How to get to Skellig Michael in 2025 (Tours Compared)

Rising sharply from the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of County Kerry, the Skellig Islands are among Ireland’s most captivating and mysterious sites.

The larger island, Skellig Michael, is famous for its 6th-century monastic settlement, where a group of monks sought solitude atop its windswept peak (it also featured in Star Wars Episode VII “The Force Awakens” in 2014).

Nearby, Little Skellig is home to a vast seabird colony, including thousands of gannets. There are several ways to see the Skellig Islands, as you’ll discover below!

Why trust this guide? I first visited Skellig Michael long before its Star Wars fame and returned again in recent years. This guide is packed with practical advice on the Skellig Michael tours, plus key details to help you plan your trip.

How to get to Skellig Michael Island

There are two Skellig Islands. The smaller of the two, known as Little Skellig, is closed to the public and cannot be accessed. Skellig Michael (AKA ‘Great Skellig) is over 750 feet tall and is home to a number of historic sites.

1. Tours only run May – October

Before looking at how to get to Skellig Michael, it’s worth noting that the landing tours only run between May and the start of October. You can sail around the island on an eco tour in April.

2. Skellig tours are weather dependant

Even if you’ve managed to book onto an often busy tour, note that they can be cancelled the day before or the morning of if weather conditions are poor.

3. There are 2 very different tour types

• Tour A (the Eco Tour): This is the tour that takes you around the islands, but that doesn’t ‘land’ on Skellig Michael. You’ll see Little Skellig first before sailing around Skellig Michael
• Tour B (the Skellig Michael Landing Tour): This involves taking a ferry to the larger of the islands and heading for a wander around it

4. Tours depart from

• Portmagee
• Valentia Island
• Caherdaniel

5. Toilets, fitness, weather and only 180 people per day

• Visitor numbers: Only 18o people are allowed to visit Skellig Michael Island each day
• Fitness: You’ll need good fitness as you’ll need to climb 600 steps up to the monastery
• Toilets: There aren’t any on the island
• Weather and clothing: You’ll be on an island in the middle of the ocean – it gets very cold and windy
• Sea sickness: The crossing can be rough and sea sickness is common
• Disembarking: The point where you depart from the boat to the island is very slippy

Skellig Michael tours compared

Getting to the Skelligs is relatively easy these days once you book your tickets in advance.

Do note that, as this is on of the most sought after things to do in Ireland, tours book out,

Tours from Portmagee

• Paul Devane’s Skellig Cruises: Landing tour (€140) and Eco tour (€70)
• The McCrohan’s Skellig Boat Tours: Landing tour (€138.75) and Eco tour (€70)
• Skelligs Rock Cruises: Landing tour (€133.25) and Eco tour (€60)
• Casey’s Skellig Michael Tours: Skellig Michael Landing tour (€139.75) and Eco tour (€64.50)

Tours from Valentia Island

• Kerry Aqua Terra Boat & Adventure Tours: 2 hour tour around Valentia, Skellig Michael and more (€85)

Tours from Caherdaniel

• Skellig Tours: Landing tour (€120)

Things to see and do on Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael Island was first referenced in history in 1400BC and was called ‘home’ by a group of monks for the first time during the 8th century.

In pursuit of a greater union with God, a group of ascetic monks withdrew from civilisation to the remote island to begin a life of solitude.

It’s thanks to these monks that the island is home to a number of historical sites (the views are also out of this world).

1. Enjoy the journey over

If you do get a chance to visit Skellig Michael, your adventure begins from the moment you step on the ferry.

The journey across takes 50 minutes from Portmagee and you’ll be able to start soaking up views soon after your departure.

Now, if you’ve ever taken a ferry anywhere in Ireland, you’ll know that the water can be very choppy at times, so keep that in mind.

I’d recommend decent footwear, also. Aside from the fact that you’ll be doing a lot of walking on the island, the area where you step off the ferry can be slippy.

This isn’t helped by the fact that the boat will be rocking. So, decent footwear and a sturdy belly are both needed. 

2. The Stairway to Heaven

Cast your mind back to a time when monks lived on Skellig Michael (AKA ‘Great Skellig’). They needed to eat, and the water was their main source of food.

The monks needed to conquer a grueling 600+ steps each day as they made their way from the summit, where they lived, to the icy waters below, where they caught fish.

Those that visit the island will need to climb these 600+ steps to reach the top of the island. This will be a challenge for those with poor mobility.

3. Views galore

If you visit Skellig Michael on a clear day, you’ll be treated to outstanding views of Little Skellig and the County Kerry coastline. 

And after climbing the 600+ steps to the top, you’ll have earned a bit of kick-back-and-take-it-all-in-time.

When you arrive here, try and switch off, put the phone/camera away and bask in the brilliance that surrounds you. 

4. The beehive huts

Life in the middle of the Atlantic was by no means easy, so the monks got to work and built several structures to make the island suitable to live on.

Over time, they managed to construct a Christian monastery, six beehive huts, two oratories and some terraces.

The cluster of six beehive huts that housed the island’s inhabitants were constructed with slate and stand proud to this day – an immense feat considering the intense storms they’ve been subjected to over many years.

5. The Skellig Michael monastery

Although the Skellig Michael monastery is a ruin, much of the inner and outer enclosure is still visible. The monastery is situated on the east side of the island, as this location gets some good shelter.

The monks built three different staircases that would allow them to access the area, depending on the weather. Only the steps I mentioned earlier are accessible to the public today, for safety reasons.

You’ll be able to see one of the staircases from the monastery. This was one of the paths that was shown in Star Wars: Force Awakes.

Where to stay nearby: I’d recommend staying as close to your departure point as possible. If you’re leaving from Portmagee, the Moorings provide excellent accommodation by the pier.

About the Skellig Islands

The Skelligs are a key landmark on the famous Skellig Ring Drive (not to be confused with the Ring of Kerry!) pictured above.

And it’s from here that the Skellig Islands have been delighting those that have dared to visit long before George Lucas and Hollywood came knocking.

How they were formed

It was during the Armorican/Hercynian Earth Movements that Skellig Michael first peeked above the Atlantic Ocean.

These movements led to the formation of the mountains of County Kerry, which Skellig Michael is connected to.

The mass of rock from which the island was formed dates back over 400 million years and consists of compressed sheets of sandstone mixed with silt and gravel.

Mentioned as far back as 1400 BC

Of the two islands, Skellig Michael boasts the most Religious and historical significance.

The island was first referenced in history in 1400 BC and was called ‘home’ by a group of monks for the first time during the 8th century.

In pursuit of a greater union with God, a group of ascetic monks withdrew from civilisation to the remote island to begin a life of solitude.

A UNESCO World Heritage site

The remote and isolated islands have an almost prehistoric feel about them and the Skelligs are widely regarded as one of Europe’s most perplexing and remote sacred sites.

In 1996, UNESCO gave recognition to Skellig Michael and its “outstanding universal value”, placing it upon the World Heritage List, where it sits proudly next to the likes of the Giants Causeway and Yellowstone National Park.

“An incredible, impossible, mad place”

Once upon a time, over 20 years before Star Wars creator George Lucas was born, a Nobel Prize and Oscar-winning Irish playwright discovered the wonders of the Skellig Islands.

On September 17th, 1910, George Bernard Shaw left the Kerry coast in an open boat and sailed across the choppy waters that lay between the islands and the mainland.

In a letter penned to a friend, Shaw described the island as “An incredible, impossible, mad place” that is “part of our dream world”. If that doesn’t make you want to visit, nothing will.

FAQs

Over the years, I’ve been asked everything from how to get to Skellig Michael out of season to which of the tour for visiting Skellig Michael is best?

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.