Win Your Wishlist ❤️ 🤑 Win $7,000 towards Viator experiences. Enter to win

Dublin

$USD

Help

Bookings

Account

Top activities in Dublin

Trip Inspiration

Book online or call: (888) 651-9785

Are you interested in?

Blarney Castle & Gardens Tours

49 Tours & Activities

Rail Tours

24 Tours & Activities

Day Trips

122 Tours & Activities

Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin

Name: Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin
Brand: Railtours Ireland First Class
SKU: 3310DH02
Price: 163.11 USD
Rating: 4.5 (393 reviews)

County Dublin, Ireland

Likely to Sell Out

From $163.11

Select Date and Travelers

Reserve Now & Pay Later

Secure your spot while staying flexible

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance.

Dublin Tours

Seasonal & Special Occasions

Tickets & Passes

Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises

Travel & Transportation Services

Unique Experiences

Attractions

Things to do in Dublin Cliffs of Moher Tours & Tickets Trinity College Dublin Tours & Tickets St. Patrick's Cathedral Tours & Tickets Blarney Castle & Gardens Tours & Tickets Guinness Storehouse Tours & Tickets Dublin Castle Tours & Tickets Temple Bar Tours & Tickets

Recommendations

All Recommendations Don’t Miss These Must-Do Activities in Dublin Dublin Neighborhood Guide How to Spend 2 Days in Dublin Where to Find the Best Views in Dublin How to Spend a Rainy Day in Dublin How to Spend 3 Days in Dublin Galway Bay Tours from Dublin

Nearby

Belfast Limerick Galway Shannon Liverpool Cork Cobh Killarney Manchester Kenmare Cardiff Ring of Kerry Western Ireland North West England South West Ireland

12 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin Walking Tasting Tour with Secret Food Tours

589

from $96.19

Price varies by group size

Dublin, Ireland

1916 Rebellion Walking Tour

957

from $21.35

Likely to Sell Out

Dublin, Ireland

Cliffs of Moher Tour Including Wild Atlantic Way and Galway City from Dublin

8,329

from $85.39

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

What's Included

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

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Dublin Heuston
Heuston Station Saint John's Road West, Saint James' (part of Phoenix Park), Dublin, Ireland
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.

Start time

07:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

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.

Blarney Castle & Gardens

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Cobh Cathedral

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cobh Heritage Centre The Queenstown Story

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
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 POLICY: Railtours Ireland First Class ltd very successfully offers hosted railtours for the independent traveller. Our tours are a combination of train and luxury coach and include a moderate level of physical activity, such as short walks to meeting points etc. Unfortunately even the most modern luxury coaches (buses) are not wheelchair friendly, thus our tours are not suitable for those with mobility issues, and regretfully walkers, wheelchairs and mobility scooters cannot be accommodated on our tours.

Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 53 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Cyndy_M

Brian and Kevin were great tour guides. Kiddos to Kevin for his skills as a bus driver. Brian was an informative tour guide! Loved Blarney Castle and the grounds. Cobh and the Queenstown Story was great. Bonus—there were choirs singing while we were there and the voices were amazing! Frank brought those of us who were not continuing on back to Dublin. He was funny and informative and showed us some sights on the train ride back.

Reviews

4.5

393 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 393 reviews

Anniversary in Ireland

Janet_B, May 2023

My wife and I came to Ireland for our 42 wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time! Landed in Dublin and stayed in a hotel that was actually a castle. Went to Blarney castle on a train and bus tour.

A 10 out of 10

Cyndy_M, May 2023

We loved our guide,...

Lauren_Z, Apr 2023

We loved our guide, Terrance. He pivoted easily when our train ride needed to be supplemented by bus due to things happening in Belfast. Lots of great stories along the way, and clear direction throughout. Would recommend to anyone considering this trip - informative, comfortable arrangements, and so many interesting venues to visit.

Blarney Castle

Susan_L, Mar 2023

Kissing the Blarney Stone and walking around the grounds. Christys fir lunch was good, just had a grumpy lady server Seeing the church.

Brian was our tour guide...

Lorrie_R, Mar 2023

Brian was our tour guide and he was fantastic. Very knowledgeable. The whole trip was a lot of fun. The castle is spectacular and the trip was Cobh was an added bonus. So much history in that little town.

Highly recommend!

Heather_E, Nov 2022

The train was such a fun way to switch up a day trip! We normally do bus tours but loved the train option!! Beautiful countryside views. Could have spent longer at the castle walking around, gorgeous grounds.

Bad summary

Laura_N, Nov 2022

I have to be honest with you. I’ve already sent an email so I figured why not again. Here’s what happened. 1 day before the tour I had to cancel it. My husband came down with Covid. I understand the rules are 24 hour notice but my complaint is this: 12 hours before another tour we had scheduled with Viator we were canceled. The cancellation came via email. I was so upset as anyone would be seeing I was looking forward to this tour. I thought maybe since I was refunded the full amount I could call Waterford myself and schedule one independently. Now we only a few days left so Saturday, which is when it was initially booked was not an option due to the fact and I quote “Waterford closes all touring on Saturdays beginning 10/31”. When I booked this tour, Viator should have known it was closed on Saturdays beginning 10/31 and FURTHERMORE I should have received a 24 hour notice regardless if I was refunded the full amount or not. Anyone would agree to that. So my complaint is this, you should refund me at least 1/2 the amount for the trip we had booked for 11/14/22 and not just send me an email saying we’re sorry for the sickness and 24 hours is required. So it’s okay for you to cancel me without 24 hours notice and I can’t even rebook it, but it’s not okay for me to ask for at least 1/2 refund to a tour we couldn’t take. It says something about your company. Honestly I’ll never use Viator again, NEVER nor will I ever refer them to anyone going to Europe.

1 traveler found this review helpful

We kissed the Blarney Stone!

JoAnn_G, Nov 2022

We had an amazing time. Our tour guide was awesome and friendly. Definitely would recommend taking this day tour by train it was a ton of fun.

Blarney and Cove Experience

Courtney_R, Oct 2022

The beginning of the tour ran smoothly from checkin at Heuston Station and the train ride to Cork. Everything went downhill from there. The bus had continual mechanical conditions and despite the warm for a ireland temperatures...no working air conditioning for a 65⁰ F day. With over 40 people on the bus, it made things hot. Tour in Blarney was on your own, which we enjoyed. Waiting an additional 15 minutes for 2 guests that had to be tracked down by the tour guide was frustrating while sorting in a bus with no a/c. Arrival in Cobh, we had about 10 minutes to explore the church and then loaded back on the bus for a tour at the Cobh Heritage Center. It was definitely neat to learn about the Titanic but would've preferred the hour to wander the town of Cobh. Again complete disorganization getting off the bus in Cobh and entering the building. After the tour, guests traveling back to Dublin had to get on the bus, grab their things and get back off to grab a commuter train. Lots of people trying to get on and off at the same time. Once we were on the train to take us back to Dublin (the 2nd train), we didn't have assigned seats that lit up. This caused multiple people to have to move seats throughout the travel back to Dublin. While this wasn't the tour companies fault per say, they should've known what seats were for the group. After a long day of travel everyone was looking to just relax.

1 traveler found this review helpful

This was an incredible...

Jean_B, Oct 2022

This was an incredible tour. Our guide, John Todd made us feel so welcome from first meeting to final destination! Great information! Might have enjoyed a bit more time to explore the castle grounds- but understand time limitations when there is so much to cover in a day!

Kissed The Stone

John_Y, Oct 2022

Thoroughly enjoyed this day trip to Cork and Blarney. Ireland's green countryside, amazing culture and unique history was impressive. Our guide Brendan E. was amazing, he is knowledgeable, thoughtful, friendly and professional. 5 stars! Highly recommended

Wonderful Day Trip from Dublin!

Jessica_B, Aug 2022

Loved this trip! It was well organized and everything went as scheduled. The guides were awesome and shared a lot of information about Ireland. Could’ve used a little extra time at the Heritage Center and down on the waterfront for exploration because it was a really cool spot. Highly recommend!

Blarney is a Must See

Barbara_K, Aug 2022

Norma was our guide to Cork and Cobh. The train ride was vey comfortable and easy to manage. Blarney castle is not to be missed. The gardens are breath and the castle is stunning. We ran into some train delays caused by severe weather but the team quickly devised an alternative plan and we arrived safely back to Dublin just 20 minutes late. We appreciated having ample time to explore Cobh and a 3 hour stay at Blarney we recommend this trip to travers of all ages.

We loved Cork. It would...

LEONARDO_C, Aug 2022

We loved Cork. It would have been perfect to spend more time there and last time on the castle. Instead of going by train to Cork to take the training back to Dublin. We should have gone on the bus. We don't loose to much time on the train.

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.

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

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.

1 traveler found this review helpful

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

1 traveler found this review helpful

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

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.

1 traveler found this review helpful

...