Bushmills Irish whiskey tour
Enjoy the Bushmills Irish whiskey tour while visiting Northern Ireland
A trip to Northern Ireland is not complete with a trip to the Old Bushmills Distillery. Located in Co Antrim, the Old Bushmills Distillery is the oldest operational distillery in all of the island of Ireland. A day trip to the distillery allows visitors the unique opportunity to actually watch how whiskey is made and even offers them a chance to taste some of the fine results. Known as the only grain to grass distillery in the country, Bushmills Irish whiskey is a real treat for connoisseurs, so why not take a look at what 400 years of distilling has taught the founders of this grand distillery.
Opening times
The Bushmills Irish whiskey tours run about every 15 to 20 minutes, so there really is no wrong time to show up during the day if you want to visit the distillery. The distillery is open from 9:15am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, as it has been since it was first granted a royal license to distil back in 1608. On Sunday it is also open from noon until 4pm with the gift shop closing up on both days by 4:45pm. Therefore, if you want to grab some gifts to take home, you may want to try to get there before the last tour to make sure you have time to browse.
Each tour lasts about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the group and how chatty everyone is as they tour the whiskey distillery! There are no set times, so you can just show up and wait for the next chance to travel into the distillery. Groups can call in advance to have tour times set up, but 1pm is the latest time for groups to tour together, and on Sunday no group bookings can be reserved. Groups must have 15 people or more. Be aware that large backpacks are not allowed on the tour, and the distillery does not offer a place to store them safely.
The tour is open to anyone that wants to see how the finest whiskey in the land is distilled, but those who have walking difficulties may find it tricky, and in addition, the distillery is not wheelchair accessible. Children under 8 are allowed to visit the distillery and the gift shop but are not allowed to take part in the guided tours. There is an admission fee that is charged for the tours, and this includes the tasting portion of the tour as well.
A visit to the Old Bushmills Distillery is part of the Giants Causeway Tour run by Odyssey Coach Tours. Enjoy all the experiences of the North Coast of Ireland with us.
