15 Castle Day Trips in Ireland Worth the Trip

1.Blarney, Rock of Cashel & Cahir Castles Day Tour From Dublin

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,944 reviews · 13 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $108Our pick

Leave Dublin at 6:50 a.m. for a full day of Irish castles, medieval ruins, and countryside views. Visit the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle and gardens, and Cahir Castle with a driver-guide, Wi-Fi-equipped coach, and admissions included. The day lasts about 13.5 hours, with steep steps at Blarney and several hours on the road.

“Excellent organisation, friendly & knowledgeable driver/guide which enhanced the trip experience. Highly recommend.”

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2.Dublin to Cliffs of Moher, Ennis Town & Bunratty Castle Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,138 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) Top rated

Leave Dublin at 7 AM for the Cliffs of Moher, Ennis, and Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. You get entry fees, Wi-Fi, a comfortable air-conditioned coach, an Ennis walking tour, and about two hours at the cliffs. Guides such as Matt, Daniel, and Keith add history, music, and useful Dublin tips. Expect a long but well-planned day.

“Eve & Michael were superb throughout our very long day. Very accommodating throughout: and thoroughly watched after us with helpful suggestions etc etc”

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3.Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle and Ennis Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 944 reviews · from $56Best value

Travel from Dublin to Bunratty Castle, Ennis, and the Cliffs of Moher on a 12-hour guided day trip. You get castle admission, cliff entry, bilingual English and Spanish commentary, and free time in Ennis. Guides such as Sergio, Maureen, Margarita, and Lorena have led departures, though the experience can vary by guide and bus.

“So glad that I booked this day trip! It was a wonderful experience and allowed us to see so much. Our tour guide, Maureen, was especially amazing with a wealth of knowledge on Ireland. She was there to answer any questions we may have had and give great recommendations. Couldn’t be happier!”

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

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

Travel from Cobh or Ringaskiddy to Blarney Castle, its gardens, and Blarney Woollen Mills, then enjoy Cork commentary, Kinsale, and St. Colman’s Cathedral. A local driver-guide such as Jamie, Ian, or Kevin handles the road commentary, while Blarney Castle is self-guided. Early departure is key to avoiding long queues.

“Excellent tour knowledgeable and friendly guide highly recommended cork is a great place to visit!!!”

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

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

Start early from Cobh and head for Blarney Castle before the queues build. Your driver-guide handles transport, commentary, and admission, then takes you through Cork and on to Kinsale for lunch and free time. Guides such as Kevin, Paul, and Zikor have earned praise for clear history, humor, music, and careful timing, though commentary can vary.

“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!”

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6.Blarney Castle Full-Day Tour from Dublin

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 469 reviews · from $90

Travel from Dublin by climate-controlled van with an English-speaking guide such as Richard, Alex, or Brian. Visit the Rock of Cashel, Cork’s English Market, and Blarney Castle, where you can kiss the stone and explore the Witch’s Cave, gardens, shops, and castle grounds.

“I would have love more time at Blarney Castle and given up the visit at Cork.”

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7.Dublin to Belfast, Dunluce Castle and Giant’s Causeway Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 12 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $66

Travel from Dublin to Belfast, Dunluce Castle, and the Giant’s Causeway in one long day. Expect a 70-minute Belfast walking tour, live coach commentary, WiFi, a comfortable air-conditioned bus, and about 2.5 hours at the famous basalt columns. Guides such as Dave, Una, and Rory add history and practical tips along the way.

“Our guide & driver were fantastic with both being very informative & friendly. They definitely made it a memorable tour.”

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8.Full-Day Tour to Cork, Cobh and Blarney Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 155 reviews · from $158

Travel by InterCity train from Dublin to Cork, then by coach to Blarney Castle and Cobh. Kiss the Blarney Stone, explore the gardens, see St. Colman’s Cathedral, and visit the Queenstown Story Heritage Center. Guides such as Brian, Jonathan, Ian, and Sean add history, humor, and practical help throughout the day.

“A must see attraction steeped in history, intrigue & beauty. So much to see and be inspired by.... brilliant.”

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9.Cliffs of Moher, Ennis, & Bunratty Castle Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 113 reviews · from $91

Leave Dublin at 7:00 AM for the Cliffs of Moher, Ennis, and Bunratty Castle. You get a comfortable modern coach, an English-speaking guide, admission to the Cliffs visitor centre, and entry to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Guides such as Keith, Dermot, Murphy, and Darren add history, humour, and Irish culture along the way.

“This tour was amazing!! Our guide Dermot shared a lot of interesting and funny anecdotes about Irish History and Culture that made the travel time fly by. The Cliffs of Moher and charming town of Ennis as well as Bunratty Castle were all stunning and we had the luck to experience it on a sunny day :D I loved that it was in a smaller group and a comfortable van/bus and we had a generous amount of time at the sights to see and explore everything.”

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10.Full-Day Howth and Malahide Castle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 55 reviews · from $56

Travel from central Dublin to Casino Marino, Malahide Castle, and Howth on a 7.5-hour guided tour. Walk through castle grounds, hear Talbot family legends, enjoy free time for lunch, and choose a scenic coastal walk from Howth Summit. Tours run in Italian or Spanish.

“Very friendly Italian tour guide. The tour was done with an audio guide (which was a little slow to download). The visit to the castle was very interesting. The walk along the coast to Howth was very beautiful and fairly easy (45 minutes).”

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11.From Galway: Castles of Connemara Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 45 reviews · from $143

Spend nine hours touring Connemara from Galway with an English-speaking driver-guide and a group capped at 10. Visit Aughnanure Castle and Kylemore Abbey, stop at the Quiet Man Bridge and Connemara Giant, explore Clifden, and take the Sky Road when weather allows. Guides including Colleen, Tony, Gerry, and Jerry add local history and humor.

“It was incredibly nice. Tony was a great guide. We loved ot”

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12.Ireland: Blarney Castle, Kilkenny & Irish Whiskey 3-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12 reviews · from $788

Travel from Dublin in a 16-seat Mercedes minicoach, visiting the Rock of Cashel, Jameson Midleton, Blarney, Kinsale, Cobh, Waterford, Kilkenny and Glendalough. Your English-speaking guide handles the narrow roads and local stories, while two nights in small B&Bs keep the trip personal and local.

“The guide Marcus was very helpful and jovial. Wanted to see rural Ireland and this trip suited us. Love the arrangements done by Rabbie. The weather was an added bonus.”

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13.Malahide castle and Howth MULTILINGUAL full day tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · from $67

Leave Dublin at 9:30 for Malahide Castle, where an audio guide covers the Talbot family, Georgian rooms, and ghost stories. Continue through Portmarnock and St Anne’s to Howth for harbor time, lunch, possible seals, and an optional walk from the summit. Transport, castle admission, and multilingual audio are included.

“There were so many sights to see and the staff was so helpful.”

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14.Private Boyne Valley and Trim Castle Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews

Leave Dublin with a private guide such as Brian for a flexible six-hour Boyne Valley tour. Visit Newgrange, older than the pyramids, see the Hill of Tara and Trim Castle, then stop for Irish food or afternoon tea. Transport, hotel pickup, and drop-off are included, but attraction tickets and meals cost extra.

“Our guide, Brian, was very knowledgeable and accommodating. Highlight was NewGrange but also enjoyed Slane Castle (Trim Castle was closed) and a beautiful sunset at Monasterboice.”

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15.Blarney Castle: Private Guided Day Tour from Dublin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews

Spend 11 hours with a private English-speaking driver-guide on a Mercedes V Class from Dublin to the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, Cork, and Blarney Woolen Mills. Guides including Don and Alan Mulligan lead the day, with time for castle gardens, the famous stone, shopping, and lunch.

“Don was amazing at telling us the history during the tour and allowing us the free time to explore. The Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle was fun and informative. We got to meet Sir Charles in the gardens!”

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