Things do to in Kilkenny on your first visit + walking itinerary to see the best of the city

All you need to know for visiting Kilkenny: best things to do in Kilkenny, practical tips and itinerary, our favorite hotels.

Kilkenny is one of the prettiest cities in Ireland and one of the best places to add to your Ireland road trip or to visit as a day trip from Dublin.

A historical city in Ireland’s Ancient East, Kilkenny dates back to medieval times and it is famous for an imposing castle, a stunning Gothic cathedral and a pretty city center, with colorful homes and a nice river walk.

Kilkenny is also famous for design and a lively food scene.

If you love history, design or food, you should definitely plan a visit, it is one of the nicest cities in Ireland!

In this guide, I share the best things to see in Kilkenny and some practical info useful to plan your stay.

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The best things to do in Kilkenny (one day walking itinerary)

The best things to see in Kilkenny are all located in the city center and happen to be within walking distance from one another.

The castle and the cathedral are located at the two ends of the historic center and you can stroll from one to the other following the ‘Medieval Mile’, the pretty, historic street in the heart of the city. If walking from one to the other, no matter where you start from, you’ll see most of the Kilkenny landmarks easily.

Visit St Canice’s cathedral

The most impressive site in Kilkenny and, I believe, the one to visit to truly see the ancient heart of this city, is the wonderful St Canice’s cathedral complex, comprising of the cathedral itself, an impressive graveyard with stunning celtic crosses and a round tower.

St Canice’s dates back to the 6th century and it gothic in style, flaunting beautiful stained glass windows and arched naves.

The building is imposing and austere, built as it is in grey stone, however, this severity is also part of its charm.

If you are looking for romantic Ireland, the darl church, the mysterious towers and the Kilkenny moody weather are a the perfect place to find it!

Need to know: the round tower is the oldest standing building in Kilkenny and one of the only two towers of this kind open to tourists. For safety reasons, children are not allowed.

Walk along Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile

Kilkenny is a medieval city and its origins are still visible in the compact layout of its city center where historical buildings frame the meandering street connecting its major landmarks, the so-called ‘Medieval Mile’.

This is a discovery trail looping through the heart so of the city of Kilkenny and touching most if not all of the city’s main historical buildings, namely St Canice’s Cathedral on one side and Kilkenny castle on the other.

The trail itself is not long and it won’t take more than a few minutes to walk from one end of it to the other, but it is so full of attractions, shops and restaurants the best way to explore it is to devote to it a full day.

Among the many buildings and attractions along the medieval mile, I recommend you seek out:

Grace’s Courthouse, a building originally erected as a fortress in 1210, then converted into a prison (1568) and finally a courthouse (1792)

Rothe’s House, a gorgeous 16th-century merchant’s townhouse with beautiful facade and internal courtyards and orchard

The butter slip, a tiny medieval alley connecting High Street to St Kieran’s street, one of the prettiest corners of Kilkenny

Fun fact: The butter slip is only one (and the prettiest) of Kilkenny’s ‘slips’ tiny historical alleys in Kilkenny city center. It takes its name from the fact that it was cooler than the nearby larger roads and, therefore, was used to store butter!

Enjoy the Smitwicks experience

The Smitwicks experience is a museum on High Street, on the medieval mile, and a bit of a special place if you love ales or you love learning about local food and drink experiences.

Smithwick’s ale a has been brewed here in the city for over 300 years and the brewery and tasting tour is a fun way to learn about it and look at the long history of this ale (and its city!) from a different point of view.

Visit St Mary’s church and Kilkenny Medieval Museum

St Mary’s church is a little farther down the road from the attractions above, still on High Streets, and it is worth visiting since it now hosts the museum of Kilkenny’s medieval history.

The museum is small but does have some interesting exhibits and spaces that make it worth a visit, especially if you take the audio tour, which helps to put into context the main exhibits.

Worth seeing are the left chapel, now turned into a light and sound display that explaining about the vision of death and purgatory on the middle ages.

Also, The remains of a local family, that have been invaluable to understand the living conditions at the time.

Last but not least a collection of local documents, now hosted in the room on the first floor, which also has beautiful views over the city and part of the church’s excavations.

Marvel at Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle is one of the most impressive buildings in the city and one of the most distinctive castles in the whole of the country.

If you have seen photos of Irish castles, chances are Kilkenny Castle was one of them, and its size and rich history explain why!

The castle acquired the turreted look we see today in the XIII century however, this original structure is more ancient than that and dates back to 1172.

It was originally built by Srongbow and, in the 14th century, passed into the hands of the Butler Family, who remained its owners until the XX century!

The castle was sold to the castle restoration committee in 1967 for 50 pounds (!) and it is now one of the most popular attractions in Kilkenny.

In addition to strolling into Kilkenny Castle and its beautifully manicured gardens, make sure you stop and browse in what used to be the castle stables.

This area, dating back to the 18th century, has now been converted into the Kilkenny Design Center, a fantastic place to admire (and buy!) locally crafted design products ranging from home decor to weather and fashion.

Take a river walk

Kilkenny develops along the river Nore and has a nice riverside walk offering nice views of the castle from below.

Things to do in Kilkenny with kids

Kilkenny is an easy city to visit with kids, with family-friendly attractions and hotels in the city and its immediate surroundings.

Among the best things to do in Kilkenny with kids there are:

Play in Kilkenny Castle playground

A visit to the castle playground: spacious, well kept and with good climbing frames, the playground is inside the castle grounds but it is free to access (no ticket, nor visit to the castle required).

This is a popular place for both local families and visitors.

Discover the city by Kilkenny mini street train

A cute and fun tourist train connects all Kilkenny’s main attractions: this is a fun and easy way to discover Kilkenny with small kids!

Go on a boat trip on the river

Get adventurous in Castlecomer Discovery Park

Just outside Kilkenny City lies Castlecomer Discovery Park, an 80-acre adventure center with walking trails, kids’ play areas, ziplining tree adventure trail, mountain biking opportunities and more!

Visit the National Reptile Zoo

Kilkenny is also the home to the National Reptile Zoo, a fun place for a rainy day, especially where kids can go up close and personal with snakes, chameleons, bugs and more!

This is a great place also for small kids as it has a soft play are picnic tables

Go kayaking on the river Nore

On a nice sunny day, one of the best things to do in Kilkenny with kids is go on a kayaking adventure on the river Nore! The company offering day tips ahs several solutions to suit different ages and needs. You can look at their offers here

Where to stay in Kilkenny

Kilkenny City and Surrounding area has a great selection of hotels and B&Bs to suit all needs.

Places we like and recommend are:

Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel Right in the center of the medieval city, this hotel has beautiful family rooms, a nice restaurant and a heated swimming pool on-site for the use of guests.

Chaplins of Kilkenny A lovely B&B located 15-20 minutes walk from the town center, it has lovely rooms, welcoming hosts and a generous breakfast.

Newpark Hotel (family-friendly) is a wonderful family hotel with good family rooms, a wildlife farm, a go-karting track, and family walks. and adventure playground – this is one of the best family hotels. in Ireland!

Lyrath Estate (Family-friendly), a beautiful family hotel with nice grounds, spa and swimming pool (plus splash pool for children)

I hope you enjoyed this practical guide to Kilkenny and it helped you plan your visit at best. Happy travel planning!

How to get to Kilkenny

Kilkenny is well connected to the rest of the country by an excellent motorway, good train connections and bus routes.

Getting to Kilkenny by car is easy: the M9/M7 is a good motorway that connects Kilkenny to Dublin (to the North East) and Waterford (to the South)

Unlike many other roads in Ireland, which can prove hard for first time drivers, driving on the Kilkenny motorway is pretty straightforward.

Parking is available in several locations in the city center: I find the one in front of the Ormonde Hotel and in the shopping center on High Street the most convenient (both are paid, covered parking lots)

Getting to Kilkenny by train is also easy: regular trains connect the city with Dublin and the journey only takes about 1.5 hours. You can find official tickets and timetable here

If you prefer to go by bus, you can choose between the Bus Eireann Bus service, which is the coach service countrywide or you can opt for an organized day tour from Dublin, which will bring you to Kilkenny and then back to the capital.

Good to know: you can walk from Kilkenny train station to the city center in about 15 mins. Taxis are usually lined outside the station too.

Best day tours from Dublin to Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a popular destination for day tours from Dublin.

These are the 2 I like best as they combine a visit to Kilkenny with a stop in other lovely locations on the way. They are also a a good option if you are short on time or don’t want to navigate the Irish transport system on your own.

• ‘Kilkenny and Wicklow Mountains full day tour from Dublin’ 
• ‘From Dublin: Glendalough, Wicklow and Kilkenny Day Tour’.