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Tullamore: Private Whiskey tour to Tullamore Dew & Kilbeggan
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From €469 per person
Ireland’s whiskey heritage runs deep, and this private full-day tour from Dublin takes you straight to the heart of it. You’ll travel out to the Irish Midlands in a luxury vehicle with your own driver, guide, and whiskey specialist - so you get the insider stories and real context that a group tour just can’t give you. It’s a fully hosted, private experience with no rushing between stops.
Both distilleries are on the itinerary: the historic Old Kilbeggan Distillery, which has been making whiskey since 1757, and the modern Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery, home to over 50,000 maturing oak casks. There’s a relaxed lunch stop by the canal in Tullamore as well, though lunch itself isn’t included in the price.
Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery (2 hours) - You’ll follow the whiskey-making process from distillation right through to maturation, meeting the team who run the place every day. It starts with a warming Irish coffee, then you’ll feel the heat of the working stills and take in the rich aromas drifting from more than 50,000 oak casks in the warehouses. The highlight is the purpose-built warehouse snug - Ireland’s only one - where you’ll learn the craft of whiskey blending before tasting three award-winning Tullamore D.E.W. expressions.
Old Kilbeggan Distillery (1 hour) - Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery, operating since 1757. Your visit opens with a Kilbeggan Black & Ginger cocktail served in a traditional wee dram glass. From there, a guide walks you through the history from the 18th century to today, through the fully operational distillery facilities and the historic warehouse. It closes with a guided four-whiskey masterclass in the old Cooperage.
Sean’s Bar, Athlone (1 hour) - A stop at Sean’s Bar in Athlone - known as Ireland’s oldest pub - for a drink before heading back to Dublin.
Eat a proper breakfast before you leave Dublin. Lunch isn’t included in the price, and you’ll be doing a lot of tasting before you reach the canal stop in Tullamore. A full Irish before you’re collected sets you up well. The distillery visits run to a steady pace, but you’ll appreciate the buffer.
The warehouse snug at Tullamore D.E.W. is worth slowing down for. It’s Ireland’s only purpose-built warehouse snug, and blending your own whiskey there is genuinely hands-on rather than just a photo opportunity. Ask your specialist about the different cask types and how they affect the flavour - that’s the kind of question that gets a proper answer in a private setting.
Kilbeggan is older than most countries’ whiskey industries. The distillery has been licensed since 1757, and the Cooperage where you do the masterclass still feels like working history. The four-whiskey tasting at the end covers a good range of styles - take your time with each one and let your specialist explain what you’re tasting rather than rushing through. Kilbeggan is a small town worth a short look around if time allows.
Sean’s Bar in Athlone is a legitimate piece of Irish history. It’s been serving pints since the 10th century and has the awards to back that claim up. The stop is a relaxed one - a drink and a breather before the drive back to Dublin. Athlone sits right on the Shannon, and if the weather’s decent, the views from the bridge are worth a few minutes.
Ask your specialist about the Irish whiskey revival on the drive out. The journey from Dublin to Tullamore takes over an hour each way, and having a whiskey specialist in the vehicle is a real opportunity to understand the bigger picture - why Irish whiskey nearly disappeared, how it came back, and what makes the style distinct from Scotch. It turns the drive into part of the experience.