Built in the 15th century by one of the O’Donoghue-Ross chieftains, Ross Castle was the last stronghold in Munster to hold out against Oliver Cromwell. It was eventually taken by General Ludlow in 1652. Also there are the remains of one of Europe’s oldest copper mines which date back to 2400BC. Take a walk around the island and see stunning views of Torc and Tomies mountains and the lakes. There are also great walks and trails in all directions through the National Park.
Muckross Abbey is one of the major ecclesiastical sites found in the Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland. It was founded in 1448 as a Franciscan friary for the Observantine Franciscans by Donal McCarthy Mor. It has had a violent history and has been damaged and reconstructed many times.
Torc Waterfall is undoubtedly one of Killarney’s most awe-inspiring landmarks. In addition to the waterfall itself there are countless great trails in all directions and if you follow the steps up from Torc Waterfall you’ll get the most magnificent views of the lakes. The waterfall is a 25 minute walk to Muckross House.
This dignified 19th century manor is surrounded by beautiful gardens and now serves as a museum (pre-booking required). Situated in Killarney National Park, Muckross House and Gardens are amongst the most popular visitor attractions in Ireland. Many of the rooms in this magnificent mansion have been restored to their original Victorian splendour. Also at this stop you can visit Muckross Traditional Farms, these are a recreation of a rural townland in 1930’s Ireland. They are actual working farms complete with people and animals.There are plenty of great walkways through the park or, if you prefer, you can take a boat ride out across Muckross Lake.
Easy to use and all stops and pickup times as promised. Driver was crabby to the point of being rude, but honestly it wasn’t a big deal. It was well worth taking it into Killarney National Park to avoid having to park at each site. Very central and super convenient. Recommend!
The bus didn't care if we missed it or not even a single minute make difference for him. We were so stressed out about the timing and couldn't fully enjoy our tour. There should be more time for the bus to wait like 20 min not 3min???
It was great to hop on and travel to each of the stops and get off to view the sites if you wish. The commentary by the driver was poor, couldn't be understood or heard by most. Improved speaker system needed and driver needs to be clear and more informative and engaging.
Patrick was very friendly and served professionally. This tour is the best way to visit sights with no car
Best Hop On Hop Off experience. Great driver, on time and very knowledgeable.
Great way to see the sites of Killarny
This was a great way to get around Killarney, however, the bus only runs once per hour, so you are committed to spending at least an hour at each stop
The locations were all lovely, and the bus was always on time and in a convenient location. The driver made the whole experience easier.
After checking into our hotel, we immediately headed to the hop-on hop-off bus stop to commence our trip around Killarney. What a great way to cover a lot of ground in a limited amount of time. I feel like we did a time-lapse journey through history and nature in the course of a few hours. I wish we would have had more time at some of the stops, but we enjoyed everything we saw and did, particularly Muckross Abbey. Kudos to our driver, Patrick, but we highly recommend if you go that you pre-book your ticket for the bus, as it can be quite busy and they give priority to those who have done so. It was a truly amazing first day in Killarney!
The price was fair and the stops were good and convenient. Bus wasn’t too crowded, there were seats for everyone. Driver/ guide was excellent and very entertaining. To see all the sites, you will need to watch your time at each site and may want to walk between certain stops. In the late afternoon, they extend the time between pick ups to 1:45 rather than hourly.
Great way to see the main attractions if you don’t have a car. Loved it. Thanks
This was a great way to see the park. Very easy to find and such a great price. The driver was very knowledgeable also
Convenient way to get around to the key sites in Killarney. It was always on time and the driver was friendly.
Bus Driver provided excellent narratives and stories. Great way to explore Killarney. Could have used better signage st the Muckross House showing where to pick up the bus. It was a very rainy day and we did find it, but it would be helpful to have a small shelter to wait in the rain.
The national park is beautiful and a great way to see it is on the hop on-hop off bus. The driver was a character and shared several details about the park. The Muckross house, garden and Abby were amazing. The Ross Castle was also interesting. We also saw a ton of deer!
Great experience! The tour guide was very kind and helpful, and the whole process was very easy. I definitely recommend it!
This was a really wonderful way to see Killarney National Park and the service was a fantastic value for the money. I saw some reviews here saying you don’t need an hour at each stop but that’s not true at all, you could easily spend multiple hours at each stop. The guide provided some nice context on all the stops, but don’t go into this thinking it’s a sightseeing tour. It’s a bus service for popular stops in Killarney National Park. As long as you know that you’ll have a great time! Definitely would recommend if you’re visiting Killarney without a car.
Poor information given. Driver was rude and unhelpful twice. Odd and uncomfortable pick up spot. The timing felt off all day
The hop on hop off bus was a great experience. Mikky the driver, made it a great experience. He was very informative and would make a great tour operator. He’s extremely knowledgeable, funny and kind. I highly recommend the hop on hop off bus.
Highly recommended if you're a first time visitor to Killarney. A perfect way to see the main sights.
Only 'public Transport' in this city. You can use it to go to attractions on the route. Not much Informationen given. But worked relyable and that is what i needed.
Bus worked really well BUT better Signage would have been great. Got totally lost out of the most stops trying to find pick up spots. everything else was great
Really convenient way to see all those sights
Perfect if you dont want the hassle of having to drive to all the landmarks or the national park separately. Great guide! Provides lots of freedom to explore on your own.
Stops are clearly labeled and easy to find. Bus driver Patrick was funny and informative; he described each place along the way and offered suggestions about things to do or see. A very good way to quickly see the main sights and decide where to return to, or quick easy inexpensive transportation to get there.
You can expect a service bus making stops on a short route. Don't expect to learn about Killarney, but rather the driver's personal anecdotes about being thrown out of local bars. The bus got us to the National Park and was fairly on time for pickups.
The driver was rude and bus was late twice
We used this tour to access Killarney National Park sites. The issue with the schedule is that some of the spots don't require a whole hour waiting for the bus to come back around to pick you up. Our first stop was Ross Castle, upon immediate entry we were informed that the tour (which is the only way to access the interior of the castle) was booked. That left us waiting for an hour for the bus to return to that site. We also didn't need a full hour at Torc Waterfall. As the day progresses, the time in between pick ups get longer. I will say, the printed schedule is pretty accurate, so go by that. If you plan to visit all of the spots in Killarney NP, then plan to spend the day because of the time needed to wait for the bus in between spots. We ended up having to cancel our Gap of Dunloe afternoon. It wasn't an issue because we happlily spent most of the midday at Muckross House and Farms, just know that you will be waiting for the bus at some of the stops. Please consider adding a second bus to the route!
Excellent way to see the National Park.
The bus was on time for all of its stops. Too many people were at the Mission Bay stop where the trip generally starts.
Excellent and convenient service. Bus drivers are knowledgeable with what you need to know about the area.
I always like this kind of tour as it gives you a quick look at some of the main sights in the area and gives you the opportunity to visit any that look interesting. The timekeeping wasn't too good but understandable given the traffic in Killarney. Mickey the driver was good fun - informative with sense of humour.
It was a great way to maximize our time in Killarney. It went to all the great sports, I wish it ran more frequently but it worked out well enough.
This was a terrific "tour" as it stops off at key spots -- Ross Castle, Torc waterfalls, Muckross House, & the Abbey. And it was a good price. The driver, Mickey, was excellent. The challenge is the timing & that it wasn't a true hop on-hop off. With a single bus running every hour to each of the stops, the plan was a off in its timing. For instance, if one takes the tour of Ross Castle, one either misses the next bus or has to wait 45 min for the one after. Meanwhile, Torc waterfalls need only about 15 min, so one is waiting in the busy lot for 45 min. Like many, I ended up walking between some of the later attractions...but that misses the point of the bus! Plus, having only the single bus making the circuit multiple times in the day means that towards the afternoon, it was running 30-40 min late. So excellent in many regards, but needs at least two busses to be truly hop on-hop off.
Good way to see multiple sites in one day if you begin early.. I only had a couple hours and because of the frequency of pick up/drop off, I was only able to see the Ross Castle. Additionally, the tours do not align with the shuttle schedule. So, I was only able to do half the tour. All in all a good way to sight see, but get going early and plan a full day.
This was a great tour and Batt was an amazing guide, lots of stories and information about the area were shared. I would highly recommend this tour.
Very easy way to see the sites in Killarney without having to deal with driving and parking. The bus runs every hour through the major sites and the conductor is fun and entertaining. Highly recommended.
Great . Go at ur own pace and tour guide was great on the bus
Outstanding way to see the magnificent town of Killarney and all it has to offer! The bus made it so easy to get around and you had at least an hour at each stop. Our bus driver Patrick was very helpful!
Covers primary points of interest around Killarney at a reasonable cost. Bus driver was knowledgeable and friendly. Schedule supported enough time to see things and grab next bus an hour later.
The bus driver was very on top of things and told us the almost exact times of drop off and pick up. I can’t imagine during the really busy heavy tourist season how these guys can get around but we were there earlier.
Great way to get the history of the city. Our guide gave us the highlights of Galway in an engaging way.
It goes to highlights listed but bus comes infrequently. Driver did absolutely no narration. Bus was clean and driver drove safely.
A good experience in a beautiful country. Nice guide , bus was at the time . I recommend to walk from the waterfall and to the Muncross garden and abbey. I also recommend to take a walk into the Forrest by Ross Castle- a nice trail towards the water , passing Ross cottage and back again.
This is a great way to get around Killarney National Park. Efficient, comfortable, great driver (helpful, informative, good advice).
Fantastic tour! This one is worth it, small tour bus allowed our guide to traverse narrower roads and rare sights along the way
Cash only at Ross Castle! Our driver Pat was knowledgeable and witty. It was a great way to see the major sites of Killarney.
Convenient, on time transportation. I expected some informative narration, but there was none. Important to get the map, so you understand the route and stops.
The bus arrived and left the stops promptly. Our driver, Pat, was friendly and helpful and told us about some of the places en route. It was a great way for us to get from Killarmey to Torc waterfall and then work our way back either walking or using the bus.
The hop on hop off bus through Killarney National Park is a great way to see the highlights of the park if you don't have a car. The bus driver gave us times that he would be back at each stop and was very punctual. He answered questions that we had about some of the stops. Highly recommend this tour.
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