Ireland Rail Tour: Kilkenny and Waterford Crystal

Embark on a full-day rail tour from Dublin to Kilkenny and Waterford Crystal. Explore medieval streets, visit the famous Waterford Crystal factory, and enjoy a scenic rail route back through the Suir Valley.

Duration: 12 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Kilkenny Castle - We arrive in Kilkenny at 09:00 – known as the Marble City and situated on the river Nore. Kilkenny is a beautiful small Irish city. Most buildings are built of black limestone, thus the name the Marble City.
    Kilkenny is dominated by its castle, the front gate of which is our meeting point (or as directed by your host).
    There are…
What's Included
  • Information pack
  • Admission to Waterford Crystal visitor centre
  • Return Rail Tickets
  • Reserved seats on the trains
  • Expert guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks
  • Entry to Kilkenny Castle
Additional Information

Embark on a comprehensive, day-long rail excursion from Dublin to the photogenic destinations of Kilkenny and Waterford Crystal in the southeast of Ireland. Accompanied by a guide, take a train journey to Kilkenny, a city renowned for its vibrant arts scene and charm. Wander the city’s medieval avenues on a guided tour, and utilize some leisure time…

Location
Dublin Heuston
Check in is 20 minutes prior to the departure time (7:00AM). Our yellow check-in stand is located close to the Customer Service Desk at Heuston Station where our representative will be waiting for you in their BRIGHT yellow jacket!
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(171 Ratings)
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W
Aug 18, 2025
Great way to travel and see Ireland! - Ease of traveling by train was a major bonus. We were able to relax, see the countryside, walk freely about the train, snack service was available and had access to a bathroom. Significantly more comfortable and enjoyable than being packed on a tour bus. Paddy, our guide, was absolutely fantastic!!! Great sense of humor!!He ensured that everyone was taken care of throughout the day. He even ensured that we had transportation lined up afterwards to return to our hotel in Dublin. Best way to travel day trip Ireland.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Judy_v
Aug 13, 2025
Wonderful Tour - We had a wonderful tour guide (Paddy) who did a fabulous job taking us around Kilkenny and telling us all the historical information. The tour seemed very personal (there were only 10 in our group) and Paddy talked with us individually on the train about the itinerary and he also gave us great tips on places to visit in Ireland. The tour of Waterford was excellent and our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. The tram through the city was a lot of fun and entertaining. It was a great tour from start to finish.
Review provided by Viator
Jld2402
Aug 6, 2025
Paddy is absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend!! - Visited Waterford Crystal and Kilkenny on this tour and it was fantastic! Paddy is absolutely lovely, so informative and friendly and made sure everything went smoothly! I loved the factory tour in Waterford, and the cool facts about Kilkenny City and its history - a truly remarkable place, definitely one for the bucket list!!! Railtours Ireland was so organised and informative, so well worth it for me! 👏
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michele_j
Jul 27, 2025
From the moment we... - From the moment we arrived at the train station we were well looked after by Paddy our tour guide. He ensured we had all the information we required for our trip to Waterford via Kilkenny. It was an amazing trip, Kilkenny Castle and grounds were superb, our trip on the road train around the perimeter of Kilkenny was great. Lunch at the Reg was excellent. A highlight for us was the Waterford Crystal Factory tour & showroom, master craftsmanship at its finest. The train journey was great with Paddy pointing out sights and features on the way.
Review provided by Viator
Liane_d
Jul 18, 2025
Visiting the History of Ireland - Waterford is a city with a lot of beauty and a lot of history. I just wish we had had time to appreciate the so-called Viking Triangle, the most tourist spot in the city. But the goal was actually to visit the crystal factory. I also liked the visit to Kilkenny, a beautiful historic city too. The Paddy guide was very efficient, and the place for lunch was very good. Transfers with vans were perfect, to and from the train stations. I really liked the train trip! Irish trains are great!
Review provided by Viator
Passenger11395999518
Jun 8, 2025
Excellent experience! Highly recommend! - We thoroughly enjoyed this tour of Kilkenny and Waterford! Paddy was a wonderful tour guide who had immense knowledge of the area and great stories!! He was very helpful and even stayed with all the guests until their taxis arrived! It was a lovely day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traviso727
Jun 8, 2025
Comfortable and Informative - Paddy the guide was an awesome shepherd! Very pleasant, enjoyable, and informative tour. Never a dull moment. The train ride was comfortable, smooth, and well planned. We saw the majority of Kilkenny via car train. A good amount of time outside of Kilkenny Castle. Didn’t see all of Waterford, but considering seeing two cities in one day, plenty of time at Waterford Crystal. Would definitely book with Railroad Ireland First Class Tours again via TripAdvisor.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passport42883126038
May 17, 2025
A Good, but Exhausting, Day Out - This is a lovely tour but not for anyone who has mobility issues. There is a lot of walking, more than I anticipated. Paddy, our guide, was very good and kept an eye on me all through. He arranged a taxi from the castle back to the station for four people who would find the return walk a challenge. Nothing was too much trouble for him. A lovely man.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shannon_s
May 4, 2025
Our 2nd time on this tour! - We were thrilled to spend the day with Paddy again - our guide with our daughter 7 years ago! Fantastic train ride with walking tour in Kilkenny and House of Waterford with my mother this time. A must-do experience!
Review provided by Viator
Annie_e
Jul 19, 2025
Save money and time, book your own train tickets! - If you really want to visit the Kilkenny castle and Waterford factory, buy your own train tickets. This day would have been much better if we had just done that. Paddy has his itinerary in mind and doesn’t want to allow people to have free time to find their own food, etc. Tje castle visit wasn’t a visit, but merely seeing a 10 min film. We chose not to go on the little train ride around the city so we could go in the castle (admission wasn’t included). Good decision as heard from those who went on the train it wasn’t worth the time. He also wanted everyone to eat in the Reg pub in Waterford and was insistent upon it. (Guessing he made some money off what was spent). We are in Kilkenny and chose to shop and get dessert while the others were in the pub. Again good decision! It made him visibly mad that we did not want to go to the pub. In the Waterford factory he wanted to make sure anyone buying something got him to be involved in it (kickback anyone?). The factory tour was done by one of the employees and it was something you could book without this tour (did it before). I wish had not wasted the time and money for this when it would have been much better to do it on our own.
Review provided by Viator
From $176
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).