Gap of Dunloe Tour: Boat & Bus through Killarney National Park

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/12

Duration5h–6h

GroupUp to 48

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Three valleys, three lakes, one day: the full sweep of Killarney National Park

A guided day tour of Killarney National Park that moves through the landscape in three stages: bus to the Gap of Dunloe, carriage or walk through the glacial valley, then a boat through the lakes and rivers with a local guide. Bus transport and parking are included; the carriage ride through the Gap is paid separately in cash on the day. Boats depart at 2pm daily, and the full tour runs five to six hours depending on water levels and weather.

5h–6h

Step-by-step itinerary

Gap of Dunloe tour and boat ride

Bus from Old Weir Lodge to Kate Kearney's Cottage
Horse and carriage ride through Gap of Dunloe
Lunch break at Lord Brandon's Cottage
Boat tour through Killarney National Park lakes and rivers
End tour at Ross Castle with optional walk to town

The Experience

The day starts with a bus ride from the Old Weir Lodge on Muckross Road to Kate Kearney's Cottage at the mouth of the Gap of Dunloe. Once there, you choose how to cross the glacial valley: rent a horse and carriage for roughly 1.5 hours (cash payment to the driver on arrival), or walk the 11-kilometer route at your own pace. Either way, you end at Lord Brandon's Cottage, an old hunting lodge now a café, where you have up to an hour to rest and eat before the boat departs at 2pm.

The boat tour is where the guide takes over. For around 1.5 hours, you travel through three lakes and two rivers — the Meeting of the Waters, past Dinis Cottage, the Old Weir Bridge, Brickeen Bridge and Innisfallen Island — while the local guide fills the journey with folklore and history. Depending on water levels, a moderate walk through uneven wooded ground may be needed at some point. The boat brings you to Ross Castle, a 15th-century stronghold built by the Chieftain O'Donoghue; the bus meets you there immediately after, though some guests choose to walk back into Killarney town through the park instead.

What makes this tour work is the sequence itself. You see the park from three different angles — ground level through the valley, then water level through the lakes — and the timing is locked in, so the day holds together without anyone building it. The carriage is optional and costs extra, payable in cash to the drivers; if you walk instead, the pace is yours. Infants can travel in a pram or stroller, and service animals are welcome.

What’s included

Bus transport from the Old Weir Lodge and parking.
boat tour through the three lakes and two rivers with an experienced guide.
the option to walk or ride through the Gap of Dunloe (carriage paid separately in cash on the day).

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Killarney Day Tour

Is this one for you?Choose the carriage if you want to rest your legs and move faster through the valley; choose to walk if you prefer to set your own pace and save the carriage cost. Either way, the boat tour and the timing are the same, so the day holds together without you planning the connections.