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

Blarney Castle was amazing. Our guide got us on site early enough in the morning to beat the big bus rush. As such, we waited a fraction of the time in line to kiss the Blarney Stone. Jameson Distillery was also a treat to see the first hand production and learn about the rich history.

This was far far better than the Blarney Castle shore excursion offered by the cruise ship, which was 2hr at the castle and then return to ship. On this excursion we had 3 hours at the castle and then had a brewery tour. We arrived at Blarney castle just before it opened and had very short wait. By the time the cruise ship bus arrived, there was already a 75-minute wait to get in the castle Thus we had plenty of time to visit the castle and its gardens and then go the woolen mill, gift shop, and cafe. After that we went to the Jameson Distillery and had an amazing tour which included a tasting and free cocktail. There was plenty of commentary on the bus about the local history, points of interest, and also about the castle, woolen mill, and distillery. Not only was the tour less expensive than the cruise ship excursion, but they paid all admissions.

Appreciate fact got to Blarney Castle quickly and got to avoid lines for seeing the stone! Jameson distillery tour interesting and well done...

We had a great day with Tim our guide, and Sean our driver. Made for a great day at Blarney Castle and Midleton Distillery. Would highly recommend!

This tour was outstanding. Kevin is the best tour guide we have had on any excursion. Expectations were high and Kevin and Paddywaggon exceeded those expectations.

Pudge was a great tour guide. I appreciated his candor regarding the politics in the region. Jamison was a great tour, loved the original buildings. Tasting the different whiskeys was fun, even for a wine drinker. He gave us great advice regarding the Blarney Castle and we avoided the crowds. No problem navigating from the cruise port.

Expected a minivan, but we were delighted to find ourselves in a Mercedes sedan with only the driver. Excellent day out with DJ, he was informative and entertaining. He tailored the experience to our preferences and was very patient with my elderly mother. Wonderful day out.

Pull the tour operator was very knowledgeable. Great driver and a wonderful tour guide. He did a wonderful job of getting us to the site and getting us there early enough so we avoided the crowds.

Fantastic tour. They took excellent care of our vacation experience, ensuring that we were the first to get to Blarney Castle. So many participating in the cruise ship excursion did not get the same experience. Lovely tour of Jamison and local area.

You may not get the small little black van, but 33 people on a bus gives everyone room to stretch out. Our tour was on September 25. 2023, our guide got us to Blarney Castle before all the NCL tour buses and we were able to tour the castle and the stone in less than an hour. There was time to tour and grab a sandwich. We had an amazing tour at Jameson Distillery. I would recommend this tour to everyone and not get so caught up on words small group and a black van. I know many that booked the same tour thru NCL however they didn't have time to climb up the Blarney Castle and kiss the stone because there was already a 2 hour wait by the time they got there.