Gap of Dunloe Tour: Explore Killarney's Beauty

Embark on the Gap of Dunloe Tour and explore the stunning Killarney National Park by boat and bus. Discover the iconic sights of the Gap of Dunloe, Old Weir Bridge, and Ross Castle on this unforgettable journey.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Kate Kearney’s Cottage - The bus which departs from the Old Weir Lodge will bring passengers to the world famous ‘Kate Kearney’s Cottage’. Here, passengers will make contact with the Horse and Carriage drivers. Note: Payment for the Horse and Carriage section of the tour is made to the drivers themselves and due to the mountainous nature of the…
What's Included
  • Bus Transport
  • Parking
  • Boat Transport
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Horse and Carriage transport payable on the day in cash
Additional Information

The Gap of Dunloe full-day excursion offers a comprehensive exploration of Killarney’s National Park. Participants will witness attractions such as the Gap of Dunloe, the Old Weir Bridge, and Ross Castle. The excursion consists of 3 main segments:

  1. Bus conveyance from our base at Old Weir Lodge on Muckross Road, Killarney, to Kate Kearney’s Cottage -…
Location
Old Weir Lodge
Muckross Road
The Old Weir Lodge is 1 Kilometer from the centre of Killarney town. We offer free parking, Tea/Coffee is also available for purchase here prior to departure.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(56 Ratings)
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W6108kvjasonb
Jul 20, 2025
Great Time - One of the best tours I have taken. Be warned that it is a 7 mile walk through the gap, and the carriage rides aren’t cheap. If it rains and you don’t have rain gear. It’s going to be a long wet day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jill_s
Jul 17, 2025
The scenery was... - The scenery was absolutely spectacular. Somehow I didn’t see the part about the extra fee of EU35 per person to take the horse drawn carriage through the Gap of Dunloe. The other option was to hike the 11KM to where we picked up the boat tour. It was a fun experience overall.
Review provided by Viator
Alex
Jul 15, 2025
Epic - Patsy is the best boat driver in the history of boats. Would walk the 7 miles again just to be on his boat another time. Would definitely recommend walking rather than other modes of transport as when you do the jaunting cart, you will be stuck walking up all the steep parts anyway, won’t get time to stop for as many pictures and will end up waiting at Brandon’s cottage for all the walkers, which will be boring. Also be prepared for all kinds of weather. Again, Patsy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ghaberkorn
Jul 11, 2025
Highly recommended! - We took the boat up the lakes and walked the gap, and considering we had small chidren with us, this was an amazing experience. We all love the boat trip (Rory as a charming storyteller was defintely a significant part of the experience). The walk was beautiful and our girls (5 and 7) liked it and managed it, but we took a bit longer, so if some of you have shorter legs, keep that in mind. But do book this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jen_o
Jun 11, 2025
We loved this, our... - We loved this, our favorite day trip so far. Highly recommend! Would do it again for sure. Great stories and great views.
Review provided by Viator
Billiewinchester
May 27, 2025
An unforgettable fabulous day- highlight being the boat trip with Rory - We shall never forget this fabulous day- not only the walk up and down the Dunloe Gap- beautiful views and easy hike along a paved road but the absolute highlight was the boat ride with our skipper Rory-just 12 of us on a comfortable wooden open boat with engine- so entertaining and v beautiful as well as learning about the area and what a way to finish arriving at Ross Castle. The weather had been dry for so long that the boat in front of us went aground so Rory calmly went to the rescue using an oar to free them. A huge amount of laughter as we had to go ashore at one point (as the water was too shallow) in our big orange lifejackets and walk for 10 mins to another point where we were supposed to meet him - we got lost!Rory found us! Usually there is enough water for it to be exciting rapids. The whole taking by bus and picking up by bus went so smoothly and if you dont want to walk the Dunloe Gap you can go by horse and trap
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jenny
Dec 26, 2024
Best thing we did in Ireland! - This was the highlight of our trip!! The team took amazing care of us. Rory, our boat guide, was so kind and informative. We loved every minute of our tour and learned so much about the terrain and history of the area. We had hot chocolate and snacks at Lord Brandon’s Cottage and then embarked on the 11km hike. We have 3 boys, ages 11, 8 and 6 and they ALL enjoyed the hike! The views were so stunning that they didn’t ever complain about being tired. We would do this tour again in a heartbeat!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dawn_b
Sep 12, 2024
Terrific day! - This was a fabulous day. I loved the boat trip through the lakes and the jaunty cart ride through the Gap of Dunloe. Both were spectacular. My boat guide and my jaunty cart driver were so nice, informative and personable. It was a memorable day!
Review provided by Viator
Stevezeinner
Sep 3, 2024
Loved the gap of Dunloe tour followed by the boat ride to the Ross Castle. - Loved this adventure to gap of Dunloe it was the best part of our trip to Ireland. The boat ride was also so amazing. The staff were all so kind and professional. Would highly recommend this adventure for anyone visiting. The only advice would be that the boat driver we had while so so kind, did speak a lot and when doing so would stop the boat so guests could hear him. However in doing this so often we went from being one of the first boats to depart to being the last boat to arrive at the castle. As a result we had little time to visit the castle as our bus driver was waiting for us to board.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dawn_l
Jul 3, 2025
Rent the carriage!!! Seriously… - This tour is 5-6 hours of which you only have a tour guide speaking to you for 20 minutes max. The rest is an amazing boat ride (where the talking happens) and a LONG walk (think 3 hours). We were told the walk was easy and in my opinion it was not. We started the opposite of what the map showed (tour operators decision) and had to walk uphill in full sun for at least 1 hour straight. You have an opportunity to rent the horse carriage to take you the whole way instead ($35/per person) and I wish we would have done that. Once you decide to walk there is no going back and you are stuck following through so choose carefully. The second half of the walk was lovely and we took some wonderful pictures. Just wish this is more of an informative tour and not just get you from point A to B.
Review provided by Viator
From $70
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).