Private Tour
Private Day Tour of the Medieval City of Kilkenny
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
THIS IS YOUR PRIVATE TOUR! During your day tour of Kilkenny, you get to choose where to go in Kilkenny and when to go. Enjoy a relaxing and flexible touring experience with your private guide.
The medieval city of Kilkenny has so many activities to choose from—to start your day, take a relaxing stroll in the majestic castle park or visit ancient Kilkenny Castle—don't miss the famous picture gallery!
At lunchtime, consider enjoying a hearty lunch at the famous Kyteler’s Inn (established in 1324)—an ancient medieval inn steeped in witchcraft history.
After lunch, walk the Medieval Mile, visit the new Medieval Mile Museum, climb up Saint Canice’s Round Tower and enjoy spectacular views over the city, or visit the local brewery and taste some local Smithwick’s beer.
Before leaving Kilkenny, make sure you stop at the Kilkenny Design Center to stock up on some traditional Irish produce and gifts to take home.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Bottled water
Private driver guide
Wi-Fi in your touring vehicle
Additional stops at lesser known hidden gems – Ireland’s best kept secrets!
Scheduled stops at must-see locations
Admission fees (visits are optional)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Kilkenny Castle
Take a relaxing stroll and stretch your legs in the majestic castle park. Then visit the ancient Kilkenny Castle taking a tour with your guide – don’t miss the famous picture gallery!
Kilkenny Design Centre
Enjoy shopping for some local crafts and get some excellent gifts to take back home!
Options
Private Day Tour of the Medieval City of Kilkenny
Pickup included
Reviews
11 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A great experience with Desmond tours
Biddysgoodluck,
Sep 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00So delighted with a recent tour our family took with Desmond Tours , it was a local Tour of kilkenny and Carlow hidden Gems , Desmond was so knowledgeable on all the areas we visited and Louisa was so helpful setting it up .
Delightful
Travel642698,
Jul 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a group tour with Paul on 20 June to Kilkenny from Dublin. A group of 7. The van was clean and comfortable and the guide did an amazing job. Engaging and interesting. I highly recommend.
A Magical Day South of Dublin
Global13015222442,
Apr 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00So happy we 3 sisters opted for a private day tour with Desmond Tours. Our driver/tour guide Brede provided expert driving and knowledgeable history and stories as we traveled through the Wicklow Mountains, toured Glendalough and wandered around and shopped in Kilkenny. Brede’s flexibility on a rainy day and selection of an excellent lunch spot, the Wicklow Heather were greatly appreciated. All in all, this tour day was the highlight of my birthday celebration in Ireland.
Outstanding customer service
JillMc2013,
Jan 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00While we have yet to take our tour, the communication, pricing, assistance and immediate response that was offered during the planning process was outstanding! We look forward to touring with this company!
Fantastic Day Tour - Highlight of our vacation!
Vacation35298409600,
Oct 12, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour of Glendalough and its surrounding areas exceeded our expectations! Our driver Brede was absolutely fantastic - extremely knowledgeable, entertaining and pleasant company. She helped us organize the day in a way where we spent just the right amount of time at the sites that were important to us and also recommended places we hadn’t thought of that were perfect additions to our itinerary. Our tour was the highlight of our vacation. I highly recommend Desmond tours and specifically Brede - you will not be disappointed!!
Hire Desmond tours when in Ireland
Brian S,
Aug 1, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and 2 boys hired Desmond tours for 9 days. It was one of the best trips ever. Don our driver was great. We covered over 1200 miles and Don knew everything about each place we went to. We were able to relax in a nice comfortable Mercedes van and see all of Ireland. Don’t drive and hire Desmond tours. It was worth it.
Desmond Tours are the Best Ever!!! Ireland take us Back!!!!!!!!!!
mistymD7116FQ,
Jun 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I promise you that Desmond Tours is the best. They customized three days of Ireland for our family and our friends. Desmond was delightful and the perfect tour guide. He can really balance the trip and read the room with all ages. We were all SOOOOOOOO sad at the end of our time together. We all want to go back. We went on to England and France. Each experience was compared to our time in Ireland with Desmond. NOT THE SAME. Great Value with top service. I can not recommend Desmond Tours enough.
Don’t Tour Ireland Without Desmond !
CamoMan21,
Oct 9, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00From pre-trip planning to personalized care during our 14 day tour of Ireland … Dez took care of everything ! A wonderful and spacious Mercedes-Benz van kept us comfortable and allowed for great views. We started in Dublin and traveled southwest through Kilkenny to Killarney and up to Galway. We visited castles, Abby’s, Glendalough and took in Celtic Steps as well as live entertainment in local pubs and the Kerry Woolen Mill ! Everywhere we went, the owners knew Dez and treated us like family ! Affordable, comfortable and fun … we will travel to Ireland again with Dez soon !
First and long overdue vacation to Ireland
K1958FJpauls,
Sep 17, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00First time vacationing in Ireland and through a recommendation from friends, made arrangements with Desmond Tours for our 6 day adventure around this beautiful country. Having Desmond drive and provide his incredible expertise was the best decision we made for this trip. While his experience driving the roads of Ireland was beneficial, it was his ability to bring the small cities and towns, the history, and the culture to life. He has a gift for casually taking a "bar" from a place to get a pint and turning into a 1200 year old walk through history. He transformed a visit into an experience and did it with charm, humor and a clear love of the country and culture. We would absolutely recommend Desmond and hope to see him again on our next trip to Ireland.
Private 7 Day Tour for 3 Couples
324billm,
May 14, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Desmond was an outstanding tour guide and driver for a 7 day private group. We travelled in a Mercedes small coach with 13 seats so we had room to spread out and store our stuff. Desmond was very knowledgeable about Ireland history and culture and accommodated us with itinerary changes, off the beaten path destinations, etc. he was very friendly and we enjoyed his companionship. We will contact him when we return to Ireland.
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