Ireland · SHORE EXCURSIONS
Summer dates on the good shore excursions are gone by spring. Here are the 12 to lock in early, what each includes and where they genuinely differ.
Review of the Cobh to Blarney Castle and Kinsale shore excursion, with practical advice on timing, crowds, value, mobility, and port pickup.
“The tour guide Ian was marvellous and friendly as well as being very knowledgeable of the area. Make sure everyone had water and made sure everyone was comfortable. He also had a great sense of humour”
Review of the Cork shore excursion to Blarney Castle and Kinsale, with port transfers, entry fees, timing advice, value, and honest drawbacks.
“Great tour, reasonably priced too. Our tour guide Martin was excellent and very knowledgeable and helpful”
Review of Dublin’s Glendalough shore excursion, with Wicklow scenery, Dublin highlights, port pickup, timing advice, value, and booking cautions.
“Highlands above Dublin were breathtaking. Mick was very personable and knowledgeable. Nothing else to say”
See Dublin from Dun Laoghaire by rail, then explore Trinity, Temple Bar, Guinness, Phoenix Park, and more by hop-on hop-off bus.
“There was a demonstration on but our driver managed to still give us a great tour.His name is Tyrone and we certainly got our money’s worth.Also we had trouble getting our paid tickets on our phone .We booked on line in Canada and being seniors navigating the internet is difficult but Tyrone was great in helping us .It turn out that Dublin was our favourite city on this cruise .Thank you Tyrone and your great singing voice.”
Review of Dublin’s cruise transfer, DART train, and 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus, with stop-by-stop tips, value advice, and practical drawbacks.
“We were met by the dock and given all the information we needed to take the Dart train to Dublin and back to the dock. Enjoyed our tour very much and appreciated the live commentary and Mark’s singing. Thank you.”
Review of Dublin’s hop-on hop-off shore excursion, with stops at Guinness, Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Phoenix Park, and Jameson.
“Great way to see Dublin! Buses were always available and the stops were at all the highlights of Dublin.”
Explore Donegal Castle, Slieve League, Muckross Head, and Donegal Town on a small-group Killybegs shore excursion.
“A really nice way to see the area. The time management was good at the various stops. Our guide was excellent. Easy to find them getting off the cruise ship.”
See Dublin’s major sights by open-top bus, with live commentary, flexible hop-on hop-off tickets, and a free child place with each adult fare.
“I have scored 2/5 stars because the tour guides / drivers were lovely. The minus 3 stars are because that frequency of buses was poor - which lead to long wait times throughout the day which meant I did not get to explore as much of Dublin as I would’ve liked.”
Review of a private Cobh cruise tour to Blarney, Cork, Kinsale, and Cobh, with practical advice on timing, value, guides, and stops.
“Amazing. Tony Murphy was a personable and knowledgeable guide. He collected us from our cruise ship and personalized the tour to our interests!”
Review of the Galway to Cliffs of Moher tour, with Wild Atlantic Way stops, five hours at the cliffs, transport, value, and practical tips.
“Horrible service never got on the excursion. There was a communication issue booked got the wrong day.”
Review of a Cork shore excursion to Blarney, Cork City, Kinsale, and Cobh, with practical timing, value, highlights, and booking advice.
Explore Newgrange, Tara, Trim Castle, and Monasterboice on a private Boyne Valley tour from Dublin with a local driver-guide.
“Trim castle was great! Unfortunately, we were unable to complete the main part of the tour (New Grange) because we were not told we needed to book tickets in advance. Everything else was OK. Also, the distillery was closed. Although our driver was great, this tour was definitely not worth the cost. I would not trust Viator again for any tours I take.”
Pick a coast road, a castle or a counter.
