Killarney: Lakes Boat Tour & Gap of Dunloe Jaunting Cart

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration5h

GroupUp to 60

PickupAt your hotel

Three Lakes, One Mountain Pass, Two Ways to Move

You get picked up by bus, spend ninety minutes on a boat through Killarney's three lakes with views of Ross Castle and the Meeting of the Waters, then transfer to a jaunting cart for a two-hour climb through the Gap of Dunloe. The cart ride is paid separately in cash to the driver at the cottage—budget €120 per cart for up to four people—and the return bus brings you back to town by afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Bus, boat, and jaunting cart tour

Take morning bus transfer
Boat journey through three Lakes of Killarney
View Ross Castle from boat
Pass Old Weir Bridge at Meeting of The Waters
Jaunting cart ride through Gap of Dunloe (optional, pay driver)
Return by bus in afternoon

The Experience

The bus pulls out in the morning and you're already climbing toward the water. Killarney's three lakes spread below as the boat leaves the dock, and for the next ninety minutes you're gliding past Ross Castle, watching the shoreline change from green fields to steep rock. The Old Weir Bridge marks where the lakes meet—a narrow stone arch that's been there long enough to feel permanent. You'll see it from the water, and later from the jaunting cart, which is the whole point of this tour: two different angles on the same landscape, two different speeds.

After the boat, you're driven to either Kate Kearney's Cottage or Lord Brandon's Cottage at the base of the Gap of Dunloe. That's where you pay the ponymen directly—€120 per cart, cash only, maximum four people per cart. The jaunting cart climbs seven miles through the mountain pass in roughly ninety minutes to two hours, depending on pace and how many times you stop to photograph the valley. It's not a gentle ride; the cart bounces on the old track, and the ponies move at their own rhythm. Bring cash, wear layers (it's cooler up there), and don't expect the driver to rush.

The whole day runs from morning pickup through afternoon return, so you're out for most of the daylight. The bus is air-conditioned, which matters on the drive to and from town. The boat is the easier part—you sit and watch. The jaunting cart asks more of you physically; it's a working mountain road, not a scenic loop. If your back or heart isn't up for it, or if you move slowly, this isn't the right fit. But if you can handle the bounce and the pace, you see the Gap the way people have seen it for generations: from a cart pulled by a pony, moving through stone and heather.

What’s included

Hotel or town pickup in the morning, air-conditioned bus transfer to the lakes, a ninety-minute boat journey through the three Lakes of Killarney with views of Ross Castle and the Meeting of the Waters, and afternoon return transport. The jaunting cart through the Gap of Dunloe is arranged separately and paid directly to the ponymen in cash (€120 per cart, maximum four people per cart).

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Gap of Dunloe Tours

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see Killarney's lakes and mountains in one day without arranging their own transport. Plan for a full day out—the boat and cart together take most of the daylight—and expect the jaunting cart to be a working ride on a mountain track, not a smooth scenic drive.