Ireland · TOURS IN KILKENNY

The 15 Best Tours in Kilkenny

25 tours  ·  from $10 a head

The 15 best tours in Kilkenny you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is at the top for a reason, so start there.

Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny Entrance Ticket - Entering the old Victorian brewing building
Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours in Kilkenny

Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny Entrance Ticket

1.Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 601 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $26Our pick

Spend about an hour in Kilkenny’s old Victorian brewery building, where guides such as Ruby, Chris, Evan, and Gavin have brought Smithwick’s story to life through holograms, living portraits, and hands-on ingredient stations. Learn why the w is silent, smell hops and malt, then finish with a pint or a three-ale tasting paddle.

“Actual brewery has moved away to Dublin. This is a history tour in the old brewery location but it is very up to date and interesting. Good guide and great gift shop. The admission cost includes a pint of beer, although we took the 3 beer flight option.”

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Shenanigans Walks - Guided Walking Tour in Kilkenny - Smithwick’s, monks, and the magic of beer
Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny, Walking Tours

Shenanigans Walks – Guided Walking Tour in Kilkenny

2.Shenanigans Walks – Guided Walking Tour in Kilkenny

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 485 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $33

Join Nevin for a 90-minute guided walk through Kilkenny’s medieval streets, markets, gates, tombs, and folklore. Expect stories about Smithwick’s, monks, old sayings, alms houses, and the city’s infamous witch. Small groups, easy walking, audience participation, and a few magic tricks keep the tour lively for adults, children, and teenagers.

“Touched on the history of the castle and it's inhabitants as well as fun facts about Kilkenny! Really enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets and multiple alleys! My 10 year old was thrilled that our guide Nevan had multiple magic tricks to play on us.”

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Kilkenny Boat Trip - Kilkenny Castle from the River Nore
Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours in Kilkenny

Kilkenny Boat Trip

3.Kilkenny Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 323 reviews · 40 minutes (approx.) · from $18

Take a gentle 40-minute open-boat ride on Kilkenny’s River Nore with guides such as Cliff, Elder, or Ann Marie. You’ll see Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice’s Cathedral, bridges, birds, and city views while hearing local stories. The boat returns to Canal Square, and some trips run closer to 50 minutes.

“Elder was a great guide, nice relaxing trip on the river, informative, gave great recommendations as well”

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Kilkenny Walking Tour with Local Certified Guide - Kilkenny Castle and the Butler connection
Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny, Walking Tours

Kilkenny Walking Tour with Local Certified Guide

4.Kilkenny Walking Tour with Local Certified Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 274 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $14

Walk central Kilkenny with local certified guide John Britton for about two hours. You’ll see Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice’s Cathedral, the Black Abbey, St. Mary’s Cathedral, and other landmarks, while hearing local stories, getting restaurant tips, and spotting places to revisit. Expect about 5km on uneven streets.

“Guide clearly was well informed about Kilkenny and Ireland. He went half hour beyond. Excellent!!!!!”

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Kilkenny Haunted Dark Tours - St Mary’s Church and the memory of siege
Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny

Kilkenny Haunted Dark Tours

5.Kilkenny Haunted Dark Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 221 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Follow guides such as Sharon, John, or Joe on a 75-minute evening walk from Kilkenny Castle through the city’s darker past. Hear about Dame Alice Kyteler, Cromwell’s siege, plague legends, crime, curses, and haunted buildings. Expect a history-led tour with spooky touches, some steep steps, and an engaging local storyteller.

“Our guide, John, was knowledgeable and entertaining. We enjoyed hearing about the evil-doings in Kilkenny!”

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Kilkenny: Guided City Boat Tour with Kilkenny Castle Views - Greens Bridge, St Canice’s Cathedral, and the Round Tower
Castle Tours, City Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny

Kilkenny: Guided City Boat Tour with Kilkenny Castle Views

6.Guided City Boat Tour with Kilkenny Castle Views

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 161 reviews · from $17

Set out from Canal Square for a 40 to 45-minute guided ride on the River Nore. You’ll pass Kilkenny Castle, St Canice’s Cathedral, the Round Tower, historic bridges, and Ormonde Woollen Mill. Guides such as Cliff, Elder, Anne Marie, and Clint are known for lively local stories, humor, and personal attention.

“Really enjoyable experience, Clifford was a brilliant guide, very informative and he gave us a great laugh, highly recommend”

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The Medieval Mile Museum Guided Tour - Guides who make the history easier to follow
Guided, Museums, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny

The Medieval Mile Museum Guided Tour

7.The Medieval Mile Museum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 155 reviews · 55 minutes to 1 hour (approx.) · from $13

Tour Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile Museum with an English-speaking guide such as Joe, John, or Lyn. Expect a 55-minute to one-hour visit through a medieval church, historic graveyard, and displays of artifacts found by archaeologists. You can keep exploring after the guided portion, making this a useful, compact stop on High Street.

“Those interested in archaeological history would find this tour very interesting. The tour guide was excellent and very informative on medieval history and history of local surrounds”

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Hurling Tours Ireland - Hurling Experience in Kilkenny - On the field: four skills that make hurling click
Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny

Hurling Tours Ireland – Hurling Experience in Kilkenny

8.Hurling Tours Ireland – Hurling Experience in Kilkenny

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 149 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $36

At O'Loughlin Gaels GAA Club in Kilkenny, James introduces you to hurling’s history, rules, and traditions before coaching you through ground strikes, hand passes, solo runs, and shots at goal. You get the hurley, helmet, and sliotar, then put your new skills to work on the pitch.

“Wow! What a spectacular experience. We were traveling through Kilkenny with four generations ages 5-84 and we had a ball learning the basics of Hurling! Our guide was incredibly charismatic and made the hour extremely fun. We highly recommend this experience for families, and really anyone at all!”

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Walk the Medieval Mile with Pat - Starting at the Tholsel on High Street
Tour Reviews, Tours in Kilkenny

Walk the Medieval Mile with Pat

9.Walk the Medieval Mile with Pat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 132 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $21

Join Pat for a 90-minute walking tour through Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile. In medieval costume, he connects the Tholsel, castle, Kyteler’s Inn, St. Canice’s Cathedral, Smithwick’s, and the old jail through stories, local lore, and Irish history. Expect plenty of standing, a small group of up to 15, and a tour that may run long.

“Dressed in traditional medieval garb, Pat is really enthusiastic about Kilkenny’s history. We were entertained and at the same time learned so much! We were having such engaging conversations, he actually went over the one hour the tour was listed for. Great fun Pat! Thanks”

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Kilkenny: Historical and Hysterical Guided City Walking Tour - Walking the Medieval Mile at an easy pace
City Tours, Guided, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny, Walking Tours

Kilkenny: Historical and Hysterical Guided City Walking Tour

10.Historical and Hysterical Guided City Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · from $32

Walk just over a mile through Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile with native guide Nevin Cody, whose tour blends local history, personal stories, comedy, audience participation, and magic. Starting at Kilkenny Castle, the route passes the Tholsel, Black Abbey, Rothe House, and Kyteler’s Inn before returning to the castle.

“Nevan was very jovial with a lot of great information. He was engaging and fun. I would recommend this tour.”

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Kilkenny: Smithwick's Beer Experience - Finding the entrance on Parliament Street
Drinking Tours, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews, Tours in Kilkenny

Kilkenny: Smithwick’s Beer Experience

11.Smithwick’s Beer Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 108 reviews · from $25

Spend one hour at Smithwick’s Experience in central Kilkenny, where a live English-speaking guide explains Franciscan brewing, the Smithwick family, and the four ingredients in each ale. Expect a hands-on brewing display, family portraits brought to life, and a complimentary pint or soft drink in the intimate bar. Audio guides are available in four languages.

“Tour was brilliant, our Guide Barry was funny and very knowledgeable, Great Value for money and a beautiful pint at the end in the lovely in house bar!!!!”

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Medieval Mile Museum Self Guided Audio Tour - Look closely at the stonework and high crosses
Audio Tours, Guided, Museums, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny

Medieval Mile Museum Self Guided Audio Tour

12.Medieval Mile Museum Self Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $9Best value

At St. Mary’s Medieval Mile Museum in Kilkenny, use your phone and an English audio guide to explore ancient tombstones, crypts, high crosses, wall paintings, and archaeological finds. The child-friendly version makes this a practical family stop, while the flexible opening hours let you visit without a fixed tour time.

“Excellent museum with some very interesting artifacts. Staff are great and the self guided tour is highly recommended. Archaeological discoveries are fascinating as is the cemetery. Take soon time to talk to staff about other places to see in Kilkenny. Staff will provide you with many suggestions.”

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Kilkenny: Historical Highlights Walking Tour - From Kilkenny Crystal to the River Nore
Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny, Walking Tours

Kilkenny: Historical Highlights Walking Tour

13.Historical Highlights Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 90 reviews · from $14

Walk through Kilkenny with a licensed guide such as John, tracing the city from St. Canice’s Cathedral and Irishtown to the Black Abbey and Kilkenny Castle. In two hours, you’ll hear clear historical stories, local anecdotes, and useful tips in English, French, or German. Small-group and private options are available.

“The guide was very helpful and was explaining everything in a simple way for us to understand and the tour was very informative. I wouldn’t have known anything about Kilkenny without it!”

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Knight For Hire Tour - Medieval politics outside St. Mary’s museum
Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny

Knight For Hire Tour

14.Knight For Hire Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $21

Meet knight Dylan at Canal Square for a relaxed, family-friendly walk through Kilkenny’s medieval center. You’ll hear local stories, visit the Shee Alms House and Medieval Mile Museum, handle replica weapons, and enter a small tower before finishing at Kilkenny Castle. The tour lasts about an hour and is limited to 15 people.

“Even though our tour guide Dylan said he failed on his history exam, he knew everything inside and out of kilkenny, especially the road markings and the penny feathered Lane which took an interest in me. I absolutely adored his Knight outfit that he got to show us and the helmet followed on with the 3 different types of swords. The other scene which took an interest in me was when he shared the poem of hurling cats to us. I thought that was an absolute lovely poem to share amongst us while touring with him throughout certain parts of the city. I would absolutely love to go back again…”

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Kilkenny Dark Tours - Starting at Kilkenny Castle
Tour Reviews, Tours, Tours in Kilkenny

Kilkenny Dark Tours

15.Kilkenny Dark Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 55 reviews · from $22

Walk through medieval Kilkenny at 7pm with a local English-speaking guide such as Sharon, hearing true dark-history tales tied to the castle, Shee Almshouse, Butterslip Lane, Kyteler’s Inn, the courthouse, and Smithwick’s Brewery. This is a story-led history walk, not a ghost hunt, with no jump scares or site entry.

“This was such a fun tour! We loved every second of it and the stories were top notch! Thank you!!!”

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New in Tours in Kilkenny

★ 4.7Waterford Crystal & Kilkenny City Small Group TourFrom $2216 reviews
★ 4.5Kilkenny Food and Brewery TourFrom $1906 reviews
★ 4.5Kilkenny Romance: Private Tour with Professional GuideFrom $4376 reviews
★ 5.0Kilkenny city tour in German.From $136 reviews

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