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Glutin Free options on Rick Steve's Heart of Ireland 7 day group tour

I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease (after planning this trip) and the only treatment for it is no gluten. I want to enjoy the food and drink in Ireland! Any advice for this trip? Do the hotels on this tour have gluten free options by any chance?

Posted by
11924 posts

As a start, you’ll be served lots of potatoes which are GF.

Posted by
3494 posts

This is the tour policy on special diets:

Can I get special meals for my dietary restrictions?

If you require a vegetarian diet, please alert your guide at the start
of your tour, so he or she can make arrangements for your upcoming
meals. Beyond this, we cannot take responsibility for tour members
with special dietary needs or allergies. Tour members with dietary
restrictions usually manage fine with a little flexibility and
willingness to supplement meals as needed at their own expense. Please
discuss all relevant dietary/health issues with your guide at the
start of your tour so he or she can assist you when possible.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-help/tours-faq

Posted by
1246 posts

On Rick Steves tours, the hotel breakfasts are buffet, (and you are part of the general hotel population) so you'll be able to find some items. But otherwise group meals are not at the hotel but off site restaurants.

Posted by
336 posts

On both of the tours I’ve been on, there were people who ate gluten free. It was my impression that on both tours the guides did their best to accommodate the GF requirements. But it seemed like it wasn’t always 100% possible, given the various restaurants and situations, cross contamination, etc. this was just my impression as a fellow tour member (not as a GF person).
I think it would definitely be something to communicate clearly to the guide at the first meeting and/or contact the RS Office about prior to the trip.

We were in Ireland last summer (independently) and I did notice GF options listed on menus, so that would be available in general.

Posted by
9254 posts

Plus, not all the meals are included, so you'll have some on your own.

Posted by
5152 posts

You don’t say how much you have traveled, but you will find that restaurants have good information listed on what they offer that is gluten free. Hopefully your guide can help you look ahead at your restaurants to see if you need to find something elsewhere. But I feel like that would be a rare occasion.

Posted by
8227 posts

You may find some comfort in the fact that actual gluten sensitivity (as opposed to dietary preference) is much higher in Ireland than in the US population.

Posted by
10 posts

I am celiac also. I have that found organized tours almost all have that same messaging. It is hit or miss as to whether places can or will accommodate gluten free, especially cross contact. Most tour guides will do their best to assist you but much of it is out of their hands. Europe in general though has rules that require restaurants to clearly mark on their menus any allergens including gluten so at least that helps narrow it down. I’m going to Ireland in May but not on a tour partly because I want to be able to choose my own restaurants. Do you have the app “Find Me Gluten Free”? It is a crowd sourced restaurant review app for countries all over the world and very useful. There are also social media groups that I have found useful including FB ‘s Gluten Free in Ireland, and Certified Coeliacs Ireland (Gluten Free). It looks like Ireland is a country that manages gluten free diets (our only treatment option) well. I always bring back up food on planes and tours and outings in case I can’t eat safely. Best of luck on your trip!!

Posted by
288 posts

Small note: i've noticed that often a restaurant will have a sign "vegetarian" in the window. It doesn't mean all vegetarian, but that they have vegetarian dishes on the menu. Menues are much better than in the U.S. for giving that sort of info.

Posted by
805 posts

My experience is that menus in Ireland contain allergen information, including gluten. I can only assume this is legally required.