The Park Explorer Tour is the only half day tour of Killarney National Park. It is a great opportunity for families or those on a tight schedule to visit areas of the Park that they might not find themselves. The tours has 3 elements; a bus tour, a boat tour and a 5km walk through the National Park. Along the way, passengers will visit the monastic ruins on Innisfallen Island, the beautiful café in Dinis Cottage and have a chance to see the biggest bird of prey in Europe; the White Tailed Eagle. The walk through the National Park is on a road that is closed to any motor traffic and has Lake views on both sides. The walk is along a sealed, flat road and there is no rush because the bus has multiple departure times from Muckross House. At the end of the walk, passengers can enjoy exploring Muckross House and Gardens, have lunch at the lovely Restaurant before catching the bus back to Killarney (15 minutes), departure times are as follows: 1.02pm, 2.02pm, 3.02pm, 4.40pm, 5.30pm.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Nov 12.
The first stop for the bus is the world famous Ross Castle. Passengers will disembark here to explore the castle exterior and surrounding area. Boats will depart at 10.30am so the guided tour of the Castle will not be possible before departure. The boats depart from the stone pier on the lake side of Ross Castle. Please check in with Rory at the pier.
The first stop on the boat tour is the 7th century monastic settlement on Innisfallen Island. Passengers will have 15 minutes to explore the area. The boat driver will provide a history of the local area as part of the tour which helps to provide context to this peaceful setting.
Lough Leane is the largest of the 2 lakes upon which the boats will be travelling. The boats will head towards the shore of Tomies Mountain, where our resident White Tailed Eagles have been nesting for the last 18 years since their reintroduction.
As the boats make their way out of Lough Leane, they will pass under the Gothic inspired Brickeen Bridge. This bridge is the gateway into the Muckross Lake.
The boat tour finishes at the Dinis Cottage and the Meeting of the Waters. Dinis Cottage is an early 19th century hunting lodge which is now a wonderful café in the heart of the National Park. After exploring the area and grabbing a coffee, the walk to Muckross House is next. The walk is 5km and will take around 1hr and 15 mins. The road is sealed all the way so no special footwear is required. The walk is relatively flat and is closed to any cars.
At the end of the walk is Muckross House and Gardens. There are numerous departures of the Big Red Bus and it will meet passengers in the main car park next to the public toilets. Departure times are as follows: 1.02pm, 2.02pm, 3.02pm, 4.40pm, 5.30pm. This means that passengers will have plenty of opportunity to explore the area, do the tour of the House or have lunch in the lovely Garden Restaurant.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 186 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Park Explorer Tour (Half Day Tour) lasts about 4–5 hours. The itinerary has 6 stops.
Prices start at $46 per person for this Killarney experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 9:30 AM.
Children aged 3–12 pay from $28, adults from $46. Infants go free.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is The Big Red Bus is a local hop on- hop off service which departs from the bus stop on Mission Road. The bus stop is located behind the Plaza Hotel adjacent to the public toilets. The bus departs at 9.30am sharp. Passengers may show their booking to the driver. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Park Explorer Tour (Half Day Tour) | 4–5 hours | 5.0 (6) | $46 | |
 A Kerry Escape Customizable Half Day Tour | 4 hours | — | $375 | View |
 Killarney Highlight Half Day Tour -National Park-Muckross House | 3h 30min | 4.5 (14) | $40 | View |
 Killarney National Park Guided Shared Half Day Photography Tour | 4 hours | 5.0 (1) | $102 | View |
 Killarney National Park Guided Private Half Day Photography Tour | 4 hours | — | $455 | View |
 Best Ring of Kerry Tour ex Killarney inc Killarney National Park | 6h 30min | 4.8 (624) | $43 | View |
 Killarney National Park Tour | 1 hour | 5.0 (596) | $46 | View |
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 120 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 6 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Killarney Day Tour.
