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Cork Private Tour: Blarney Castle & Kinsale
5.0
47 Ratings
Cobh
Experience the best of County Cork on a private guided tour with a 5-star rated local guide. Visit iconic spots like Blarney Castle, Kinsale, and Cobh, and customize your tour for a truly unforgettable day.
Experience the best of County Cork on a private guided tour with a 5-star rated local guide. Visit iconic spots like Blarney Castle, Kinsale, and Cobh, and customize your tour for a truly unforgettable day.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Blarney Castle & Gardens - The journey begins at the remarkable Blarney Castle, one of Ireland’s most enduring tower houses. It is renowned for The Blarney Stone, also known as the stone of eloquence, located at the top of the tower. Legend has it that kissing the stone bestows the gift of eloquence.
Blarney Gardens are a highlight of The Blarney…
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Blarney Castle & Gardens - The journey begins at the remarkable Blarney Castle, one of Ireland’s most enduring tower houses. It is renowned for The Blarney Stone, also known as the stone of eloquence, located at the top of the tower. Legend has it that kissing the stone bestows the gift of eloquence.
Blarney Gardens are a highlight of The Blarney Castle, featuring over 60 acres of expansive parklands with gardens, avenues, arboretums, and waterways. There are more than 10 types of gardens on the grounds, attracting visitors’ interest throughout the seasons. - Blarney Woollen Mills - After leaving Blarney Castle, a short drive takes us to the renowned Blarney Woollen Mills. Established in 1823, this family-run Irish business has been a cornerstone of Cork retail for nearly two centuries. Blarney Woollen Mills is synonymous with quality, offering exceptional care, outstanding personal service, and a unique selection of the finest Irish designs. It’s the ideal spot to find a gift from Ireland, enjoy a drink, and soak in the atmosphere before heading to Kinsale.
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Kinsale - Situated at the beginning of the Wild Atlantic Way, Kinsale is celebrated for its vibrant streetscapes and rich history, enhanced by its wonderful people, cuisine, boutiques, and events.
Visitors to Kinsale are enchanted by its stunning waterfront setting and medieval influences. The brightly colored buildings compete for attention with the magnificent harbor that sustains the town. Once a medieval fishing port, Kinsale (from the Irish, Ceann tSaile – ‘Head of the Sea’) is renowned for its beauty and historical significance. Recently recognized by Conde Nast as one of Ireland’s most beautiful towns, it consistently exceeds expectations. - Cobh - Concluding the delightful tour of Cork, we arrive at the town of Cobh, known as Titanic’s last port of call in 1912. Here, visitors can see where passengers boarded. The impressive Cathedral Church of St Colman, commonly known as Cobh Cathedral, and the famous deck of card houses are must-see attractions. Finally, guests will be returned to their cruise ship or Cork City hotel, with best wishes for a safe onward journey until we meet again.
What's Included
- Private transport included
- Expert tour guide service included
- Vehicle options: Sedan, Saloon, Minibus
- Private transport included
- Expert tour guide service included
- Vehicle options: Sedan, Saloon, Minibus
What's Not Included
- Entry/Admission - Blarney Castle & Gardens
- Entry/Admission - Blarney Castle & Gardens
Additional Information
Cork’s Premier Private Tour — Discover Blarney Castle, Kinsale & Cobh with 5-Star Guides
Embark on a day rich with history, beauty, and genuine Irish charm on Cork’s most cherished private tour. Awarded the Viator Badge of Excellence and numerous 2025 accolades, this tour is renowned for its quality, warmth, and memorable storytelling.
Travel in style…
Cork’s Premier Private Tour — Discover Blarney Castle, Kinsale & Cobh with 5-Star Guides
Embark on a day rich with history, beauty, and genuine Irish charm on Cork’s most cherished private tour. Awarded the Viator Badge of Excellence and numerous 2025 accolades, this tour is renowned for its quality, warmth, and memorable storytelling.
Travel in style with your own private driver in a modern taxi or limousine. Experience the magic of kissing the Blarney Stone, wander through the vibrant streets of Kinsale, and explore the historic town of Cobh — the Titanic’s last port of call.
Delve deeper than the guidebooks with engaging stories, scenic coastal drives, and hidden treasures known only to locals. With a 100% traveler recommendation rate and convenient pick-up from Cork hotels or the Cobh Cruise Terminal, this is more than just a tour — it’s your Irish adventure brought to life.
- Minibus or Executive Sedan Limousine Vehicle
Location
Cobh Cruise Terminal
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(47 Ratings)
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Andrewderekp
Sep 6, 2025
So we should have had this tour! We booked, Due to gales and storms our ship altered itinerary. - We had booked and were arriving on a cruise ship which changed itinerary due to bad weather. Derek was so polite and acted with lace and called me personally.
I just want to write a review how organised and polite they are. As said we had booked, we were looking forward to our first trip to Ireland. We are visiting by cruise ship and at short notice the ship cancelled the port and amended itinerary. Derek called personally quickly organised a refund, and was very personable and attentive.
We do hope to get to Cobh and Cork one day. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T9006awnancyg
Aug 16, 2025
Heart of Ireland - Derek O’Keefee gave our family the best private tour tailored to all our wishes! He designed a tour just for we were looking for. He told us to enjoy and relax because it was vacation time. It was a wonderful peaceful vacation for our family! There’s so much detail and care that went into our trip! Derek’s fun loving personality touched us all!! He took us places that typical tour guides don’t go. He knows so many of the local folks and we were treated with “too shelve service” but truly felt that everyone we met that they were our friends immediately! If you are looking for once in a lifetime experience to see Ireland, than Derek is your experience & delightful guide!! He touched our hearts with the beauty of his country and his kind and fun professional manner! This wad the best trip she had ever been on as a family! It will be forever in our hearts!! Thank you Derek!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert
Aug 8, 2025
Amazing tour - Three generations toured from Cork, and Derek's expert advice is all the difference. First class service saved us time, and his relationships and insights with the destinations we visited enhanced our experience. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_m
Jul 27, 2025
Derek was awesome! Very... - Derek was awesome! Very knowledgeable and easy to understand. Very funny as well! Would highly recommend this tour and if you get him you will have a wonderful time!
Review provided by Viator
Coloradocruising2
Jul 13, 2025
Amazing tour of Ireland - This tour was amazing. Derek met and exceeded all of our expectations! He is so knowledgeable and funny. He taught us a lot about Irish history and the Gaelic language. He seems to know every other guide in the country and can skip every line because he is so well-known and loved. He customized our tour to our wishes. He took us to a lunch spot where we had some delicious food. He also took us to some "bonus" stops that we would not have seen otherwise.
Thanks, Derek, for an amazing day! You are the best and we are grateful to have met you!
We highly recommend this tour company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Howard_k
Jul 11, 2025
Derek was wonderful. ... - Derek was wonderful. Waiting for us at the cruise terminal, flexible and helpful when we wanted to change our tour itinerary, and exceptionally knowledgeable/friendly. We travel a lot. This was simply our best experience with a tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
Matthew
Jul 10, 2025
Absolutely Outstanding – A Private Tour Worth Every Penny. Cork Cobh cork and Kinsale are beautiful. It’s beautiful!!! - We had the pleasure of taking a private tour with Private Tours Cork, and it was the highlight of our time in Ireland. From start to finish, everything about the experience lived up to—and exceeded—the promises described on the website.
Our guide, Derek, was not only knowledgeable and professional but truly passionate about the history, culture, and hidden gems of Cork. He didn’t just drive us to the sights—he brought the stories to life with rich context, historical insights, and fascinating local lore that you simply wouldn’t get from a big group tour or a guidebook.
Of course, Blarney Castle was a showstopper, but Derek took it a step further. He showed us vantage points, secret spots, and quiet corners of the castle grounds that most tourists completely miss. It felt like we had VIP access to a part of Irish heritage that only locals know about.
The vehicle was comfortable, spotless, and perfectly suited for a relaxed and personalized day. It even held a massive amount of luggage.
The town of Kinsale was beautiful. It’s beautiful!!!
From hotel pickup to the last drop-off, the entire day was seamless. Moore was incredibly flexible with timing, gave excellent lunch and shopping recommendations, and adjusted the pace of the tour to match our energy and interests.
Was it worth the price?
Without a doubt. This wasn’t just transportation—it was a curated cultural experience, a chance to see Cork and its surroundings through the eyes of someone who loves and understands the area deeply.
If you’re looking for a tour that goes beyond the brochure, this is it. Highly recommended to anyone who wants more than a typical day trip—this is how to do it right.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O5598rlstevenw
Jun 25, 2025
Wonderful Tour of Blarney Castle, Kinsale, and Cobh! - What an incredible tour! Derek is a really great guide. Friendly, kind, and super knowledgeable of the area and history of Ireland. Like myself, he's also a bit of a photography enthusiast and went out of his way to take us to some incredible photo spots. If you're looking for a private tour of the area around Cork look no further! I would definitely recommend Derek!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_b
Jun 15, 2025
Best Tour Experience Ever! - I couldn’t begin to express the amount of gratitude and satisfaction with our tour today with Derek. He went above and beyond in every way possible to honor my dad on Father’s Day and tailored the trip to what we wanted plus many many additions. Trust him and you will get an amazing experience. What a phenomenal guide. Takes real pride and care into planning and executing the day. So so grateful. You won’t be disappointed if you book this tour. It maximizes your time in the Cork area and you can just focus on enjoying the moments.
Review provided by Viator
938layam
Jun 14, 2025
Don't think about it, Just book it! - Derek was a ray of sunshine from the start! We were a group of 6 from 3 different generations, and he made sure we went at a pace that was suitable for everyone. It's obvious the pride he takes in his work and is very knowledgeable with a wealth of history to share. We were on a cruise and tired of the cramped tour busses. Luckily had a last minute cancelation and I was able to book him. If you want to experience Cobh from someone who has passion for everything, book NOW. I originally tried to book him 3 months ago and he was fully booked, so don't wait, JUST BOOK IT!!
In addition, he helped arrange a tour for us at our next cruise port near Dublin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
