We booked on the day and we're a bit concerned about the weather for our 12noon cruise which lasted for 3.5hrs. The weather turned and we had a lovely sunny afternoon and flat seas. Cost was €23pp . As the tide was out we took a longer route to get to Spike Island , the trip back was a lot shorter. When you arrive you have an option of going on a guided or self guided tour , no extra costs. We chose the guided tour and it only lasts for about 30mins then you enter the fort and follow the arrows in a clockwise directions. The buildings were all open which was great and we wandered around and enjoyed the great views on the outside as well. You can access a few elevated paths that gives you great views of Cobh. There is also an on-site cafe

Very good day out in this iconic island. You will need to scan your tickets in the office (black container). The boat ride is about ten minutes and the boat is seated and quite nice. The tours begin on the dock and the guides are really good at explaining the history and enormity of the island. The prison itself is huge and has a naval museum, punishment block and modern prison on site. It also has massive guns from when it was a fort. There is also a cafe in the centre. Well worth a visit, you have 3 hours here and will need all of them to both the inside and outside of the walls. There are lots building on the island outside the prison. We had a really good day

Lovely organised trip at a very affordable cost. Meeting at the pier to get on a boat- takes up to 60 people. I think they run three timed a day. Beautiful view overlooking Cobh harbour with the significantly painted houses and the outstanding cathedral. On Spike Island groups very taken over by the number of guides. The talk and short walk took about 40min. If you experience mobity problems, take into consideration there is some gradient hill to walk up. Beautifully kept main yard, with a big canteen to avail of. So.e buildings are in a very good condition while a lot of them are in a ruin state. Quite dussapoitned with the village- noting to see there. Ruins are covered with bushes and trees. In general, you have 3h on the island. With a good weather you can really enjoy the trip. It us a goid idea to book tickets online. Its quite busy in the summer time

One trip to Spike will not get everything in. Its a great place to visit, loads of history tied up on this little island in Cork Harbour. John G gives a good knowledgeable and entertaining talk on the history of the island before you can explore at your leisure. We will be going back for another visit, you won't need the talk on the second visit. Buy your tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment as the tours tend to be fully booked during peak season.

Nice trip to the past. Impressive and intense. 10 minutes with the ferry and 3 hours to explore the island. You can also doing a guided tour.

Brilliant! A lovely boat rip across the harbour and then three hours on the fascinating Spike Island. Best day out I've had in ages. And a shout out to Felicity our guide.

We had a very good guide who explained everything to us. History about spike she explained very well. I personally found it weird, sad. Heartbreaking but I understand these feelings well. Well worth visiting. Anybody interested in history definitely go.

A great day trip. It starts with a ferry ride, my kids loved it. Then on arrival you can explore on your own or there is a half hour tour which gives you some history on the island and former residents. You do need to go up a steep hill so bare it in mind and allow time for the assent. Lots of history and a nice touch of having a fairy trail to find for the young ones although we couldn't find the naughty hobgoblin fairy house. Definitely worth a visit.

This was a fun trip. It starts in Cobh and a quick boat ride to the island. The guide that meets you on the pier was very knowledgeable and gave a quick history of the island, cobh and some of the surrounding islands too. The tour goes on up to the main fort where there is plenty to see. A lot of walking but so worth the effort. If I had one suggestion it would be to allow more time to see everything. I love to read all the displays and take my time exploring but on this tour we were limited to 3 hours. It’s still a great experience and we’ll worth a visit.

I have been to speak over and three times, and it’s only really on the third time do they manage to see everything. There is a huge amount to do and see here. Start with the island tour, and follow the guide as much as you can. If you have extra time try and walk around the fortress walls the whole way, they’re beautiful views of the harbour.

We had the best day on spike island. Our tour guide was Rob and he was fantastic. All the staff on the boat and the island were amazing. So much history and interesting information delivered by Rob. The weather was lovely so that helped also 😍

A great day out. Had about three and a half hours on the island and probably could have done with a while longer to fully explore. Really interesting intro tour from Rob/Bob. Perhaps in its infancy as a tourist attraction because there is so much more potential. I would like to go back and do the proper tour when it starts back up in the main season.

I travelled in June and parked in the free car park behind the Cathedral. The views were stunning as I walked to the pier. I bought my ticket and qued for 10 mins. Ferry leaves on the hour and returns on the half hour. Sailing was lovely with stunning views of Cobh and Cork Harbour. Wear sun cream in hot weather. Staff were very professional and ferry was wheelchair accessible. Your greeted by guide but can opt to explore without the guide. Make sure your at pier for quarter past to return.

The ferry ride over to Spike Island is quick and gives you a great view of Cobh. The actual tour? Meh. They literally just take 45 minutes to walk you up to the entrance. There’s some great background information and history given, but it’s so boring just standing around. This tour would be a lot better if they did it inside the fort and could point to the locations where they are taking about. I would recommend you skip the tour unless you’re desperate to hear a very long winded history. The actual fort? Very interesting! I loved walking through the rooms, seeing the exhibits, and reading about the life there. You can also walk around outside the fort and see where the officers and their families lived!

'After Dark Tour' was great! The island has so much history and our tour guide Karl did a great job conveying it all. You get a much better sense of what it was like to be there when its dark and cold! Tour was 3 hours with a coffee break in the middle. The night tour gives you access to more buildings on the island and a good few ghost stories!

Well worth a visit. Short ferry trip from Cobh, detailed guided tour by our guide Honour, to lead up to the initial buildings of the prison. Lots of history going back hundreds of years, short films, signage with info and recreated cells. Cafe on site and picnic benches. Probably needs longer than 4 hours to take it all in, but highly recommended.

Fabulous experience on our family trip to Spike Island. It isn't just a boat out to see the old fort & prison. It's a whole experience, love the mug shot idea and the release form available on your departure. Fascinating place, so many layers to it throughout the centuries up to the very recent past as I remember the prison riots there in the 1980's. All the staff and guides were super helpful. Really loved the walks around the island and the passages that bring you up to the gun emplacements and the view from the top of the walls out from Cork harbour towards the sea and also back towards Cobh, amazing. Loved our trip.

First time visiting this site and my only complaint is 3 hours isn't long enough to see everything that is on display. The tour guide was very helpful and informative and explained the history of the island very clearly. The views from the battlements was beautiful.

I highly recommend booking a visit to Spike Island. Once there you can either wonder around or the free 45min tour offered upon arrival. We did and it was really good, informative and complete. Once the tour is done, you have just over 2h30 to visit the various buildings. Not enough time but still very much worth it.

We loved this tour from the ferry ride onwards! Our guide was very informative about the history of the island, and there are many different buildings and aspects of the island to experience. Added to that was the beautiful scenery sense of peace there.

We booked Spike island Tours online before arrival and it was one of the best experiences here in Ireland. The pick up point was J.F. Kennedy Pier, and it was really easy to find the tour store. Tickets didn’t have to be pre-paid but I recommend you do to avoid disappointment. The boat trip to spike island was quick (I’ll say just about the right length of time). Our tour guide was Paul and he was amazing; really made the experience fun and interesting. He was very knowledgeable and learning the history of Spike Island was much more interesting than I expected. There was a good amount of guide led tour and a nice amount for us to do ourselves. Having that freedom to look around the island was something not many tour companies do but it definitely made the tour a nice experience. The island now has museums, a cafe and a gift shop in addition to the other historical buildings. Will be nice if there were more of a variety of souvenirs/gifts. The prisoner mug shots were such a good touch to the experience that we weren’t expecting. Noor in the gift shop was very helpful. In the cafe we had the lemon cake (10/10) and the vegan sausage rolls (best vegan rolls I’ve ever had). It was a really cute cafe, very well stocked and very quickly served. Only downside was: the cutlery was not clean at all and there were flies flying about when eating. Toilets were well maintained. The views and scenic point were also really nice. We didn’t get to do the full Ring of Spike Trail but I recommend visitors to do. Really enjoyed this tour and I highly recommend anyone who visits Ireland to go on it. Definitely the best experience in Ireland.