The Gap of Dunloe Full-Day Tour from Killarney
Description
Amazing and best tour to visit the Killarney National Park. Considering a walking, rambling or hiking tour? Look no further as The Gap of Dunloe is 7 miles (11 kilometers) and takes approximately 2 hrs 30 minutes. If visitors are not up for walking or hiking then there is an alternative of the traditional Irish Jaunting Carriage (horse and carriage) to take visitors through the Gap of Dunloe. The extra cost is E 35 per person for the Horse Carriages and payable directly . Boats will be waiting to escort the visitors through the magnificent three Lakes of Killarney to Ross Castle. An amazing adventure tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Considering a walking, rambling or hiking tour along with a fantastic boat ride through the Lakes of Killarney among spectacular scenery? Look no further than a Deros tour to the Gap of Dunloe (from Irish: Dún Lóich, meaning “Lóich’s stronghold”, otherwise known as Bearna an Choimín meaning “gap of the common-land”). The Gap is a narrow mountain pass between Macgillycuddy’s Reeks (west) and Purple Mountain (east) of just under seven miles long and your hike takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. There are daily tours to this magnificent landscape leaving from our office in the centre of Killarney daily at 10.30am
Nestled at the entrance to the world famous Gap of Dunloe lies Kate Kearney's Cottage, a 150 year old family-run establishment. The Cottage is now a Restaurant and a typical traditional Pub. Kate's as is know locally is the starting point for the walk or horse carriages to go through the Gap of Dunloe.
Located at the ‘end’ of the gap, if you walk from the Kate Kearny side, Lord Brandon’s Cottage is a welcome site for those that have conquered the first leg of the walk. Once a grand hunting lodge, the cottage has a tale of love and betrayal tide to it, which you’ll discover shortly. Lord Brandon's Cottage, a 19th-century hunting lodge surrounded by lush, green water meadows. There’s a cafe at Lord Brandon’s Cottage now, where you can nip into for a coffee or a small snack. They only take cash, so make sure to hit up an ATM if you plan on visiting. In the summer months there is plenty of space to have a picnic and relax before the boat trip through the Lakes of Killarney. The boatman will meet you at the Cottage and show you the boats that will be waiting to take you through the famous Lakes of Killarney to Ross Castle.
The 3 Lakes of Killarney occupy a broad valley stretching south between the mountains that surround them and are all in the National Park Lough Leane (Lower Lake), Muckross Lake ( Middle Lake) and the Upper Lake are threaded together across a quarter of National Park's 25,000 acres The boat trip offers stunning and picturesque views over the MacGillcuddy’s Reeks mountain range At the tip of the Muckross Peninsula is the quaint Brickeen Bridge and Dinis Island further on with its sub-tropical vegetation and views of the 'Meeting of the Waters’. A narrow straight called the Long Range leads to the island-studded Upper Lake The Middle Lake or Muckross Lake holds an excellent stock of spring salmon. Lough Leane is the largest of the 3 lakes. The River Laune flows from the lake into the Dingle Bay to the northwest. Innisfallen is an island in Lough Leane and is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey, one of the most impressive archaeological remains dating from the early Christian period
Ross Castle is a 15th-century tower house and keep on the edge of Lough Leane, in Killarney National Park It is the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the Clan O'Donoghue, later associated with the Brownes of Killarney In the early 16th century the English Crown granted the extensive sum of 10 Pounds Sterling for every fortification or tower house erected by their subjects. Accordingly in 1533 Richard Nugent, the 12th Baron of Delvin commenced the construction of a stronghold, which was to become known as the Castle of Ross. Ross Castle was built in the late 15th century by local ruling clan the O'Donoghues Mór (Ross), though ownership changed hands during the Second Desmond Rebellion of the 1580s to the MacCarthy Mór. ... The Irish had a prophecy that Ross could never be taken until a warship could swim on the lake, an unbelievable prospect. The castle is a typical example of the stronghold of an Irish Chieftain during the Middle Ages.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please check in at the Deros Tours office (22 Main Street) before 10:00 AM, as our coach departs promptly at 10:15 AM. Due to ongoing construction on Main Street, please allow extra time for parking to ensure you arrive on schedule.
- Carriages may be hired privately and the total cost would be E 140 per carriage.There is no pre booking for carriages as the booking may be made on arrival at Kate Kearneys Cottage.
- There is not enough time to visit Ross Castle before returning to Killarney but visitors may stay at Ross Castle and enjoy a lesisurely walk to Killarney through the National Park (30 to 40 minutes).
- Tours of the Castle takes 1 hour.Pre booking is advisable and can be done by phoning 353 64 6635851 or visit rosscastle@opw.ie
- There is free car parking at Ross Castle where the tour terminates and we can certainly collect customers at Ross Castle at 10am but prior notice has to be given by telephoning 00353 64 6631251 the previous evening.
- Pease advise at the time of booking if you are walking or wish to hire the Horse Carriages at E 35 per person-4 pax per carriage.
- If the tour operates despite bad weather, cancellations are permitted until 10:00 AM on the day of the tour. No refunds will be given once this deadline has passed or the tour has begun.
- Deros Tours reserves the right to cancel tours if insufficient numbers book.
- Restroom Facilities: Restrooms are available at the Kate Kearney's Cottage parking lot before you begin the Gap of Dunloe walk or carriage ride. The next available facilities are at Lord Brandon's Cottage, located at the end of the 7-mile trek. Hydration: It is highly recommended to bring an adequate supply of water for the journey across the Gap. Navigation: We advise picking up a complimentary route map before you set off; it is a useful resource for tracking your progress along the trail
- Jaunting Carriages are paid directly at Kate Kearneys Cottage at a cost of E 35 pp (cash only).There are 4 passengers in each carriage
- Please make sure to advise the Jaunting Carriages driver that you are going to Brandon's Cottage to meet the Boats.
- Depending on the daily water levels, there may be a brief woodland walk. The walk is very short, taking a maximum of 10 minutes. This brief detour allows the boat to safely navigate and traverse a particularly shallow area of the water.
- Estimated Return Time to Killarney Please note that the advertised return time to Killarney is an estimated time of arrival (ETA) only and is not guaranteed. Our tour return time may vary due to factors beyond our control, including traffic conditions, roadworks, weather, and other unforeseen delays. .If you have a flight, train, or other important connection, please allow sufficient time to accommodate possible delays. Thank you for your understanding.
- This tour is self-guided and does not include a tour guide. Your driver will escort the group to the tour starting point and return in the afternoon to collect the group."
Reviews(264)
We enjoyed our day at the Gap of Dunloe. It is a beautiful place, and we are so glad we saw it. We were however, very disappointed that there were no horse/jaunting carts available for us when our driver dropped us off. Several people in front of us, did, however their families got broken into 2 different carts. Not necessarily the fault of the operator, but it was very disappointing. I will say the horse operators were aggressive and told us they took 6 people per cart, when Deros and other blogs I read said 4. The adults they squished into carts, looked miserable. We were left with having to walk the entire way to the boats, 7 mile walk. 2 people in our party did not have appropriate shoes or clothes. I guess if you are wanting to do this tour, maybe be more prepared then we were. The boat ride back was amazing and we very much enjoyed our captain. It is beautiful and the best part of our day. The people at Deros were friendly when we arrived to catch the tour in the morning and the driver Denis was great.
Timely, comfortable bus service to and from the Gap. The price includes the return boat trip to Ross Castle. We paid separately for the horse-and-cart ride through the Gap. This day was a highlight of our trip. Beautiful classic Irish views. It did drizzle, and we were glad we wore raincoats. The cart fit 4 adults plus the driver. Nice lunch - sandwiches and tea. We had time for a half-hour walk after lunch before it was time for the boats.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It’s fantastic to hear that you enjoyed the seamless bus and boat connection, as well as the jaunting car ride through the Gap. A little Irish rain only adds to the atmosphere, especially when you're well-prepared with raincoats! We're delighted you had such a memorable day and appreciate your kind words.
Absolutely incredible experience! The tour takes you from the city center to the gap of Dunloe. They boat ride was pretty-arranged (free but everyone gave a tip) and they will notify them if you want to take a horse and buggy through the gap of Dunloe (35/pp plus tip - cash only). The horse ride through was amazing and took about an hour. Some people in our group chose to walk or ride bikes. It’s about 7 miles and a significant portion is uphill. The views are amazing and it was worth every penny!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're delighted you enjoyed the boat trip, the horse and carriage ride, and the breathtaking views across the Gap of Dunloe. It was a pleasure hosting you, and we hope to see you again soon!
We took this trip based on listing that this was a guided walking tour followed by a boat tour. Instead we were dumped off of bus with instructions to meet “at cottage” by bus driver. Not quite understanding and with no further instructions we thought we had to be back at Kate’s Cottage at start of hike. We basically ran up to top of peak and down to make it by 2pm Only to find no one there. When we realized that no one else was there and called tour operator only then did they tell us that we were obviously supposed to go to the end of the trail to a different cottage and we missed the boat ride. When I pointed out that we were confused and thought a guide would be leading us, she said they never had a guide and that must have been through a “third party”. I don’t know how you can tell on Viator that you are booming through a third party, but pretty sure Deros is getting paid for this tour. Bottom line we missed our boat tour and sat around a long time waiting for a ride back with no refund provided. Giving this tour group a thumbs down.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are genuinely sorry that you were confused about the arrangements on the day and, as a result, missed the boat portion of the tour. We would, however, like to clarify several important points regarding what happened. The information provided by Viator incorrectly described the experience as a guided walking tour. Viator provided incorrect information regarding the tour being guided, and they have accepted that this information was incorrect. Our tour has never included a guide accompanying guests on the walk. The walking section is self-guided, with guests following the designated trail to the cottage where the boat transfer takes place which was explained by the Driver and it appears you were not listening. If you were unsure why did you not question him ? We fully appreciate that this could have caused confusion if you were expecting a guide to accompany you. However, this was not an issue that had previously occurred during the 70 years we have been operating this tour. On the day in question, there were 44 passengers on the tour, including 34 guests who completed the walking section and continued to the boat as instructed. We would also like to clarify the length of time you were waiting for your return transfer. Your review suggests that you were left waiting for a considerable period. In fact, you waited approximately 20 minutes,(after you phone us ) after which we arranged an alternative transfer for you free of charge. It is also important to point out that the review does not mention that Viator provided your party with a full refund because the information supplied by Viator was incorrect. We believe this is an important part of the circumstances and should be acknowledged when describing the outcome of your complaint. Furthermore, one of the four passengers in your party informed our driver and acknowledged that the itinerary had not been read correctly. We understand that itineraries can sometimes be unclear, and we regret that the instructions did not make the meeting point sufficiently clear to you. We do not understand why you did not call earlier to clarify where you were and alternative arrangements would have been made. We are sorry that you missed the boat and that this affected your experience. At the same time, we hope the above clarifies the circumstances, particularly the incorrect information provided by Viator, the fact that your return transfer was arranged free of charge, and that your party received a full refund from Viator.
We had the best time! We took a “jaunty cart” through the gap. Our cart driver was named Sean O’donoghue. He is a native to the Gap and was absolutely fabulous. The boat ride back to Ross castle was great as well.
Thank you for the fantastic feedback! We're so glad you loved the traditional jaunting car ride through the Gap with Sean O'Donoghue and enjoyed the beautiful boat trip to Ross Castle. Having a local Gap native share the area makes all the difference. We'll make sure Sean hears your kind words, and we hope to see you on another tour soon!
Filipo drove us safely to drop off spot and was where he said he would be at the meeting point in the yellow hat. We opted to walk into town rather than take the bus.
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're glad to hear Filipo drove you safely and was easy to spot at the meeting point. We'll make sure he hears your compliments, and we hope you had a lovely walk into town!
Superb excursion, to be done when the weather is favorable. The boat trip is very pretty and quite long. Everything is well organized.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.
the weather wasn’t great but made the best of it. 7 miles is a long walk especially in rain uphill so we and almost everyone else did the jaunting car which was an additional 35 euro per person. then at top lunch was prepackaged options we skipped and had to sit and wait for 2 hours before boat ride back for the walkers.
Had a wonderful day walking the Gap of Dunloe and going on the boat trip. Despite the weather not holding up for the boat ride, our boat driver was great and it was still an amazing experience. Definitely recommend being prepared for rain! The gap of Dunloe was genuinely the most beautiful place I have ever seen 10/10 recommend
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed the Gap of Dunloe and boat trip, even with a little Irish rain along the way! It really is a beautiful part of Kerry. Thank you for joining us and for the 10/10 recommendation!
The tour was perfect, our boat captain Rory did an amazing job throughout the entire tour and kept us on schedule very well. Our group had to detour on the drive to the initial meeting point and ended up running late, but our shuttle driver and tour staff coordinated and waited very patiently to make sure everyone in the group was present at the beginning and end of the tour. During the shuttle ride our driver provided interesting facts and key points about the area and culture, I only wish we’d gotten his name so I could specifically highlight the great job he did. I’ll be recommending this tour and service to everyone planning to visit County Kerry.
Thank you for the great review! We're delighted that Captain Rory and our shuttle driver took such good care of your group, especially after a tricky drive to the meeting point. We really appreciate the recommendation for anyone visiting Kerry and hope to see you again down the road!
