fruit. I was quite alarmed and worried about the rest of the Wild South tour! Thank goodness this was an anomaly. The rest of our accommodations were excellent — as good or better than the Ashling Hotel for which I paid $300/night for the night before and the night after the tour. I was really impressed with all tour accommodations EXCEPT for the Hotel REZz on that first night. I hope Wild & Happy finds another accommodation in Cork for the sake of future travelers.

8 Day Castles & Coast Experience - Small Group Tour

My wife and I would like to thank everyone at Irish Experience for their hospitality, their knowledge of history on Ireland and customer service provided. Our tour guide, Anthony Dawson was always gracious with everyone on our tour as well as putting up with and laughing at all my dumb jokes. He definitely earned the nickname Awesome Dawson! My wife and I have never been to Ireland and the warm, friendliness and kindhearted folks from Ireland have made our experience a lifetime memory to never forget. Awesome Dawson help deliver that experience to us. All the accommodations were top notch and Awesome Dawson made sure we were as comfortable as possible. If anyone was considering taking guided tour, these guys delivered on all levels! Thank you for the experience Irish Experience!!! We will be back.

• Sightseeing

Best of Ireland (10 Days)

Fantastic tour guide and exceptional driver! Every excursion was well worth the cost. I enjoyed the food and sights! I would highly recommend it

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Irish Highlights (Summer, 7 Days)

The entire trip was wonderful, very well organized, and satisfying. Peter Flood was an excellent tour guide. He was as knowledgeable as could be, funny, and helpful; and really seems to love what he does.

7-Day Emerald Explorer Small Group Tour

Personal local experiences paired with great advice on places to eat., drink and listen to music made this tour special. Small group, great accommodation and wonderful breakfasts were a feature.Sensational scenery, knowledge of where to go and flexibility on timing made it a smooth operation. Our tour guide was experienced, knowledgeable and entertaining.

Northern & Southern Ireland

there is a difference between, a tour guide and a tour leader, this i did not know. a leader is the organizer of all events, transportation and accommodations. Zoe far exceeded my expectations in this role, and i would highly recommend her. She was not a tour guide. I was expecting more information about the people, locations and cultures of Ireland.

Focus on Ireland (Classic, 7 Days)

Fantastic director, great stops and awesome coach

Great Tour of Ireland ( 7 days )

5-Day Spectacular South and West small group Tour of Ireland

Excellent trip, particularly for those who wish for an active fun holiday, lots of bike riding, hiking, kayaking. Also good finding out about this area of Ireland. Pat was a terrific guide and very interesting with lots of information on Ireland and its history. He was also very helpful with hints on restaurants etc. Good trip Many thanks

Emerald Isle

Ir was a great trip overall.

7 Day Atlantic Way Experience - Small Group Tour

My friend and I booked the 7 day Atlantic Way tour this fall to mark our milestone birthdays and had a fabulous time during the trip. When our flight to Dublin the day before the start of the tour was cancelled and we were delayed by a day arriving to Dublin, we contacted Sean. He was understanding and reassuring which was so comforting and helped to ease our stress. He helped arrange to have the tour guide, Anthony, and the rest of the group meet us when we arrived late. Anthony was so patient with the delay and the rest of the group was welcoming and understanding when we met up with them. It was really nice to have a small group to travel with. It helped to be able to get to know everyone better than it would have been on a larger tour. Our week was packed full of amazing sights, history and opportunities to experience local culture. Anthony made a point of sharing some suggestions and recommendations of additional activities, restaurants etc when we arrived in each location. He was a wonderful guide for our group. Very knowledgeable and engaging. The accommodations were comfortable, cozy and well situated within walking distance of restaurants and pubs in all the places we visited. I would most certainly recommend this tour to anyone who is looking for a smaller group experience in Ireland that stops at many must see locations.

What people love about Southern Ireland Solo Tours

This tour was so good! We experienced more of Ireland than the itinerary indicated (because of stops we made along our journey, which I loved!), but never felt rushed. Our guide Diarmuid is such a professional - he provided us with interesting information about the places we stopped and Ireland in general, kept us on schedule with a relaxed demeanor, and is genuinely a very nice person. I've never traveled with a tour group before and this one couldn't have been any better. The Emerald Isle is so beautiful and everyone is so friendly that, even when there was a bit of rain, it was still fun. Many thanks to Mick and Diarmuid (the best!!) for making this a most memorable trip. PS the accommodations were fantastic - especially the breakfasts!

We really enjoyed our tour. Our tour guide, Marty, was terrific! He shared the history of each area we visited, the meaning of Irish words, fantastic pub/restaurant and museum recommendations and even had alternate plans for us when the Jameson Whiskey tour was canceled because of record rainfall and flooding (we got a refund too!). Our accommodations were always close to City Centre, clean, comfortable and had a delicious breakfast. It was a great experience!

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Solo Holidays for 2024 & 2025

Friendship Travel offer solo holidays in a range of destinations – UK , Europe , and Worldwide – as well as both short breaks and longer holidays. Whatever you are looking for in a solo holiday, we have a handpicked range that caters to your needs.

For those who want to travel alone, see the world solo, and meet like-minded travellers on adventures near and far, our solo holidays are the choice for you.

Browse our selection of solo holidays and the destinations we travel to using the search function at the top of this page.

Speak to a solo holidays expert

View our brochure

Types of solo holidays available

Here at Friendship Travel , we can arrange a wide variety of amazing holidays for singles . No matter what type of experience you are looking for, from a lazy week on the beach to a spectacular river cruise or fun on the ski slopes, it’s all possible.

Take a look below at the different types of ATOL protected solos holidays you can look forward to.

5-star Hotels or Cruises offering a luxury holiday

Hotels on or very close to the beach

Every summer holiday we offer

SIGHTSEEING

Explore and experience sights

Every winter holiday we offer

Cruise ships with no single supplements

Enjoy daily walks on your holiday

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

Join other singles over the festive period

Ski & Snowboarding

A ski holiday with other singles

HOUSE PARTY HOTELS

A large villa style holiday

Why choose Friendship Travel solo holidays?

• As a specialist singles holiday company, we are experts in solo travel.
• We personally visit every destination so we can share in-depth knowledge.
• Our solo holidays are ATOL-bonded – meaning your money is safe.
• We love to build personal relationships with our guests.
• We have previously been voted the ‘Best Small Singles Tour Operator’.
• The Friendship Travel hosts are there to make your holiday as enjoyable as possible.
• We offer ‘houseparties’ where you can stay in your own villa with like-minded travellers.
• You can travel from your local airport.

Friendship Travel solo holidays include

• A room of your own
• Return flights
• Airport transfers
• Breakfast everyday
• Dinners with other singe travellers (some holidays include lunch and or dinner)
• An expert host sharing their knowledge
• A chance to meet fellow travellers
• Freedom to explore

Your holiday flight options

A solo holiday means flexibility . That’s why, when you travel solo with Friendship Travel , you’ll have a selection of airports and flights to choose from, even on trips that include the cost of the flight in the package.

Once you’re in the country, we pay for the cost of transfers between the airport and the hotel, and we try to be as flexible with these as possible. However, if your flight is too far outside the designated time slot for arrival, we may have to charge extra for the additional journey we’ll need to make.

Read more about flight options for solo travel.

Your first solo holiday

It can be difficult to know what to expect when you set off on any holiday, and if you’re a  first-timer on one of our solo holidays,  that’s especially true.

So, below you will find just a few of the many reasons why solo traveller holidays with the award-winning travel service Friendship Travel can offer you an amazing, stress-free experience:

• You will be travelling with plenty of like-minded people to share your experience and memories with, whether you are hoping to enjoy one of our  cruises ,  walking holidays , city breaks,  ski holidays , or any other kind of getaway.
• Your Friendship Travel host/tour manager will make you feel completely at ease on your first singles holiday, introducing you to your fellow solo travellers and being your point of contact if you need any travel advice or have any concerns.
• We have tried and tested all of our hotels and resorts for your peace of mind.
• The people you share your time with on our group holidays for solo travellers are just as keen as you are to meet others and experience new places.
• Be your own tour guide! Choose what you do and who with, ensuring your holiday is entirely hassle-free. If you would prefer to spend some free time alone relaxing, that’s not a problem. Or if you want to enjoy a small group tour or shore excursions with others, that’s fine too.
• As a solos holidays specialist, we only offer package holidays which do not include the single supplement that single people are often charged when booking places on family or couple-oriented breaks. With no supplement or extra cost to pay, this means you will have more to spend on the things that really matter – like great food and drink and fascinating escorted tours.
• Even though you will be travelling solo, your accommodation will not be limited to small single rooms. On the majority of our single traveller holidays, guests are given the exclusive use of a spacious double or twin room, so you can be assured of having a comfortable and relaxing base from which to explore your destination of choice.

Your fellow single traveller holidays guests

Just because you are travelling solo doesn’t mean you have to travel alone. Of course, it’s always comforting to have an idea of what to expect before you head off on solo holidays for the first time, so you should know that we have guests from all walks of life, between 25 and 65, from the UK and Ireland, women and men. Whether you are shopping for  singles holidays for over 60s  or looking for a solo trip to enjoy in your 20s, we think you’ll love the mixture of travellers on our solos holidays.

You can also meet your fellow travellers in  our Chat Room – a great place to get started once you’ve booked your solo holiday.

Early booking offers

We have a great selection of early booking offers available to a range of wonderful holiday destinations. So, if you are looking to book a singles holiday, take a look and grab yourself a deal, such as money off for early bookings and free room upgrades.

Explore early booking offers

Last minute breaks for solo travellers

If the desire to get away has suddenly hit and you are looking to book something soon, further savings can be found with our fantastic range of last-minute breaks. We have some great deals available on an array of wonderful holidays and locations.

Apollon Hotel

Forever Hotel

Pal’s Hotel & Studios

Turkey Gulet Cruises

Our reviews.

We have been blessed with an abundance of lovely reviews from happy customers. See what other travellers have been saying about our award-winning solosadventures.

Discover solo travel on the Friendship Travel blog

READ: Why the Mediterranean is the perfect solo travel destination

READ: Reasons to opt for a singles ski holiday

READ: Things to do in Croatia on a solo holiday

Read more blog posts and news articles over on our travel blog .

Book your solo holiday today

An amazing holiday in a spectacular destination is just a few steps away.

Whether it’s the sun-soaked shores of Southern Europe, an amazing cruise in the Caribbean, or pristine snowy slopes for an exciting ski break, it’s all possible.

So, what are you waiting for? Do some research into your dream  cheap singles holiday  destination and book your solo adventure with us today. Our Friendship Travel tour leaders can’t wait to welcome you.

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