Are you on a cruise and wondering if it’s worth it to book a shore excursion to Blarney Castle?
I went to Blarney Castle with my husband and 2 kids during our British Isles Cruise vacation.
Below, I will go over my experience going to Blarney Castle from Cobh (Cork) cruise port, our experience taking a taxi to Blarney Castle and whether or not a shore excursion to Blarney Castle is worth it.
Do you need to book a shore excursion to go to Blarney Castle?
You don’t need to book a shore excursion to go to Blarney Castle, you can take a taxi from Cobh (Cork) cruise port to Blarney Castle.
How Much is a Shore Excursion to Blarney Castle vs. Taxi Ride to Blarney Castle?
The shore excursion to Blarney Castle offered by Princess Cruise was around €150 per person.
While a taxi ride to Blarney Castle is around €60 one-way and each taxi can fit 4 people. That means it’s €30 per person round trip for the taxi fare.
The ticket to Blarney Castle is €50 for a family of four. This is for general admission where you can go up the castle and kiss the Blarney stone. The general admission ticket does not include the Blarney house tour.
We ended up going to Blarney Castle on our own by taking a taxi there and taking an Uber back to the ship. Our total cost was €170 including the round trip taxi ride to Blarney Castle and the tickets to Blarney Castle.
Compare this to the shore excursion, we would have spent €600 for my family of four if we booked the shore excursion to Blarney Castle. We saved €430 by taking a taxi to Blarney Castle.
How to get to Blarney Castle on your own from Cobh Cruise Port?
At Cobh Cruise Port, you can take a taxi to Blarney Castle. When you get off the ship, there is a taxi stand where you can take a taxi to Blarney Castle.
Keep in mind it’s not that easy to get a taxi because it’s a small port, it’s not the kind of port where there are taxis everywhere.
So there is a risk that you will have to wait long before you can find a taxi to take you to Blarney Castle.
Check out Family Friendly Things to Do at Cork Cruise Port (Cobh)
Can you Get an Uber from Cobh Cruise Port to Blarney Castle?
You can get an Uber to Blarney Castle from Cobh Cruise Port. But do know that Uber rides at Cobh and at Blarney Castle are not that easy to get, you will have to wait and keep trying before you can get an Uber.
When we tried to book Uber to go to Blarney Castle from Cobh Cruise Port, it kept saying all Uber rides were taken and it was busy. Luckily, we were able to get a taxi to take us to Blarney Castle.
How long is the Taxi Ride to Blarney Castle from Cobh Cruise Port?
The taxi ride to Blarney Castle from Cobh Cruise Port is around 45 minutes.
How long does it take to tour the Blarney castle?
You will need at least 2 hours to tour Blarney Castle- this will give you enough time to line up to kiss the Blarney stone and explore the grounds a bit.
It took us about an hour and a half of standing in line to get to the top of the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. Expect a long line!
I suggest giving yourself at least two hours at the Blarney castle but you might even need more time if the line is very long!
Where does the taxi drop you off at Blarney Castle?
Your taxi will get drop you off right at the front entrance of Blarney castle. After that, it’s a short walk to the ticket office.
Do keep in mind that there is usually a line at the ticket office to buy the tickets for Blarney Castle.
How much are the Tickets to Blarney Castle?
They sell two types of tickets- the general admission and the general admission plus a tour of the Blarney house.
General admission Blarney Castle tickets are €20 per adult, €16 for seniors over 65 years old, €16 for students, and €9 for children 6 to 16 years old.
Children under 6 years old are free. You can also save by buying the Family ticket to Blarney Castle for €50. The Blarney Castle family ticket is for 2 adults and 2 children.
The Blarney Castle plus Blarney House Tour tickets are more expensive at €30 per adult, €24 for seniors over 65 years old, €24 for students, and €15 for children 6 to 16 years old.
Children under 6 years old are NOT allowed on the Blarney House Tour. You can also save by buying the Family ticket to Blarney Castle for €80. The Blarney Castle family ticket is for 2 adults and 2 children.
We purchased the General Admission Blarney Castle tickets. I honestly think that’s all you have time for. You won’t have time to do the Blarney House Tour plus line up to kiss the Blarney Stone since you have to get back to your ship!
Does the General Admission Blarney Castle Ticket include Kissing the Blarney Stone?
Yes, the general admission Blarney tickets include kissing the Blarney Stone.
Where is the Blarney Stone?
The Blarney Stone is located at the top of the Blarney Castle. You will have to line up to get into Blarney Castle and at the top, you will be able to kiss the Blarney stone.
Do keep in mind the line to kiss the Blarney stone is often very long. When we were there, it took us 1.5 hours to get to the top of the castle to kiss the stone. It even rained while we were in line to kiss the Blarney stone, luckily we had umbrellas!
How do you Kiss the Blarney Stone?
The Blarney Stone is not a free standing stone, it is actually one of the inner walls of the Blarney Castle. You will have to lie down on your back to kiss the Blarney stone.
The Blarney stone is a bit of a reach, you will have to hang on to metal handles to kiss the Blarney stone. To be honest, I was a bit nervous kissing the Blarney stone and it felt like I was going to fall!
But don’t worry, a staff member is there to assist you so you can get in the right position to kiss the Blarney stone and so that you don’t fall!
Do they Clean and Disinfect the Blarney Stone?
They say that the Blarney stone is disinfected and cleaned but I don’t know how often they clean it.
When I was there, I did see spray bottles which I assumed contained cleansers and disinfectants. But I didn’t see them cleaning the stone after each person.
The line to kiss the Blarney stone is just too long so I think disinfecting the Blarney stone after each person will just make the line extremely long!
If disinfecting the Blarney stone is important for you, I bet you can request for the staff member to clean the Blarney stone before you kiss it.
Can You Take Photos at Blarney Castle?
Yes, you can take photos at Blarney Castle. When I was visiting, there were no restrictions on photography. So come prepared to take photos of you kissing the Blarney stone!
Do know that they have a photographer there to take the photo of you kissing the Blarney stone. Then you can order the photo of you kissing the Blarney stone at the gift shop.
Is there a Cafe at Blarney Castle?
Yes, there is a cafe at Blarney Castle near the ticket booths. It is conveniently located near the restrooms. There is also another cafe near the entrance of Blarney Castle.
Is it easy to get a Taxi back to the cruise ship from Blarney Castle?
It’s not easy to get a taxi back to the cruise ship from Blarney Castle. There is a chance that you’ll be stranded at Blarney Castle.
Keep in mind that there is no taxi stand outside Blarney Castle, so finding a taxi will be by chance. Your best bet is to try to find an Uber to take you back to the cruise ship.
You can also go across the street to Blarney Woolen Mills to see if you can find a taxi.
I suggest making sure you go early and give yourself plenty of time to find a taxi back to the cruise ship.
The taxi ride back from Blarney Castle to the cruise ship is 45 minutes and it might take you 30 minutes to find a taxi! So plan ahead!
One suggestion that I have is to talk to the taxi driver that took you to Blarney Castle and have the taxi driver wait for you so you’ll have a ride back for sure but I don’t know how much that would cost you.
In our case, we just kept trying Uber. The Uber app kept saying there was nothing available, and to try again later. Eventually, we were able to get an Uber back to the ship.
When we were there, we couldn’t find a taxi outside Blarney Castle so we went across the street to Blarney Woolen Mills in search of a taxi! Unfortunately, we still did not find one, we ended up taking an Uber back to the cruise ship.
Is it more expensive to take a taxi or an Uber to Blarney Castle from the cruise ship?
Both the Uber and the taxi cost pretty much the same. When we took the taxi to Blarney Castle from Cobh cruise port, it cost us €60. When we took the Uber from Blarney Castle to the cruise ship, it cost us €62. So they’re pretty much the same.
It seems like the Ubers are actually taxis in Cork. Our Uber ride back to the cruise ship was actually a taxi.
Stop by Blarney Woollen Mills after Blarney Castle
If you have time after the Blarney castle, I suggest going across the street to the Blarney woollen mills. There you can get some coffee and have a little snack or lunch.
Plus, you can go in the store to buy really soft, but extremely expensive wool sweaters. There is no admission fee to go into the Blarney woollen mills store.
In fact, that’s where we went and we were able to get our Uber ride pick up from the Blarney woolen mills.
So is it worth it to take a shore excursion to Blarney Castle?
I think for peace of mind, it is worth taking the shore excursion to Blarney Castle. It is a lot more expensive to take a shore excursion from the cruise ship to Blarney Castle.
It cost around €150 per person for the shore excursion so for a family of four that’s €600. You will spend over €400 more if you take the shore excursion to Blarney Castle versus taking a taxi to Blarney castle. But is it worth the savings?
It’s definitely more economical to take a taxi to Blarney Castle, but there is a risk that it might take a long time to find a taxi ride back to the cruise ship. You might end up getting left behind by your cruise ship!
So if you don’t want to deal with the stress that you might miss the ship, I suggest taking the shore excursion. But if you want to save money and go to Blarney Castle on your own, then follow my tips and advice below.
Tips and Advice for Going to Blarney Castle on Your Own Without Shore Excursion
If you are willing to take the risk and go to Blarney Castle on your own, here are my tips.
Go Early
You need to give yourself plenty of time to get to Blarney Castle and back to your cruise ship. The one way taxi ride alone is 45 minutes and it might take you 30 minutes to find an Uber or taxi. It takes another 2 hours to line up and kiss the Blarney stone. You will need a total time of approximately 3.5 hours so plan ahead and leave early so you don’t miss the ship!
Give Yourself 2 hours to Get Back to the Ship
You need to give yourself plenty of time to find an Uber and to get back to the ship. I suggest giving yourself at least 2 hours or more to be on the safe side!
Bring Umbrellas and Rain Coats
It rains frequently in Ireland! You will be standing in both indoor and outdoor spaces when you line up to Kiss the Blarney Stone. There is a chance you might be standing in line outdoors when it rains so be prepared and bring umbrellas, raincoats or ponchos.
When we were in line to kiss the Blarney stone, it rained on and off! Luckily we had umbrellas but we still got wet because we were sharing umbrellas and we did not wear raincoats or ponchos!
Wear Comfortable Walking Shoes
There is a lot of walking, standing in line, climbing narrow windy staircases when you visit Blarney Castle. Definitely wear sneakers or comfortable walking shoes with a good grip because you will need them!
Don’t wear sandals and definitely no heels when you go to the Blarney castle. When it rains, Blarney Castle can get slippery because the floor can get a little wet. Play it safe and wear sneakers with a good grip!
Bring a Snack and Water
The line is long to kiss the Blarney Stone so I suggest bringing snacks and water. Especially if you are traveling with kids, they might get hungry and cranky standing in line.
We stood in line for 1.5 hours to kiss the Blarney stone, it was not easy but luckily I packed crackers and water for my kids!
Go Straight to the Blarney Castle
Don’t waste your time wandering around the gardens and grounds at Blarney Castle. I suggest when you arrive, head straight to Blarney Castle and get in line. The line is long and you have limited time!
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