Castle and Whisky Day Trips in Ireland: 10 to Book

1.Dublin in a Day: Dublin Castle, Book of Kells, Guinness & Whiskey

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 247 reviews · from $172Our pick

Spend about 7.5 hours exploring central Dublin with an English-speaking guide and a group of up to 16. Visit the Book of Kells and Long Room, walk along the Liffey, see Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’s Cathedral from outside, then tour Teeling Whiskey Distillery and finish at Guinness Storehouse.

“Hannah was our tour guide and we learned so much about Dublin from her. She's really very passionate about her country and that's what you want when someone's showing you around their hood! Loved the tour of Trinity College and the Book of Kells Experience. Of course, we loved the Whiskey and Guinness tour as well. We booked 3 tours during our 4 days in Ireland and this one was our fave.”

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2.Dublin: Trinity College, Castle, Guinness and Whiskey Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 85 reviews · from $169

Spend 7.5 hours walking through central Dublin with an English-speaking guide, entering Trinity College before the crowds, visiting Dublin Castle, tasting Teeling whiskey and finishing at Guinness Storehouse with a pint in the rooftop bar. Guides such as Brian, Hannah, Gabriel and Niall are known for clear history and good humor.

“This was an excellent tour! Our guide Gabriel was wonderful! Beautiful sites, amazing history and lovely people! I definitely recommend!”

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3.(Small Group) Shore Tour from Cork: Blarney Castle & Jameson Distillery

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 74 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $162Best value

From Cobh, you travel by air-conditioned vehicle to Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, and the Jameson Distillery in Midleton. You get included castle and distillery admission, live commentary, WiFi, and port pickup. Guides such as DJ, Tim, Joe, and Sean have been praised for making the day informative and easygoing, though vehicle size has sometimes differed from the advertised small-group format.

“Small group experience. The most imoortant part of Blarney Castle experience is being there first or as close to first as possible. With a van for 20 people its much faster than 50+ passenger bus. This makes all the differebce. Gets you first to Blarney Stone and then gives you plenty of time to view the castle abd grounds. Noah and Neal for were a fantastic driver and guide team that made this excursion 5 stars all the way.”

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4.Blarney Castle Cork City and Jameson Distillery Small groups

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · from $247

Spend about seven hours with a local guide visiting Blarney Castle and its gardens, taking a panoramic drive through Cork, and touring Midleton Distillery with a whiskey tasting. Guides may include Marysol, Conor, Aodin, Deirdre, or others from the local team. Pickup times can be adjusted for cruise schedules.

“we had a great day off the shipw with Marysol and Noel. Marysol provided narration and interesting insights throughout all of our drive time and made sure we were set at both the scheduled tours (blarney castle and Middleton distillery) in betRead more”

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5.Jameson Whiskey Blarney Cobh Ultimate Private Tour Max 7 People

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Spend about eight hours with Derek O’Keeffe and Private Tours Cork, traveling by private sedan or minibus from Cork City or Cobh. Visit Blarney Castle and its gardens, shop at Blarney Woollen Mills, tour Midleton’s Jameson Distillery, and finish in Cobh, the Titanic’s final port of call.

“Interesting to see how the Irish Whiskey was made. We had a fantastic tour guide at the distillery. She was so knowledgeable and it probably helped that she liked her whiskey!”

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6.Private Tour – Causeway, Castles & Whiskey Tour – Game of Thrones

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Travel from Belfast with guide Adrian on a private eight-hour tour of Carrickfergus Castle, Torr Head, the Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills Distillery. Pickup can be arranged from your location, and the route can be adjusted to suit your group, within reason.

“Private tours are the way to go! Our guide was great at being flexible for our party’s accessible limitations and brought us through areas we didn’t expect to get to see. So very helpful to my family with disabilities. Thank you so much! It was wonderful to see such beautiful scenes in Northern Ireland!”

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

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

Travel from Dublin in a 16-seat Mercedes minicoach with an English-speaking guide. Over three days, you’ll visit the Rock of Cashel, Jameson Midleton, Blarney Castle, Cobh, Waterford, Kilkenny, and Glendalough. Local B&B stays, a whiskey tour and tasting, and scenic country roads make this a strong choice for seeing Ireland without driving.

“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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8.Private VIP Whiskey Tour from Dublin with Slane Castle Distillery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $540

Travel by private luxury vehicle from Dublin with a driver-guide and whiskey specialist, often Gary Byrne. Visit Monasterboice and Slane Hill before a two-hour VIP tour at Slane Distillery, including Irish coffee, triple-cask whiskey details, and a deconstructed tasting. Lunch is on your own.

“Absolutely spectacular. Gary and Paul are top notch. We have done alcohol making tours in Ireland, all over the US, Scotland and Colombia. Gary’s tour was unmatched by a long shot. His knowledge of distilling, the landscape, Irish food, folklore, and Irish history is an experience that you should make a point of doing while in Ireland. Wish I could give him 10 stars.”

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9.Private Tour , Blarney Castle, jameson Distillery and Cobh.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.)

Darren’s private 6 to 7 hour tour links Blarney Castle and its famous stone with a behind-the-scenes whiskey visit at Midleton Distillery, then Cobh Cathedral and Titanic’s last Irish departure point. You get private air-conditioned transport, flexible pickup, and an English-speaking guide, while admission fees and lunch cost extra.

“Darren was a star! This was my first solo trip and he made it easy to explore Cork without a car, and even helped me fix a phone issue I had along the way. Friendly and helpful, five stars!”

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10.3-Day Blarney Castle, Kilkenny & Irish Whiskey Tour Inc Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 8 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $971

Travel from Dublin in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach with a professional driver-guide, stopping at the Rock of Cashel, Jameson Distillery, Blarney Castle, Kinsale, Cobh, Waterford, Kilkenny, and Glendalough. Two nights with breakfast are included, while some attraction fees and meals are extra.

“Three days packed with information, beautiful vistas, and fun. Smaller bus was good for the tight bog roads. Stephanie the Guide was knowledgeable, personable as well as an excellent driver.”

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