Are you taking a cruise and you are stopping at Cork Cruise Port (Cobh)? Are you wondering what’s there to do at Cork?
I was on a British Isle Cruise with my husband and 2 kids and here are my suggestions on what to do at Cork with kids (or without kids).
I’m also basing my recommendations on my previous visit to Cork.
1. Cobh Heritage Center
The Cobh Heritage Centre is a museum located right at the Cork Cruise Terminal. This is a good option for you if you did not book a shore excursion and just want to stay close to the ship.
You can visit the Cobh Heritage Centre, do a little shopping at the gift shop and then go back to the ship for a late lunch!
It’s a kid friendly museum, in fact, on the day we went, there was a school group visiting the Cobh Heritage Centre!
It’s housed in a beautifully restored Victorian railway station, adjacent to the modern Cobh railway station.
The Cobh Heritage Centre tells the story of Irish emigration to the United States, Australia, and other parts of the world. Especially during the Great Famine, since Cobh was a major embarkation point for many Irish emigrants.
Visitors to the Cobh Heritage Centre can learn about the perilous journeys many emigrants faced aboard the so-called “coffin ships.”
Visitors will also learn about the history of the Titanic, as Cobh was the liner’s last port of call before its disastrous maiden voyage. The Centre also provides information about the Lusitania, which was torpedoed off the Cork coast during World War I.
If you are looking to trace your Irish ancestors, Cobh Heritage Centre also offers a genealogical service to help them trace Irish ancestry.
How to Get to Cobh Heritage Center from the Cork Cruise Terminal?
You can easily walk to the Cobh Heritage Center from the Cork Cruise Terminal. It’s literally located right at the cruise terminal!
You can easily go back to the ship for lunch, Cobh Heritage Centre is that close!
2. Titanic Experience Cobh
Titanic Experience Cobh is another museum in Cobh located at the original White Star Line Ticket Office. It’s an easy 5 minute walk from your cruise ship, this is a great option if you did not book any shore excursions and just want to take it easy.
Visitors to the Titanic Experience Cobh will be able to relive the experiences of those who boarded the Titanic on its final, fateful voyage. Upon arrival, you will receive a boarding card with the details of an actual passenger who boarded the Titanic from Queenstown.
The city of Cobh (known as Queenstown) had a significant link to the ill-fated RMS Titanic since it was the last port of call for the Titanic before it embarked on its disastrous journey across the Atlantic Ocean in 1912.
The Titanic Experience includes a guided tour of what life was like aboard the Titanic. You will learn the stories of the passengers and families who were on the ship.
One of the most impactful parts of the visit was when I got to discover the fate of the passenger on my boarding card!
How to Get to the Titanic Experience Cobh from the Cork Cruise Terminal?
You can walk to the Titanic Experience Cobh from the Cork Cruise Terminal. It’s a 5 minute walk!
You can easily do both Titanic Experience Cobh and the Cobh Heritage Centre if you want and still get back to the ship for a late lunch!
3. Hop on Hop Off Tour at Cork
The City of Cork is 30 minutes from the Cork Cruise Terminal (Cobh). If you haven’t been to Cork, you should spend the day there. The best way to explore Cork is to go on the Hop-on hop-off bus tour.
The Cork Hop On, Hop Off Bus allows you to explore Cork at your own pace or you can stay on the bus and see all the attractions without getting off!
If you don’t want to get off the Cork Hop On Hop Off Bus, the entire loop should take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The Cork Hop On- Hop Off Bus bus will go around the city, stopping at major attractions and landmarks.
The Hop On Hop Off Bus routes cover the most important sights of Cork, including St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, the English Market, University College Cork, Fitzgerald Park, and the Cork City Gaol.
The best part about the Cork Hop On Hop Off Bus is you are free to come down, explore the sights and then get back on the bus again!
It’s flexible because you can spend as much time or as little time as you want at each attraction, stop for a snack or do a little shopping!
There is live or recorded commentary on the bus- learn interesting facts and stories about the attractions!
How to Get to the Cork Hop On Hop Off Bus from the Cork Cruise Terminal?
You will need to go to the City of Cork to get on the Hop on Hop off bus. You can get to Cork City from the Cork Cruise terminal by taking a train. The train station is right at the cruise terminal. It’s an easy 25 minute train ride from Cobh to Cork City.
Taking the train is also very economical, one-way train ticket from Cork (Cobh) cruise terminal to Cork City is only 3.45 euros.
You can also take a taxi to Cork City, the taxi ride to Cork from the Cruise Terminal will take approximately 30 minutes. Uber is also available at Cork Cruise Terminal, you can try to get one but do know it is sometimes hard to get an Uber at the Cork cruise terminal.
4. Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Cork (and maybe Ireland!). It is a castle just outside Cork City around 45 minutes from the Cork Cruise terminal.
At first glance, the Blarney Castle is nothing special since it is in partial ruin but Blarney Castle is famous for its Blarney Stone. Tourists from all over the world, go to the Blarney Castel to kiss the Blarney Stone!
Apparently, if you kiss the Blarney Stone, you will get the “gift of gab”! I’ve been to Blarney Castle twice and kissed the Blarney stone twice but I’m still waiting to get my gift of gab!
It’s quite an adventure to kiss the Blarney Stone since you have to hang upside down (and potentially risk falling off the castle!) just to kiss the Blarney Stone!
My kids really enjoyed going to the Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney Stone! It’s one of their favorite tourist attractions in the British Isles!
It was even raining on the day we were at Blarney Castle but I think getting wet in the rain made the adventure even more fun for them!
Check out my visit to Blarney Castle as well as tips and advice on whether or not it’s worth it to book a shore excursion to the Blarney Castle
How to Get to Blarney Castle from the Cork Cruise Terminal?
Blarney Castle is located 45 minutes from the Cork Cruise Terminal. You can take a taxi to Blarney Castle or take an Uber to Blarney Castle.
But do know that taxis and Ubers are not easy to get at Cork Cruise Terminal and at Blarney Castle so there is a chance you might miss the ship!
The safest and easiest way to get to Blarney Castle from Cork Cruise Terminal is to book a shore excursion. You will take a tour bus to Blarney Castle and return to the ship in time before it sails!
Read about my experience on how we took a taxi to Blarney Castle from Cork Cruise Terminal!
5. Blarney Woollen Mills
Blarney Woollen Mills is another popular tourist attraction in Cork. It is a large, 3 story, family-owned retail store selling local Irish clothing, sweaters and goods.
If you are looking for super soft, wool sweaters, Blarney Woollen Mills is the store for you! Housed in a historic mill, Blarney Woollen Mill has grown into a tourist destination with a flagship store, hotel, restaurant, bar and cafe.
Blarney Woollen Mill is conveniently located across the street from Blarney Castle so it’s easy to see both Blarney Castle and then shop afterwards.
Check out my guide to Blarney Woollen Mills for Cruise Ship Terminal
How to Get to Blarney Woollen Mills from the Cork Cruise Terminal?
Blarney Woollen Mill is located 45 minutes from the Cork Cruise Terminal. You can take a taxi to Blarney Woollen Mill or take an Uber to Blarney Woollen Mill. But do know that taxis and Ubers are not easy to get at Cork Cruise Terminal and at Blarney Woollen Mill so there is a chance you might miss the ship!
The safest and easiest way to get to Blarney Woollen Mill from Cork Cruise Terminal is to book a shore excursion. You will take a tour bus to Blarney Woollen Mill and return to the ship in time before it sails!
Read about my experience on how we took a taxi to Blarney Woollen Mill from Cork Cruise Terminal!
6. Fota Wildlife Park
Fota Wildlife Park is another popular tourist destination near Cork. It is located on Fota Island and spans over 100 acres. In fact, it is the second largest visitor attraction in Ireland!
Fota Wildlife Park is home to thousands of animals. It is unlike most zoos because the animals are allowed to roam free so it will feel like their natural habitat!
You’ll find a large variety of animals from primates to kangaroos to zebras to giraffes to ostriches to cheetahs and more!
Visitors can enjoy educational wildlife talks, daily animal feedings, workshops and other experiences at Fota Wildlife Park.
We didn’t get to go to Fota Wildlife Park but our cab driver told us about it and we did drive by Fota Wildlife Park on the way to Blarney Castle. The place sounds amazing and it’s on our list of places to go to next time we’re in Ireland!
We also drove by Fota Island Resort which is an upscale resort. I’m adding it to my wishlist of places to go to in Ireland!
How to Get to Fota Wildlife Park from the Cork Cruise Terminal?
Fota Wildlife Park is located 10 minutes from the Cork Cruise Terminal. You can take a taxi to Fota Wildlife Park or take an Uber to Fota Wildlife Park. But do know that taxis and Ubers are not easy to get at Cork Cruise Terminal and at Fota Wildlife Park so there is a chance you might miss the ship!
The safest and easiest way to get to Fota Wildlife Park from Cork Cruise Terminal is to book a shore excursion. You will take a tour bus to Fota Wildlife Park and return to the ship in time before it sails!
FAQ Cork Cruise Terminal
How far is Cork City from the Cork (Cobh) cruise terminal?
Cork City is approximately 30 minutes by taxi from the cruise terminal at Cobh.
How do you get from Cobh to Cork City?
You can either take a taxi to Cork City or take a train to Cork City from the Cruise Terminal.
The train station is right at the cruise terminal so it’s really easy and convenient to get to.
How Much is the Train Ride from Cork Cruise Terminal to Cork City?
The train ride from Cork Cruise Terminal (Cobh station) to Cork City is 3.45 euros for a one-way ticket.
How Long is the Train Ride from Cork Cruise Terminal (Cobh station) to Cork City?
The train ride from Cork Cruise Terminal (Cobh station) to Cork City is 25 minutes.
How far is Cobh Train station from Cork Cruise Terminal?
Cobh train station is located right in the Cork Cruise Terminal! You literally get off the boat and the building in front of you is the Cobh Train station! It’s so convenient.
In fact, I was able to see Cobh train station from my stateroom balcony!
What’s there to do at Cobh if you are not joining a shore excursion?
If you are not joining a shore excursion and want to explore Cobh on your own, you can visit Cobh Heritage Centre or the Titanic Experience Cobh museum.
Both museums are within walking distance from your ship. The Cobh Heritage Centre is right at the cruise terminal. While the Titanic Experience Cobh Museum is a 5 minute walk from the Cork Cruise Terminal.
You can visit these museums and then go back to the ship for a late lunch!
If you don’t want to visit museums, you can walk into the little seaside town of Cobh. Explore and do a little shopping!
Or if you want to stay even closer to the ship, you can shop at the Cobh Heritage Centre gift shop and have a snack at the Cobh Heritage Centre cafe.
My mother in-law can’t walk far so she ended up shopping at the Cobh Heritage Centre gift shop and enjoying a cup of tea at the cafe!
If you are willing to go further, you can take a train or a taxi ride to Cork City. The Cobh train station is conveniently located right at the Cork Cruise Terminal!
Or if you are up for a little adventure, take an uber or taxi to Blarney Castle. We ended up taking a taxi to Blarney Castle!
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