Full Day Tour of The Gap of Dunloe

Killarney, Ireland

The tour begins with a coach journey to Kate Kearney's Cottage where you can take a Jaunting Cart Ride (additional EUR20.00 payable direct on the day) through the six mile pass, alternatively keen walkers may care to "Walk the Gap" as the Gap offers an ideal opportunity for hiking.

Once through the gap, boats are waiting on the Gearhameen River for the homeward journey via the enchanting Upper, Middle and Lower Lakes, to historic Ross Castle where coaches are waiting for the journey back to Killarney.

USD $46.00

Review by:   Marie G,    October 2017
We took the Gap of Dunloe tour on Saturday October 7th, 2017. We were pleased to receive a private car ride to Kate Kearney's Cottage where we met our cart driver Paul and his wonderful horse Gypsy. Our 7 mile ride through the gap couldn't have been more pleasurable. Paul was a gracious host. Unbelievable views/photo ops and historical info. We chose to walk up a winding hill, but got back in the cart for the balance of the ride. Paul delivered us to Captain O'Donaghue who piloted us through the 4 Killarney Lakes with a boat load of information, funny stories and graciousness. We had sun, some rain and mild wind but basically smooth sailing. We highly recommend this tour. Don't miss it!

Review by:   Kurt J,    August 2017
Great trip! It was a 7 mile hike over 3 hours. My wife and I walked it in about 2 hours 20 minutes even with stopping for pictures. There's also an option to take horse and buggies for 25 euro each. The hike is followed by a nice ride through waterways to a castle that you can quickly view.

Review by:   Claudia C,    June 2017
Fabulous views, both mountains and lakes. The cart ride with a local driver was fun and gave us additional history about the area, and the boat ride with another local tour guide was breathtakingly beautiful. Great way to enjoy the natural beauty that Ireland is so famous for.

Review by:   Jane V,    May 2017
Great tour - would recommend. Check price of jaunting car as it has recently gone up and was more than quoted in the booking you need cash.The boat trip was superb and Donal was a brilliant guide.

Review by:   Benjamin Q,    October 2016
Absolutely stunning walking through the Gap of Dunloe, you had 2 options to go through it. Either physically walking it or taking a horse ride, the walk was 3 hours and horse is 90 mins. The road is completely paved so there's no way you can get lost, there are TONS picturesque moments so I do recommend the walk.

Review by:   Nitzan A,    September 2016
that was the highlight of my trip. It is a hike, and it is stunnigly beautiful. if you can, walk it, it's worth it!

Review by:   BRIAN P,    September 2016
Was lucky with the weather when going through the Gap of Dunloe which was stunning.Went on the pony and trap but if you choose you can walk the 7 miles although their is a lot of up.Unfortunately the 14 mile trip on the lake it rained but it was made by the knowledge of the guide.Would highly recommend.

Review by:   Joshua S,    August 2016
My wife and I decided to hike instead of doing the horse carts. Amazing views and scenery. We had a great time and would definitely recommend it. It was quite a long hike but we were looking to get a little exercise. Great trip!

Review by:   Cheryl B,    July 2016
This tour was nice for the price. It included drop off at the entrance to the gap. At that point one had to either walk or hire a pony trap. We chose to was but when we were supposedly,1/2 way into what was to be a 2 hour walk, we realized it was much more than 2 hours and worried we wouldn't get to boat launch in time. Luckily we were picked up by a nice couple driving the gap. Allow yourself 3 or more hours for the walk. The boat trip was nice and we were able to see wildlife with the guide sharing local history along the way.

Review by:   Francesca R,    July 2016
Amazing journey! Really worth it!

Review by:   thomas f,    June 2016
This was perfect. Picked you up on the Main Street in Killarney, friendly staff drives you to the trail head at the gap of dunloe where you can get a snack, coffee or souvenirs at an adorable cafe before your trek. The hike was a good amount of time, not too long, beautiful views around every turn

Review by:   William H,    May 2016
This tour is great! This tour was a little hard to find but once you did they were very helpful. The hike is beautiful! And the boat ride is even better. The boat driver was really nice and gave some good informative info about the lakes and park! Definitely recommended!

Review by:   Julia C,    April 2016
Here are some photos taken along the way

Review by:   Amelia B,    March 2016
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Susan W,    October 2015
This was a great tour. I would recommend it to anyone and Viator always delivers.

Review by:   Annilise F,    August 2015
The view is stunning all along the 11K walk. The boat ride across all three lakes was breath taking.

Review by:   Jean S,    August 2015
Best of time.

Review by:   Jeane D,    July 2015
We like to hike in the countryside, so we opted to walk through the gap instead of taking a jaunty cart extra expense, not sure how much it was. It was a beautiful day and took us about 2.5 hours to hike apx 7 miles. There is a cafe at the end of the hike by the lake if you need a drink or sandwich. We almost missed the boat, but they called up another boat to take us across the lake to the Ross castle which is very close to the town Killarney. It was a lovely hike, we had a great time!

Review by:   Mary M,    July 2015
My grandson's had a marvelous time. The center was easy to find, the trip out fast, our carriage and driver fantastic Thanks Suzie and the boat ride interesting and informative. Would recommend to anyone visiting the area. Will return next year for more of this beautiful area.

Review by:   paul.jennings,    June 2015
This was by the far the best tour we did in Ireland. The views in the Gap of Dunloe were amazing. We were lucky to pick a nice sunny day for the tour, as weather and visibility are a factor. The trip up by jaunting cart and return trip by boat to Ross Castle are recommended.

Review by:   Mary D,    March 2015
Sadly, did not get to go on this one because of weather, but WOW the trip we took was amazing. We are going back to do this one. :

Review by:   William K,    August 2011
Excellent trip. starting location was easy to find, the Jaunty Driver was very entertaining. The scenery was breath taking. The boats used on the lakes seemed a bit small but were very cozy. Lots of fun on this tour.

Review by:   Mark G,    August 2011
The day we took the Gap of Dunloe tour it was on an off hard rain and gusty winds. This wasn't a problem because we had dressed for the weather. My biggest complaint was the horse drawn cart. We paid 20 euros a piece for this which is well worth the money. The driver basically was in a race through the gap with the other carts. He whipped and poked the horse on constantly to keep him trotting/running up and down the tar path. It was border line animal abuse. The tar path was wet and the horse could have stumbled from be driven so hard. You are only allowed to get out to walk the steepest part of the gap. He seemed disgusted when we didn't move fast enough. His cell phone was ringing off the hook where someone wanted to know what was taking so long and where was he. The driver did not stop for us to shoot any pictures. On the flat part in the National Park he continued to whip the horse to gallop to the finish line.

Review by:   William K,    June 2011
Excellent trip. starting location was easy to find, the Jaunty Driver was very entertaining. The scenery was breath taking. The boats used on the lakes seemed a bit small but were very cozy. Lots of fun on this tour.

Review by:   Mark G,    June 2011
The day we took the Gap of Dunloe tour it was on an off hard rain and gusty winds. This wasn't a problem because we had dressed for the weather. My biggest complaint was the horse drawn cart. We paid 20 euros a piece for this which is well worth the money. The driver basically was in a race through the gap with the other carts. He whipped and poked the horse on constantly to keep him trotting/running up and down the tar path. It was border line animal abuse. The tar path was wet and the horse could have stumbled from be driven so hard. You are only allowed to get out to walk the steepest part of the gap. He seemed disgusted when we didn't move fast enough. His cell phone was ringing off the hook where someone wanted to know what was taking so long and where was he. The driver did not stop for us to shoot any pictures. On the flat part in the National Park he continued to whip the horse to gallop to the finish line.

Review by:   Sherri V,    July 2010
Very professional tour company. We decided from a recommendation to do the Gap of Dunloe instead of the Ring of Kerry, and we were extremely pleased. Great views, great history and a pace which was perfect!

Review by:   Sherri V,    June 2009
Very professional tour company. We decided from a recommendation to do the Gap of Dunloe instead of the Ring of Kerry, and we were extremely pleased. Great views, great history and a pace which was perfect!