SKELLIG MICHAEL LANDING TOUR
On the Skellig Michael Landing Tour you can get off the boat and explore the island. The tour departs from the marina in Portmagee, Co. Kerry.
Landing on Skellig Michael is very restricted and only licensed boats are permitted to land once per day during the season (mid May to end of September). Landing is not permitted outside this period. The departure time for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is subject to change because of the sea conditions, tides and landing time slots but the tour normally departs between 08:00am and 12:30pm. You will find out the allocated departure time when you check-in the day before the tour.
It is very important that we are able to contact you on the phone number and email address you provide when you make a booking. Skellig Michael is 12km out in the Atlantic Ocean so the tours are very dependent on the sea conditions and we will need to keep you updated if the departure time changes or if a tour is cancelled.
How to book the Skellig Michael Landing Tour?
We take all bookings online on our website. Go directly to the booking page by clicking on the button below. Availability for the landing tour is limited so you really need to book well in advance. You can add your details to the waitlist if the date you are looking for is full. We do not permit children under the age of 14 years on the landing tour.
ABOUT THE SKELLIG MICHAEL LANDING TOUR
How long is the boat trip to Skellig Michael?
The ferry crossing to Skellig Michael takes about 50 minutes.
How much time do I have on Skellig Michael?
You will have approximately 2 and a half hours on Skellig Michael.
Why is there only one trip per day for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour?
We are only permitted to land on Skellig Michael once per day due to restrictions to preserve the island. There are 15 boats with licenses to land on Skellig Michael and each boat is allowed to carry 12 passengers. That means there is a maximum of 180 people on Skellig Michael per day.
When will I find out if the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is cancelled?
The heritage guides, who live and work on Skellig Michael during the landing tour season, monitor the conditions at the island every morning and they ultimately decide whether or not the landing tour can go ahead. They will not make a decision to cancel unless they are absolutely certain that landing is not possible so sometimes their final decision may be right before the tour is due to depart. Of course, we will contact you immediately if we hear any updates before that.
Are children allowed on Skellig Michael Landing Tour?
We do not allow children under 14 years on the Skellig Michael Landing Tour.
How many steps are there on Skellig Michael?
There are 618 steps to the monastery on Skellig Michael. You will climb the same steps constructed by the monks who made their home on the island between the 6th and 12th centuries.
How much is the Skellig Michael Landing Tour?
The price for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is €125 plus booking fee per person. There are no senior, student or children’s rates.
We do not permit children under the age of 14 years on the landing tour.
What other options are there instead of the Skellig Michael Landing tour?
What to bring on the Skellig Michael Landing Tour?
In Ireland, the weather is very unpredictable and we can get all the seasons in one day. Wear warm comfortable clothing and good walking shoes (not flat soles) for climbing the steps to the monastery. You also need to bring rain wear (jacket and trousers).
There are no shops or facilities on the islands so bring something to eat and drink with you. You should also bring sunscreen. If you suffer from motion sickness consider taking medication before the tour and avoid eating for a couple of hours beforehand.
Checklist for the Landing Tour
Wear warm comfortable clothing
Good walking shoes – not flat soles
Packed lunch
Drinking water
Rain wear – jacket and trousers
Sunscreen (we might get lucky)
Camera
What time does the Skellig Michael Landing Tour depart?
The departure time slot is normally between 08:00am and 12:30pm but can be later depending on the sea conditions, weather or tides. We will tell you the allocated departure time when you check-in the day before the tour.
You must be very flexible with your time on the day of the tour because departure times change frequently due to the sea conditions / tides / weather.
The tour normally returns to Portmagee between 1:30pm and 5:30pm but it can be later. 6pm is the latest the tour will finish if the departure is delayed because of the sea conditions. Please be aware of this when making plans for after the tour.
THE DAY OF THE TOUR
You need to arrive at the marina no later than 15 minutes before departure unless we instruct you otherwise when you check-in the day before the tour. Ask for BRENDAN CASEY at the marina.
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YOU MUST CHECK-IN THE DAY BEFORE THE LANDING TOUR
You need to tell us: Where you are staying the night before the tour and the best phone number to contact you on.
We will tell you: The expected departure time and the forecasted sea/weather conditions
You cannot check-in more than 24 hours in advance because we will not be able to provide you with the most up to date information before then.
CHECK-IN ONLINE
Check-in link is provided on your confirmation email when you make a booking
You must do this between 08:30am and 3pm the day before the tour
If you are having difficulty checking in online you can:
CALL/SMS/WHATSAPP
Phone Number is provided on your confirmation email when you make a booking
You can do this between 12pm and 4pm the day before the tour
Where do the Skellig Michael Tours depart from?
All our tours depart from the marina in Portmagee, County Kerry. – Ask for BRENDAN CASEY. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour is due to depart.
How do I change or cancel my Skellig Tour booking?
Login to our customer area to update or cancel your booking. Enter the same email address you used when you made your booking.
It is advisable to stay as near as possible to Portmagee.
You should stay locally the night before the tour because the sea conditions vary a lot and we are often not sure if the tour will go ahead until right before it is due to depart.
A SAFETY GUIDE
Visiting Skellig Michael
You require a reasonable amount of fitness to undertake the landing tour. There are 618 steps to the monastery on Skellig Michael, and some are quite steep in certain areas along the path. Please watch the safety video to make sure you are aware of the rugged nature of Skellig Michael.
Are there alternative tours if my landing tour is cancelled due to sea or weather conditions?
Yes, we can get you on the next available Skellig Michael Eco Tour or Audio Visual (AV) Boat Tour and refund the difference in price back to your card. The landing tour is sometimes cancelled due to adverse sea or weather conditions. Unfortunately, as subsequent landing tours are usually booked out well in advance, it is unlikely we will be able to reschedule your booking. This is a limited tour with very few places available each day due to restrictions on landing on the Skelligs. If your landing tour is cancelled and you don’t wish to go on an alternative tour you will receive a full refund including booking fee.
CANCELLATION POLICY FOR THE SKELLIG MICHAEL LANDING TOUR
A cancellation fee of €12.50 per person applies for cancellations made 7 or more days in advance.
No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than 7 days in advance.
If we have to cancel a tour for any reason including sea/weather conditions, you will receive a full refund including booking fee.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
We may need to change the departure time and we will give you advance notice of this.
The departure time may be delayed by many hours due to tides and sea conditions.
You must be available until at least 6pm on the day of the tour. This is the latest that the tour will arrive back to Portmagee marina if the departure time is delayed.
We reserve the right to cancel a trip for any reason including sea and weather conditions, engine failure etc.
If your landing tour is cancelled we will not be able to reschedule your booking to the following days’ tours if they are already fully booked.
This is a very limited tour with very few places available each day due to government restrictions on landing on the Skelligs.
You cannot book multiple days as a contingency as this would be unfair to other people trying to book.
It is very important that we can reach you at the contact information you provide us with (ie. Phone Number and Email) because the tours are very dependent on the sea conditions and we will need to keep you updated if the departure time changes or if the tour is cancelled.
The cancellation policy for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is strictly 7 days and a refund is not possible if you cancel less than 7 days in advance. If you need to cancel your booking, you must do so at least one week in advance to receive a refund excluding the cancellation fee of €12.50.