The Great Blasket Island Experience
5
The Great Blasket Island Experience
By Great Blasket Island Experience
About
The Dingle Peninsula is best seen from the water, so explore all the nooks and crannies of Ireland’s dramatic coastline on a speed boat tour through Dingle Bay. The nimble vessel gets you up close to sea cliffs, rock formations, and the bay’s marine life, including regular sightings of a resident dolphin. Dock at Blasket Island for several hours of free time to explore an abandoned village and hidden coves.
from per adult
€103.00
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 6–7 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English
Highlights
- See more of the Dingle Peninsula on a top-rated speed boat tour
- Captain knows the best places to spot sea birds, dolphins, and whales
- A stop at Blasket Island makes it easy to explore this rugged coastal outpost
- Stay warm inside the boat’s cabin with a small group limited to 12
- Afternoon tea - Complementary Tea or Coffee in the Great Blasket Island Cafe
- Binoculars available
- Coffee and/or Tea
What's not included- Please bring own lunch
- Departure details
- The Great Blasket Island Experience, Strand St, Farrannakilla, Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland Departure from the pontoon directly below the Tourist Office.
Return details- Returns to original departure point
- Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 85426P1- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Please be aware passengers must trans-ship into smaller Dinghy upon arrival to Great Blasket Island
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- How much is The Great Blasket Island Experience?
- The Great Blasket Island Experience price starts from €104.68. Discover and book The Great Blasket Island Experience on Tripadvisor
- What is the The Great Blasket Island Experience cancellation policy?
- The Great Blasket Island Experience cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book The Great Blasket Island Experience on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides The Great Blasket Island Experience?
- The Great Blasket Island Experience is hosted by Great Blasket Island Experience. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Great Blasket Island Experience on Tripadvisor. Discover and book The Great Blasket Island Experience on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 85426P1
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Itinerary
- You'll start atThe Great Blasket Island ExperienceStrand St, Farrannakilla, Dingle, Co. Kerry, IrelandDeparture from the pontoon directly below the Tourist Office.See address & details
- 1Great Blasket Island ExperienceStop: 6 hours• 11.00 am Departure from Dingle Marina - departure time may vary, please confirm day before departure • 1.5 hour Eco Tour in and around the Blasket Islands including Fungi the Dolphin, caves, rock formations, archipelago of Blasket Islands, birds and marine life • 12.30 pm Landing on the Great Blasket Island • 4 pm Depart Great Blasket Island for return to Dingle • 5.30 - 6 pm Arrive to Dingle Approximately 6hour round trip @ €60 per person. Departing Dingle Marina daily at 11am (directly below Dingle Tourist Office, next to the Fungie the Dolphin statue). Visiting Fungie (our residential dolphin), we cruise out the Bay increasing speeds along Dingles beautiful coastline. stopping in many cave and coves, passengers get an upclose tour of the land and rock formations along the peninsula. Taking a wide arch out the bay, we cover deep sea ground where whales, dolphins, porpoises and an abundance of sea birds are likely to fish. Reaching the Great Blasket Island, we tour the Northern shore which is a hot-spot for Grey seal activity. We land passengers for 3.5 to 4 hours on the Great Blasket Island where they can tour the abandoned village provided by the OPW and explore the many wonders the Island has to offer. Please note times may vary depending on weather and sea conditions.Read more
- You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator
- pkofarrell00A stunning exhibitionAmazing location which includes a gem of a cafe with wonderful views of the Blasket Islands. The exhibition is very thoughtfully put together with excellent presentation, photos & audio/ film. I was very moved by the exhibition with the information on the lives of the islanders
- michaelcX1918QK00StunningVery informative and interesting. Stunning location. Just skip the coffee shop. A great stop along the wild Atlantic way.
- Martin_ob2400Incredible Day OutBilly & Chris on the boat were brilliant. They were very welcoming, friendly, and informative throughout the day. Would highly recommend this tour and is suitable for all ages. The time on the Island was brilliant, Emily & Dan at the cafe were very welcoming. The OPW tour with Conail was fascinating and his enthusiasm to tell the stories from times gone by was brilliant, would highly recommend doing the this tour.
- V14SVinfo00Best day of our tripOur best day in Ireland! Kids and I loved our day on the boat and exploring the island. Highly recommend this!!
- 990maurac00An amazing experienceFirst of all we had great weather sunshine all day .Would advise plenty of layers and make sure your outerwear is water proof .You will want to be on the outside deck to view the magnificent scenery and the wonderful wild life .Billy and Chris are well informed about the area and deliver a commentary on the coastline,the islands and the wild life .Felt very safe on board getting up close to basking sharks ,dolphins and many sea birds.We also spotted a minke whale and the little puffins were another highlight .Of course it was an opportunity to spend time on Blasket Mor so unspoiled with breathtaking views all around.It made for a very special day with family and friends.
- olgabD4276KA00A fantastic boat trip to a very special islandI went on a boat tour to the Great Blasket. The boat trip itself was a great experience, we got to see the wildlife up close: dolphins on the way to the island and seals as we were leaving the island. I had a great time on the island as well and did a smaller loop of the Great Blasket as suggested by the boat crew. It was a memorable and inspiring experience. Alice and Billy were great to deal with, and very accommodating. I was booked to go on a day when the weather forecast was bad, and Alice very kindly rescheduled my booking for a better day. If you are not familiar with the history of the Great Blasket, I would recommend doing a bit of background reading before visiting the island.
- frankdH9985QK00Great Blasket TourA really enjoyable experience. Got great history of Slea head on the way out. The Island itself was magical. The return journey was fantastic we were shown plenty of wildlife. The boat staff were really friendly and gave us loads of time, we were in no way rushed. I highly recommend it.
- Otismyman_300Dingle Bay Speed Boat Tours & Great Blasket Island ExperienceThis was by far the best day of our trip to Ireland. Alice, Billy and Chris the first mate were awesome. The boat ride to Great Blasket Island was great. Billy and Chris were friendly, engaging and very informative. We were shuttled to the island in groups on a zodiac style boat and then were off to explore the island. On the way back Billy received information that there was a pod of humpback whales and off we went in search of them. We spent the next 1 1/2 chasing the pod. This was without a doubt a top ten experience in our lives.
- la-2001600Great Time!I did the Great Blasket Island tour and it was great! We had an incredible day as we saw whales, dolphins, seals and more. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly.
- GlobeTrotting58474100AmazingWhat a great experience we had with billy and crew amazing trip he had great knowledge of the area beautifully told stories and history it's was such a privilege to walk onto the blaskets a truly unforgettable experience could not rate this high enough a must great value
- BillyBoy1809198200A must do if visiting DingleExcellent boat ride..comfortable and smooth. Staff on board were very friendly, relaxed and informative. Did a short detour on route home to see some visiting dolphins..Nice bonus. ps bring your own food, snacks and drink and a towel....the beach is great.
- maryWidnes00Excellent tripWe enjoyed this trip so much. Billy and Chris were great tour guides, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly. Our time on Great Blasket was wonderful, seals, donkeys, a beautiful loop walk around the Island and most of all bright sunshine. We also joined a short tour by a lady whose family originated from the Island, which was so informative. Seeing dolphins and a humpback whale on our return journey just made this trip so special. Couldn’t recommend this company or trip more, well worth the money.
- 627annettec00The best time on The Great BlasketWe had an incredible day on our Great Blasket Excursion. Captain Billy was so skillful with getting us in and out of caves, spotting sea life and keeping us informed and laughing. Highly recommend! The island was beautiful and we loved the hiking, history and beach! Just bring plenty of water and sunscreen!
- markdO8685HZ00Amazing day exploring the BlasketsReally informative trip out to the Blaskets. The guys really took their time explaining the local scenery, finding wildlife and chatting with the guests - great experience!
- Klaudy00Really great experience for me and my son (11).The tour itself was perfectly organized and executed. Blaskets are beautifull and we had plenty of time to spent there. There were also an adventurous side as you need to change from shipp to the boat and vice versa on the way back and also we got in near touch with a lot of dolphins and a whale. Other passengers were also very nice, ready to have a shared experience.
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5.0
466 reviews
Excellent
458
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Terrible
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Elizabeth B
Clonmany, Ireland1 contribution
Aug 2020 • Couples
Fantastic day on this tour. Our guide Billy was brilliant. He went out of his was on the way back from the Blasket Island to bring us to see whales that were in the area. A great surprise and a fantastic end to our trip. Highly recommended.
Written 12 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aisling B
Dublin, Ireland63 contributions
Jun 2021
We were lucky to go out on the first tour of the season on the Peig Seyers last week. And despite the absolutely awful weather (it rained ALL day), our party of five, including a 9 & 13 year old, absolutely everyone LOVED it. Hands down the highlight of the trip to Dingle for us.
Booking was seamless and Alice was super helpful with any questions we had beforehand. Billy, the skipper, was fantastic. Really informative and fun. He certainly went the extra mile and took us into caves, showed really cool cliff formations, and the beauty of the peninsula from the sea. He even let the 9 year old drive the boat back into the harbour later that afternoon, which he's still talking about...
The Blaskets are amazing, and caretakers Niamh/Jack were on hand to answer any questions even offering tea to warm us up after a very wet hike around the island!
We were lucky to see lots of minke whales, seals & common dolphins on our trip, even spotting a nursing pod of mums/babies which was very special. Billy was so respectful of the wildlife too, which was great to see.
All in all I highly recommend this trip. A must do if in Dingle this summer.
Booking was seamless and Alice was super helpful with any questions we had beforehand. Billy, the skipper, was fantastic. Really informative and fun. He certainly went the extra mile and took us into caves, showed really cool cliff formations, and the beauty of the peninsula from the sea. He even let the 9 year old drive the boat back into the harbour later that afternoon, which he's still talking about...
The Blaskets are amazing, and caretakers Niamh/Jack were on hand to answer any questions even offering tea to warm us up after a very wet hike around the island!
We were lucky to see lots of minke whales, seals & common dolphins on our trip, even spotting a nursing pod of mums/babies which was very special. Billy was so respectful of the wildlife too, which was great to see.
All in all I highly recommend this trip. A must do if in Dingle this summer.
Written 8 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clodagh B
Dublin, Ireland67 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
Seriously, do yourself a favour and book this tour! Billy is a fantastic host . He is very conscious of covid 19 precautions which was very reassuring especially as other boat operators did not appear to be adhering to them. Billy pointed out wildlife geology landmarks and expertly brought us into a cave. We had the best up close viewing of Fungie playing with a tiny boat in the harbour for a long time . We also spent time watching common dolphins out at sea on our way back home as they swam alongside the boat. The time spent on the Blasket Island was just perfect. We spent 4 hours on the island which was just the right amount time needed to explore fully. Rain held off and we walked around the island literally. Eating lunch while watching the seals on the beach beside us will be a forever memory. Wolfie's company in the boat just made the day perfect. Thanks Billy and Wolfie for making a special day of memory making for us.
Written 15 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Valerie M
County Cork, Ireland5 contributions
Jul 2020
Billy was an amazing tour operator he really went above and beyond to show us all the beautiful scenery, coastline and he even found lots of dolphins for us. It was so thrilling to watch the dolphins racing the speedboat!!
Billy had previously had some geologists on board and was able to recount all the information on the rock formations including the riverbed turned rock face, incredible.
Billy is passionate about the Blasket Islands and knows them intimately.
It was a fantastic day out and well worth the money. I would highly recommend it!
Thanks to Billy and his lovely dog Wolfie:)
Billy had previously had some geologists on board and was able to recount all the information on the rock formations including the riverbed turned rock face, incredible.
Billy is passionate about the Blasket Islands and knows them intimately.
It was a fantastic day out and well worth the money. I would highly recommend it!
Thanks to Billy and his lovely dog Wolfie:)
Written 13 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gan.ainm
2 contributions
Jul 2023
We planned to make a day trip to the Great Blasket Island and after scanning several offers, we tried to book a trip on their website. However, the booking page showed only one place left so we tried the next day which failed due to booking problems with the credit card. That certainly needs to be fixed!
A phone call to Alice, however, revealed, that there were still two places left for the day so we booked it!
The trip was really great although the weather could have been brighter, anyway, this is Ireland. On the way out to the island we went into coves full of jellyfish and mussels and Billy told us a lot about the geological stone formations of the cliffs and the animals.
On the island, we took a nice walk around and were lucky to be hit by a short shower only. The stunning views onto the surrounding islands and the mainland are unforgettable. After a short complimentary tea break at the caife we went
down to the beach to watch the gray seal colony.
On the way back, Billy showed us gannets, puffins, and common dolphins swimming along the boat.
At the end of the fantastic trip, we were even granted a ten Euro discount because we did not go around Inis Mhic Aoibhleáin that hosts seabird colonies because of the weather conditions.
All in all a perfect trip (forget the borked web booking), we'll do it again!
A phone call to Alice, however, revealed, that there were still two places left for the day so we booked it!
The trip was really great although the weather could have been brighter, anyway, this is Ireland. On the way out to the island we went into coves full of jellyfish and mussels and Billy told us a lot about the geological stone formations of the cliffs and the animals.
On the island, we took a nice walk around and were lucky to be hit by a short shower only. The stunning views onto the surrounding islands and the mainland are unforgettable. After a short complimentary tea break at the caife we went
down to the beach to watch the gray seal colony.
On the way back, Billy showed us gannets, puffins, and common dolphins swimming along the boat.
At the end of the fantastic trip, we were even granted a ten Euro discount because we did not go around Inis Mhic Aoibhleáin that hosts seabird colonies because of the weather conditions.
All in all a perfect trip (forget the borked web booking), we'll do it again!
Written 15 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica M
Killarney, Ireland17 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
We are so glad we booked with the Dingle Bay Speed Boat Tours and Great Blasket Island Experience. It was a fantastic day out and I would 100% recommend!
We had a gorgeous sunny day which definitely topped it off. We met Billy, our host, at Dingle Marina. As we departed early, we got to see Fungi up close and personal. We also saw him on our return trip but there was a load of Fungi boats out in the evening. Billy took us along the coastline, in and out of caves and gave great information about the area.
We landed to the Great Blasket Island around 11am and we got 3 and a half hours there to self explore and take in the amazing views. We did the loop walk which took us about 2 hours. A packed lunch is a must on this trip.
We also listened to the OPW tour guide which was fascinating and definitely worth it.
The Island was so quiet, on our loop walk we only met 2 people. Would love to go back some time and camp on the island - weather permitting!
Would 100% recommend this tour. Although a little expensive, it was a brilliant day out.
We had a gorgeous sunny day which definitely topped it off. We met Billy, our host, at Dingle Marina. As we departed early, we got to see Fungi up close and personal. We also saw him on our return trip but there was a load of Fungi boats out in the evening. Billy took us along the coastline, in and out of caves and gave great information about the area.
We landed to the Great Blasket Island around 11am and we got 3 and a half hours there to self explore and take in the amazing views. We did the loop walk which took us about 2 hours. A packed lunch is a must on this trip.
We also listened to the OPW tour guide which was fascinating and definitely worth it.
The Island was so quiet, on our loop walk we only met 2 people. Would love to go back some time and camp on the island - weather permitting!
Would 100% recommend this tour. Although a little expensive, it was a brilliant day out.
Written 21 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eilish M
4 contributions
Aug 2020
THANK YOU BILLY! We went off on Monday morning on the Peig Seyers out to Blasket Islands, we got a very knowledgeable and interesting talk on the way to the islands. We got to the Island only to see a the gorgeous beach have around 80 seals lying out on it - it was amazing. We had a 6 and 8 yr old with us, and we did the small walk (5km) loop of the island - doable ,had the most gorgeous weather, and got back in time for the boat back to the island leaving at 4pm. On the way back, we spent around 30 minutes enjoying pods of dolphins swimming beside the boat and playing, and spotted some minke whales just finished up feeding. Our smallies had the best time, and Billy kept them very entertained!! Would recommend this to everyone!
Written 21 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SNiC
8 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Great tour, lots of info about local ecology, culture & geology & very informative about sea birds & wildlife. Billy’s wildlife knowledge & experience showed & we got a great view of Funghi & the grey seal colonyi!! Child-friendly, well worth the price. Covid restrictions complied with - had no negative impact on this activity.
Written 11 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shelly
5 contributions
Aug 2020
Quite possibly one of the best things I've done when in the Dingle area! We really lucked out with the weather, and getting to experience a different perspective of the coast and spend so much time on Great Blasket Island was amazing. Billy was a superb guide and captain and Wolfie the dog made the boat trip all the more enjoyable. We were fortunate enough to encounter a pod of common dolphins on our way back, which was icing on the cake (and made later sightings of Fungie a bit anticlimactic, but still exciting nonetheless). I'd highly recommend this tour if you every get the chance, thanks again for an amazing day!
Written 11 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James M
1 contribution
Jun 2020
We found Alice very clear and quick to give us updates regarding the weather and sea state leading up to the day.
We found Billy very pleasant and child friendly, he allowed the two of them to sit with him and steer when we got back to the safety of the sound. On the way out he was confident, knowledgeable and friendly.
We would heartily recommend this as a day-trip.
We found Billy very pleasant and child friendly, he allowed the two of them to sit with him and steer when we got back to the safety of the sound. On the way out he was confident, knowledgeable and friendly.
We would heartily recommend this as a day-trip.
Written 4 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CamillaR892
Maine67 contributions
Do the tours operate at the end of March ?
Michael F
Chicago, IL2 contributions
It appears so if you go ahead and try to buy tickets for March. I would suggest contacting them directly if you want to be sure.
TommyCallaghan
Dublin, Ireland3 contributions
Hi there, just wondering is the walk on the blaskets a guided walk? I am travelling on my own and it woulds be good to be guided.
den21kerin
Castleisland, Ireland1 contribution
There are regular guided tours of the village, with good history information by the opw.
The walk around the island isn’t guided though, but once you stick to the paths you won’t have a problem.
Hi,
Is it possible to make this Tour with chidren? ( 6 years old).
Kathy
Michael F
Chicago, IL2 contributions
I traveled by myself, but there were two families on the boat over with me and they had a good time. Can plan beach time or hiking time or picnic or whatever, depending on weather I suppose.
