Top 7 Ireland Shore Excursions

1.Cobh (Cork) to Blarney Castle & Kinsale – Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 504 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $95Our pick

Start at the port, reach Blarney Castle before the crowds when timing allows, and explore its gardens, Woollen Mills, and famous stone. Then hear Cork stories, stroll Kinsale, and stop at St. Colman’s Cathedral. Guides such as Jamie, Ian, and Kevin are known for lively local commentary.

“The castle to the Blarney Stone is quite a trip up some steep steps, so be aware. But worth the view from the top. Kindle is a cute small town with good shopping and food. Had a great time.”

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2.Shore Excursion From Cork: Including Blarney Castle and Kinsale

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 470 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $107

From Cobh, ride with a driver-guide to Blarney Castle, Cork, and Kinsale. Early arrival helps reduce the wait for the Blarney Stone. Admission, port transfers, live commentary, WiFi, and an air-conditioned coach are included. Lunch is on your own, and the group may include up to 58 people.

“The organization, actually the lack of organization was terrible. We had to walk at least 1/2 mile I a crowd of people who like us had no idea where we were going. I walked ahead of the line, several people were upset to asking a man were to go. He checked and said not with us to get back in line. I kept going and found a man with a green Paddywagon sign in his front pocket talking to someone whose name wasn’t on his list. He led us across, j-walked, two danger streets with cargo trucks entering and leaving the port. We were lucky. several people got on the…”

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3.Shore Excursion from Dublin: Including Dublin highlights and Glendalough

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 111 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $94

Travel from Dublin Port through Wicklow to Glendalough’s sixth-century monastery, then see Dublin sights including Trinity College, Temple Bar, and Grafton Street. Expect an English-speaking driver-guide, about eight hours on the road, and a flexible schedule tied to your ship’s arrival.

“Guide (John) seemed disinterested; was accustomed to doing 8 day tours of Ireland and was worried about not having enough time to get everything in. The result was he shortened our time at Glendalough to a little over an hour - (there was an occasional very light rain which was not a hinderance to many.). This was not sufficient time to walk to the lake and back, which many wanted to do. John gave no information about Glendalough on the drive down, no suggestions on what to see. After Glendalough he drove back to Dublin and showed us some sights from the van. He then dropped us off in town…”

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4.Cruise Excursion Hop-On Hop-Off Tour & Rail Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 101 reviews · from $36

Start at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, collect your rail tickets, and ride to Pearse Station in central Dublin. From Stop 8, use a one-day hop-on hop-off pass with live English commentary or multilingual audio. Guides such as Damien, Mary, Davey, and Tyrone are known for lively stories and helpful service.

“Uf you are in Dublin by cruise ship, you will definitely want to take the Cruise Excursion Hop-On Hop-Off Tour & Rail Ticket through www.getyourguide.com. They are very professional, easy to deal with and their app is user friendly. We will definitely be using them on our next trip.”

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5.Dublin Cruise Ship Shore Excursion|Hop-on Hop-off & Rail Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 90 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $46

Connect with DoDublin staff at Dun Laoghaire, take the DART into central Dublin, then use a live-guided hop-on hop-off bus for 24 hours. You’ll get a city map, walking tour, Little Museum visit, and a 2-for-1 lunch offer at Murrays Bar. Driver guides such as Gary, Gareth, Mary, and Mark add local humor.

“Despite being assured there would be a Dart representative at the station wearing appropriate uniform, there was not. We went from one queue to another seeking advice. Finally a supervisor gave in and just let us through the gate to the platform. The hop on hop off part was ok but I continually worried the same thing would happen on the return train journey…..and it did As a result we missed one train and had to was 20 minutes for the next one. Not a good experience.”

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6.City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 89 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $32Best value

Use a 24 or 48-hour Dublin hop-on hop-off ticket to reach Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Temple Bar, and the city’s whiskey stops. The route includes English live commentary, multilingual audio, and a guided walking tour, but port transfer is not provided.

“The buses rarely came by. The other hop on busses were a lot more regular. We ended up walking the route more than riding .”

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7.(Small Group) Shore Tour from Cork: Blarney Castle & Jameson Distillery

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 74 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $162

Leave Cobh by air-conditioned minivan for Blarney Castle, its gardens, and the famous stone, then visit Blarney Woollen Mills and Jameson Distillery in Midleton. Guides such as DJ, Joe, Tim, and Sean have added local stories, but confirm the vehicle and group size before booking.

“David was a great driver. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Had a great time and the process was simple. No complaints.”

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