Shore Excursion From Cork: Including Blarney Castle and Kinsale

Discover Blarney Castle, explore Cork City, and tour Kinsale on this immersive shore excursion from Cobh. Book your adventure now!

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 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 Tourist Information Centre - 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
  • Cobh Cathedral - If time allows, we can explore Cobh Cathedral.
  • Port of Cobh - 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
  • On-board WiFi
  • Driver/guide
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Port pickup and drop-off
  • Live commentary on board
  • Blarney Castle and Gardens Entry Fee included
  • Back at port 1 hour before last boarding
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch
Additional Information

The journey starts with a pickup from the cruise liner terminal in Cobh, Cork Harbour, your chauffeur will be there to escort you to the Blarney Castle. The entry fee for the Blarney Castle and Gardens is covered. Enjoy a scenic drive through Cork City, as your guide identifies the notable sights of the southern capital. An afternoon trip to Kinsale and a tour around Cobh await.

  • 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.
Location
Port of Cobh
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.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(372 Ratings)
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Katherine
Aug 1, 2024
Amazing time!! 11 people touring 6 cities! - We had a large group of 11 and Dan was our driver. We had absolutely the most amazing time. We had a pretty intensive tour of eight days. Most of Southern Ireland was covered. We had an unfortunate tragedy occur where our friend and tour guide passed away a week before we were supposed to go. Dan picked up all the loose ends and did an unbelievably amazing and impressive job of giving us the vacation of our dreams. Not only was Dan patient, answered all of our questions and helped us with everything we needed. He showed and explained to us all the beautiful cultural aspects of Ireland by his amazing storytelling. Thank you Dan for everything! I cannot recommend highly enough using this company for your tours. The van was always air-conditioned, had Wi-Fi and was very accommodating with stops. The van was also extremely clean and had plenty of room for 11 adults to sit comfortably.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Go66803848811
Jul 31, 2024
Great tour for a one day visit - The bus was waiting at the port and checking in with our guide/driver, Kevin, was easy. He took us directly to Blarney Castle to get us there before there was a queue to get in. Plenty of time to walk around the grounds and up to the Blarney Stone. We then went to Kinsdale, where we also had sufficient time. Kevin was very knowledgeable about Ireland in general and provided us with a lot of information. We got two extra little drive-by tours of Cobh and Cork. We arrived back at the port with plenty of time to return to the ship. I thought Kevin was great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patricia_m
Jul 31, 2024
Blarney Castle Tour - Kevin, our tour guide was awesome! He picked us up and returned us when he said. He made the trip interesting and fun. We were the first group to the castle. Thanks!
Review provided by Viator
Daniel_m
Jul 31, 2024
Very pleasant experience - Kevin was a great guide. Met us at the gate and got us to the Blarney Castle ahead of all the other tours. No waiting.
Review provided by Viator
Emily_w
Jul 31, 2024
Handicap friendly for the most part. - We enjoyed this excursion the best. Our driver Brian was very knowledgeable and very likable. We stopped at a town on the way back from the castle and ate at Dino’s. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was just as good. I would highly recommend booking this tour. Although I couldn’t go into the castle due to mobility issues it was still so worth it.
Review provided by Viator
Akh1000
Jul 30, 2024
Excellent Tour go Blarney Castle & Kinsale - Brian, our driver & guide was excellent. He was fast to get us to the Blarney Castle. His stories & humor were entertaining & made the journey fun. The time at Blarney Castle was adequate as well as the time in Kinsale. Kinsale is a very colorful & charming town. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_l
Jul 30, 2024
A Nice Day in Ireland. - Our driver and guide was excellent. The landscape around Blarney castle was peaceful and restful. Even though I was not able to walk much, I enjoyed sitting by the creek, and looking at the castle while my husband explored more short trails around the castle. Kinsale was a nice place to stop also. The tour gave us a chance to experience Ireland in a day with a drive through Cork and Cobh also!
Review provided by Viator
Mishabrn
Jul 30, 2024
Good shore excursion by reasonable (almost) price - The excursion was good and well organized. Our guide/driver was very nice and knowledgeable guy. He took care of us very well.
Review provided by Viator
Deborah_s
Jul 29, 2024
More than just a bus ride to the Blarney Stone! - Great tour guide, (Bryan) kept us entertained while enroute filling in interesting local trivia and history. Very enjoyable day!
Review provided by Viator
Jennifer_p
Jul 29, 2024
Bryan is very informative and funny - Bryan was great, he was very informative. He also got us into Blarney castle 1st so we were able to kiss the stone with very little waiting.
Review provided by Viator
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September 2024
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