Paddy wagon tours got us there just as the castle opened. We went straight for the castle and climbed the very narrow stairs. My hubby almost kissed the stone he got dizzy! I didn’t try. The castle was awesome. Because we got there early we had lots of time for the gardens. Thank goodness because they are magnificent! Lots of different areas, a cave, a carnivorous garden, a poisonous garden, arboretum, Irish garden. With art installations throughout. Absolutely outstanding! And beautiful! Skip the castle if the lineup is long. Don’t miss the gardens!

great tower climb. lines may be long but climb is slow and very managable. The views from the tower are wonderful. The gardens are beautiful. there are several different ones to visit on the grounds. great riverside walk. the rock close was a wonderful area to see

The weather was rubbish and so there weren’t many visitors. We parked up and then shot off to the castle as we had heard the queues could be legendary. Indeed there are signs up saying how long the expected wait is at various points. Including one for 3 hours! Fortunately we walked straight past that one and there was no sign of a queue. The castle is a well maintained ruin. We walked up the very narrow spiral staircase, and apart from one couple who were quite slow, had no hold up. We then appeared at the top and had fabulous views over the surrounding countryside and around the rectangular top of the castle. We could see across to where people were preparing to kiss the stone. This involves removing everything from your pockets and person, including your glasses. Then lying down on your back. Reaching out to hold the vertical bars. And then being lifted and shoved out and down. You then kiss the Blarney Stone and get pulled back up. And get helped up. It is all over in a flash and isn’t at all frightening. Then back around the rectangular building and down three levels and out. The number of stairs involved wasn’t too bad and went by in a flash. So we were back outside and went to explore the gardens. We had been told about the Nepalese Garden and the Fern garden and the Poison garden. And they were all lovely and worth a visit. We spent about 75 minutes there due to our schedule. If we had known how lovely the gardens were we would have scheduled in an afternoon instead. We loved it. Incidentally I talk a lot more rubbish than I used to …………..

So the stairs to kiss the stone not for faint of heart, 140 uneven stone steps in circles, narrow and can be wet. To kiss the stone one must lay on your back and hang upside down. There is a guy there to help you up and down to actually kiss the stone. Kind of scary. They sell the pics, not overly expensive. Great views from top

Kiss the Blarney Stone, of course you’re doing this! I hear the line can be long during season, like an hour to two hours long (they have a sign that says “60 minutes from here). I’m pretty sure it’s an uncomfortable wait in the narrow staircase up to the castle top and stone. The castle grounds are phenomenal and so much to do enjoy! Well done! The village of Blarney is great too. Make time to explore the shops.

This was on our cousin's bucket list to visit for the first time in Ireland. She wanted to kiss the stone. My husband and I have visited a handful of times over the years, and so selfishly I agreed, not because of the castle, but because of the gardens. They alone are worth the cost of admission. My recommendation if you want to reach the top of the castle and beat the crowds is get there right when they open and kiss the stone. Or JUST climb to the top for the amazing views. THEN walk the gardens. Take your time. If I lived nearby I'd be walking them everyday! So don't think of this as a touristy destination. It's the chance to get some fresh air and literally smell the roses.

I really enjoyed the castle and grounds. The climb up to the top of the castle is a bit of a hike. Steep and gets narrower as you go but you have a rope to hang on to. Then at the top you can kiss the Blarney stone and get your picture taken if you want to. Great views from the top.

The grounds are absolutely lovely, and the castle’s not bad either😁 An entire day might not be enough to fully explore all the paths, gardens and sights. The castle is impressive, and kissing the stone (which requires lying on your back, hanging your head backwards over the edge) is touristy silliness, but fun! Well worth a long visit, better off-season to avoid crowds; a good place to enjoy fall colors.

I took a day trip from Dublin to see one of Ireland's most well known sites and it did not disappoint. I climbed the castle stairs and kissed the Blarney stone. Got a bit dizzy standing up after kissing the stone but it was fun. The grounds around the castle were beautiful as well.

Me and my friend went while visiting Cork, it was a simple bus journey from the centre of Cork so an easy day trip. We spent the majority of the day here just wondering around the gardens and grounds. There was a massive queue for the kissing stone so we didn’t bother with it. Some parts of the grounds felt like it had jumped out of a fairytale with just how magical it felt.