Spike Island
Spike Island
5
11:00 - 14:30
Monday
11:00 - 14:30
Tuesday
11:00 - 14:30
Wednesday
11:00 - 14:30
Thursday
11:00 - 14:30
Friday
11:00 - 14:30
Saturday
11:00 - 14:30
Sunday
11:00 - 14:30
About
Discover Ireland's Captains & Convicts and Sinners and Saints at Spike Island Cork, Ireland's historic island. Voted Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction of 2017! The Island is located off the coast of Cobh in Cork harbour & has over 1300 years of Irish history. From an island monastery & fortress to the world's largest prison in the 1850's and centuries of island homes. Your journey starts with a ferry ride before Ireland's best storytellers take you on a guided tour of the outer island and fortress. You can then self explore our prison cells, fortress, beautiful island walks and also use our on-site cafe. Attractions include the 1850's punishment block, the 1980's prison cells and riot exhibition, Ireland's largest artillery gun park and several penal, military and social history museums. With activities for children and families and guided and self-guided tours, Spike Island has something for everyone. Audio guides available, cafe and gift shop on site.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view










What is Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best?
This award is our highest recognition and is presented annually to those businesses that are the Best of the Best on Tripadvisor, those that earn excellent reviews from travellers and are ranked in the top 1% of properties worldwide.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
50 within 5 kms
Attractions
36 within 10 kms
See what other travellers are saying
- MadScot66659 contributionsWhat Could Have Been A Disaster Was BrilliantVisited with friends at the height of Storm Ciara. Trip out was a little bit choppy, and it was a bit windy on the island, but its Ireland in winter, don't expect to need your sunscreen. We decided to stay with Kyle, our guide, as did most people (you can simply wander off and not be guided, but our thinking was to take the tour and then explore on our own after it ended). Well, we'd made it into the fortress (which was MUCH larger than I had expected - this place is HUGE!) when Kyle's radio went off and after a short discussion he informed us that due to the deteriorating weather they were worried we wouldn't be able to get off the island, and so we were being "evacuated". He clearly was disappointed for us, so rushed us around the fort trying to show us everything important. This spoke to both his enthusiam for the island and also his knowledge - a guide on a script couldn't have improvised like that. Thanks to this, I think we saw most of the "sights". Eventually we made our way back to the boat, which was definitely bobbing around. While waiting to depart one of the guides/operators announced that they were sorry we'd had to leave early, and that everyone would be refunded in full, either by reversing the transaction (if electronic) or by just getting their cash back if they had paid cash. Given that we were on the island for almost 2 hours and had 90% of the tour, this was more than fair. I'm sure they could easily have claimed "force majure/act of god", but they didn't (and my friend, who had booked it on credit card, was indeed promptly refunded) The place itself is interesting, and I'd recommend it for that anyway, but the superlative customer service in difficult circumstances means I'm only giving them 5 stars because I can't give six!Visited February 2020Written 24 February 2020
- Leann R7 contributionsFamily day outCannot believe we had not been here before. This is a great family day out for kids of all ages. As an adult I found the history of it extremely interesting. The only thing I could fault is the cafe is a bit pricy especially if you have a few kids, but you could bring a packed lunch and have a picnic. The view from spike is amazing I got some beautiful picturesVisited August 2019Travelled with familyWritten 23 February 2020
- Siobhan D5 contributionsIconic location with a colourful history.Karl with a "K" was our tour guide, and he gave us a very informative & interesting tour of the history of Cobh & the Island. Social distancing was well maintained, one way system in place, face masks were worn in indoor spaces. We would highly recommend the Spike Island tour to people of all ages.Visited September 2020Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 September 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.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
3,162 reviews
Excellent
2,587
Very good
476
Average
53
Poor
12
Terrible
34
Christina G.
Reno, NV4 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Eye opening experience to how the Irish prisoners were treated. It was impactful and we enjoyed our tour guide, Anna, for the first 40 minutes before we were sent to explore independently. You have about a 15-20 minute boat ride there and back then about 3 hours on the island itself. Time flys by! Be mindful of the spiders on the ceilings they are huge and not visible in the dark!!!!!!!
Written 1 October 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.
philipscargill
Armagh, UK70 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
This was a really good rxperience. A 10-minute boat trip to the island, just under sn hour with the guide, and then a couple of hours to wander sround and check out all the exhibits
Paul, our guide, was excellent - lots of information, lots of humour. Spike Island is fantastic, surely noting else like it in Ireland - or the UK! My only gripe is that I could have done with snother hour at least - so much to see! Worth every penny, a great afternoon out!
Paul, our guide, was excellent - lots of information, lots of humour. Spike Island is fantastic, surely noting else like it in Ireland - or the UK! My only gripe is that I could have done with snother hour at least - so much to see! Worth every penny, a great afternoon out!
Written 29 September 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.
Yvonne J
2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Our guide was Paul and he was very knowledgeable and told us history we were totally unaware of. Didn't expect the afternoon to be so enjoyable, thoroughly recommend a visit.
Written 29 September 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.
Irishgram52
Fallston, MD26 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We were on a Princess cruise that called at Cobh. We booked a tour of Spike Island and had an outstanding tour guide named Hannah! She was knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. The day was lovely; the island was quite interesting and the ferry ride over was calm and relaxing. Highly recommend!
Written 25 September 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.
Damsters1971
Swords, Ireland12 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Unplanned trip by my wife and I as we had a weekend in Cork and had not done the trip the previous time we were in Cobh. Very surprising how good the setup is and the history of the Island is intriguing. Well worth the visit but would watch the weather we got out and back before the weather turned into a horrible day..
Written 24 September 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.
453barbara
Picton, Canada3 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Our guide, Karl, was super! Witty, engaging and full of great facts!
It was a great tour and the exhibits were well done.
We loved being able to walk the perimeter and take in the amazing views. Book ahead and take this tour. You'll be very satisfied!
Barb and Chris
Canada
It was a great tour and the exhibits were well done.
We loved being able to walk the perimeter and take in the amazing views. Book ahead and take this tour. You'll be very satisfied!
Barb and Chris
Canada
Written 23 September 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.
Allison C
2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
This place is so interesting! Gorgeous views of the harbor. We took so many photos! Kevin was our tour guide and he did a fantastic job at telling us the history of the island and why it is still important. The museums in the fort are informative and thought provoking.
Written 22 September 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.
Yates262
Richmond, VA92 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
Don’t get me wrong, it was nice to go for a boat ride to an island in a foreign country. The employees did a good job, but there were only a couple buildings to visit on the island. It was a lovely day so I took advantage of the walking trails around the islands. But to be honest 3 1/2 hours was too long. It would’ve been nice to be offered an earlier boat back to town.
Written 20 September 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.
Donna M
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
What an experience. From the ferry trip to the tour. Paul our tour guide was brilliant. Full of enthusiasm an knowledge. He really made the tour interesting. We all learned stuff we didnt know. My son hasnt stopped talking about it. He has a love for Irish history thanks to his grandad. I would definitely recommend.
Written 18 September 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.
Mary S
4 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
Fantastic tour.Kevin tour guide was 👏 brilliant start to finish.The cells were really creepy.Watch out for the manaq
Written 18 September 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.
Are they any discount codes
sharon w
Navan, Ireland38 contributions
No unfortunately.
Why were the staff let go after having to fight for toilet facilities and being told they can wash their hands with a tap along the pier that fishermen use to wash out their buckets.
joanbE4056AQ
Cashel, Ireland1 contribution
Hi can we bring a small dog on a leash please?
Kevin M
16 contributions
Only service dogs are allowed.
Hi, can I go to Spike Island without a guided tour?
Also, what are the return times for the ferry from Spike Island to come back to Cobh?
John C
Cork, Ireland26 contributions
Hi there, the guided tour is included in the ticket price and it is optional. The ticket price is one price for the ferry, guided tour and island access.
We normally have 2/3 boats a day in the quiet season and 6/8 boats a day in summer, see the website for definite times. Your return is automatically reserved for 3.5 hours after you sail, so 12pm would be 3.30pm, etc. The island has over a dozen musuems and exhibitions as well as scenic island walks and a cafe, you would easily fill this time. But you are very welcome to change to an earlier or later return time if there is space on another sailing. You simply visit the gift shop on site with your ticket and they will advise you of the options. There is generally space to go back at different times, if it was essential you could let us know in advance so we could give you the options.
Regards, John, Spike Island.
Shane C
Wexford, Ireland10 contributions
Hi John, we will have our dog with us all day & would like to visit Spike Island - has the ferry come on board yet that allows dogs?
Regards
Shane
tony b
County Dublin, Ireland69 contributions
I don't know. The ferry we were on was very full. Rows of seats.Perhaps a guide dog? As there are nesting birds and other ground wild life I imagine that loose dogs would be forbidden.
5rttttttttttttttt
2 contributions
Can you buy tickets at the pier for tour
John C
Cork, Ireland26 contributions
Yes, we highly recommend advance booking.
smythk2017
Belfast, UK1 contribution
Is it far to walk from the ferry to the entrance and cafe. One of our party has limited walking abilities
Tommy Heatly
Wicklow, Ireland63 contributions
it is about half a mile from ferry to cafe etc,but it is all up a fairly steep hill.there is a bus though on the island for people with mobility issues and will be there when you exit the ferry.You will be well looked after by the staff there.
G1RLONE52
Chelmsford, UK35 contributions
HI On the website the times are in 3 and a half hour slots. Would the 2pm ferry then be back in Cobh by 5.30pm . We are visiting by cruise ship to Cobh . Thanks
Hi, I dont think you would be back by 5.30pm sharp, from memory I believe ferry leaves at 5.30pm, its a 10/20 minute journey each way because the ferries dont take the same route out and back. You get to see a bit extra from the boat such as Irish Naval Base and maybe a seal or two on the rocks. Also its popular so a few minutes to disembark. Best to go earlier, come back earlier and have a wander around Cobh before getting back on the cruise ship.
Can we bring bikes to the island? Also - is it suitable for 5 and 6 year olds?
Pierce B
Graiguenamanagh, Ireland280 contributions
I think so you would have to ask at the ferry and I’d imagine kids would love the island, parents with plenty of buggy’s were on the ferry with me so I can’t see why you wouldn’t be allowed a bike
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingSPIKE ISLAND: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Spike Island
- Spike Island is open:
- Sun - Sat 11:00 - 14:30
- Hotels near Spike Island:
- (2.07 km) Bella Vista Hotel & Self Catering Suites
- (2.77 km) Knockeven House
- (1.85 km) WatersEdge Hotel
- (1.85 km) Ard Na Laoi B&B
- (1.86 km) Commodore Hotel
- Restaurants near Spike Island:
- (1.83 km) The Quays Bar and Restaurant
- (1.84 km) Titanic Bar and Grill
- (1.90 km) Cuppacity Coffee
- (1.86 km) Harbour Browns Steakhouse.
- (2.56 km) Ellen's Kitchen