Park Explorer Tour (Half Day Tour)

The first stop for the bus is the world famous Ross Castle. Passengers will disembark here to explore the castle exterior and surrounding area. Boats will depart at 10.30am so the guided tour of the Castle will not be possible before departure. The boats depart from the stone pier on the lake side of Ross Castle. Please check in with Rory at the pier.

The first stop on the boat tour is the 7th century monastic settlement on Innisfallen Island. Passengers will have 15 minutes to explore the area. The boat driver will provide a history of the local area as part of the tour which helps to provide context to this peaceful setting.

Lough Leane is the largest of the 2 lakes upon which the boats will be travelling. The boats will head towards the shore of Tomies Mountain, where our resident White Tailed Eagles have been nesting for the last 18 years since their reintroduction.

As the boats make their way out of Lough Leane, they will pass under the Gothic inspired Brickeen Bridge. This bridge is the gateway into the Muckross Lake.

The boat tour finishes at the Dinis Cottage and the Meeting of the Waters. Dinis Cottage is an early 19th century hunting lodge which is now a wonderful café in the heart of the National Park. After exploring the area and grabbing a coffee, the walk to Muckross House is next. The walk is 5km and will take around 1hr and 15 mins. The road is sealed all the way so no special footwear is required. The walk is relatively flat and is closed to any cars.

At the end of the walk is Muckross House and Gardens. There are numerous departures of the Big Red Bus and it will meet passengers in the main car park next to the public toilets. Departure times are as follows: 1.02pm, 2.02pm, 3.02pm, 4.40pm, 5.30pm. This means that passengers will have plenty of opportunity to explore the area, do the tour of the House or have lunch in the lovely Garden Restaurant.