Unforgettable Dublin Day Trip: Kilkenny Castle & Waterford Crystal

Our group of 3 were the only participants on this tour so we had a guide, Paddy, all to ourselves. Paddy was knowledgeable of the towns we visited and kept us on schedule. He was helpful and went above and beyond to make our experience feel “first class.” Kilkenny Castle and the town was lovely and definitely worth a visit. We visited during the off season to avoid the crowds. Highly recommend this tour company if you are looking for train travel and a private guide.

Great tour, no doubt. Paddy, our guide went above and beyond to help my wife and I see some extra things outside of the scheduled tour. We were treated like VIPs the entire time and saw some amazing things. Highly recommend!

We finally made it to the one place that my wife has always wanted to visit and that was to the Waterford Crystal Factory. A beautiful place and was worth it. Kilkenny Castle seemed like an afterthought but was just beautiful; but seeing the Waterford factory caped off a beautiful place to visit. Finally.

Our guide was fantastic! On the train before each stop we were given a review of the itinerary. In Kilkenny, he made sure taxi rides were availavle to and from the castle for anyone having difficulty with the 15 minute walk. He helped my mother who ended up needing a taxi on the way back and we appreciated it so much. On the train on the way back to Dublin our guide confirmed each group had a transfer plan back to their accomodations and was available to help if needed. Not only did we receive bits of history from our guide along the way but we also felt well looked after during the excursion. Highly recommend.

It’s a plus that this tour is by train rather than motorcoach, except for a very small portion. The guide for the city tour of Kilkenny was hilarious and very amusing. Our general guide was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, but not pushy or annoying in any way. Fun experience!

The tour was very good but the physical walk was too much when handicapped. ( from the train station to Kilkenny Castle). And once we got there the castle was not open for another 45 minutes so why the hurry and push. Or guide Norman was fantastic and did a remarkable job of looking after us and our requests. He was thoughtful and very accommodating A suggestion would get to have a map of the route to be taken or walked and give a copy to each guest and that way if you get separated you know where to end up The City train ride was a blast and very enjoyable. Use the train to get people from the the train station to a Kilkenny Castle Thanks again to Norman who went out of his way to make our time memorable and enjoyable despite the obvious problem for disabled people who have to walk a fair distance and uphill too.

Ease of traveling by train was a major bonus. We were able to relax, see the countryside, walk freely about the train, snack service was available and had access to a bathroom. Significantly more comfortable and enjoyable than being packed on a tour bus. Paddy, our guide, was absolutely fantastic!!! Great sense of humor!!He ensured that everyone was taken care of throughout the day. He even ensured that we had transportation lined up afterwards to return to our hotel in Dublin. Best way to travel day trip Ireland.

We had a wonderful tour guide (Paddy) who did a fabulous job taking us around Kilkenny and telling us all the historical information. The tour seemed very personal (there were only 10 in our group) and Paddy talked with us individually on the train about the itinerary and he also gave us great tips on places to visit in Ireland. The tour of Waterford was excellent and our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. The tram through the city was a lot of fun and entertaining. It was a great tour from start to finish.

Visited Waterford Crystal and Kilkenny on this tour and it was fantastic! Paddy is absolutely lovely, so informative and friendly and made sure everything went smoothly! I loved the factory tour in Waterford, and the cool facts about Kilkenny City and its history - a truly remarkable place, definitely one for the bucket list!!! Railtours Ireland was so organised and informative, so well worth it for me! 👏

From the moment we arrived at the train station we were well looked after by Paddy our tour guide. He ensured we had all the information we required for our trip to Waterford via Kilkenny. It was an amazing trip, Kilkenny Castle and grounds were superb, our trip on the road train around the perimeter of Kilkenny was great. Lunch at the Reg was excellent. A highlight for us was the Waterford Crystal Factory tour & showroom, master craftsmanship at its finest. The train journey was great with Paddy pointing out sights and features on the way.