Last month I visited Dublin for the first time and I had two must-dos for my trip: see Blarney Castle and check out the Irish highlands. As someone who doesn’t drive, I knew this was going to be nearly impossible to do on my own, which is why I opted for a Rabbie’s guided tour. I’ve never done a guided tour across the pond before; however, when I learned Rabbie’s had an itinerary that included my must-dos and more stops across the span of three days, I knew I had to check it out. Spoiler alert: It was better than I could have ever imagined and I want to do it again.
This trip was fully hosted. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Pros:
- Knowledgeable, polite and local guide
- Spacious shuttle with air conditioning, overhead storage and UBC ports
- Don’t need to worry about driving while on vacation
Cons:
- Felt rushed at some of the stops (mostly the final stop of the night)
SheBuysTravelTip: Plan on spending the night in Dublin when you arrive back in the city centre so you don’t have to rush for your flight if the itinerary goes a bit past the set schedule.
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What To Know Before You Go
Rabbie’s Blarney Castle, Kilkenny & Irish Whiskey tour departs from Dublin. Prior to the trip, you’ll be sent an itinerary with more details, but here’s what you should know in a nutshell. For starters, you have to meet the driver at Dublin Nassau Street at 7:45 am on the day of departure. The van leaves promptly at 8 am, and then you head off to the first stop.
The price of the tour does not include accommodations, attraction tickets and food, so all of that needs to be coordinated on your behalf. It’s also important to note that there are luggage restrictions for the tour, so Rabbie’s can accommodate everyone’s bags. Each person is allowed one 20kg carry-on and a small personal item. I was traveling for a long time, so I had a few checked bags which I was able to leave with the bell desk at my previous hotel.
If your hotel doesn’t allow that, then you can look into services such as Stasher and Radical Storage to hold onto your bags while you’re on the tour.
Stops On The Rabbie’s Blarney Castle Tour
Rabbie’s Blarney Castle, Kilkenny & Irish Whiskey tour is a three-day tour and makes stops at the following:
Day One:
- Rock of Cashel
- Midleton Whiskey Distillery
- Blarney Castle
Day Two:
- Cobh
- Dungarvan
- Waterford
- Kilkenny
Day Three:
- Kilkenny
- Wicklow Mountains
- Glendalough
As mentioned above, there isn’t a set itinerary for each of the stops and you have flexibility with how you decide to spend your time, but you’ll want to make sure you’re back to the bus on time. During my tour, I wanted to do just about everything so I purchased tickets in advance for Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, Kilkenny Castle and Waterford Crystal. The driver gave everyone approximately one to two hours at each of the stops, which was more than enough time to see everything that I wanted to see, especially the famous Blarney Stone.
SheBuysTravelTip: If you’re interested in a guided tour of Blarney Castle, Rabbie’s will get you there; however, the guide won’t take you on a tour since that’s generally frowned upon at tourist destinations in Ireland from what I was told.
Accommodations On The Rabbie’s Guided Tour
As mentioned above, accommodations aren’t included in the price of the tour for Ireland tours. That said, if you want to book a hotel more easily, you can select “Reserved by Rabbie’s” at checkout and they’ll take care of it for you for a small fee.
During my tour, I stayed at the Blue Haven Hotel in Kinsale and the Pembroke Hotel in Kilkenny. The Blue Haven Hotel was super cute, quaint and came with a complimentary breakfast. The room was spacious with a bed, a sofa bed and a bathroom with a tub. My only qualm was that the room didn’t have air conditioning so it was a bit hot and stuffy.
The Pembroke Hotel in Kilkenny was amazing and less than a five-minute walk from Kilkenny Castle. This was a bed and breakfast, so it came with breakfast included in the price, which I appreciated as a budget-conscious traveler. If you’re traveling with someone, this room has two big beds and a spacious bathroom, which made getting ready in the morning a breeze.
Where to Eat During The Rabbie’s Guided Tour
Food isn’t included on this Rabbie’s tour, so you’ll need to make reservations or find places to get meals. Our tour guide gave us some great recommendations so you can either take those or look around. I decided to make mine ahead of time just to ensure I had a place to eat after a long travel day.
In Kinsale, I went to St. Francis Provisions for dinner that night when we arrived. This intimate restaurant had scrumptious small Mediterranean bites with incredible hospitality. During the next evening, I went to Ristorante Rinucci in Kilkenny and they had some delicious Italian food. I highly recommend ordering the beetroot risotto and ending the meal with the salted caramel tart.
Since the towns are small, reservations tend to go quickly so you’ll want to reserve them in advance, or you might be left having to have fast food.
SheBuysTravelTip: You’ll spend a big chunk of time in the van so you should stock up on water and some snacks ahead of time.
Overall Thoughts on The Rabbie’s Guided Tour
If you’re headed to Ireland, then I highly suggest booking a Rabbie’s guided tour, especially if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of driving and want to see the sights with a knowledgeable tour guide.
My tour guide’s name was Albert and he was such a sweet man. He told me so many fun facts about Ireland at each of the stops. It was also nice to hear about how Ireland has changed over the years from someone born and raised there.
That said, it can be a bit pricey, starting at $546 per person; however, it can be worth it to not have to worry about anything outside of booking your accommodations, experiences and restaurant reservations.
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