Howth Coastal Boat Tour (Ireland's Eye Ferries 50 mins trip)
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Dublin, Ireland
- 50 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Keep your eyes peeled for guillemots, puffins, seals, and more as you cruise the water in the Dublin Bay Biosphere near Howth. This small-group, hassle-free tour takes you from Howth pier along the coastal cliffs, where your captain tells stories about the history of the peninsula while Irish music plays in the background. Get your cameras ready for wild photos of the Howth Cliffs and Ireland's Eye on this 50-minute cruise.
- Easily meet your guide and group at the pier in Howth
- Enjoy this intimate cruise with your guide and group (max 11)
- Learn all about the area’s history and nature from your captain
- Easily reach Howth on your own by train or bus, about 40 min from Dublin
What's Included
- All Fees and Taxes
- Guide
- Snacks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ireland's Eye Ferries (Howth Coastal Boat Tours and Island Voyages)1 W Pier, Howth, Dublin 13, D13 H2V4, Ireland
Boats depart on time—PLEASE ARRIVE 10 mins EARLY. From the train station: turn left, then left again after 50m onto West Pier. Walk down with trawlers on your right, restaurants on your left. Past Aqua Restaurant near the pier's end, you'll see our ferries in the harbour on the right.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Howth
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Boats depart on time—PLEASE ARRIVE 10 mins EARLY.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 22 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Mauri_Q
We stayed in Dublin and took the DART train for 8 euro round trip per person, 30 min. each way to Howth. This was a great tour. Harry, our captain, was kind and funny. He was also very informative and answered our questions. I highly recommend this tour. Great way to see the coastal Howth.
Reviews
4.8
based on 279 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Cassandra_F, Sep 2026
Excellent experience! Staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. Got to see a few puffins and seals.
Joanna_M, Aug 2026
Great tour! The boat is small, which is good for getting very close to the scenery. Excellent guides — very informative. Easy entry and exit. Plenty of seating.
Piyush_K, Aug 2026
Nice quick boat ride. Saw two kinds of seals plus lots of birds, a couple of jellyfish and a crab swimming.
Very friendly crew.
Diane_W, Aug 2026
A delightful experience even though it was too late to see puffins! This tour was in a small boat, so relaxing and so informative. We had the best guide, a young man who looked to be still a teenager- what charisma!
Jessica_C, Aug 2026
Our boat ride was lovely.
Beautiful scenery, loads of wildlife and an informative guide who was a blast.
Fanele_B, Aug 2026
It was the best experience we have ever had and looking forward to take longer boat rides every summer. My children cannot stop talking about it and have already started to plan the next one. Our skipper was an amazing young woman, I forgot her name, she made sure we are comfortable always.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Fanele, it was my pleasure to have your family on board! and I am so thrilled to hear that your experience with Irelands Eye Ferries stood out as the best you have ever had, it means the world.
Hope to see you guys again in the future,
Maggi
Skipper
Lauren_G, Aug 2026
A nice 50 min boat ride. Our guide pointed out a few things but mostly just drove the boat. Would have loved him to talk more, teach about the animals, rock formations etc. it was lovely, but would not go out of my way to do it.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Lauren,
We are sorry to hear that the tour did not live up to your expectations, and have raised your feedback with the crew.
The tour involves lots of stories about the area, wildlife and surroundings. If you are back in Howth another time, get in touch and allow us to make it up to you.
Paniz_R, Aug 2026
The tour was 50 min and they took us around the coast and it was beautiful. If you're in the area I highly recommend! Take a jacket incase too
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you Paniz! We love to hear your appreciation of the beautiful Howth. Good advice with the jacket, the sea breeze can be chilly.
Mahesh_D, Aug 2026
The boat was in crummy condition and filthy
It also didn’t last the full 50 minutes - left late and came back early
Response from Host, Aug 2026
I am very sorry to read this , and do not understand it. I apologise for the experience you had and can only hope it is a mistake and you were on the wrong boat. If you give me more detail I will investigate further.
Robyn_B, Aug 2026
Wonderful views of birds and seals, and friendly Irish guide ❤️. The weather was great, and we so enjoyed Matt telling us this history of the Christmas Eve and the info on the birdie
Amie_R, Aug 2026
Wonderful boat ride out to eye island! Wonderful captain and tour guide. Scenery was absolutely gorgeous!!
ROBERTA_D, Aug 2026
I enjoyed the Howth Coastal Boat Tour and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the area.
The tour was very informative, and the young guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He shared lots of interesting facts about the coastline, the local wildlife, the different bird species and the marine animals we might spot along the way, which made the trip even more enjoyable.
My only criticism is that I didn't feel completely safe on the boat. Although the tour itself went smoothly and there were no safety issues whatsoever, it wasn't the most reassuring experience for me personally.
Another small suggestion would be to use a microphone or speaker system during the commentary. Between the engine noise and the wind, I found it quite difficult to hear what the guide was saying at times, which was a shame because the information he was sharing was genuinely interesting.
Overall, it was a lovely experience, and despite those minor points, I would still recommend the tour to anyone looking to experience the beautiful Howth coastline from the water.
Terhi_S, Jul 2026
This was the highlight of our trip. Ireland’s Eye is very beautiful and we got to see puffins and seals and different birds by the cliffs. Our guide was excellent, he told us about the wildlife and history of the island.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Terhi! Thank you for such a wonderful review. We are so happy to hear that your Irelands Eye Ferries tour was the highlight of your trip, it means the world to a small, family run business like ourselves. Also great to hear that you caught the puffins before their migration!
Jennifer_C, Jul 2026
Great way to spend time off the usual tourist activities. Learned a lot about jewelry making. Made beautiful keepsakes with my daughters- very special!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Jennifer! Sounds like a cool experience - not with us though! We hope you enjoyed your boat tour just as much.
Wendy_S, Jul 2026
Loved it beautiful weather and the crew were so informative, easy to locate and it took around 50 min, even saw a puffin
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Wendy, Thank You!
Our crew will be so happy with your review of your Irelands Eye Ferries experience. The puffins are magical (and about to leave us), so we are glad you got to spot one on board.
MaryF_E, Jul 2026
Local tour company is very disorganised . I was not allowed on the boat of my original booking. Sent to a different boat? Then thrown off that one (the orange boat beginning with”P”) by a very nasty man. I am 75 and use a cain.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Mary,
We are sorry to hear about the confusion. With 4 tour companies operating from the same pontoon there is sometimes mix ups, sounds like you were sent to the wrong boat by our competitors.
We check in our customers at the top gate, ensuring they are sent to the right boats and preventing issues like this from occurring.
We hope that you still enjoyed your tour with whoever provided it.
Anne_K, Jul 2026
This was a fantastic experience! We loved being on a smaller boat (only 11 people were on it). We got to get up close to the cliffs and see lots of birds and also seals. The cliffs were incredible and the skipper told us interesting information about Ireland's Eye and the wildlife. Exactly as described!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Anne,
Thank you for the kind review. We are delighted to hear that you learnt a lot and enjoyed your Howth Coastal Boat Tour.
We also love to hear your appreciation for the smaller group, smaller boat. Upclose and personal is what we hope for every time.
Go raibh míle faith agat a cara.
Darren_P, Jul 2026
The captain was great! We learned do much. Great experience.. we would come back anytime. I recommend this trip to anyone
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you Darren!
We are so lucky to have such a great team, reviews like this fill us with confidence. Come again for sure, we would love to have you.
Andrea_F, Jul 2026
Really lovely tour of the island and the exciting ocean birds & seals. Great afternoon getaway from the city.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you Andrea! The island is magical at this time of year with all the nesting Atlantic birds, although we expect them to leave us soon! We are so glad you enjoyed your escape from the busy city, Howth is in Dublin - but definitely feels like another world.
loretta_p, Jun 2026
Loved this tour! We took dart rail from Pearse station to Howthe. The tour company gave great directions to go from rail station to end of Pier 1. The hour tour and guide was excellent. We saw puffins, Irish penguins and several other species of birds, along with seals. Fantastic tour! Would definitely do again!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you Loretta.
Glad you found us easily and enjoyed your Howth Coastal Boat Tour. The wildlife is spectacular at this time.
Ellen_L, Jun 2026
Our guide Maria was very informative, I won't ruin it by telling you here, only that you should go
I was blessed with lovely weather too.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you Ellen. Love the element of surprise!
Jennifer_M, Jun 2026
Great tour! We learned very much about the history of the area and saw an amazing amount of wildlife. So beautiful, easy and perfect way to spend an hour!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much Jennifer. Your feedback means a lot to us! We are thrilled that you learned and saw a lot whilst on board with Irelands Eye Ferries!
Carrie_K, Jun 2026
There were not as many puffins as we expected, but we did see a couple. There were a LOT of other birds. Bring binoculars, if you have them.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Carrie,
Thank you for the review. The birds are pretty spectacular at this time of year! And our smaller puffin colony makes them an even more special sighting.
What could we have done to get the 5th star?
Angelica_A, Jun 2026
This was such a great experience! I was on a small boat with only 4 other passengers, plus the two employees. We saw puffins, seals, and tons of other birds. It was a beautiful part of Ireland we saw, and the town itself (Howth) was a very easy train ride from Dublin. The employees were super friendly and even let us take shelter with them from the rain. Totally worth it
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Angelica,
Thank you for leaving us a review. Sounds like a nice quiet, almost private trip! We always keep our group sizes small to ensure a comfortable and spacious trip for everyone on board and avoid overcrowding.
Glad you found us and got to spot some of the wonderful wildlife that is nesting on Irelands Eye at this time of year.
Rachael_F, Jun 2026
We last minute decided to take a 30 minute train from Dublin to see more wildlife/rural areas before our trip ended and I’m so glad we did! This boat tour was relatively short but we got an intimate look at Ireland’s Eye and the inhabiting wildlife like various birds and seals. The boat ride felt safe, well paced and Harry our tour guide was very informative and engaging! Definitely worth visiting Howth and partaking in this tour!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks Rachael!
Harry is extremely knowledgable about the area so we love to hear that you learnt something and felt engaged.
Intimate is what we go for, up close and personal to the nature and wildlife. It is a magical place and we are delighted that you felt so too.
Aryana_S, Jun 2026
This was such a beautiful and amazing tour to take, it was so worth it and i’d highly suggest adding this to your trip. The tour guides were so informative and even went backwards to make sure that we saw the puffin birds. It definitely gets chilly, so make sure to bring a jacket!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Aryana,
We love to hear that you got to see the puffins! One of Howth's seasonal highlights for sure, and our guides will always go the extra mile when possible to make sure they aren't missed!
Great advice with the jacket - that sea breeze can be chilly.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a wonderful review, it means so much.
David_H, Jun 2026
Never got to go. Sadly it was scheduled by my husband for us (two grandmas and our granddaughter) to follow the Dublin Coastal Hike so time was tight.
But due to my age and lack of experience climbing hills (from Florida and it’s flat where I am, I couldn’t complete the hike. So we stayed at a pub as the other people on the hike tour continued climbing.
But trying to get to the Howth boat tour location proved difficult to achieve. I called the boat tour company telephone number and only got a recording saying they only answer the phone on the days they have tours. Well… I thought that was a day since we were scheduled to go. I attempted calling a few times to let them know we were trying to be get to their location BUT getting a taxi proved just plain impossible. One company said they didn’t go to the pub/restaurant we were calling from… Howth taxi - Howth restaurant but not in their area? Still trying to call the boat tour office with no luck and less luck on transportation our scheduled time came and went.
Very disappointed as we were really looking forward to this tour… rain or no rain.
Finally found and ice cream shop where two extremely nice young girls helped us get a taxi back to our hotel.
So….. I will assume the boat tour would be fantastic… but I have no idea….
Lena_W, May 2026
Fantastic experience, the tour was magnificent and the host was enthusiastic and vibrant. We absolutely recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you Lena!
Delighted that you enjoyed your tour with Irelands Eye Ferries and the stunning coastal scenery. Hope you learnt a lot.
Susan_L, May 2026
The 50-minute boat tour trip to Ireland's Eye definitely exceeded my expectations! The scenery and the bird colonies on the rocks were incredible. What really stood out were our guides, Captain Kim and Ryan. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging, sharing history, wildlife facts, and local stories in a way that kept everyone interested the entire time. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Howth.
Response from Host, May 2026
Susan,
We couldn't be happier to hear that our Howth Coastal Boat Tour exceeded your expectations! Thank you for the lovely review, Kym and Ryan will be absolutely delighted.
Maggi
Skipper
Jodi_H, May 2026
This was an amazing experience! Our guide was so good at pointing out all the animals!! (We saw seals and PUFFINS!!!) Do not hesitate to book this!!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much Jodi! Glad you got to see the puffins and of course the seals too.
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