Skellig Michael Cruises
Skellig Michael Cruises
Skellig Michael Cruises
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Full view
About
Skellig Michael Cruises offers you the opportunity to visit Skellig Michael from a unique perspective. Many people who come to Portmagee are unable to climb Skellig Michael for a variety of reasons; young families, age, disability or time constraints etc. This is where we come in! Our eco tour circles both islands where you get up close to see the land marks, birds and historical sites. Skellig Michael Cruises are now pleased to announce from 2017 that we also do Landing Tours to Skellig Michael.
Portmagee, County Kerry, Ireland
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
825 reviews
Excellent
721
Very good
43
Average
22
Poor
13
Terrible
26
Kody G
Denver, CO174 contributions
Sep 2022
Visiting the Skelligs was on the top of our list when we were touring Ireland and it did not disappoint. Truly one of the highlights of the country! We booked with Paul Devane about two months in advance (we visited in September; probably should book even further in advance for the summer months). Knowing the success rate of docking was about 80%, we were anxiously watching the weather. Thankfully, we had a clear, sunny day, which was mostly the case during our 12 days in Ireland. The Paul Devane team emailed me about 5 days before letting us know the departure time (0930). It took about an hour to get there with mostly calm seas (but would take some meclizine or scopolamine patch if you are prone to seasickness). The hike up to the monastery was not particularly challenging (anyone who does any sort of hiking will have zero trouble), unless you have fear of heights, but even then it wasn't bad if you just focused on the trail in front. We had about 2.5 hours to see everything, which is ample time. There are two guides at the top giving periodic talks about the history of the islands and monastery, which was very interesting. We were back on the boat by 1300 and to the dock shortly after 1400. I drove from Killarney that morning, which wasn't bad (about an hour drive) and then back after. Unfortunately, there were no puffins this time of year. Also, no children under 12 were allowed. Our boat captains/guides were Jay and Hugh, who were excellent and would highly recommend; very friendly and informative. Very highly recommended!!
Written October 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gocallag
London, UK4 contributions
Jul 2021
I want to echo what most people are saying here. It was a great way to spend a few hours, I tried to get on the landing tour, but I didn't book early enough.
So after visiting Geokaun mountain , we drove down to the harbour in Portmagee and just made a 3:15pm departure. They staff were totally cool and advised on parking and reassured the boat was going to await us parking.
We were on a speedy boat out to the Skelligs. I asked the skipper Jay if it was going to be choppy, he reassured me it was flat. Looking back , it was choppy enough to make me hold onto the seats! And these conditions are as good as it gets being in July!
Jay made his way out to Skelligs and provided lots of information about the nature and history of the islands. His own grandfather having worked on the lighthouses on Skellig Michael. He was really informative and helpful and even assisted some of the tourists with the taking of photos etc.
He took great care and detail in pointing out the various man made access points , showing the hand carved steps made by the Monks.
I thought I would be disappointed by this tour, but it was fun and interesting and we really enjoyed it. It was made better by Jay even cracking the odd joke. I will have to stand you a pint or two the next time. Thanks
So after visiting Geokaun mountain , we drove down to the harbour in Portmagee and just made a 3:15pm departure. They staff were totally cool and advised on parking and reassured the boat was going to await us parking.
We were on a speedy boat out to the Skelligs. I asked the skipper Jay if it was going to be choppy, he reassured me it was flat. Looking back , it was choppy enough to make me hold onto the seats! And these conditions are as good as it gets being in July!
Jay made his way out to Skelligs and provided lots of information about the nature and history of the islands. His own grandfather having worked on the lighthouses on Skellig Michael. He was really informative and helpful and even assisted some of the tourists with the taking of photos etc.
He took great care and detail in pointing out the various man made access points , showing the hand carved steps made by the Monks.
I thought I would be disappointed by this tour, but it was fun and interesting and we really enjoyed it. It was made better by Jay even cracking the odd joke. I will have to stand you a pint or two the next time. Thanks
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael C
8 contributions
Jul 2021
Everything !
We were very lucky to get a late cancelation for 3 people when we asked Chloe at the reservation hut about 2 weeks prior to our trip. She could not have been more helpful and later organized for us to increase the booking to 4 people which was incredible as bookings ( for landing trips ) were like gold dusts.
Lucky again to have the weather on our side as we had a beautiful sunny, warm and most importantly, calm day.
Rachel was our guide on the Sea Breeze and on the island and she was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and etremely friendly which ensured we had a most enjoyable day out.
i could not more highly recommend a business to provide a wonderful trip.
We were very lucky to get a late cancelation for 3 people when we asked Chloe at the reservation hut about 2 weeks prior to our trip. She could not have been more helpful and later organized for us to increase the booking to 4 people which was incredible as bookings ( for landing trips ) were like gold dusts.
Lucky again to have the weather on our side as we had a beautiful sunny, warm and most importantly, calm day.
Rachel was our guide on the Sea Breeze and on the island and she was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and etremely friendly which ensured we had a most enjoyable day out.
i could not more highly recommend a business to provide a wonderful trip.
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
colette
Dublin, Ireland30 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
Unfortunately while the trip to Skellig Michael is a magnificent experience our trip was spoiled by bad organisation and unsympathetic even rude response to complaints by Mr. Devane.
Our email told us to be at the marina in Portmagee at 815am which involved an early start for us. The landing tour was to leave at 830am and return at 130pm. We planned our day accordingly. Luckily the weather was perfect.
We arrived in good time and watched many boats depart as we waited for ours. Eventually at about 9am the booking office opened and we were informed that our boat wouldn’t leave until 1030am. I rang to complain not so much about the delay as why we weren’t informed the previous day as the landing time was 12 noon. I felt we should be compensated for the inconvenience ( early night and ruined afternoon of a four day holiday). Nothing was offered by Paul. His apology was aggressive, not a real one. Excuses didn’t add up. If an email couldn’t be sent he had all our numbers. A disgraceful way to treat customers who had paid €130 each in advance. No refund offered or even a proper apology with a cup of tea while we waited. Customer who at this stage was up since 530am and already waited and hour on the quay was wrong to ask for anything and had to listen to rude and threatening talk from the organiser There were 12 people upset and left waiting.
One of the threats was that the boat wouldn’t go after I asked for compensation eg €50 each.
Skellig Micheal is a unique Irish treasure and a must see in my opinion. Unfortunately the people organising the boats are unprofessional and know how people will put up with anything to see it. I saw no life jackets on the boat but the trip itself was pleasant. I just wondered about safety on the boats.
We were all glad we waited and got onto the island, the knowledge of the captain Mr Walsh was a great plus as was the rain gear supplied. I was surprised on such a boat that life jackets aren’t mandatory.
By the way the email that was supposed to have been sent still hasn’t arrived!!
I’m so glad I wasn’t bullied and stayed to do the trip despite Paul Devane.
Our email told us to be at the marina in Portmagee at 815am which involved an early start for us. The landing tour was to leave at 830am and return at 130pm. We planned our day accordingly. Luckily the weather was perfect.
We arrived in good time and watched many boats depart as we waited for ours. Eventually at about 9am the booking office opened and we were informed that our boat wouldn’t leave until 1030am. I rang to complain not so much about the delay as why we weren’t informed the previous day as the landing time was 12 noon. I felt we should be compensated for the inconvenience ( early night and ruined afternoon of a four day holiday). Nothing was offered by Paul. His apology was aggressive, not a real one. Excuses didn’t add up. If an email couldn’t be sent he had all our numbers. A disgraceful way to treat customers who had paid €130 each in advance. No refund offered or even a proper apology with a cup of tea while we waited. Customer who at this stage was up since 530am and already waited and hour on the quay was wrong to ask for anything and had to listen to rude and threatening talk from the organiser There were 12 people upset and left waiting.
One of the threats was that the boat wouldn’t go after I asked for compensation eg €50 each.
Skellig Micheal is a unique Irish treasure and a must see in my opinion. Unfortunately the people organising the boats are unprofessional and know how people will put up with anything to see it. I saw no life jackets on the boat but the trip itself was pleasant. I just wondered about safety on the boats.
We were all glad we waited and got onto the island, the knowledge of the captain Mr Walsh was a great plus as was the rain gear supplied. I was surprised on such a boat that life jackets aren’t mandatory.
By the way the email that was supposed to have been sent still hasn’t arrived!!
I’m so glad I wasn’t bullied and stayed to do the trip despite Paul Devane.
Written September 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NIAMH K
15 contributions
Jul 2020
We booked the trip over the phone 3.5 hours in advance but when we arrived our booking wasn't available. They offered us a 'substantial' discount of €3 per person for the next tour which was two hours later. Another customer after us had also been double booked. We were also told that they were the only operator in the area that goes to the Skelligs. However, we discovered a few days later that there is another operator that offers a combined ticket with museum entrance and a trip to the islands for the same price as Skellig Michael Cruises.
Our boat driver was excellent, very friendly and the trip itself was amazing. It's a pity the company is let down by terrible customer service.
Our boat driver was excellent, very friendly and the trip itself was amazing. It's a pity the company is let down by terrible customer service.
Written July 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pbdemelo
Madrid, Spain561 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
They sold us the last two tickets for the boat (40€ each). They offer a boat trip to Skellig Islands, around 2h30.
The sea was very rough, lots of waves and a very bad weather with a lot of mist. They should have known it was not safe to leave, that is their job. After 5 minutes i was soaked wet with sea water.
Children were scared, sick and crying. After 30 minutes of trip, with everyone soaked, they decide to turn back because of one sick children, which is logical.
When we get to land, they say they wont return our money. The staff guy was very very rude, refusing to give our money back because we had a 30 min trip.
In the end we went to the office and got our money.
This is a dangerous company, they only want the money and don’t care about your safety. Think twice before traveling with them.
The sea was very rough, lots of waves and a very bad weather with a lot of mist. They should have known it was not safe to leave, that is their job. After 5 minutes i was soaked wet with sea water.
Children were scared, sick and crying. After 30 minutes of trip, with everyone soaked, they decide to turn back because of one sick children, which is logical.
When we get to land, they say they wont return our money. The staff guy was very very rude, refusing to give our money back because we had a 30 min trip.
In the end we went to the office and got our money.
This is a dangerous company, they only want the money and don’t care about your safety. Think twice before traveling with them.
Written August 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Siobhan M
6 contributions
Jun 2021 • Friends
Jason was a fantastic host from the minute we stepped onto the boat today. He was welcoming and informative throughout the journey. He brought us as close to the rocks as possible, he is a great navigator. We could tell he has a keen interest in the locality, as he regaled us of family stories working in the lighthouse.
Afterwards, he told us of local towns to visit (Cahersiveen) and places to eat in. We would highly recommend this boating experience and thank him sincerely for going above and beyond.
Afterwards, he told us of local towns to visit (Cahersiveen) and places to eat in. We would highly recommend this boating experience and thank him sincerely for going above and beyond.
Written June 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul C
Lackagh, Ireland1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
A day before our sailing, we were informed that there was a chance of it not going ahead, we woke up to a call informing us that it was going ahead despite the weather (strong wind, extremely choppy waves, rain, blinding fog etc.) we travelled to the dock on my mothers birthday as it was her present to go to the island. Before sailing there was no life jackets, no proper seats and about 4 handles in total for a 12 person boat. As a result of this, the waves were about 10 feet high at times sending us into the air for 50% of the trip, we were thrown around the boat going at full speed which made my mother violently sick. When vomiting, she was thrown a bag to get sick into but could barely hold it properly to do so as she had to hang onto the boat for dear life. If that wasn’t bad enough, upon arrival the fog was so heavy that you could barely see your own finger in front of you which made the endurance of the painful boat ride worth nothing. We could not cancel as we had paid months in advance and we trusted the judgement of the crew that the experience would be worth it. The sickness resulted in my mother missing her milestone birthday party arranged in the hotel that night. It is clear that the company care nothing more than about the money rather than the experience of the customers as there was not one highlight on the trip for any involved due to the weather and they went ahead with it knowing they had gotten the money. I do believe the island is beautiful on a nice calm day, if you choose to do this tour, do not go with this company
Written August 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank J
Dublin, Ireland28 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
Booked this trip weeks in advance and the checking in process was quick and simple. Received a call from Mr Casey and was told the trip was very much dependant on the weather and conditions. Our departure time was brought forward by 30 mins.
On the morning of the trip we were brought to our boat, the staff were very friendly and welcoming. We then set off for the islands, the journey was “choppy” and it would’ve been nice to have a life jacket on for peace of mind. But the staff did supply ponchos to keep us somewhat dry.
The island itself was a must see. The opw guides were very friendly and explained a lot on the island. We were given ample time to explore the islands and I would highly recommend this tour.
As other commentators stated the open sea can be rough, come suitably dressed and maybe skip breakfast..
On the morning of the trip we were brought to our boat, the staff were very friendly and welcoming. We then set off for the islands, the journey was “choppy” and it would’ve been nice to have a life jacket on for peace of mind. But the staff did supply ponchos to keep us somewhat dry.
The island itself was a must see. The opw guides were very friendly and explained a lot on the island. We were given ample time to explore the islands and I would highly recommend this tour.
As other commentators stated the open sea can be rough, come suitably dressed and maybe skip breakfast..
Written August 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aidan H
Limerick, Ireland7 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
What a fantastic experience. Captain Hugh got us on and off the island safely and Rachel picked her moments perfectly to give us nuggets of information about the islands.
Amazing views and Sceilig Mhicíl itself is a wonderful experience. Kinda surreal actually. Well worth it and the puffins have a very high cuteness factor in fairness to them 👍
Amazing views and Sceilig Mhicíl itself is a wonderful experience. Kinda surreal actually. Well worth it and the puffins have a very high cuteness factor in fairness to them 👍
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you do the climb in trainers/tennis shoes or are hiking boots the better option? Trekking poles or not?
Written July 8, 2024
I took a boat back in 2016 with a group where successful landing was €60 and €30 otherwise.
I'm trying to organise a trip for friends in July but looks like now it costs at least €95 per person? Is this really the standard price now and if so, why such an increase?
Written April 28, 2019
Going on a cruise and would love to visit Skellig Michael. However time is severely limited.
The closest port of call on our itinerary looks like port cobh. Is this realistic at all to try and do on such short time? Arrival in cork is 1000 and departure from cork is 1900. I read the tours are 2.5hours. I would have to tack on at least 6hours of travel time round trip back to port cobh.
Also would I be able to fly a drone from the boat when cruising around the skelligs? From the website it looks like the time I will be there, no landing tours are available
Written February 8, 2019
Paul D
Portmagee, Ireland
Hi, Landing tours start usually around mid may , to do the trip from where you are would not be feasable as the boat to Skellig Michael leaves around 8:30am, you are right with the six hours travel time as a minimum, regarding the drone you are not allowed by the opw to fly drones over the islands especially while there are people on the island. Come next year and spend a couple of days in beautifull south kerry and of course go out to Skellig Michael.
Written February 15, 2019
Does this cruise run in February?
Written December 18, 2018
I believe the tours do not pick up again until mid March.
Written December 18, 2018
Can you smell diesel when you are on the boat? Are there bathrooms on the boat?
Written June 14, 2018
very slight exhaust fumes occasionally but not overpowering at all. No toilet facilities onboard or on skellig michael. Toilet in cafe next to where you board & depart boat
Written June 14, 2018
I have an ankle injury I’m recovering from and might not be able to make the climb to top of the island. Is it reasonable to think that I might sit near where the boat docks or explore lower part of the island while my family makes the climb? Thank you in advance for any advance.
Written March 18, 2018
Sorry for delay in replying but your best option would be to take our eco cruise so you won’t have to come off the boat.
Written July 15, 2018
Some years ago I was driving along the coast-line, can't remember exactly where. I saw a sign on private property indicating a monastic site but allowing entry. I went in and, from the almost buried site, could see the Skelligs. Later, far away in Wales, I was told that this would have been the Mother House for the monks on Skellig Michael. Is this correct? If so, is it still accessible? And can you give me an exact location. I'll be in Ireland Nov 8 - 20 and, for the first time for years, not guiding a group or looking after grand-children. This is my opportunity to explore and relax and this mystery place is calling.
Many thanks in advance,
Written October 27, 2017
I think you are referring to St Michael's Abbey in Balinskelligs, just outside Waterville. You drive drove a small dirt road to get to the ruins of an abbey and a cemetery. It is worth a side trip if you are near Waterville.
Written June 15, 2018
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