Killarney: Half-Day Tour with Lakes, Waterfall, and Castle｜Ireland

Discover the highlights of Killarney on a half-day tour. Visit the Killarney Lakes, Torc Waterfall, Ross Castle, Muckross House & Gardens, and Killarney National Park.

Start your tour with a visit to Ross Castle, which perches in an inlet of Lough Leane. It is likely that the Irish chieftain O’Donoghue Mór built it in the fifteenth century. Ross Castle is only accessible throughout the season and needs to be pre-booked.

Next, head to Muckross House, which hosted Queen Victoria in 1861. In the mid-nineteenth century, Queen Victoria's visit to Killarney caused immense excitement, highlighting her significant influence as a powerful figure of her era. The mansion was built in 1843 for an Anglo-Irish member of Parliament, Henry Arthur Herbert. The house hosted Queen Victoria in 1861 and was part of the first national park in the Irish Republic (now Killarney National Park).

Muckross House is also home to a number of skilled craftworkers, who can be seen using skills in the crafts of weaving, pottery, and bookbinding. In 1932, it was presented by William Bowers Bourn and Arthur Rose Vincent to the Irish nation. The house now forms part of a visitor attraction marketed as Muckross House, Gardens, and Traditional Farms.

In later years, the park was substantially expanded by the acquisition of land from the former Earl of Kenmare's estate. The Garden Restaurant at Muckross is an ideal venue for those who wish to enjoy a relaxing snack in the scenic surroundings of Killarney National Park. Set against the spectacular backdrop of Torc and Mangerton Mountains, the Garden Restaurant enjoys magnificent views across the old Victorian Walled Garden area.

Continue to Torc Waterfall, a 20-meter high, 110-meter long cascade waterfall formed by the Owengarriff River as it drains from the Devil's Punchbowl corrie lake at Mangerton Mountain. The waterfall, which lies at the base of Torc Mountain, is located in Killarney National Park. The base of Torc Waterfall is just a 5-minute walk from the car park through a beautiful green, mossy forest.

Finally, visit the Lakes of Killarney, a scenic attraction located in Killarney National Park. They consist of three lakes: Lough Leane, Muckross Lake (also called Middle Lake), and Upper Lake. On this tour, you will see two of the lakes, Lough Leane and Muckross Lake.