School Tours
Kylemore is the perfect destination for an Educational Tour offering classes of all ages the chance to learn and have fun.
Bring your class to Kylemore Abbey and discover 1000 acres of nature trail, woodland walks, history, stories and much more.
Some useful school tour information
The Abbey and Estate
The abbey and estate is steeped in history with tales of romance, tragedy and royal visits. There are amazing examples of innovative architectural and engineering initiatives such as hydro-electrical generators, bridge and causeway design, fire hydrant systems, dynamite explosions and sophisticated heating systems. Over 300,000 trees (a mix of native & non-native species) were planted when the castle was built in the 1870s and these woodland walks and nature trails are waiting to be explored.
Victorian Walled Garden
The 6 acre Victorian Walled Garden is a magical place to explore and is always popular with students young and old. The garden is unique in that it only grows plants and vegetables which grew in Victorian times so there are lots of unusual looking flowers and fruits as many of these varieties are no longer available commercially. Bananas and grapes are growing in the restored glass houses, just as they did back in the 1870’s!
Gothic Church, Nun's cemetery & Mausoleum
The miniature gothic cathedral was built in memory of Margaret Mitchell, the lady who tragically died in Egypt, just 4 years after her husband built her the castle at Kylemore. Visitors can see the delicately carved interior, gargoyles as smiling angles (not scary animals as is typical in other gothic churches), the four marbles of Ireland and experience the wonderful acoustics. We have choirs coming from all over the world to sing in the church and your students are welcome to attend any performances in the church. We regularly update our list of performances on our website. Click here to view Choir Performances
Children's Outdoor Furniture Trail
We are currently working with GMIT Letterfrack furniture college, where the students are designing and building children's outdoor furniture trail for the estate. We hope to have the furniture in place in May. Each piece is unique and is made from wood fallen on the estate. There will be musical instruments, miniature picnic tables and willow structures to play with.
Guided Tours
There are complementary guided tours of the abbey running daily for 20 minutes every hour on the hour between 11am to 4pm, and a guided tour of the garden at 2:30pm. If your group would like a private tour please let us know in advance and will organize it for you.
Mitchell's Cafe, Tea House & Picnics
We have special offers for pre-booked groups. Please click here for our sample menu. In addition to the offers of 2 and 3 course lunches shown in the sample we also offer the following deals;
Soup, Sandwich & Tea/coffee - €8.50
Soup and homemade bread - €4.25
We have picnic areas on the estate and your group is welcome to bring their own picnics for use in these areas.
Entrance Fees
National School Tour Rate - €4.50 per student. Free entry for teachers/supervisors. Please note, students are to be supervised at all times on the estate.
Summer Opening Times: 9am - 6pm
We hope you choose to visit Kylemore Abbey as part of your school tour and discover what makes Kylemore an educational, fun and memorable school tour.
If you require any further information or would like to make a booking, please do not hesitate to contact us on 095 52001 or email
bookings@kylemoreabbeytourism.ie