Walking, food, music tours recommendations

I find AirBnB Experiences has a lot of short tours like this.

hey hey Semiretired
guruwalk.com
search the cities you'll be in: free tours & tours that cost, language, time/date, see more available types.
dublin.ie
things to do/markets, walking tours
dublinfreewalkingtours.ie
click: cities, couple other places you will be
yellowumbrellatours.ie
english market in cork
we would walk/roam around streets and stop in small shops with drinks/snacks/ and some have souvenirs
good luck and enjoy a fun vacation
aloha

I will recommend Aran wool things. Authentic Aran sweaters, hand-knitted from local Irish wool, offer exceptional durability and longevity. My friend used to give me one sweater made of Aran wool, and unlike modern sweaters, they can be worn longer.

I second the idea of an Irish wool sweater. There are shops everywhere, you can't go wrong.. My wife bought one in Galway (near the Aran Islands). Or, there are excellent wool socks to be had.

Regarding beer, you really need to try a stout, like the ubiquitous Guinness. It's very unlike the Bud-Coors-Miller stuff in the U.S. You can ask for "a half pint of the black stuff". There are nowadays a number of craft breweries, and many will make a good IPA. I'd try that also, as it's also unlike the Bud-Coors-Miller lager beers.

On restaurant menues you may see an Irish stew with Guinness in it. Don't worry, it will not taste like beer. It will be delicious. And great seafood is everywhere, including fish & chips. Portion sizes are usually pretty generous.

For a souvenir: In Belfast, I bought a nice illustrated book at the Titanic Museum.
Or you can buy a t-shirt in Belfast with a picture of the Titanic, and the caption:

"It was ok when it left here"

Re: beer, in Cork, try Murphy's or, my preference, Beamish.
A wool hat can be useful during the trip and makes an easy-to-transport souvenir that you might use more at home than a sweater. Those sweaters are too warm for where I live.

I have tried beer world over and have yet to really like one, but will definitely give it a try in Ireland. The closest one which I tolerated was a small glass of pale lager in Prague on a hot day, and that is way different than Guinness. Much prefer wines and some cocktails. May be suggest some good ones based on Irish Whiskey.

Aran wool-based items were on our list. Regarding Jameson Whiskey, I heard that it may be cheaper to get it in Costco!

I heard seafood is good especially in Cork and Galway, so would love to get some recommendations about good everyday places to eat them, street food to market to mid-range.

Semiretired, sounds like Guinness wouldn't be your favorite, but it's Ireland, you are required by law to buy at least 8 ounces of the black stuff.... (?)

But any pub will have some lagers to try. If the alcohol is off-putting, there are some good alcohol-free beers. I think any pub would have something bottled you could try. Many big names, including Guinness, have alcohol-free choices now, and they taste good to me.

I'm not a big beer drinker, and I never had stout at all until my 5th trip to Ireland. My Irish beer of choice has always been Smithwick's. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Beamish, though.
Goldie's in Cork is above mid-range but worth checking out. Reservations required. It's a gill-to-tail seafood restaurant. The Farmgate Cafe in the English Market serves nice food, and the setting is lovely! I had a nice glass of dry cider with my lunch there.

If you're going to Galway I'd definitely recommend a tour to the Aran Islands. I can't recommend a company, because I did it on a Rick Steves tour, but I really enjoyed the outing. And it is where I bought my Aran sweater. Seemed appropriate!

Thank you for the beer suggestions. All things aside, I will try almost everything at least once, especially with that kind of recognition and devotion. Thank you for restaurant suggestions. Regarding Aran Islands, we have booked a tour of Inis Mor with Lally Travels, which includes all transport to/from ferry and on the island.

For London, look at London Walks. They offer a wide range of walking tours around the city. Some are historic or have another theme, and some are getting to know a particular neighborhood.

Re: Murphy’s, Beamish, and Guinness, all three are dark Stout beers, but the first two are smokier than Guinness, with a more complex flavor. There’s also Irish Whiskey, which may not be your “cup of tea,” either. Actually, speaking of tea, there’s also Irish tea - maybe that would be something to try, although I’m not aware of tea-specific tours.

Be sure to get seafood chowder as much as possible - no two places make it exactly the same, but it’s all wonderful!

RE: Kathleen's suggestion for a trip to the Aran Islands. The trip from Galway is longer than the trip from Doolin (south of Galway). If you have a car, and want to go to the Aran Islands, I suggest you drive to Doolin and boat from there. And while you're near Doolin explore the surrounding area. Truly beautiful.

Have a great trip!

Do a Borough Market Food tour in London. A lot of history on the tour and interesting foods. Bought a lot of gifts for Holiday presents that were unique.

Been to London and Bath recently along with Galway and Dublin, here are some of the recommendations for tours.

London

• London Walks has great tours, including day tours, check out the schedule for those that may interest you.
• Eating Europe East End Tour is wonderful. I love the East End for shopping, local markets, and the wide variety of food. The tour gives you a wonderful overview of the history along with tasty bites that you may not try on your own. If you don't take the tour and you go to Spitalfield Market (highly recommended for local souvenirs), then try Humble Crumble which is my go-to-dessert in London. It is shortbread base, fruit (I always apple), warm creme anglaise, toasted marshmallow, it is divine. The other place, Beigel Bakes is on brick lane near some of the best vintage shopping in London. Try the Salted Beef Bagel with hot mustard.
• Borough Market is one of my favorite places to eat and shop, just go early as it gets closer to noon it is a zoo. Great food souvenirs.
• For food, the best Sunday Roast we had was at the Devonshire. Hard to get reservations, but the food was delicious.

Bath

• Mayor of Bath Honorary Guides. I have been to Bath the past 3 years with different friends and I have taken this tour 3x and each time I learn something new. It is entirely free and led by local volunteers who are so knowledgeable, kind, and are able to answer even the most esoteric questions. On our last tour, one of the ladies wanted to see some of the Bridgerton sights and our guide took some detours to show those sights.
• High tea at the Pump Room is a wonderful experience. It is a lovely Georgian ballroom with musicians playing while you enjoy your tea, often themed around Jane Austen.
• Scallop Shell is excellent for seafood

Dublin

• EPIC museum and Jeanie Johnston Famine ship. If you have time, both of these places focus on the emigration experience. EPIC always has genealogists onsite if you have Irish ancestors and what to learn more.
• Trinity College and Book of Kells Experience. You are led on a tour of Trinity by a college student and then the Book of Kells Experience is self-guided. If you are interested in the college, it is an excellent overview, if not the Book of Kells itself is worth seeing.
• Johnny Fox Hooley Show at the highest pub in Ireland has a wonderful trad music and dance show along with amazing food. I was so surprised at how delicious the food was as I thought I was just paying for the show. They had a great seafood selection (I had mussels) and other traditional pub food. They have a shuttle bus that takes people from Dublin to the pub which is ~45 minutes up in the mountains.
• Chef Erica's Cooking Class was the highlight of our trip. We spent about 1/2 learning how to cook modern Irish food in her home. She is a professional chef, so there is great opportunity to learn new techniques. Because you are in her home, she treats you like family and is so accommodating for dietary restrictions.

Galway

• Legendary Walking Tour of Galway is a great introduction to the city. Neil our guide pointed out so many small things that we would never have even noticed. Glad we took this on the first day.
• Galway Food Tours. This was also a great introductory tour as we were introduced to some cool coffee shops, bakeries, a Korean-fusion place with Korean Fried Cauliflower that I still think about today, an upscale local grocery, and you go across the river to a bar that is serving food from Kai. Kai is one of the best restaurants in Galway, but pricey, so the food tour you get some excellent bites without having to pay the premium price at Kai. Although, we ate at Kai as well and it is delicious, especially the seafood, bread, and the desserts.
• Galway Market near St. Nicholas Church has local artisan crafts and wonderful chocolates.