About John

Discovering Ireland Tours

We specialize in tours that are all about stimulating your interest in all things about Ireland and the Irish people while at the same time making sure you have the very best experiences and memories to take home. We also know that you are on holiday and will make sure that you connect with the real Ireland while enjoying yourselves

Member of The Approved Tour Guides of Ireland (ATGI)

Errigal Mountain peak
Cliffs of Moher in Ireland

Extended Holidays of Ireland

Private Guided Tours for the Thinking Traveler

We are licensed to transport you throughout Ireland and will happily bring you on a wonderful bespoke holiday anywhere you fancy. Email us for suggested itineraries

We are happy to tailor itineraries to suit your individual preferences.

Our tours are lead by Failte Ireland (National Tourist Authority) Approved Tour Guides who are also university educated historians.

Professional Genealogists and Family Historians

We can work with you to produce expert Genealogical Research for your Irish family and devise an itinerary for your holiday that will bring you walking in footsteps of your ancestry. Tours are very personal and focus on understanding the meaning of being Irish as well as exploring your own family history. We also understand that researching family history may only be part of the reason for visiting Ireland and that you will want to take in all the sites and experiences that make a visit to Ireland so special. We are well qualified to guide to all of these as well.

National University of Ireland Professional Certificate in Genealogy and Family History (The highest level academic qualification in Ireland in genealogy)

Member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)

Catherine kenny with father and brother cahir
Mercedes-Benz Viano

Transport

Transport is by Mercedes Viano Limousine (seats 5-6) . Larger groups can be transported by arrangement by minibus, email for a quotation.

Sightseeing Day Tours From Dublin

Extended Tours of Ireland

Pick up can be arranged from your cruise ship or hotel. We offer wonderful day trip itineraries that take in the best that the area has to offer.

John Ducie

As as well being an experienced guide John Ducie is a native of Dublin with a passion for his country and explaining both it and its history to visitors. He has had a life long interest in cultural and natural heritage of all kinds and really knows his way to all the best and most interesting places.

John retired as Properties and Conservation Manager of the National Trust for Ireland in 2012 to devote himself to a full-time career as a tour guide and is a officially recognized Irish Government Approved National Tour Guide, holds a National University of Ireland Professional Certificate in Genealogy and Family History and is licensed to drive up to 16 people in both limousines and mini buses.

In the past he has chaired the Heritage Gardens and Designed Landscapes Committee for ten years, has served as Vice Chairman of The National Trust for Ireland, President of the European Network of National Heritage Organizations, a member of the Executive Committee of the International National Trusts Organization and the Council of Europa Nostra (the pan European Heritage Alliance). He is a founder member of both The Irish Garden Plant Society and The Tree Council of Ireland.

John ducie natrion tour guide ireland
John Duice National guide certificates

Qualifications

Hons. Bachelor of Business in Entrepreneurship with First Class Honours

Failte Ireland Tour Guiding and Tourist Management Certificate with Distinction

The National University of Ireland Certificate in Genealogy with first class honours (ordinary degree level certificate awarded after three years study, level 7 QQI)

Graduate of The National Botanic Gardens in Amenity Horticulture.

Member: Approved Tour Guides of Ireland (ATGI)

Member: Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)

What our customers say

Sightseer65462567496
Sightseer65462567496
2023-05-15
Day tour with John We had a full day tour with John and it was defiantly the highlight of our 5 days trip to Ireland, John is very knowledgeable and very familiar with the Irish history, he is very pleasant and will answer all your questions patiently, the ride was very comfortable, there were 5 of us in a 7 seats van, I would highly recommend John to everyone that wants to visit the surrounding of Dublin.
Daniel G
Daniel G
2023-05-14
Great tour in Ireland. Based on a friend’s recommendation, we hired John Ducie as our guide for a 10 day Ireland trip starting in Dublin. John was a fantastic choice! He is a genealogist & historian with years of tour guide experience in Ireland. His professionalism, thoughtfulness, knowledge & passion is unmatched. We were hesitant to plan a trip on our own, but John was such a great asset helping us develop an itinerary & working through logistics over several months. He was available for Zoom calls & was very responsive to texts & emails. His hotel, restaurant & pub recommendations were perfect. He was very flexible & willingly made last minute scheduling changes. He deftly answered all our questions, at times he put historical events in such context that we couldn’t help but be emotionally moved. Needless to say, John has our highest recommendation. Thank you John for a most memorable trip!
Terry S
Terry S
2023-04-27
Great tours awesome guide John is so knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with. He is a good driver which mattered to me. The two day long tours with him were the best ever!!
JAH
JAH
2023-03-16
Great Day - Private tours are the only way to go! Book directly with John and you will definitely be glad you did. John was a friendly and very knowledgeable tour guide. When we stopped any site, he told us so much of its history. He even took the time to take pictures of us that we can share with our family and friends. What a great day!
Phil Gilbride
Phil Gilbride
2022-12-06
Private Garden Tour We did a one-day tour of Killruddery and Powerscourt gardens with John as our guide. John's knowledge and enthusiasm are infectious and insightful. You really need a guided tour to understand the garden's history and fully appreciate what your looking at. John is also a lecturer at the Garden Design Academy of Ireland and is a fountain o horticultural information!!
Tuscanysoccer
Tuscanysoccer
2022-10-31
If you want to experience authentic Ireland and truly understand its history, we give John Ducie a 5 star rating With 5+ days touring Ireland with John, you'll gain an authentic understanding of Ireland's history, while also fully experiencing the country's culture and beauty. We preferred a more immersive experience rather than choosing to see every possible sight -- and John helped us narrow our focus and then shared his expertise on nearly every facet of the country. He recommended excellent restaurants, and also the Castlewood and Heaton's in Dingle, both providing an amazing unique small hotel experience in Dingle, Ireland. IWe stayed at Castlewood, our friends stayed next door at Heaton's -- both are owned and operated by the Heaton family. We reviewed the Castlewood separately and give it our highest reviews -- simply amazing). John's pride in his home country and the Irish shine through, with indepth knoweldge in nearly every facet of Ireland's past and life in Ireland. He monitored the later October weather closely to optimize our experience, well recognizing that experiencing certain vistas required sufficiently clear skies. He adapted to our appetites/culinary tastes, demonstrated extremely safe driving skills, and made certain that we had the level of information we required when deciding whether to forego a particular activity (e.g., did we wish to tour a particular castle or manor?). Thanks to John, we fell in love with this breathtaking country and its people. Indeed, Ireland's beauty is surpassed only by the extraordinary and friendly Irish people who make every visitor feel welcome and at home.
PeterV
PeterV
2022-07-28
Outstanding Our party of four booked a full day tour of Powerscourt and Glendalough, including a drive through Sally Gap and terrific lunch at a beautiful Irish pub. John is a fountain of knowledge on a vast variety of subjects, ranging from horticulture to genealogy and of course the history of Ireland. Highly recommend John for both is intellect and driving skills around the Irish countryside.
Tourist87226
Tourist87226
2022-05-15
Powerscourt Gardens and Kilruddery House and Garden Tour A group of us with an interest in Gardens took a private tour with John to visit Kilruddery and Powerscourt Gardens. With John's expert knowledge of both history and horticulture the experience was excellent, he made each part of the day and every element of the gardens interesting and a great learning experience.
GeorgiaK27
GeorgiaK27
2022-04-20
Private Wicklow and Powerscourt tour We had a fabulous day with John driving south from Dublin through beautiful coastal villages to Powerscourt and then up into the Wicklow mountains with the final stop in Glendalough. He is a wealth of knowledge and we learned about Irish history, politics, society and flora and fauna. We would love to travel more with him when we are back in Ireland which we hope will be soon!
Sarah E
Sarah E
2022-04-20
Fantastic Day with John was wonderful. His horticultural knowledge and historical knowledge were fascinating. I would highly recommend and would definitely ride with him again on my next trip to Ireland.

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