L
Great Tour
Loved Blarney Castle and Kinsale. DJ, our tour guide, arrived at the castle right when it opened so we didn’t have to wait in a long line and was very knowledgeable about all of the areas that we visited.
Shore Excursion From Cork: Including Blarney Castle and Kinsale
+9 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Price from
- $102 / person
- Location
- Cobh
- Rating
- 4.3 / 5 · 511 reviews
- Languages
- EN
- Group
- Small group, up to 58
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- Paddywagon Tours
- Meeting point
- Cobh (Cork) Cruise Ship Terminal - We collect passengers from the cruise ship at 07:30 for departure @ 08:00. If your ship docks later than 07:30, don't worry! The tour will begin 30 minutes after disembarkation commences.
Description
The tour begins with a pick up from the cruise liner terminal in Cobh, Cork Harbour, where your driver will be waiting for you to drive to Blarney Castle. Admission to the Blarney Castle and Gardens is included. Take a panoramic drive through Cork City, where your guide will point out the highlights of the southern capital. In the afternoon visit Kinsale and tour Cobh.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Cobh
We will collect you in style from your Cruise Ship. When you leave the Ship, turn to the right, and your guide will be waiting for you near the pedestrian exit gate. We collect passengers from the cruise ship at 07:30 for departure @ 08:00. Where your ship docks later than 07:30 the tour will begin 30 minutes after disembarkation commences. We like to get ahead of the crowd and avoid the queues in Blarney!
Blarney Stone
Our first stop of the day is Blarney. Visit the most famous Castle in all of Ireland!! Lie back and kiss the magical Blarney Stone and get the gift of the gab! Your admission is included saving you 15 euro. WE ARE HAPPY TO INCLUDE ADMISSION TO BLARNEY CASTLE: others will make you join a queue and pay at the gate! You will also have time to visit the world famous Blarney Woolen Mills. Famed as the largest Irish Store in the world, many take advantage of its tax free shopping offers on quality Irish products.
The English Market
We depart Blarney and take a panoramic drive through Cork City. We view the highlights of this fine City such as the River Lee, St Finbarre's Cathedral, Shandon Bells, English Market and Grand Parade. Cork was recently considered by the Lonely Planet one of the 10 must see cities in the world. Some of its famous sons include Henry Ford, Michael Collins and of course world famous footballer Roy Keane.
Charles Fort
We drive through the beautiful Cork Countryside to the charming town of Kinsale! Enjoy typical views of the rolling fields of West Cork and also a stop overlooking picturesque Kinsale Harbor and its 2 forts - Charles Fort and James Fort. It was just off the Old Head of Kinsale that in 1915 the Lusitania sank with grave loss of life.
Kinsale
Our next stop is the historical town of Kinsale for, a town famed for the battle of Kinsale in 1601. Today it is Ireland's gourmet capital with winding streets, great pubs and fine restaurants. On our standard 8h tours we stop in Kinsale for lunch, however depending on the departure time of the ship this must be at the drivers discretion (NO EXCEPTION). The town is beautifully situated at the mouth of the harbor and is exceptionally colorful with picture post card buildings and many country Irish folk with strange and distinguished accents
St Colman’s Cathedral
If time allows, we can explore Cobh Cathedral.
We depart Kinsale and to make sure you are back at least 1 hour before departure. The service ends back at the dockside after approximately 8 hours on tour. If the boat is leaving earlier we will amend the itinerary as necessary.
What's included
Included
WiFi on board
Driver/guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Port pickup and drop-off
Live commentary on board
Blarney Castle and Gardens Entry Fee included
Back at port 1 hour before last boarding.
Not included
Gratuities
Lunch
Pickup Locations & Times
We collect passengers from the cruise ship at 07:30 for departure @ 08:00. If your ship docks later than 07:30, don't worry! The tour will begin 30 minutes after disembarkation commences. Example. If you dock at 11:00 am, we will operate the tour as soon as customers have disembarked the liner.
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
4.3
511 reviews
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Booster/Baby seats required, and available. Please advise if you require at booking.
- Collapsible scooters and wheelchairs can be stored under coach. Responsibility for the passenger for the day.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does this tour take?
Shore Excursion From Cork: Including Blarney Castle and Kinsale lasts about 8 hours. The itinerary has 7 stops.
How much does this tour cost?
Prices start at $102 per person for this Cobh 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.
Can I cancel this tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. We collect passengers from the cruise ship at 07:30 for departure @ 08:00. If your ship docks later than 07:30, don't worry! The tour will begin 30 minutes after disembarkation commences. Example. If you dock at 11:00 am, we will operate the tour as soon as customers have disembarked the liner. Pickup points include Ringaskiddy Port.
What languages is this tour offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 58 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Specialized infant seats are available Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Children must be accompanied by an adult
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Collapsible scooters and wheelchairs can be stored under coach. Responsibility for the passenger for the day.
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is this tour worth it?
Travellers rate it 4.3 out of 5 across 511 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Paddywagon Tours.
Reviews(511)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
C
Bucket List - Check!
This tour was really great in that our driver/guide beat the crowds to the Blarney Stone, enabling us to kiss it before the queues got too long. He was very knowledgeable about the area and his stories were very entertaining. Our tour was geared around our cruise ship so we went to Kinsdale for lunch. There isn't much there except a little town that seems to have been set up for tourism. We would have much preferred to have spent a little more time at the Blarney Stone (there was more to do there) and then gone to the adorable, quaint little town of Cork instead of Kinsdale. But overall it was a good day. Bucket list checked off!
R
Great guide, plenty of...
Great guide, plenty of time at each stop. Very nice day. Beautiful castle grounds. A little extra time at castle would have been better and less time in Kinsdale would have worked.
J
Good shore excursion from Cobh
We took this tour from Cobh to Blarney Castle and Kinsale. We were lucky as Blarney was not crowded, we did not attempt to climb the 128 steps however. The grounds are well kept and huge. Kinsale is a small town where we stopped for a lunch break. The coach was large and the guide was excellent. The bus was full and the tour lasted until 4pm.
K
Blarney Castle
Castle is fun and kissing Blarney Stone an experience for sure! Maybe difficult for folks with joint issues.
M
A great castle, a fun climb, and very cute little city.
My wife and I really enjoyed the Blarney and Kindale experience. I went to the top and kissed the Blarney Stone. I can tell you it is not as difficult as it sounds. I have a new knee and a new hip. I will not say it was easy, but there are hand holds on both sides and everyone takes one step at a time. Kindale was a beautiful port city. Our only sadness was we didn’t have more time to shop there.
M
Blarney Castle and Kinsale
Overall a very good experience. DJ was an excellent guide with quick wit. We saw some great things and received plenty of fun historical info. Our time in Kinsale felt a little rushed.
J
Great Tour!
Wonderful tour! Blarney Castle and the grounds were very interesting and beautiful. Don’t miss a scone with jam and cream at the castle’s pastry shop, the best we had on our trip (and we ate many of them). The town of Kinsale was utterly charming. Our guide was tremendous. We highly recommend this tour.
B
Cobh Ireland
Great tour guide. Enjoyed the castle and time in Kinsale was perfect. Appreciated the driver dropping us off in the middle of town to finish up our tour before heading back to the ship
R
Blarney castle is a must but we needed more time there to enjoy the grounds
Started 1/2 hour late giving less time at Blarney castle would’ve appreciated more time at castle since we waited 90 minutes on line then there was little time to eat shop and explore the grounds….there was too much assigned in the town. Should give extra time at castle instead. Driver excellent very knowledgeable & funny
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- Lowest price: Afternoon Shore Tour from Cork Blarney Castle — $79
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- Shortest: Afternoon Shore Tour from Cork Blarney Castle — 5 hours
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shore Excursion From Cork: Including Blarney Castle and Kinsale | 8 hours | 4.3 (511) | $102 | |
 Cobh (Cork) to Blarney Castle & Kinsale - Shore Excursion | 8 hours | 4.8 (677) | $90 | View |
 Shore Excursion: Cork and Blarney Castle Visit from Cobh by Train | 6h 30min | 4.6 (131) | $116 | View |
 (Small Group) Shore Tour from Cork: Blarney Castle & Jameson Distillery | 7 hours | 3.9 (88) | $154 | View |
 Private tour of, Blarney Castle, Cork City and Kinsale | 6–7 hours | 4.8 (41) | $1,029 | View |
 Private Tour: Classic Cork Tour visiting Blarney Castle & Kinsale | 8 hours | 5.0 (9) | $1,052 | View |
 Afternoon Shore Tour from Cork Blarney Castle | 5 hours | 1.0 (3) | $79 | View |
from$102
4.3(511) Free cancellation