Beautiful castle and grounds. We bought tickets in advance online which is recommended, though there was no line when we arrived anyway (about 11am on a Sunday). We did the self tour and although I’m sure we missed out on a lot of information that a guided tour would provide, I felt we got enough out of the self tour to make it more than worth it. Especially enjoyed the art gallery. Be sure to take the extra time to explore the castle grounds before or after your visit.

Absolutely beautiful castle. We did a guided tour and the guide was phenomenal. Extremely kind, patient, and intelligent. She was fabulous. I highly recommend taking a tour with her as we never would have gotten as much out of it if we didn't go with her. Best decision we made.

We had a lovely time touring this castle, it was self guided, so we could go on our own speed. They said upfront they gave a bit of history, that, at some point the castle, and gone in disrepair, and they have basically sold off all of their inside furnishings, So the various teams that I’ve taken on renovating the castle have done a great job with the exterior, and the interior is in various states from certain rooms being amazing to others, simply in progress This is truly a huge castle, it’s unique and how it’s laid out

A magnificently preserved huge castle! It is situated in an excellent location along the river, offering beautiful panoramas both inside and out. The interior decoration and scale of the castle. Be sure to visit this castle, personally I will be back here in the spring and will add the garden and castle surroundings to my visit programme. Thank you and see you again!

We did the self guided tour and there was lots of interesting information. The rooms of the castle are definitely worth seeing. The castle cafe serves amazing cakes and very generous pots of tea. It was a lovely sunny day and the grounds and garden of the castle are great to walk around. We sat for quite a while in the garden enjoying the sunshine. Enjoyed our visit and would definitely go back again.

Beautiful place to visit. You can choose from giuded or self-guided tours of the castle. There are many QR codes and signs for additional information as you walk through each room if you choose self-guided. The rooms, furnishings and grounds are beautifully maintained. The town surrounding the castle is beautiful as well with more sights than can be seen in a day. All in all well definitely worth the trip.

Finally made it to the castle. We went for the selfguided tickets with a 4 and a 6 year old. The castle is in great condition and the rooms look like they were still inhabited only yesterday. The kids enjoyed the tour and it took us a little over an hour to get it done. Very nice

Absolutely brilliant place. Over 800 years of history. Excellently restored and kept by OPW. Marvellous walks and great for kids too

Really cool experience! Loved learning about the history and how it’s been so well documented for so many years. Awesome! Thank you to Peter, our tour guide, for walking us through this amazing place.

An absolutely beautiful location that is a must-see if visiting Kilkenny. The guided tour within the castle is rich with history and was quite informative. The preservation and decor are fantastic. Overall, it is worth a visit. The grounds are free to walk around, and there are options to purchase hot drinks and snacks inside the castle gates.

It was nice to finally get to take a self guided tour of a Castle! They do offer guided ones, but we like to be able to just stroll amongst the "tombstones" if you will... Amazing collection of tapestries amongst other equally beautiful antiques.

Did the self-guided tour of the castle. Overall it was a great experience but it wasn't anything special. The rooms were well restored and information was interesting.

Nice place for a day visit. Is very well maintained and provides a curious insight into the era bygone and the living of the wealthy.. Doesn't take much time to cover it, even for a very intent visitor 2-3 hours would be enough. Highlight for me was the tapestry section. They were really marvellous!!. However for the downside, they seriously need to work on the signage. It is not very clear anywhere where one is supposed to start the tour, move next and where it all ends!!. For a public place and an intricate building it is an absolute must.. I hope it is not their deliberate ploy to intice visitor's for opting a guided tour!!.. The garden outside is expansive, with play area for kids and very much suited for a nice stroll.. Though a few more flower beds will definitely give spruce up its character!!.. All in all definitely one time visit..

Kilkenny is a beautiful place.. lovely atmosphere walking around.. Kilkenny Castle worth a visit the grounds are fabulous.. you do need to buy ticket to tour inside the castle.. on a good day to sit in the gardens and enjoy the view is relaxing 😌 😎

Amazing castle but really the tapestry collection is the best bit in my opinion. I was surprised how detailed and preserved they were. It took us about 20 minutes to do the self-guided tour. I would recommend looking out the windows on the top floor as the view of the grounds and city are amazing. Also, take a close look at some of the portraits in the big hall. A few are pretty hilarious. FYI. The guided tours follow the same route as the self guided tour so you may be stuck with a large guided tour of kids going through.

The restorations they did on this castle is just amazing. The castle is beautiful as are the grounds surrounding the castle. Loved the stories from our guide John. Was super happy to see the pride flag flying high in the castle.

Absolutely gem of a castle. Lovely inside out. Really friendly staff. Nice courtyard. Good children play area. Lovely rose garden with big fountain. Nice view of the river by the side. Good restaurants close by.

I loved that they allow going to the garden without paying. We did that because my 9 yo was tired & not interested in going in. Beautiful garden & a magnificent structure! Also the history was amazing to hear from our Dublin based tour guide! Amazing view of the river from the court!

Kilkenny Castle is beautiful, located right on the bank of the River Nore. The grounds are very well maintained, and offer loads of open space (including a playground too). The gardens are nice and well maintained also. The interior of the castle is in great shape and there are lots of things to see and read about (if you don't choose to go on the guided tour). The main hall is huge and has a very cool ceiling, as well as lots of artwork (portraits) and items of interest. It's definitely a good place to spend the afternoon.

Liked the architecture of the place. The paintings and tapestry were great. Really enjoyed the tapestries just before the exit, those inspired from the French Bayeux Tapestry. Loved the big hall, you MUST look at the ceiling and those statues hanging there. Beautiful! Staff was nice and friendly.

What a great experience! My wife and I debated stopping in Kilkenny at all. I’m soo glad we did. We did a guided tour and it was fantastic. I would recommend it. They go through the history of the castle and I feel like you get access to more areas than the general public.

The best castle ever that I visited as it's not ruin castle, it's still standing and inside you can visit (museum) the location is unlike other castle in Ireland, it's the middle City of Kilkenny!! How cool is that? You walk around the green garden or flower garden is great thing.... You Also can view the river....

Such a beautiful and interesting place! The OPW have done a magnificent job restoring and maintaining this castle. Makes it easy to imagine life for the people who lived there. Definitely worth a visit. We ran out of time to properly explore the gardens, which are free to enter with no ticket - leave some time for that, in addition to the castle interior.

It was a blast...everyone really friendly on such a cold day at the castle and people taking their dogs for walks...was a perfectly beautiful sight!!! The castle a must to be visited...no stress..no rush..just perfect peace!! What a fanfabulous day!!🥰

Good tourist attraction in the city. Lots of history dating centuries ago. Castle is easy to navigate and surrounding areas around castle is big too. Well maintained and recommend people to visit here. We had pre booked the tickets and you can buy at the counter too. There are some guided toors for whom more interested in history but if people want they can explore themselves as well.

Unbelievable. Stunning architecture, beautiful furnishings, great price. Self guided tour is easy and relatively low impact. The picture gallery is awe inspiring. Absolutely a must see in Kilkenny.

I got here an hour before closing so chose to do the self-guided tour. The information pamphlet was very informative and it was easy to navigate my way through the castle. Beautiful setting and lots of interesting history and facts.

I had a lovely experience visiting the Kilkenny Castle. I opted for a self-guided tour and didn't feel like I missed out on anything since there is plenty of information by each display. The castle has been beautifully restored throughout the years, also offering facilities such as free lockers and clean toilets. I would definitely recommend a visit to the castle and its grounds when visiting Kilkenny.

Really love this small city. It's like a movie .. the castle is big and has lots of good rooms and art pieces. You'll need around one hour to see it all but without taking in a lot of each place.

a beautiful cultural and historical experience. It can be completed without a guide, QR codes are available. I am removing the star because... that the written press is not available in every EU language, I speak three Slovak, Czech, Hungarian, none of these languages ​​are in the written press right at the beginning of the tour! The park is beautiful.

Kilkenny Castle is a must-visit attraction in Kilkenny, Ireland that offers a fascinating glimpse into the rich history and culture of the region. From the moment you approach the castle, you're struck by its majestic beauty and grandeur. The gardens around the castle are simply stunning and provide a peaceful respite from the city. The experience of walking through the castle is like taking a step back in time. The interiors are beautifully preserved and showcase the grandeur of a bygone era. You can easily spend hours exploring the different rooms and admiring the ornate details and decorations. What's more, the ticket to enter the castle is reasonably priced, making it an accessible attraction for everyone. I highly recommend Kilkenny Castle to anyone who loves history and Irish literature. It's a fascinating and enriching experience that is not to be missed. Overall, my visit to Kilkenny Castle was a highlight of my trip to Ireland. It's a true gem that perfectly captures the beauty and history of the region. If you're planning a trip to Kilkenny, make sure to add Kilkenny Castle to your itinerary. You won't be disappointed.

Very interesting and beautiful place, we were in summer and before Christmas, in summer was there are many people, big queue.Before Christmas almost empty Castle. I really recommend this place, you can see photo.

A well maintained castle encompassing a large garden area with interesting histories to it. Effective New year 2022, entry tickets are in place chargeable for 12 years and above.

We made this stop traveling from Cork to Dublin. Fortunate to get paid parking at the front entrance of the castle, one hour interval only. This was sufficient for us at the time of visit, not a lot of people near closing, 5 :30 pm. We paid for the self guided tour versus the guided tour (they provide you with a paper map). If you are carrying back packs, they provide free lockers to store them.

Wonderful experience going through the castle and on the grounds. I love how it was mapped out for us so we don't just loiter anywhere but are actually guided around purposefully through rooms and ending on the grounds. Fantastic sites and history.

A really cool castle and grounds. This is well worth a visit....so much to see. You must book online for tickets to enter the castle but the tickets are free. A must see when you visit Kilkenny. A very friendly beautiful city :)

A wonderful castle. A plethora of Norman History. The grounds are immaculate. We were here near end of Fall and got some great foilage photos. The Castle tour is free. About a 45min to hour us what you'll need for this tour.

Always a good spot. Tours are excellent. Gardens are huge and the fountain makes a great splash. Super playground for fun. Great little cafe too for refreshments. Lovely little oasis in the city and great view of the river.

The castle and the history are amazing! They've done a wonderful job of renovating and restoration. Unfortunately several of the staff were quite rude when we encountered them... maybe chalk it up to them having a bad day perhaps.

Lovely restored castle. Lots of rooms open for the self-guided tour. No wait on a Friday afternoon for tickets. Must leave backpacks or other large bags in free lockers before going inside. Viewing indoors was quick because there weren't many others.

Stunning old castle in a great town! Great historical castle excellently restored with magnificent art room, dining room and gardens. Normally 8€ but today it was free. Staff are super friendly...being Irish I expect nothing less. Great location too. Not sure about amenities for disabled but toilets are available along with a tea room. Excellent visit. My visit: 15th October 2018.

Wow ! Very impressed. Great job of preserving the castle. Nice walk through tour. Definitely worth the stop. Nice little tea/snack room in the old castle kitchen.

From the outside, Kilkenny Castle presents itself more as a stately palace than a traditional castle, holding beautifully manicured gardens that invite a leisure stroll. However, it's the inside that truly captivates visitors. The interiors transport you straight into a bygone era with incredibly well-preserved rooms adorned with authentic furniture, carpets, and art pieces. Every detail, from the doors to the roofs, narrates a rich history, offering a nostalgic trip back in time. A visit to Kilkenny Castle isn't just a tour; it's a rich, immersive journey through history that leaves you enchanted.

Took guided tours ... it's at the end of the season (mid-September) and our group was small, my friend and I and one other couple so it was a great tour, very intimate allowing us to as plenty of questions. My friend was over 60 and was able to get a discount on her ticket

We really enjoyed the self-guided tour! You can make it as quick or as leisurely as you like and can dive into the history or just browse each room. We spent about 1.5 hours here inside and outside the castle. Highly recommend for couples or families!

It's free to walk around the gardens and check out the castle which is highly recommended. The tour is OK. We've been to over 30 castles on this trip and this tour was underwhelming but it's also cheaper than most. Took us just 30 minutes to go through it. If you're pressed for time or money, I'd skip it. If this is the only castle you can visit on your trip, then go for it.

My family of four had a lovely visit. We did not buy tickets ahead of time and had a lovely visit. It's a beautiful renovated castle and worth the visit. But I agree with some of the other reviewers, it is not clear where the tour starts and how to make sure you've covered all the parts of the castle.

Poorly administered as a tourist destination. We walked around the outside but never got inside. - apparently numerous entrances and businesses or functions - no real coordination for entry and for what parts of the castle were closed/private/open. Dissappointing , but the outside was well maintained and the gardeners should be applauded even if the management suffer from civil servant apathy.

It was for a solo trip that I visited this castle. I went thanks to get your guide and the I discovered this nice castle in this small town that has a lot of story.the garden that is surroundings these old building is well maintained and the fountains in summer is refreshing you. You can visit but you have to pay something like six or eight euros that is Fair

A fabulous castle with a large garden. You can take a self guided or guided tour trough the castle. The gallery room is amazing. The gardens are free to visit. Overall well worth the visit.

Big castle surrounded by a wide park with comfortable lawn. Castle visit can take 40 minutes minimum and up to a couple of hours to read and appreciate each internal room. Nice furnitures for passionates.

We did the self tour , a lot of posted information available. I'd agree with some of the other reviews the tapestries and the remnants of original wall coverings were my favourite . My husband's was the amazing Vikings style architecture used in the ceiling of the long room. I did not give 5 stars because it felt a too full up of non original furnitures and such in

We booked a guided tour only €12 pp. The tour guide was great, so much interesting information, added to our experience. A beautiful castle set in glorious parkland. We went to the Tea Room, delicious homemade cakes. Well worth a visit.