Ring of Kerry & Killarney tour departing from Cork City. Guided. Full Day.

Beautiful scenery

It was a lovely day. Our guide was exceptional. We did the cliffs of mohr first. So tnere was a little repetition.

via Viator

Excellent Trip

We done this tour with George as our driver, he gave us so much information as we were travelling around and we felt very safe and comfortable with his driving skills. Beautiful scenery with plenty of stops to capture photos with stops for drinks and lunch.

via Viator

Poor time management and lack of care...

Approx 5 mins after we departed from Cork, our driver / guide told the group that talking on the bus wasn’t welcomed while he carried on with his story even though no one was misbehaving or talking loudly at the time to disrupt the driver’s duties. Following that we heard the list of other things that were not allowed on the bus incl. eating & drinking which definitely wasn’t a good start at all. We were under strong impression that we’re supposed to be there for our driver, not the other way around, which was frankly awkward to say the least. The original order of our tour itinerary changed soon after that which didn’t seem to be a huge problem at the time (based on the condition that we’re going to visit all places as previously mentioned). Our driver kept talking non stop, as much as he was knowledgeable with many details thrown in here & there, there were no breaks for the group to simply relax & enjoy the landscapes whatsoever while we progressed throughout the day (literally 30 mins of peaceful ride in over 6 hours spent on the bus) - the right balance is necessary on this kind of tour and the driver should know that better than anyone else. In Killarney which was our 1st stop, we were only told there was an hour break which no particular time of departure (usually mentioned as a reminder). We watched the time while leaving the bus and upon return it took us slightly longer to find the right parking place (where our bus was parked), hence we arrived 1 min late (literally ONE minute!), to our massive surprise the bus was already on the move with door closed as we rushed to approach it! We’d be left behind 100% if we arrived a few seconds later, guaranteed. Quite shocking really given that no specific time was announced for our departure and the driver wouldn’t even count the people inside the bus against the list which is a standard procedure. There was only around 20 people in our group altogether making it an easy task altogether. What happened 1,5 hr later only confirmed our initial concerns - once we left another site on our route, the group noticed that 1 person was missing and warned the driver to return & pick them up. He obviously did so but that (paired with unnecessary photo breaks in places fully covered in fog) caused a delay. As a result, towards the end of our trip we skipped the entire part with multiple spots (Coomakista, Moll’s Gap Pass & Ladies View Lookout) which seemed rather interesting... No mention of that or any sort of apology from the driver, instead he made an unscheduled stop in Kenmare which wasn’t part of the programme. Bizarre and completely illogical string of events (let alone the actions made by the driver on the way) given the circumstances. Does anyone monitor the actual programme or what is promised to the clients? Personally, I would not recommend this particular tour for future visitors unless things change for the better and there’s accountability on the organisers side on how these tours are conducted.

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to write this review. I am sorry to hear that you felt this tour did not meet your expectations. It is a jam packed 9 hour blockbuster tour from Cork city to Killarney town and back, we have a lot to take in and see of the mighty Kingdom! Yes, our driver guide has to establish the rules of the tour upfront as it is a group tour, so he needs to cater for all those on the coach and ensure everyone can hear and no rowdy clients overrun the tour. Sorry if you felt it was a bit too forceful, we will speak to him about that, to tone it down. Our driver guide has to keep you entertained all day too! and we Irish LOVE to talk and as a passionate local guide, he has a lot of stories to share with you of the special places we pass by and visit. We will also ask him to be more definite about exact times to be back on the bus. We also need you to listen up please! and if you didn’t hear the time you need to be back, please ask again, so everyone is back on time to be able to enjoy the rest of the many stops and things we have to see. And yes, sometimes the weather doesn’t play into our favour, so the driver has to change things around a bit to try get the best of the many locations we visit (and sometimes the Irish weather wins!). As always, we take on board your comments and always use these constructively to keep improving our tours so we deliver the best service possible, as many of the five star reviews we have achieved for this tour will bear testament.

via Tripadvisor

A tour not to be missed

Philip Duffy was our driver and he was fantastic. He told great stories, informative, good clear voice, he was attentive to our needs/wishes. The tour was great; beautiful scenery, we had gorgeous weather, this is a tour not to be missed.

via Viator

Amazing tour

We had the most amazing tour with Phillip our driver and tour guide . He was fantastic laid back and very friendly, great information and history. Unforgettable scenery , it was just breathtaking. A trip to remember 😊 our guide Philip Duffy was fantastic 😊

via Viator