It might not look like it because Ireland seems more like the place where you can find castles and mediaeval villages, but the country also houses some of the best adventure parks in Europe.
And when we say adventure parks, we mean parks where various activities can be done while being surrounded by nature. Rides, walking trails, ziplines, aero balls, mazes, courses—all in one place!
Entrance Fees to the Best Adventure Parks in Ireland
These are the entrance fees you’ll pay for access to the top adventure parks in the country. Please do note that these prices might change any time. It’s advisable to check the park’s website once in a while for updates:
Top Adventure Parks in Ireland
We’re reviewing the top adventure parks in Ireland using the following categories:
1. Emerald Park
| Attractions and features | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Landscape and scenery | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Miscellaneous features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Emerald Park, located in County Meath, is one of the most popular adventure parks in Ireland. What we love about it is that it has several features and a lot of activities that everyone can enjoy, whether you’re a kid or an adult!
For example, there are a lot of rides for all ages and other daredevil activities like zipline and of course, the scary Chu Chulainn roller coaster, which is a large wooden roller coaster. But there are also other less intense activities like the zoo, which kids enjoy!
In fact, according to some visitors, the variety of activities is the reason why they spend family day in Emerald Park. The kids enjoy the rides and the trails, most especially the zoo, but there are also other activities for adults to enjoy.
Emerald Park also has a relaxing view of the greens. So if you get tired riding the attractions or walking around, you can just take in the view—it would be a nice addition to your Instagram feed!
We also appreciate the existence of basic features like toilets and restaurants, which are all very clean and well-maintained, by the way. We also think you’ll be happy to know that the cost of food is really fair.
The only thing that might turn you off is the long waiting time for rides. Worse, there are queue jumpers, and there are not many staff around to catch them on act.
Pros
- Zoo
- Nice and friendly staff
- Fair prices for food
- Various activities for everyone
- Family-friendly
- Very clean
- Beautiful landscape
Cons
- Long waiting time for rides
- Queue jumps with no staff to stop them
Customer Reviews
Variety of activities for everyone
We went to Emerald Park as part of a group with children aged between 3-12 years. They all had a great time, there’s something for everyone there. The combination of a zoo and theme park makes for a fun day out for all. —Natasha Armstrong, Google Reviews
Perfect place for a family weekend getaway
What an amazing place to go and have some family fun. There are lots of rides for both adults and children. There are several roller coasters, and the junior area has plenty of things for young children. They also have a Zoo which is great, and the bird show is really cool! And the petting zoo is cute. There is also a circus show that is worthwhile! They have plenty of places to have food around the park. — Catarina Dias, Google Reviews
2. Castlecomer Discovery Park
| Attractions and features | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Landscape and scenery | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Location and accessibility | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Miscellaneous features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
If you’re looking for variety in an adventure park, we recommend Castlecomer Discovery Park in Kilkenny Ireland. There’s just so many activities for everyone regardless of age, so no one will get bored because there’s always something to do!
First of all, Castlecomer is an 80-acre woodland park, so it has plenty of spaces for several attractions. You’ll find ziplines, archery areas, walking trails, an interactive museum, cafes, adventure courses, and even a lake where you can go canoeing!
It honestly has everything you’ll want for a family day, hence it’s busy during the weekends. In fact, according to some regular patrons who live in Kilkenny, going to Castlecomer has been a regular monthly thing for their families.
We also appreciate the friendly staff you can find all around. If you encounter any problem or need help to locate an attraction, the park attendants are very approachable and friendly—they’re all willing to assist.
And then there’s the cafe—we love that you can relax someplace after all the activities available. And the best thing about this cafe is that it serves a variety of food, so you don’t need to worry about someone not eating at all.
The only problem we can see is the location. It’s quite difficult to book a cab from Castlecomer, so we recommend bringing a vehicle with you!
Also, make sure you can finish your activities at least an hour before the advertised closing hour. Sometimes the park closes early, and it’ll be a bummer if you don’t get to finish your activity!
Pros
- Great attractions
- Various food options
- Walking trails
- Fishing lake
- Patient and friendly attendants
Cons
- Difficult to book a cab
- Closes early than what’s advertised
Customer Reviews
Loads of activities for kids and adults
Visited here with 2 young children and their friends from school. Loads of activities for them to choose from. Mine loved the tree top walk. The coffee shop at fairy village was full of bees and very uncomfortable to sit near. We did the full walk around the forest and I would advise bringing a buggy for small kids. One of mine is 4 and needed the buggy. We did pedal boats and archery as well and we really enjoyed the activities and really well ran. The restaurant at reception was very nice and well priced. All staff were very friendly.— 5 Town, Trip Advisor
Stunning nature perfect for any outdoor activity
An impressive outdoor activity destination with something for all age groups/levels. Immersed in Castlecomer’s stunning natural woodlands, this place is well worth a visit.— Nick Hill Google Reviews
3. Zipit Forest Adventures
| Attractions and features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Landscape and scenery | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Miscellaneous features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
When we asked the visitors what they loved the most about Zipit Forest Adventures, they told us it’s because of the safety protocols. Safety was as important to them as the enjoyment, so they’re appreciative that the adventure park offers it.
Zipit Forest Adventures is different from most adventure parks because it doesn’t have thrilling attractions like roller coasters or other extreme rides. However, we’re pretty sure you’ll enjoy it because of its courses.
Zipit has a lot of adventure-packed courses for every age and every skill. And these circuits have a mixture of ziplines, rope bridges, cargo nets, swinging logs, and more that you need to cross to finish the course!
In addition to this, you don’t need to worry about your safety. We love that there’s a very thorough briefing at the beginning of the circuit so you’ll know what to do. And before you leave, the staff make sure that your safety gears are properly attached to you.
We also love that other than the activities, you can enjoy the beautiful view as well. Being surrounded by nature is very relaxing, and Zipit is located right in the heart of it!
Possibly the only thing you might find a little disappointing is that there’s a strict age limit to some activities. Also, since most activities are outdoors, if you come during bad weather, you won’t be able to do anything at all.
Pros
- Helpful instructors
- Activities for all ages
- Beautiful views
- Plenty of parking spaces inside
- Strict safety measures in all activities
Cons
- Age restrictions in some activities
- Can’t do anything during a bad weather
Customer Reviews
Strict safety measures are implemented
This was a lovely experience. I came here with a group of friends on a bank holiday weekend, we booked ahead of time which made it easy to check in.
Parking is available inside. After check in we got strapped and had a training obstacle course to get us familiar with the obstacles. We were tightly secured and help was readily available. A lovely activity for all ages, it’s a full days adventure so be prepared. Toilets are available and a shop to buy little bits here and there. You will need to have gloves or buy one for €2 you need them. I got stuck on the zip-line but I got rescued. The most important thing is you accept fall and make sure your gears are fitted correctly and comfortably. — Aisha Ngada, Google Reviews
Challenging courses for every age group
Done twice now it’s great craic , well run and a beautiful setting. Good induction training, good safety protocols and lots of friendly staff on hand if need any help. Number of courses for all levels and age groups, Courses have a good mix of zip lines , obstacles, testing skill balance and strength. Some are pretty tough tbh and really can challenge you but great when get past them successfully. There is a small tuck shop on site where get cold drinks , coffee, chocolate bar etc and reasonable priced, all in all it is a great active family day our recommend the merry ploughboy for pint and food afterwards — Purple Frog, Google Reviews
4. Skypark of Carlingford
| Attractions and features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Landscape and scenery | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Miscellaneous features | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
What we love about Skypark of Carlingford is that there’s plenty of activities for everyone regardless of the age group. In fact, some regulars told us that one day wasn’t enough to enjoy the park because of various things to enjoy!
Some of the activities you can enjoy are aerial courses, ziplines, spider mountain, aero ball, maze, trains, jeeps, and trampolines. What we love about this is that you can enjoy these activities whether you’re an adult or a kid.
Speaking of activities, we love that Skypark has special activities on special occasions like Halloween. So make sure you check out their websites for special features because we’re pretty sure you’ll enjoy them!
Another thing we love is that every penny you spend is worth it at this adventure park! In terms of a variety of things to do, you can stay here all day and not get bored because there are lots of activities for everyone.
Just a little warning—there are days when the adventure park gets really busy, and during those days, they run out of safety gears for everyone. You have to wait a little to start your activity, which can be a waste of time.
It’s also quite inconvenient that Skypark is understaffed. There aren’t a lot of people around to ask help from, but at least those that are available are always eager to assist you, which is still good customer service to us!
Pros
- Super helpful staff
- Lots of activities to do
- Fantastic food options
- Professional instructors
- Staff are good with kids
- Has special themes during holidays
Cons
- Understaffed
- Runs out of safety gears on a busy day
Customer Reviews
Friendly staff who are good with kids
Staff are very friendly and couldn’t do enough for you. Each of them were so good with the kids. Helpful and encouraging with safety in mind. It’s very relaxing also, no madness, no big queues. Can bring your own food or eat there, good family pizza deal. Fab setting & views, great for kids confidence in terms of height and challenges, great for all ages.— Eleonor Meade, Google Reviews
A fun place for kids and a relaxing place for parents
Lovely place, fun for children, relaxation for parents. Thanks a lot to the organisers and hosts for the wonderful opportunity to visit this magnificent place… You are wonderful people with open hearts, thank you. By the way, excellent equipment and safety is guaranteed. — Webb Mitra, Trip Advisor
5. Fort Lucan
| Attractions and features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Landscape and scenery | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Miscellaneous features | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Fort Lucan might not be the typical huge adventure park, but it’s still quite popular in Ireland because of its fun activities. In fact, we’re also quite surprised by how many things you can do in a day which proves that it’s a park worthy of visit!
What we love about Fort Lucan is that while the target market is of the younger generation, adults can still enjoy the place. The place looks great, has a relaxing atmosphere, and there’s a cafe where you can relax while the kids are enjoying.
The good thing about Fort Lucan is that the park has plenty of staff around. This ensures that children are well-looked after, so you don’t have to worry about their safety.
Speaking of safety, we appreciate that the adventure park takes protocols seriously. We love that the staff always ensure that the safety gears are in place before the activity can be performed.
We also love that the facilities are well-maintained! Everything is just clean and well-maintained—from the equipment to the toilets.
Another thing we like about Fort Lucan is that it’s accessible to everyone, but most convenient if you use a car. There’s plenty of parking space inside so parking won’t be a problem.
Just a little thing worth noting—it’s a strictly no-refunds park. No matter what the reason is for not being able to make it on your scheduled date, you won’t have your money back.
Pros
- Friendly and organised staff
- Easy and fast access to attractions and activities
- Strict safety procedures
- Well-maintained facilities
- Fantastic cafe food
- Plenty of parking space
Cons
- Small park
- Strictly no refunds
Customer Reviews
Lots of staff around to supervise
Kids had an amazing day. The place you could walk in possibly under 5 mins but for hours the kids were entertained on the slides and activities, food was reasonably priced also. Plenty of parking on site and lots of staff to make sure all the children were supervised and kept safe.— Robert Byrne, Google Reviews
Perfect playground for kids of all ages
Wonderful day out here. We went with our 3 children (2,5,7) and I cannot say enough about what a fabulous fun day the kids had. Now it’s not great for a 2 year old as there is only a playground for this age group which did keep her entertained for the 3 hrs but the fun my 2 older kids had going up and down the water slides about 50 times was just fantastic. It’s very reasonably priced and it is so clean and well laid out. Food is of great value. Staff were so lovely and friendly. I have recommended Fort Lucan to all my friends and will definitely be heading back.Well worth a day out for kids.— Passage Priest, Trip Advisor
FAQs About Adventure Parks in Ireland
Adventure parks are only some of the leisure places you can enjoy when you visit Ireland. If the adrenaline is too much for you though, you can try Non-Touristy Things to Do in Ireland.