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Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin

star-4.5362 Reviews
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County Dublin, Ireland
Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin
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Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin
See the famous Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle, Co. Cork
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Likely to Sell OutLikely to Sell Out

From $133.48

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icon12 hours  (approx.)
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iconOffered in: English

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Overview

Take a Dublin rail tour to Blarney Castle, the medieval stronghold of southern Ireland. On this historical and cultural day trip, you’ll course through Ireland by train and coach, enjoying views of the lush countryside on your way to tour the castle grounds and plant a kiss on the Blarney Stone. Then take a city tour of Cork and visit the Queenstown Story Heritage Center in Cobh, Ireland’s largest emigration port.
  • Full-day train and coach trip from Dublin to Cork, Blarney Castle and Cobh
  • Travel through Ireland's scenic countryside
  • Kiss the famous Blarney Stone
  • Free time to shop and have lunch in Blarney village
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From $133.48

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Host on trains
Information pack
Reserved seats on trains
Qualified driver-guide on coaches
All travel by rail and coach from Dublin
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks, unless specified
Dublin Heuston , Heuston Station Saint John's Road West, Saint James' (part of Phoenix Park), Dublin, Ireland
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Railtours Ireland representatives will be waiting in the main concourse area with your travel pack. They will be wearing bright yellow jackets so that they are easily located. Check in is 20 minutes prior to the departure time listed.

7:00 AM
This activity will end right where it started.
Leave bright and early from Dublin Heuston Station on a morning train to Cork to begin your day trip. Have a leisurely breakfast on board as you traverse picturesque southern Ireland (all food and drinks are at your own expense), and then disembark in Cork and head straight to Blarney Castle, just a short coach jaunt from the city.  
Tour the grounds and look for marked attractions such as rock formations fancifully named ‘Witch’s Kitchen’ and a ‘Poison Garden,’ housing a collection of poisonous plants. Then explore the castle ruins and learn a bit about the site’s beguiling and chaptered history. Climb to the top to visit the ‘Stone of Eloquence,’ known by many as the Blarney Stone; if you — like many others — wish to acquire the gift of eloquence, take your turn giving the stone a kiss.

Next, take your newly refined speaking ability and head into the village of Blarney. Explore the colorful architecture, do a little shopping and enjoy lunch before heading back to Cork for a city tour.

Your historical excursion concludes with a visit to Cobh and the Queenstown Story Heritage Center.  Explore the beautifully restored Victorian railway station that was the largest embarkation point for emigration in Irish history, and hear the harrowing and hopeful story of Annie, the first Irish emigrant to reach Ellis Island, as well as others like her. Then board the train for a relaxing return journey to Dublin, where your day trip ends at the station.
Itinerary
Stop At:  
Blarney Castle & Gardens
On arrival in Cork at 09:35, we transfer to our Railtours Ireland tour coach through Cork City to Blarney Village and historic Blarney Castle – which is over 600 years old. Explore the beautiful gardens and take the time to kiss the famous stone, which is said to bestow the gift of eternal eloquence on those lucky enough to do so. There is also time for shopping and lunch at Blarney Village. TIP! We recommend that you have lunch there, as this will be the only opportunity during the day to have a substantial meal. You depart Blarney at 13:30 hrs. Approximately – or as directed by your Host – for Cóbh, via the city centre and a short city tour.
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Duration: 3 hours 
Admission Ticket Included
Stop At:  
Cobh Cathedral
On arrival at Cóbh (pronounced: Cove), we will visit St Colman’s Cathedral. We will then proceed down along the sea front passing the former White Star Line offices en route to the beautifully restored Victorian railway station/transatlantic terminal. This is now the Cóbh Heritage Centre, home to the Queenstown Story to which your entrance is included.
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Duration: 10 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Cobh Heritage Centre The Queenstown Story
When Queen Victoria visited Ireland in 1849 she came to Cóbh and the town was renamed Queenstown in her honour – it was renamed Cóbh after Irish independence in 1922. Cóbh was, of course, the final port of call of the RMS Titanic and this theme is well expounded. The centre also houses much information about the Great Famine and subsequent Irish Emigration – 3 million Irish people emigrated from Cóbh (principally to the United States). The Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Cork – marking the United States’ entry to the First World War – and the small number of survivors were brought to Cóbh for refuge. Cóbh is also the headquarters of the Irish Navy and you will most likely see some navy ships.
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Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessibility: As long as the passenger has some mobility then this tour would be suitable. Trains in Ireland are wheelchair friendly. However, buses/coaches are not. The guest would have to be able to climb the steps onto the bus. Mobility Scooters cannot be accommodated on this tour.
  • This tour offers stops en route for photographs, shopping, etc.
  • Due to operational reasons it may, on occasion, be necessary to alter certain itineraries.
  • Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
  • Children U16 cannot book independently. They must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times.
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 53 travelers
  • OPERATED BY Railtours Ireland First Class
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Learn more about cancellations.

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q:
What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin?
A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:

  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
  • Face masks provided for travelers
See all safety measures taken by Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin.
Q:
What is the policy on sanitization during Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin?
A:The policies on sanitization are:

  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
See all safety measures taken by Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin.
Q:
What is the social distancing policy during Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin?
A:The policy on social distancing is:

  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
See all safety measures taken by Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin.
Q:
What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin?
A:The policy on staff health & safety is:

  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
See all safety measures taken by Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

  • "The train leaves at 7am, so be there st 6:45am at the Lao." See review
  • "For what you see, the tour is fairly high priced." See review
  • "Needed more time at Blarney and the rest of the trip was superfluous seemed like killing time." See review

Reviews by Viator travelers.  We perform checks on reviews

Reviews

4.5
star-4.5
362 Reviews
5 stars
235
4 stars
92
3 stars
17
2 stars
15
1 star
3

Reviews by Viator travelers

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 362 reviews
star-5
Our Blarney castle trip
Sandra_G
, Jun 2022
It was a wonderful day and nice to get out of Dublin. Blarney castle was fun and the gardens beautiful Liked visiting Queens town on the way back. The tour was well organized and our railroad tour guide Norm was wonderful.
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star-5
Guides brenden and John...
Alicia_D
, May 2022
Guides brenden and John were both wonderful. Great experience everybody very friendly. The driver Kevin was an amazing skilled driver
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star-3
Not what was expected
Alyson_P
, May 2022
Best part was Blarney Castle!! The guide Brian, was good. When I signed up there was a comment that we would be able to visit Cork and have lunch there. We only drove through Cork. I picked this tour because other than travel on rail and bus to sites, there seemed to b more exploring in the description. I also choose it because of the time frame,with a return of 12 hours in time for dinner. There was a scramble for our seats on the way back on the rail, not reserved as promised. We didn't get back until 9:35 which I had to pay for a taxi to get back to the hotel. Which was not in the budget. I think if there are going to b changes to the itinerary we should be told. I probably would have canceled.
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-4
I kissed it…
Dorothy_H
, Apr 2022
The walk up Blarney Castle is not for the faint of heart. The hopefulness that I felt after kissing the stone was worth the trip
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-5
Great value- train ride is awesome!
Stephanie_H
, Mar 2022
Great guide- appreciated the detailed insights. Would have loved more time in Cork! You cover a lot ground quickly- greay trip to see many aspects of Ireland
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star-5
Cork and Blarney Trip
Shelley_K
, Feb 2022
Peter our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area and we learned a lot from our conversations with him on the train also. The train is nice and so was the coach ride- they weren’t serving any food on the train and did not tell us ahead of time so I recommend eating before or bringing food and water- it was a very busy day trip and we got back to Dublin around 8pm. Worth it.
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-5
Stunning Blarney Castle
Jillian_M
, Nov 2021
Branden was an excellent guide - great storyteller & very laid back. Some of the stops are things you would never see if you were on your own. We lucked out with perfect weather & low crowds. Highly recommend!
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star-1
Trip was cancelled by provider. Very disappointed that they couldn’t find a way to still run the trip.
Eve_Q
, Nov 2019
The trip was cancelled by the provider two days before we were to go. We had planned other trips so we could not change the date and I was scheduled to return home the day they suggested us to go instead. Very disappointed. My adult daughter and I were looking forward to this special tour together.
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star-5
Excellent and well organized tour
zoesmom2
, Nov 2019
Railtour was very professional and well organized. We were greeted in the morning at the train station by easily identified staff. Our tour guide introduced himself and explained the day's itinerary. We had a few minutes to grab a bite to eat at the station or could get food from the cart that would be passing by our seats. Boarding was easy and the seats were clean and comfy. There were several overlapping groups all heading to Blarney then going on different directions for other tours. Transportation was great and we had plenty of time to explore the castle, kiss the stone and see the grounds. There was also shopping there at Blarney mills which had a sale. The cafe at the Mills was great. We went on to the immigration museum which contained so much history. It was very interesting. Although a long day, there was nothing that was boring or tedious. Made some new friends on the tour and even had dinner that night with my new friends. I highly recommend this to anyone based in Dublin. This was a great day away from the city.
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star-5
Great tour
Joe333666
, Oct 2019
It was so much fum going by train and not stuck in a bus...the tour guide was great. He made sure we knew what we were doing, when to meet , helped us get taxis at end of day...he was great Spending time at the Blarney castle then cork then Cove we felt that we accomplished alot and learned alot.
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2 travelers found this review helpful
star-5
Heavenly experience
Elby P
, Oct 2019
Excellent excursion. Tour guide Bob was fabulous. We never felt rushed. I highly recommend it. Way better than the last time I went to the Cliffs of Moher.
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star-4
Blarney Castle with Via Rail
ljmpuhl
, Sep 2019
Lovely attraction, but definitely not enough time (3 hours) granted to see all the gardens, castle, shop and eat. Even though we arrived early, it took my daughter an hour to kiss the Blarney stone and we still had the beautiful gardens to see, shop and eat - we ended up not eating. Although the tour guide told us not to talk politics, that's all he did and got very riled up about it to the point I said "tell us how you really feel". And my daughter had left a package on the tour bus which they found, told us it would be at the Conway rail office but when we went back, it's magically lost and they won't reply to any of my daughter's e-mails about what they'll do about it. Castle beautiful, not impressed with Via Rail.
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star-3
Cork & Blarney
Patti_H
, Sep 2019
Would have been nice to have had more time in Cork. We didn’t have enough time to see Cork city. We just drove through it. The train was very comfy.
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star-5
Great tour!
Oona_S
, Sep 2019
Excellent tour - great balance of being independent with a tour guide. One thing - Viator says the tour starts at 7am. The train leaves at 7am, so be there st 6:45am at the Lao. We’re super punctual, so we arrived at 7am on the dot and our train was leaving. Thankfully there were 2 tour operators there from the tour company who didn’t flinch, got us on the 8am, connected us with Stephen, our fantastic tour guide. Off we went from there! So great!!
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star-5
Train to Cork and Blarney
John_D
, Sep 2019
Excellent tour. Very informative, relaxing, and well worth the money. Steve was outstanding. We highly recommend this excursion
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star-4
Blarney
Gary_S
, Sep 2019
Overall the tour was good. The tour operator was easy to find and all of my travel documents were well organized. For what you see, the tour is fairly high priced. The Emigration Center was a self tour without very good directions so I was never sure of the directions to the next feature, and the exit.
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star-5
Great tour!
Rebecca_F
, Aug 2019
My friend and i thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our tour guide, Bob, was very friendly and informative. I recommend the rail tours to maximize your time at Blarney and Cobh. It was nice being able to see multiple attractions for extended periods. The trains had bathrooms, which was also a nice advantage.
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star-5
Had a great day!
Ricci_S
, Aug 2019
Loved the day. Time to look around on our own without following group the whole time. Great day trip out of Dublin!
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star-5
Worth every penny! SUCH a great trip!
KELLY R
, Aug 2019
I booked this trip because my 14 and 15 year were looking to see the Blarney Castle. We were SO pleasantly surprised with 5 star treatment from check in. The tour included a first class rail trip out to Cork/Cobh, and our tour guide Brian immediately took us to the train ,ensured we all had appropriate seats, and kept everyone entertained the entire trip. We learned so much more about Ireland from Brian, and he was engaging for everyone including my teens. We also appreciated not being rushed through any part of the tours - we had more than enough time at each stop - the Blarney Castle, the Cobh Heritage center and more. It was a pleasant trip, well organized and everything we saw and did was first class. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone!
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-4
Fun day!
Diane_L
, Aug 2019
My daughter and I took the rail tour and found it a great way to see Ireland without having to rent a car and drive. We arrived at the Blarney Castle early in the day and before the crowds. We wished we had more time visiting Cork as it appeared to be a quaint city but due to tight schedules, we were unable to explore. Yes this was a downfall of the tour. We did one other rail tour and out of the two, this tour guide wasn't as helpful, but sometimes you have a bad day. We were so fortunate with the weather and everything about the countryside was beautiful.
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