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Blarney Castle Tour: Explore Cork, Kinsale, and Cobh
4.3
475 Ratings
Cobh
Discover Blarney Castle, explore Cork City, and tour Kinsale on this immersive shore excursion from Cobh. Book your adventure now!
Discover Blarney Castle, explore Cork City, and tour Kinsale on this immersive shore excursion from Cobh. Book your adventure now!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Cobh - Passengers will be collected in style from their cruise ship. Upon disembarking, turn right, and the guide will be waiting near the pedestrian exit gate. Collection from the cruise ship is at 07:30 for an 08:00 departure. If the ship docks later than 07:30, the tour will commence 30 minutes after disembarkation begins. This ensures an early…
- Cobh - Passengers will be collected in style from their cruise ship. Upon disembarking, turn right, and the guide will be waiting near the pedestrian exit gate. Collection from the cruise ship is at 07:30 for an 08:00 departure. If the ship docks later than 07:30, the tour will commence 30 minutes after disembarkation begins. This ensures an early start to avoid queues at Blarney.
- Blarney Stone - The first stop is Blarney, home to Ireland’s most famous castle. Visitors can lie back and kiss the magical Blarney Stone to receive the gift of eloquence. Admission is included, saving 15 euros, unlike others who require queuing and payment at the gate. There is also time to visit the renowned Blarney Woolen Mills, the largest Irish store globally, offering tax-free shopping on quality Irish products.
- The English Market - After Blarney, enjoy a panoramic drive through Cork City, showcasing highlights such as the River Lee, St Finbarre’s Cathedral, Shandon Bells, English Market, and Grand Parade. Cork was recently named one of the top 10 must-see cities by Lonely Planet. Notable figures from Cork include Henry Ford, Michael Collins, and the famous footballer Roy Keane.
- Charles Fort - The tour continues through the scenic Cork countryside to the charming town of Kinsale. Enjoy views of West Cork’s rolling fields and a stop overlooking the picturesque Kinsale Harbor and its two forts, Charles Fort and James Fort. The Lusitania tragically sank off the Old Head of Kinsale in 1915.
- Kinsale - The next stop is the historic town of Kinsale, known for the 1601 Battle of Kinsale. Today, it is Ireland’s gourmet capital, featuring winding streets, excellent pubs, and fine restaurants. On standard 8-hour tours, lunch is in Kinsale, but this depends on the ship’s departure time and is at the driver’s discretion (NO EXCEPTION). The town is beautifully located at the harbor’s mouth, with colorful postcard-like buildings and locals with unique and distinguished accents.
- Cobh Cathedral - If time permits, a visit to Cobh Cathedral is possible.
- Port of Cobh - The tour departs Kinsale to ensure return at least 1 hour before the ship’s departure. The service concludes at the dockside after approximately 8 hours. If the ship departs earlier, the itinerary will be adjusted accordingly.
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
- 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
- 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…
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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(475 Ratings)
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1 star
Ctnvolgal
Nov 24, 2025
Paddywagon is the way to go!!! - We had no plans when we arrived in Cobh, Ireland. But then we saw the Paddywagon bus and started talking to the driver and decided to take the tour. I am so glad that we talked to him because this was one of the best tours I have ever taken! I feel bad that I have forgot his name, but I did get a picture with him. He was so funny and knew so much information! I think each stop was an appropriate amount of time. We kissed the Blarney Stone! Visited a little village of Kinsale and the tour guide recommended Dino’s to eat and it was wonderful! I would highly recommend taking this tour with this company whenever possible.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan
Nov 2, 2025
TOP NOTCH EXCURSION - We visited the coastal town of Cobh, having taken the bus there from Cork. It was a 30-min ride through beautiful areas and the town of Cobh was delightful! We got dropped off at a stop that put us closest to the coast, and it was a great little walk to the coast, full of colorful houses and beautiful views.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hardy_c
Oct 8, 2025
Blarney Castle was a real treat! - An excellent tour, with a cordial, competent and safe driver. Kevin did a great job driving and informing our bus of passengers through the day. The visit to the Blarney Castle was great fun and kissing the Blarney Stone was a uniquely enjoyable experience. I highly recommend this excursion and Kevin as your driver/leader!
Review provided by Viator
Amanda_r
Oct 7, 2025
Fantastic tour - Kevin shared so much history and was very funny. Thoroughly enjoyed every stop of the day! Got us to the castle early so very little waiting time to go up to the stone. Wait times were 2 hours by the time we left!
Review provided by Viator
Andrea_t
Oct 5, 2025
Well organized, getting... - Well organized, getting to Blarney Castle right when it opened meant a very short wait to kiss the stone. Kinsale is a beautiful seaside town with great pubs and shops galore
Review provided by Viator
Kevin_s
Oct 6, 2025
A overly long and often depressing day - A long trip which could have been much nicer if it was a little shorter. Too long in Kinsale where, once we had had lunch and a walk round we still had an hour and a half to kill. The guide was ill informed and quite often telling outright lies. In addition we found his description of the potato famine to be very depressing and interminable.
Review provided by Viator
Daytrip27213524392
Sep 24, 2025
Disappointed - We were so excited to go on this private tour, only to be disappointed. The van was not clean and had stains running down the inside. Our driver was an older man with a soft voice. There was no speaker system in the large van, so we could not hear him unless he pulled over and shut off the motor. He also drove so slow that we missed time in Kinsale.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fen2nq
Sep 22, 2025
Broken down bus no refund . - Cork, Blarney Castle & Kinsale on a bus tour. Bus broke down before Blarney Castle. We did make it to the castle on another bus. They said bus is fixed so we got on it just to get a few more miles then it brakes down again. So we didn’t even get half the tour with no sort of a refund. My wife has cancer so we have been busy that’s why this late, thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
735jannellem
Feb 16, 2026
I don’t recommend this tour company, pick another - Beware, this is not an understanding, nor friendly tour company. I would not recommend them. To start off, I would not have left any stars if I could have, but you have to leave at least one. My husband and I were on a trip to Ireland and part of that trip was a cruise, and at Cork port, we planned an excursion to the Blarney castle with Paddywagon Tours. Unfortunately, bad weather hit, with 50 mile an hour wind gust, and our ship was not able to dock. We had no way to contact the tour company because we were out to sea. But I was informed from another tour company that tour companies know when a ship is going to dock or not. So Paddywagon tours would have known of the problem of the storm and that our ship could not dock. Consequently, I could not cancel the tour because we were at sea and we were charged for the tour that we were not able to take. I notified Paddywagon tour company after the cruise, and told them the circumstances, they informed me that the tour guide waited for us, which has to be a lie because they knew our ship did not dock, and there would be no reason to wait for us. I asked for a refund, but they refused. So if you choose this tour company, be sure you know that if circumstances out of your control happen, they are not lenient and will not help you with a refund. That was our experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
273jeanetted
Oct 15, 2025
Unsafe and Misleading Tour – Poor Response from Paddywagon - I booked a shore excursion from Cork for five people through Viator on August 9, 2025. The tour was called 'Shore Excursion From Cork: Including Blarney Castle and Kinsale' and was advertised as a coach bus with Wi-Fi, operated by Paddywagon. However, when we arrived, the coach bus driver told us the bus was full and no seats were available.
The guide redirected us to a small van (no Wi-Fi) with only four seats, asking me to carry my 6.5-year-old on my lap for the entire trip. Even the driver said this was unsafe and illegal in Ireland.
The guide promised to report the issue and arrange a refund, but we never heard back. Paddywagon later denied what happened and refused any compensation. I eventually had to request a chargeback through my credit card.
Extremely disappointed — unsafe, misleading, and poorly handled. Travelers should think twice before booking with Paddywagon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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