Gap of Dunloe Cycle (Boat transport)
Description
This is transport for 1 passenger and their bike through the 3 lakes of Killarney National Park. Boats leave Ross Castle at 10.30am only each morning and travel to Lord Brandon's Cottage in the Gap of Dunloe. Highlights along the way include a visit to Innisfallen Island to see the 7th century Monastic ruins and the chance to see some of our White Tailed Eagles. The distance from Lord Brandon's Cottage to Killarney is 25km, cyclists should be aware of some steep ascents and descents. Good news is that this isn't a race! After having lunch at Lord Brandon's Cottage, cyclists can travel through the Gap of Dunloe at their leisure. Stopping to have a drink at the Kate Kearney's Cottage is definitely recommended before continuing to Killarney. This is a great way to see the Gap of Dunloe at your own pace. Please note that bike rental is not included in the tour, nor is the cycle guided. Passengers must secure their own bike rental in Killarney before progressing to Ross Castle.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our tour starts at Ross Castle, 2km from Killarney. The Castle was the stronghold of the O'Donoghue family in the 14th century and sits on the shore of Lough Léin. While there is no fee to walk around the Castle, the guided tour is an additional fee, payable at the reception. Unfortunately Guests will not have time on this occasion to do the full guided tour before the boats depart. The boat tour departs at 10.30am from the main stone pier on the lake side of the Castle, keep an eye out for the green boats and ask for Rory. Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to load up bikes. Please note; bike rental is not included in the tour. Guests will rent their own bikes in Killarney and make their way to Ross Castle. There is no bike rental at Ross Castle.
The first stop on our tour is the monastic settlement on Innisfallen Island. Passengers will get a full history of the area from their boat driver and will have 15 minutes to explore the ruins.
Lough Leane is Killarney's biggest lake and after the boats depart Innisfallen Island, the next stop is the shore of Tomies Mountain. There's had been a nest of White Tailed Sea Eagles along this shore for the last 18 years since their reintroduction to the area. These Eagles are the biggest bird of prey in Europe and are fantastic sight to see in the wild.
Once the boats leave Lough Leane, they will be on the Muckross Lake and heading for the Meeting of the Waters. Here, guests may have to disembark for a 10 minute wooded walk to allow the boats to traverse a particularly shallow area.
The secluded cafê at Lord Brandon's Cottage is the Finish point for our Boat Tour. From here, guests will begin the 25km cycle back to Killarney. The tour is a sealed road so the way and after 11km, guests will pass by Kate Kearney’s Cottage which is a famous bar along the route. Please note; meals and snacks are not included in the cost of the tour. Due to the secluded location amongst the hills, Lord Brandon's Cottage only accepts cash.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Bike rental is not included
- The cycle is not guided
Reviews(11)
The hottest day of the year and we’re on a boat with a plan to ride bikes back to Killarney. It was magical! Our boat Captain was funny and informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Our day was planned around riding bikes through the Gap of Dunloe, but this boat transport became the rival highlight of the day. Rory was an incredible guide who made the 2 hour experience very enjoyable. We had the pleasure of making a quick stop along the way to explore the ruins of Innisfallen Monestary. We saw deer and learned about white tailed eagles as one flew directly overhead of our boat. Cafes are located both before and after the boat trip, making packing for the bike ride up to the head of the gap much more pleasant with a full belly. Thank you Rory!
Hi John, Thank you for your kind review. It was a real pleasure to meet you both. I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed your day! Rory
Lads lads lads… hilarious and entertaining trip up the three lakes with our 3rd generation boatman. Highly recommend for the jokes alone
The boat ride was fabulous. The tour guide was great. The bike ride back through the gap to Killarney was fantastic. Awesome scenic views at every turn. Although I bike, I don't think I could have done it without the peddle asist/ebike. It might have made it even better. I didn't have to work for it.
A pure joy......three lakes personal tour with a real personality.Dermot is a stand up comedian filled with local knowledge and Irish charm....if that doesn't entertain you then daisy will......who is Daisy....that's for you to find out! The tour of the lakes surrounded with mountains is stunning. Destination are wonderful cakes and coffee. TAKE CASH.....I didn't do couldn't try them. If you are a average cyclist hire a bike. The climb up the gap is 15 minutes...of admiring the lake and chatting to the jolly jaunting carriage drivers on the way up....see how many you pass. When you get to the gap it is Special.....for a twenty minute climb you get a 30/40 descent.....despite the warnings if you have bike skills you can fly down.... pubs and café waiting.Then cycle around the lake through the woods right back where you started from. It is a festival of smiles and no Dermot is not my dad!!
Rory was our guide and ensured we had a terrific experience. The scenery from the boat is breathtaking and Rory provided lots of information about the area.
This was a fun trip with both a beautiful boat right and a fun bike ride back to town. Wear waterproof clothes for the boat ride because you do get wet. The bike with an electric bike is the only way I would do it, unless you are into cycling. There are some good climbs that is not for the faint of heart. Overall it was great experience.
Perfect combination Boat and Bike Tour possible. Experienced and friendly Guide. The Tour is Not easy to find on Tripadvisor nur i can really recommend it
Very nice Tour. Our boat guide was really knowledgeable and knew a lot about the flora and fauna. We even saw two eagles on the tour. Can really recommend it.
We had a fantastic tour on the boat with Rory. A really friendly welcome & help getting the bikes and us onto the boats. He then gave us a really interesting tour of the three lakes with a lot of facts and history - he also answered a lot of our questions so had a lot of knowledge! I would definitely recommend this company to any visitor to Killarney. The scenery was beautiful & breathtaking! I would highlight that the cycle up the gap of Dunloe involves a ~250m cycle ascent which we had to walk a lot of - if you're not sure about that then maybe best to hire an e-bike not a normal bike!
