Kilkenny

24 Hours in Kilkenny: Best Things to Do & Where to Stay

Kilkenny is Ireland's medieval city with a beautifully restored castle, eleven ancient churches and small alleys full of pubs & restaurants. And it is just 90 minutes from Dublin so it's a good first or last stop on your tour around Ireland.

Here's how to spend 24 hours in Kilkenny.

Getting To Kilkenny

🚆 There are frequent trains and buses from Dublin to Kilkenny.

🚗You'll most likely need a rental car if you plan on traveling further. My big tip is not to rent your car in Dublin Airport.

🕴️If you want a private driver, get an instant quote here.

🚌 Go with G Adventures guided small-group tours. Rated 4.9 on Trustpilot.

Join small group travel in Ireland with G Adventures. 4.9/5 rated on Trust Pilot

Day Trips To Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a very popular day trip from Dublin. This tour goes to the Wicklow Mountains, the ancient monastery at Glendalough, a sheepdog show and a walking tour in Kilkenny. It is very highly rated and extremely popular, so book ahead.

24 Hours in Kilkenny

10am: Walking Tour with John Britton from Ormonde Tours

I'm a walking tour guide myself, so I'm naturally going to recommend you start off in any city with a walking tour. Kilkenny has so many narrow lanes and slips, you'll miss so much unless a local is showing you the way.

John Britton is Kilkenny native and a superb tour guide. As sign of a local in places like Kilkenny is when he knows everyone. And he did. We kept stopping to chat with one of his many friends. I love this, it gives you a real insight into a place, you learn more than just the history, you hear the local news too.

In the 2 hour tour, we saw all the main sights of Kilkenny, heard its history and we had lots of laughs along the way. John was very generous in giving me all his own local tips for places to eat, drink and stay. Book your tour with John here. He speaks French & German too.

Hurling Statue
Kilkenny are the kings of the Irish sport of hurling. In Dublin, you see kids kicking footballs on the streets, but in Kilkenny, every kid has a hurl. You can even try hurling in Kilkenny, if you have kids, they'll love this.

River Nore
If there's a castle, there's a river close by. The Nore is one of the Three Sister rivers that end in Waterford. It's a good photo spot to capture the castle. You can take a boat tour on the river after your walking tour.

Butler Gallery
The former home of an English settler, it became a home for impoverish servants. It's now a gallery, but the restoration of the house caught my eye as much as the art. And it's free.

World War One Memorial
3200 people from Kilkenny fought in World War One. 825.of them died. A huge percentage. There's a touching memorial with all of their names inscribed on it. .

You cross the river and see the new bridge. Built in 1766 😆.

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This is Ireland. It rains. A lot. This travel umbrella will keep you dry.

St Canice's Statue & Steps
Everyone has heard about kissing the Blarney Stone, well they are more hygienic in Kilkenny. Here you just rub the chin of the statue of St Canice for luck.

St Canice's Cathedral & Tower
I've been in hundreds of churches in Ireland. I think St Canice is my favorite one. . Whiskey savants will enjoy seeing a copy of the Red Book of Ossory. This has the oldest written record of how to make whiskey. Hallelujah.

The highlight was climbing the 9th century tower. It wasn't easy and space was tight, but the views from the top looked out over all of Kilkenny.

St James Gate City Walls
We nearly walked past this, such is the wealth of things to see in Kilkenny, but the 13th century old city walls were covered in Spring flowers. It was stunning!

Smithwick's Brewery Back in the main part of the city, we passed the Smithwick's Brewery, where you can do a tour.

We resisted the temptation and walk down High Street, through St Kieran's and its bars and finished the tour in front the castle.

In just over two hours, we had seen most of the sights in Kilkenny and got our bearings. A perfect start. You can read more about John's tours here.

12:30pm Lunch at Kilkenny Cafe in the Kilkenny Design Centre

John recommended lunch at the Kilkenny Design Centre across from Kilkenny Castle. It was a welcome break for the feet after the walk. It's a soup, sandwiches and salads kind of place. Tasty and served quickly, which I like on busy sightseeing day.

After lunch I strolled among the shops of the design centre. This is the place to buy your souvenirs. If you want jewelry, JMK designed the Liam McCarthy Cup, which is awarded to the winners of the All-Ireland final (the Irish Super Bowl). So you can trust them with your claddagh ring.

Patrick Joseph has knives that are more works of art than for chopping carrots.

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Taking photos drains your phone. I love my INIU Portable charger.

1:30pm: Guided Tour of Kilkenny Castle

The centrepoint of Kilkenny is its 800 year old castle. Architectural Digest calls it one of the ten most beautiful castles in the world.

Our guide, James, had the classic Irish dry wit and you saw the self guided folks lingering to hear his stories and jealously looking on as we laughed. Their audio guide didn't have the same personality.

The castle was built in the 13th century in Norman times. It stayed in the Butler family until 1967 when they sold it to the state due to its state of disrepair.

The tour was very good, the restoration of the castle impressive and James kept it lively. Book ahead for the guided tour.

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Shortest History of Ireland - Read this book before your trip. You'll enjoy Ireland better when you understand our history. Easy to read.

3pm: Stroll the streets of Kilkenny

Enough of the guides, it's time to explore on your own. Walk along the streets of Kilkenny, potter in and out of her stores. Kilkenny has a lot of old school small town Ireland type of shops. Gentlemen's clothing, housewares, bookshops that have been there for generations. Slightly old fashioned and who knows how many more years they will be around, but enjoy the window shopping as you walk.

If you've already walked enough, you can relax on a boat tour on the river.

4pm: Kilkenny River Court Hotel

It's time to check in to your hotel. The Kilkenny River Court Hotel is just across the river from the castle and some rooms have castle views. There's nothing like waking up to a castle in the morning.

"Location and view of the castle was great, the price was good and the breakfast was awesome"

👉 Check availability at the Kilkenny River Court Hotel.

If you like 5 Star luxury, you'll find that in the fabulous Lyrath Estate.
In July or August, you may appreciate the air conditioning in the Newpark Hotel or Kilmore Guesthouse.

For more, read my Best Hotels in Kilkenny guide.

5:30pm: Campagne. Michelin Star Dining

You may not expect a Michelin Star restaurant in such a small place as Kilkenny, but Campagne has one. You may be wondering why I have you eating so early, well they have one of the best dining deals in Ireland. €52 for a three course early bird meal (2026 price). That's is a serious price for this level of food. Don't let the exterior fool you, it's in a non-descript building, but focus on the food. You'll remember this more than any thing else in Kilkenny.

If you prefer a later dinner, you can eat here for a slightly higher price. Guide John recommends Ristorante Rinuccini, he said the service is impeccable. Petronella is an award winning restaurant in a building from the 1600s/

7pm: Whiskey & A Pint Drinks

As you happily walk back to town after your feast, stop in at The Dylan for a digestive in the form of a whiskey. You're passing it anyway, so pop into Syd Harkins (est. 1648) for a pint.

8pm-?pm: Kilkenny at Night

Kilkenny is a big party place for Irish people. I've been to more stag/bachelor parties here than my liver cares to remember, so you won't have difficulty have fun in Kilkenny. And it's small, so just listen out for the atmosphere as you walk the streets.

Kyteler's Inn is big with tourists, so that rules it out for me. I prefer more local places. Don't be afraid to stray down Parliament Street and go into O'Riada or Cleere's. There'll be traditional music on somewhere every night of the week.

9am: Wake Up To Castle Views

Take one more look at the castle as you enjoy your breakfast overlooking the river and it's time for your next stop.

Is Kilkenny Worth Visiting?

Yes it is. You've just seen how much you see and do in just one day in Kilkenny. If you are going to the popular counties of Cork or Kerry, Kilkenny is just a short detour off the motorway and a perfect place to spend a day.

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