Best Castle and Whisky Day Trips in Ireland: Our Top 4

1.Dublin in a Day: Dublin Castle, Book of Kells, Guinness & Whiskey

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 247 reviews · from $172Our pick

Spend 7.5 hours walking central Dublin with an English-speaking guide and up to 16 people. See the Book of Kells and Old Trinity Library with first access, hear stories at Dublin Castle and along the Liffey, then tour Teeling Whiskey Distillery before finishing at Guinness Storehouse and its Gravity Bar. Lunch is on your own.

“The tour was great, but made even better by our amazing guide, Niall McGuinness. A local man with so much knowledge and a great sense of humor. The college library is something to see! Saint Patrick’s Cathedral will take your breath away. We had an extra special treat at the Teeling Distillery. Mr. John Teeling himself provided the introduction to the tour and we were all given free hats because of the holiday. Ending at the Guinness facility was amazing! Because we were in the tour, we received VIP treatment and were able to get straight in. Having a Guinness in Ireland on St. Patrick’s weekend was the perfect end…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Trinity College, Castle, Guinness and Whiskey Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 85 reviews · from $169

Spend a full day walking through central Dublin with an English-speaking guide, seeing the Book of Kells early, visiting Dublin Castle, tasting craft whiskey at Teeling, and ending with Guinness Storehouse and a rooftop pint. Guides such as Brian, Hannah, Gabriel, and Niall have earned high praise for clear stories, humor, and local insight.

“Our guide, Gabriel, was wonderful! Very knowledgable with a great sense of humor. Enjoyed every bit of it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.(Small Group) Shore Tour from Cork: Blarney Castle & Jameson Distillery

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 74 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $162Best value

Meet your driver at Cobh cruise terminal for a full-day shore trip to Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, and Jameson Distillery in Midleton. You get castle admission, a whiskey tasting tour, live commentary, WiFi, bottled water, and port drop-off. Guides such as Joe, DJ, Tim, and Sean have been praised for making the day informative and fun.

“This was supposed to be small group on a van, but it was a small bus with about 28 people. It was a nice tour of Blarney castle long line to get to top. Jameson tour was great.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Blarney Castle Cork City and Jameson Distillery Small groups

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · from $247

Travel from Cobh in a shared group of up to 25 people to Blarney Castle, Cork City, and Midleton Distillery. Expect castle grounds, a possible queue for the Blarney Stone, a short Cork visit, and a guided Jameson whisky tasting. Guides may include Marysol, Conor, Aodin, Deirdre, or Barry.

“Great tour Marisol was a wonderful guide very knowledgeable. Had a wonderful time highly recommend like having small group”

Check availability →Read our full review