Discover Kerry - Golf - Leisure
Hotel Near Killarney National Park
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The perfect base for Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park covers around 26,000 acres of lakes, oak woodland and mountains on the doorstep of Killarney town, and Great Southern Killarney sits 450 metres from its visitor centre. That is a six minute walk from the hotel door to the gates. Borrow one of our complimentary bikes and Ross Castle is twelve minutes away, Muckross House nineteen. You will not need the car, and you will not need to leave the restaurants and bars of the town behind to be close to the park.
Planning a trip to Killarney National Park?
Stay in the heart of Killarney, minutes from the park gates, with free bikes to get you further in.
Stay
How close is Great Southern Killarney to the park?
Every distance below is measured from the hotel door. Walking times are a comfortable pace, cycling times are on our complimentary bikes.
On foot or by bike from the door
| Destination | Distance | Walk / cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Killarney National Park Visitor Centre | 450 m | 6 min walk |
| Knockreer House and Gardens | 1.9 km | 27 min walk, 9 min cycle |
| Ross Castle | 3 km | 39 min walk, 12 min cycle |
| Muckross House and Gardens | 5.8 km | 19 min cycle |
| Torc Waterfall | 8.4 km | Cycle or drive |
Worth the drive
| Destination | Distance |
|---|---|
| Gap of Dunloe | 14.7 km |
| Ladies View | 18.2 km |
Up to Ross Castle you can walk it. Past that, the bikes are the difference between reaching Muckross and Torc and settling for the car park at the gates.
What to see in Killarney National Park
The park takes in the three Lakes of Killarney, the oak and yew woods around them, and the slopes of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks beyond. Ross Castle guards the shore of Lough Leane. Muckross House sits in its gardens further south. Torc Waterfall drops twenty metres through the trees, and Ladies View looks back over the whole valley from the Kenmare road. Ireland's only remaining native red deer herd has grazed here without interruption for five thousand years.
Read our full guide to Killarney National Park.
A 450 m walk to the park
The visitor centre is six minutes from the front door, and Knockreer’s gardens and viewpoints are a twenty-seven minute stroll from there. The park starts where the town ends.
Complimentary bikes at the door
Ross Castle is a twelve minute cycle through the park, Muckross House nineteen. Our bikes are free for guests, and there is secure storage and drying space for when you get back.
A hotel built for a day in the park
Breakfast runs from 7:30am, so you can be walking before the coaches arrive. Bikes are complimentary for guests, with secure storage and drying space for boots and jackets when the weather turns, which in Kerry it will. Come back to the health club and pool, then dinner at Arbour and a quiet pint in Brownes Bar without getting back into the car. We can arrange a jaunting car to collect you from the front door if you would rather let the horse do the walking.
Make a weekend of your visit
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FAQs
Staying in Killarney town centre puts you within walking distance of the park’s northern gates while keeping the restaurants, bars and shops on your doorstep. Great Southern Killarney is 450 metres from the visitor centre, about a six minute walk, and offers complimentary bikes for guests heading further into the park.
Yes. The hotel is 450 metres from the Killarney National Park Visitor Centre, a walk of about six minutes from the front door. Knockreer is 1.9 kilometres away and Ross Castle 3 kilometres, both reachable on foot or in twelve minutes by bike.
No. Entry to Killarney National Park is free and the park is open year round. Some attractions within it are charged separately, including guided tours of Muckross House, the Traditional Farms and boat trips on the lakes.
It depends on what you want within reach. The town centre keeps you walking distance from both the park gates and the town’s restaurants and bars. Hotels further out the Muckross Road sit closer to the lakes but need a drive or a long walk back into town for dinner.
Easily. Walk in from the town, borrow one of our complimentary bikes, or take a jaunting car, which we can arrange to collect you from the hotel door. Guests staying in the town centre rarely need the car at all.
There are car parks at Muckross House, Torc Waterfall and Ross Castle, and they fill early in summer. Guests staying in the town centre can skip the question entirely and walk or cycle in from the hotel.
The park itself is open year round with no gates or closing time on the grounds. Individual attractions keep their own seasonal hours, so check Muckross House and the visitor facilities before a late afternoon visit.
Two hours is enough to walk in from the town, see Knockreer and come back. Half a day gets you to Ross Castle and along the lakeshore. A full day, or a bike, takes you as far as Muckross House and Torc Waterfall, which is why most guests stay two nights rather than one.
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Discover Kerry - Killarney Town - Leisure - National Park