Ring of Kerry & Kerry Cliffs: Private Day Tour from Killarney

The Ring of Kerry loops around coast and mountain in a single day, each turn revealing something older than the last.

A private day tour of the Ring of Kerry from Killarney with a live English-speaking guide, private air-conditioned vehicle and bottled water included. You set the pace at each stop (Torc Waterfall, Ladies View, Cahergall Stone Fort, Skellig Visitor Centre and Kerry Cliffs), and linger where the landscape holds you. The route takes seven to eight hours and covers the full loop: Killorglin, Valentia Island, Portmagee, Waterville, Sneem and Kenmare, with lunch at a harbour village. Pickup is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Cahergall Stone Fort30m
2. Skellig Experience45m
3. Ladies View15m
4. Torc Waterfall30m

Explore Ring of Kerry and Kerry Cliffs

• Begin in Killorglin town
• Visit Bog Village
• Watch Kells Sheepdog Demonstration
• See Daniel O’Connell birthplace in Cahersiveen
• Explore Cahergal Stone Fort
• Take ferry to Valentia Island
• Visit Valentia Telegraph Station
• Tour Skellig Visitor Centre
• Lunch in Portmagee village
• Visit Kerry Cliffs viewpoint
• Stop at Waterville village
• Drive through Com an Chiste Pass
• Pass through Sneem village
• Visit Kenmare town
• Stop at Moll’s Gap mountain pass
• View Ladies View scenic point
• See Torc Waterfall

The experience

Cahergall Stone Fort stands on the Ring with walls six metres high and three metres thick, built around 600 AD as one of Ireland's finest early medieval dry stone forts. The route itself is the point: each stop (a waterfall, a mountain pass, a village) sits where it does because the landscape demanded it. Torc Waterfall drops twenty metres where the Owengarriff River drains from Mangerton Mountain. Ladies View opens across Killarney's lakes and mountains from the same vantage Queen Victoria's ladies in waiting stood in 1861. The Kerry Cliffs rise over a thousand feet above the Atlantic, formed in a desert four hundred million years ago, and face the Skellig Rocks: one of only three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ireland.

A private tour means you don't move on someone else's schedule. Stop longer at Kells to watch a shepherd and sheepdog work the hillside above the sea. Walk through Bog Village's thatched cottages and turf-smoke quiet. Cross the ferry to Valentia Island and stand at the Telegraph Station where the first transatlantic cable carried messages across the ocean. The Skellig Visitor Centre tells the story of the monks who built stone huts on a lonely rock. Lunch takes an hour in Portmagee, a fishing village where the harbour feels like a pause in the day.

The route passes through Sneem (two squares connected by a bridge over the River Sneem, its name meaning "the knot"), and over Moll's Gap, a mountain pass named after a woman who made poitin for road workers in the 1820s. Com an Chiste Pass opens views of Kenmare Bay and MacGillycuddy's Reeks. Your driver speaks English and knows the local legends and historical tales that give these places their character. The vehicle is air-conditioned and carries bottled water. Gratuities for the driver are optional.

What’s included

• The tour includes private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• bottled water.
• and hotel pickup from Killarney. Lunch in Portmagee (approximately one hour) is built into the itinerary but not included in the price. Entry to the Skellig Visitor Centre and the Kerry Cliffs is optional and may adjust the time spent at other stops.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to3h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 49 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Kris M Tours

Is this one for you?The tour runs seven to eight hours with stops at multiple sites, so you'll be on the move most of the day, though the pace is yours to set at each location. Choose this if you want the full Ring of Kerry loop (all the major landmarks and villages) guided by someone who knows the local history, without arranging your own transport or navigation.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Cahergall Stone Fort and why is it worth visiting on the Ring of Kerry?

Cahergall Stone Fort is an early medieval dry stone fort built around 600 AD with walls approximately six metres high and three metres thick. It is one of the best-preserved examples of its kind on the Ring of Kerry, and though it has undergone some reconstruction, the scale and engineering make it an impressive stop on the route.

Can I see the Skellig Rocks from the Kerry Cliffs?

Yes. The Kerry Cliffs are the closest viewing point to the Skellig Rocks, which stand out to the west. The cliffs rise over a thousand feet above the Atlantic, and on a clear day the views reach out for thirty miles across the surrounding areas, including Puffin Island.

How long does the tour take and what is included in the price?

The tour runs seven to eight hours and includes private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, a live English-speaking guide, bottled water and hotel pickup. Lunch in Portmagee is not included, though an hour is built into the itinerary for it.

What happens at the Skellig Visitor Centre?

The Skellig Visitor Centre tells the story of Skellig Michael: the monks who lived there, the stone huts they built, and their life of devotion on a lonely rock in the Atlantic. It provides context for the Skellig Rocks you see from the Kerry Cliffs.

Is there a ferry crossing on this tour?

Yes. A short ferry crossing takes you from the mainland to Valentia Island, where you visit the Telegraph Station: the site where the first transatlantic cable was laid. The crossing is part of the route and takes only a few minutes.

What is the Kells Sheepdog Demonstration?

On a hillside overlooking the sea, you watch a shepherd and sheepdog work together to move a flock. It is a living demonstration of the partnership between shepherd and dog. An instinctive, wordless coordination that has existed for centuries.