Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens Admission Ticket
Overview
Mobile ticket
Fota House is one of Ireland’s finest examples of Regency period architecture with superb neoclassical interiors. The main house dating from 1820, remained in the sole ownership of the Smith-Barry family for 155 years and today it shares the compelling life story of this family and their household staff. It also houses one of the largest collections of landscape paintings spanning the 17th to 19th century.
Now an Irish Heritage Trust Property, a visit to Fota House set amongst 115 acres, within the original 780 acre estate promises endless opportunities for adventure. It features a globally renowned arboretum with a collection of rare and exotic plantings from the southern hemisphere, formal and working gardens that evolve with colour, scent & texture through each passing
season
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
The large Majority of the property is wheelchair accessible
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Local guide
Does not include the €3 site parking fee, payable on exit from the car park by card or cash
What To Expect
Fota House
Fota House is one of Ireland’s finest examples of Regency period architecture with superb neoclassical interiors. The main house dating from 1820, remained in the sole ownership of the Smith-Barry family for 155 years and today it shares the compelling life story of this family and their household staff. Now an Irish Heritage Trust Property, a visit to Fota House set amongst 115 acres, within the original 780 acre estate promises endless opportunities for adventure. It features a globally renowned arboretum with a collection of rare and exotic plantings from the southern hemisphere, formal and working gardens that evolve with colour, scent & texture through each passing season
Options
Guided House Tour
Duration: 1 hour
Reviews
66 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Really interesting tour of the house
hilaryd275,
Oct 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A really interesting tour of the house with Lynn, a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. Lynn was especially kind as we arrived at the wrong time for a tour but it was our only chance and she very kindly took us on our own tour. We are so glad that she did! Thank you Lynn, it was very informative with interesting stories.
The history of a big house, brought to life in beautiful surroundings
alanoE8063IX,
Sep 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A very enjoyable tour with M. as our guide. I'm from Carrigtwohill, and have visited the gardens now and then, but didn't quite realise what a gem we had locally, with the house itself and its history. The tour lasted an hour and a half, and we could easily have lingered for another hour or more in the various rooms, looking at the paintings and furnishings. Afterwards, we purchased 'Through the Green Baize Doors' - a book of recollections of Fota House from someone who worked there in the mid 20th century. The stories of the people who lived and worked here (some of which had been imparted by our tour guide, and on whose recommendation we bought the book) added pathos to beauty of the physical house. The nearby presence of the gardens and arboretum further enrich the offering. It'd be great if the place were more easily accessible by foot and bicycle from Carrigtwohill (I know this is outside the remit of Irish Heritage Trust, but perhaps it's something the local council could work on, in conjunction with those on the island).
A definite go to particularly if you are a wheelchair user and love history!
Angela F,
Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a great place to visit! My husband is a wheelchair user and normally these historic house tours are out of bounds for him. Not Fota House - he was able to enjoy 80 per cent of the tour with a lift ride to the first floor. The staff are second to none in terms of welcome and hospitality - a special thank you to Maeve and Carmel. The story of the house is warm and authentic and it’s great that the Irish Heritage Trust is keeping the history alive for visitors. You get a great cup of coffee too! Well done.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and we highly recommend a visit to this stunning house. Tony & Marjorie O'Leary. Cork
W8316APtonyo,
Aug 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Today we were expertly guided through Fota House by Laura, whose enthusiasm for her subject was infectious. Her knowledge of the history of the house and family was very impressive.
Fota house old but a real good time to spend your free time
lorcanw585,
Jul 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great history and many different rooms. nice staff and great experience. Lovely Coffee shop nice food. Good gift shop .would go again
Amazing Fota House and Gardens
577donalm,
Jul 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Just completed a fabulous tour of Fota House. Our guide, Lynn, did an exceptional job making the whole history of the house and area, come a live with her delightful stories and excellent knowledge. Fota house can easily stand side by side with Muckross House with its amazing history, architecture and grounds. Would highly recommend visiting.
Informative Tour in pleasant surroundings.
F6439DCmarym,
Jun 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A perfect day out with Visitors. What a lovely day out with our Visitors. We booked a midday guided tour of the House. Mary was an informative Guide with in-depth knowledge of the House and a sincere feel for the place. She also has a pleasant disposition and a clear voice. After our tour, we retired to the Cafe and enjoyed quality coffee. Our friends made nice purchases in the shop. Afterwards, we took a historical tour of the garden with Lynn. She was equally enthusiastic, knowledgeable and pleasant. The property is a credit to staff and volunteers alike. We would recommend Fota House and Gardens as the perfect day out when visiting Cork. You certainly get a good understanding of life in the Big House, not so long ago.
Fantastic Irish Estate Home to Visit!
Nancy C,
Jun 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a gem! My husband & I took the train from the Cobh Cruise Port to the Foto train stop & walked to the house. We had a private tour. Very interesting family history, beautiful works of art & fantastic gardens. Lunch in the cafe was delicious too. We highly recommend! Just need a little better signage to get back to the train stop from the extensive grounds.
A beautiful house with a great guided tour
katjahP9170DJ,
Jun 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an excellent house tour with our guide Mike, who had lots of interesting historical detail and stories about the house to tell. For anyone interested in old houses, Regency/Victorian upper class living and how things were done in the old days, we highly recommend this tour. We didn’t get a chance to try out the café but we walked around the vast arboretum and gardens, all very beautiful and special. It was not too busy, just a really nice place to visit!
Great experience, brought us back in time 🙂
Vasilica D,
Jun 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the best experience ever! We were lucky to have Maeve as a guide ,and I must say that she’s amazing. We were told a lot of stories about the place , all the details and she was the most patient when our 4 yo interrupted her a lot of times.. Her knowledge is amazing , and also very nice and clear so we understood 100% of what we were told. We felt that we are brought back in time , that someone still lives there , the atmosphere was so real Thank you , Maeve! We’ll be back soon ! 😍
From €13.00
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