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Private Blarney Castle Day Tour from Dublin
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From €540 per person
This full-day private tour takes you from Dublin all the way to County Cork and back, covering three of the south’s most compelling stops along the way.
Your driver meets you at your hotel in Dublin and you travel south in a modern, air-conditioned private vehicle with a professional local guide on board. The day covers the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle and Gardens, and Cork city, before your driver brings you back to your Dublin hotel in the evening.
It’s a long day - 12 to 13 hours - but a well-organised one. Entry fees to the Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle are not included, so factor those in when booking.
Departure from Dublin (2.5 hours) - Your driver picks you up from your hotel and you head south through the Irish countryside.
Rock of Cashel (1 hour) - The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster until the complex was donated to the Catholic Church almost 1,000 years ago for use as a cathedral. It’s one of the finest examples of medieval architecture in Europe, perched dramatically on a limestone outcrop. St. Patrick is said to have converted the King of Munster here in the 5th century.
Blarney Castle and Gardens (2 hours) - Time to explore the beautiful gardens of the Blarney Estate, perhaps take the Lake Walk, and of course visit the castle itself. Note that entrance fees are not included.
Free time (1 hour) - Your guide drops you at a convenient spot in the area for an hour to explore on foot.
Cork city (1.5 hours) - Ireland’s second city, known as the Rebel City for its fierce resistance during the War of Independence. Cork has a genuinely lively atmosphere, good food, and plenty to explore at your own pace.
Return to Dublin (3.5 hours) - Your driver collects you and brings you back to your Dublin hotel.
At the Rock of Cashel, go early or late. The Rock is two kilometres off the M8 motorway, so coach parties arrive in numbers by midday in summer. The OPW opens the site at 9am. An early arrival means you have the Cormac’s Chapel frescoes - the only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland, only rediscovered in the 1980s - mostly to yourself. The Rock is also dramatic in afternoon light, when the limestone turns amber. Your guide can advise on the best timing given the day’s schedule.
Don’t rush Cashel for Blarney. Cashel deserves more than a quick pass. Below the Rock, Hore Abbey - a Cistercian foundation from 1272 and the last such foundation in Ireland - sits in a field you can walk into for free. If there’s flexibility in the day, a ten-minute detour to Hore Abbey is worth it.
At Blarney, the grounds are the reward. The queue for the Stone at Blarney Castle can run to 20-30 minutes in peak season. While one person queues, the Rock Close is worth exploring: a Victorian rock garden with the Wishing Steps, the Witch’s Kitchen, and standing stones. The Lake Walk - three kilometres round trip from the castle car park to Blarney Lake - is quiet and a good way to use the two hours if not everyone wants the castle.
Cork in 1.5 hours: head for the English Market. Cork city is large and your time there is limited. The English Market on Grand Parade - a covered Victorian food market that has been trading since 1788 - is a five-minute walk from most drop-off points and gives you a real sense of the city’s food culture in a compact space.