Gap of Dunloe Day Tour and Boat Ride from Killarney
Description
The Gap of Dunloe is a magnificent defile running four miles between the McGillycuddy Reeks and the Purple mountain group. At the entrance to the gap is a famous cottage, named after a woman called Kate Kearney who died in childbirth at the age of 102!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Ross Castle perches in an inlet of Lough Leane. It is likely that the Irish chieftain O’Donoghue Mór built it in the fifteenth century. Legend has it that O’Donoghue still slumbers under the waters of the lake. Every seven years, on the first morning of May, he rises on his magnificent white horse. If you manage to catch a glimpse of him you will enjoy good fortune for the rest of your life. Ross Castle was the last place in Munster to hold out against Cromwell. Its defenders, then led by Lord Muskerry, took confidence from a prophecy holding that the castle could only be taken by a ship. Knowing of the prophecy, the Cromwellian commander, General Ludlow, launched a large boat on the lake. When the defenders saw it, this hastened the surrender – and the prophecy was fulfilled
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum age is 4 years
Reviews(36)
We had a wonderful driver, Barry O'Connor, take us to the Gap of Dunloe tour and pick us up afterward. He was so kind and fun to talk to about all things Ireland 10/10. The boat tour with Rory was great. We had to do the boat first and the hike second. We chose the hike originally (in lieu of horse cart), but halfway two of the jaunting horses were going by with no passengers, so because it was a hot day- we hopped on those to finish out our experience. We felt we got a little bit of everything. The views were gorgeous and everyone we encountered was so kind and helpful and informative. It was a wonderful way to see the park and learn more about our surroundings.
We booked the night before through our hotel: Dromhall in Killarney. It was a very short walk to the meet up point where Sheila was warm and helpful. Our wonderful driver/guide was Barry O’Connor. Barry was very informative, provided clear communication and was warm and welcoming. Our jaunty driver Dan and his beautiful horse Sam provided us with a great experience exploring the Gap of Dunloe. Our boat driver Cathal O’Connor was excellent. He provided us with a safe and informative boat ride and we could feel his passion for this beautiful place. A most memorable day! Thank you to everyone who contributed to our experience.
We had a wonderful visit! Night's were beautiful and everyone along the way were helpful and informative! Would definitely recommend.
I loved this - met the group in central Killarney, driven to the gap, walked the gap in (can take 2.5hrs), met up again with 10 of the group, then toured 3 Killarney lakes on a motorboat. Walk is easy with some inclines, could be challenging for some people, stunning views though. Loved the mix of solo walking followed by being part of a group of people I got along with and driven by 2 experienced and pleasant boaters.
This was an amazing experience, even on a cold and rainy/windy day. We did the horse and carriage ride, then the boat. Both guides were locals and very informative and entertaining, especially the boat captain. What we weren’t prepared for was the fact that you need cash to pay horse driver, cash for lunch at Brandon Cottage plus (of course) tips. We barely scrounged up enough to pay. The views were absolutely amazing!
This was a great experience that allowed us to see spectacular views of the Gap of Dunloe! We walked through the Gap (around 12km) and it was incredibly worthwhile despite the rainy weather. Definitely an amazing experience and I would highly recommend!
Overall, fun experience. The Gap has beautiful views. We walked instead of carriage ride. We almost missed the boat ride. I think walk was better to enjoy the views , but tight timeline to cottage where boats were. The boat ride was amazing and Rory was an excellent guide. Ended at Ross Castle with no time to explore. Our Transport back was no where to be found. Had to catch a van with different tour to get back. People were very nice, but need to be more organized and give clearer direction on timelines and transportation details.
We rented a horse and buggy to go over the Gap of Dunloe. This part was beautiful. The second half of the tour was the boat trip down the three lakes of Killarney. This part was atrocious. Very unorganized from the meeting point until the end. The water was low on the lakes so much that at one point we had to get out of the boat and traverse a path through very rough terrain. We are all in our seventies and it was only by Gods grace we did not fall and break something. They should never have put good paying customers through such a nightmare. I would not suggest this trip to anyone over 30 years old. This boat company is putting money over the safety of us older customers. There was no mention of having to walk over such a rough path before leaving the starting point. Maybe a little warning would help customers our age. :(
This tour is well worth the money. The boat trip was truly amazing, with gorgeous scenery and Irish humour providing all round great entertainment. Just be careful on the walk because there are many cars, bike and horse carriages. This is not the fault of the tour operator. Take care!!
This was the best excursion of the entire Ireland vacation. Unbounded beauty, physical challenge or take an amazing horse drawn carriage ride through the gap. If you can’t walk the 7 miles you can get a horse carriage ride for an extra 50.00 euros. That should be mentioned as they only took cash. The day ended with a fun boat ride back to Killarney.
