About us
For 250 years the most famous visitor excursion in Ireland… the O’Donoghue brothers have a long tradition of boating experience passed down through generations on the Lakes of Killarney.
A mini adventure for young and old through Ireland’s Lake District. You can travel by boat through the majestic Lakes of Killarney and the National Park, during which you can enjoy the huge natural oak woodlands of the Upper Lake and the Old Weir Bridge, where the boat may be able to ‘Shoot the rapids’. This leads you to the meeting of the waters, where the three lakes join.
Then under the Toothache Bridge into the Middle Lake, where you can see Torc mountain and the Colleen Bawn Rock. You may be lucky on the day to catch a glimpse of the White Tailed Eagles soaring over the mountains.
Under the Brickeen Bridge and into the Lower Lake where you can see Innisfallen Island, and in the distance Ross Castle – an ancient seat of the O’Donoghue Clan, where the tour finishes.
Another way to experience the tour, would be to hire a bicycle in Killarney during the morning, cycle to Ross Castle (1.5 miles) where the boatman will put your bicycle on the boat and take you up through the Lakes to Lord Brandon’s Cottage, where you can enjoy a light snack in the Cafe. Then at your own leisure you can cycle down through the Gap of Dunloe to Kate Kearney’s Cottage and back into Killarney.
There are many ways to enjoy this magnificent trip!!
Testimonials
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Bedjy2020.09.26.Fantastic I must say, this was the best craic I've had in a very long time. Fantastic scenery, fantastic company, learnt a lot of new facts and the guy running the trip (whose name I forgot to get) was pure brilliant. I'd highly recommend this to everyone.VerifiedLeanne Nolan2020.09.16.Amazing views not to be missed If you are in Killarney you cannot miss this amazing tour we walked the 10k through the gap of Dunloe most amazing views I’ve ever seen and then arrived at lord brandon cottage which we had a lovely lunch. We then got on our boat through the lakes most amazing boat trip I’ve ever been on with the most stunning views we also had the best captain Dermot and his dog Ross 100 percent would recommendVerifiedMelMKM2020.09.12.Not to be missed if you’re in Killarney We loved this tour, Dux was so knowledgable, entertaining and helpful as he provided us advice for our walks for our staycation. Thanks Dux for a wonderful tour.VerifiedNCronin912020.08.30.Fantastic day out! We took the boat tour from Ross Castle to Lord Brandon’s cottage on the bank holiday Monday! Dux was a superb guide from start to finish. He was very accommodating to everyone and we felt totally safe on board his boat. His knowledge of the lakes as well as the history of Killarney is phenomenal, that along with his wit and humour kept us highly entertained throughout. We will certainly make it an annual outing. Would highly recommend!!Verified
Bianca VM2020.08.04.An amazing ride that I'll never forget We wanted to visit the area of the Gap of Dunloe but were looking for an alternative to the 56km-cycle from and back to Killarney. That's when Derry in the bike rental on College St. recommended us to go on this amazing boat trip! After enquiring by email, Niall kindly instructed us to meet Dermot on the pier in front of Ross Castle at 10:30am. We had the privilege of taking this tour with Dermot, who told us so much about the area, its historical facts and some other curiosities. He has the charm of the Irish and entertained us throughout this hour-and-a-half journey. You get on a small boat that allows you to be in close contact with the water and makes it a calm and enjoyable ride -you can take your bikes with you as well! We got off on Lord Brandon's Cottage and made our way towards the amazing Gap of Dunloe cycling. Definitely the best option to visit this area if you're not ready to cycle 56km! Go on the boat trip, you won't regret it.Verifiedsharon b2019.11.10.Incredible adventure! Our entire family loved this! Wonderful guide full of historic and local lore! Incredible lake.. You can take your mountain bikes with you and bike over the Gap of Dunloe!VerifiedClaire S2019.10.01.Our best day in Ireland We will remember this trip forever. The scenery on the Gap of Dunloe is unmatched. Every part of the journey is its own special treat. Do not miss out on this! We were lucky enough to ride with Dux through the lakes of Killarney. He has been doing these tours for a long time, and you can tell that he still loves his job. At one point, he stopped the boat and just let us all sit and take in the silence of the national park and the mountains rising up through the Irish mist. It was truly a great day, and our favorite part of a totally awesome trip.VerifiedRStewUK2019.09.25.Wonderful boat tour of Killarney National Park! We had a wonderful time on the traditional boat tour of the lakes of Killarney National Park and would thoroughly recommend. We were able to book through our cottage rental with Dux to catch the boat from Lord Brandons Cottage to Ross Castle. While the welcome at Lord Brandons Cottage was very informal, it was very charming and full of fun! Our boat driver Jeff was very knowledgeable, and full of witty one liners and stories of the lakes and the national park. At the end, as we had not arranged a taxi back to Kate Kearneys Cottage, Jeff kindly stepped in to ensure Dux dropped us back off - the complete customer service package! We would definitely recommend this experience to all.VerifiedPhilip H2019.09.23.Excellent boat (bike) tour Above expectation boat tour. The guide took his time to explain historic facts and even with a little bit of rain we recommend 100%. Our rental bikes fit very well in the boat.VerifiedMartin S2019.09.19.Boat (and Bike) Fantastic boat tour with a great boat driver. Took his time, explained a lot interesting about the park and Killarney. Beautiful nature and a trip worth doing!
