Trails & Tours
Explore Cork’s rich food culture through a variety of guided experiences, including distillery tours, walking food trails, bus tours, and boat trips. There’s something for every appetite and curiosity.
*Please note booking fees may apply on some events
Cork Food History Guided Tour
10.00am-12.00pm, Wed 12th Aug, Thurs 13th Aug City Centre various
Step back in time on this guided walking tour exploring Cork’s rich food heritage. Visit iconic sites like the English Market and the Butter Museum while sampling local flavours along the way. Learn how Cork’s food story has evolved from Viking times to today through engaging storytelling, tastings, and conversations.
Adults €73.50 | Youth (10-17) €63.17 | Children u10 Free | Activity Days - Cork Food History Tour
Cork on a Fork Fab Food Trail
10.30am - 2.00pm, Wed 12th Aug, Thur 13th Aug, Fri 14th Aug, Sat 15th Aug,City Centre various
2.30pm - 5pm, Friday 14th Aug, City Centre various
Walk and taste your way around Cork city with a specially designed Cork on a Fork Food Trail visiting the very best places using the very best Iocal produce. An experienced guide will share their love of good food and Cork city, and stories of the history and culture of Cork as you stroll the city streets. Vegetarian friendly. Brought to you by Fab Food Trails.
€85. Cork On A Fork Fab Food Trail Booking
English Market Taste Trail
12.00pm-3.00pm, Fri 14th Aug & Sat 15th Aug, The English Market
Discover a true taste of the English Market, the food heart of Cork City, on this 6-stop taste trail, exclusive to Cork on a Fork. This curated journey invites you to savour a selection of small plates from some of the market’s most loved traders. From On The Hoof to Macki Sushi, O’Flynn's Sausages, Uncles, Kay’s Kitchen, and On the Pigs Back, each stop offers a unique taste of Cork, with everything on your plate sourced from the market.
€42 | English Market Taste Trail Bookings Eventbrite.
Cork Culinary Tour
2.30pm-5.00pm, Wed 12th, Thurs 13th & Sat 15th Aug Cork City Centre various
Enjoy a true Cork experience with storytelling, Irish culture, food and drink. You will wander through the famous English Market, in operation since the 18th century, with tastings of local award-winning cheese, mouthwatering seafood fresh from the Atlantic, handmade Irish bread, gourmet country sausages, and more. The tour finishes in a relaxed gastro pub where guests can enjoy a sharing platter and a creamy pint or local beverage of choice.
€110 Adult | €80 Youth (12–18) | €35 Child | Cork Culinary Tour Bonner Travel
Brewery Tour, Pizza and Pint @ Rising Sons
6.30pm-7.30pm, Wed 12th Aug, Thur 13th Aug, Rising Sons Brewery
A pizza, pint & tour of Cork’s award-winning Rising Sons Brewery. Discover their brewing process, explore the custom-built brewery, and enjoy a guided tasting of two to three beers with their expert team. Learn about Ireland’s brewing heritage, the science behind the brew, and how to identify different styles - plus, ask anything during a fun Q&A. Afterwards, enjoy a pizza and pint in their pub.
€28 | Email Rising Sons and reference 'Cork on a Fork' | Over 18s
The Hysterical Histories - Food, Fame and Frivolity Walking Tour
11.00am-12.45pm, Thurs 13th Aug, City Centre
Discover the highlights of Cork’s foodie past and the city's 1500-year history, through the eyes of Cork's quirky characters and pickiest eaters on this truly unique walking tour of Cork City.
Adults €15 | Youth (6-12) €10 | u5's FREE with discount code: FORKWALK26
Hysterical Histories Thursday Tour
Producers Bus Tour – Land of Milk, Butter, Cheese
10.00am-3.00pm, Fri 14th Aug, Cork City and County
Discover a land of rich dairy traditions, renowned for its exceptional milk, butter, and cheese. Begin at the Butter Museum and explore Cork’s heritage as a global centre of the butter trade. Then pop across to Shandon Sweets, founded in 1920, to pick up a bag of handmade traditional hard sweets, before journeying to West Cork, home to some of Ireland’s finest dairy produce. At a local farm, you’ll learn about milking and cheese-making from the source. The tour will finish at The English Market, where you can find delicious local dairy produce.
€95. Producers Bus Tour Bookings Cork City Tours.
A Hysterical Children’s Food Trail
12.00pm-2.00pm, Fri 14th Aug, Sat 15th Aug, Cork City Centre
Join Angela from Hysterical Histories for a fun and fascinating children’s food trail through Cork City Centre. Children can sample bite-size child-friendly local food as they wander through the city. They will also hear fun and interesting facts about food and history in Cork. This year’s new route will include Amicus, Urban Pantry, the English Market, and Tory Top Chocolates. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, who can also book tastings if they wish.
€18 | Children’s Food Trail Bookings Eventbrite.
A Cork Whiskey Journey
2.00pm-5.00pm, Fri 14th Aug, Midleton Distillery & The Shelbourne Bar
Meet at The Shelbourne Bar, one of the country’s finest whiskey destinations, for an Irish coffee making demonstration and tasting. You’ll then travel to Midleton Distillery with Cronin's Coaches for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and premium tasting experience, where you’ll discover the craftsmanship and heritage behind some of Ireland’s most celebrated whiskeys.
€65 | A Cork City Journey Bookings Cork City Tours.
Evening Rooftop Food Culture Bus Tour
7.00pm-8.30pm, Fri 14th Aug, Cork City Centre
Experience Cork’s rich food heritage from a stunning rooftop vantage point on an exclusive evening Cork City Sightseeing Tour. Discover the fascinating story of the city’s culinary traditions with renowned UCC food historian Regina Sexton. The evening concludes with a short guided walk through the Coal Quay (Cornmarket Street), long celebrated for its vibrant street trading culture.
€28 | Evening Food Culture Bus Cork City Tours.
Tutored Beer Tasting & Micro-Brewery Visit
12.00pm-12.45pm, Sat 15th Aug, Elbow Lane
Step inside the smallest brewery in Ireland, Elbow Lane Brew & Smokehouse on Oliver Plunkett Street, and discover its limited-edition range of award-winning beers. During this informal, informative and fun tasting, you will try each of their beers and hear about the brewery and beer in general. Includes a unique Elbow Lane 100% recycled Organic Cotton T-Shirt, 4 tasting beers and pinchos.
€60 | Tutored Beer Tasting Bookings Elbow Lane | Over 18s
English Market Taste Trail
12.00pm-3.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, The English Market
Experience the authentic flavours of the English Market on this Small Plate Taste Trail, available exclusively during Cork on a Fork. Sample delicious small plates from some of the market’s favourite traders, including On The Hoof, Macki Sushi, O’Flynn's Sausages, Uncles, and Kay’s Kitchen. Each stop showcases the best of Cork, with every dish made using ingredients sourced directly from the market.
€42 |English Market Taste Trail Bookings Eventbrite.
Brewery Tour, Pizza and Pint @ Rising Sons
12.00-1.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, Rising Sons Brewery
Discover the brewing process at Rising Sons, explore the custom-built brewery, and enjoy a guided tasting of two to three beers with their expert team. Learn about Ireland’s brewing heritage, the science behind the brew, and how to identify different styles, plus, ask anything during a fun Q&A. Afterwards enjoy a pizza and pint in their pub.
€28 | Email Rising Sons and reference Cork on a Fork | Over 18s.
North X South Wine Tasting
1.00pm & 3.00pm, Sat 15th Aug, MacCurtain Wine Cellar & L'Atitude 51
In the VQ area, north of the Lee, MacCurtain Wine Cellar will be pouring wines from three northern regions, while over on the south channel, L’Atitude 51 will be serving wines from three southern regions. Enjoy a flight of three wines in each venue accompanied by delicious light bites. When you finish in one venue, make your way across the bridge for your second flight of wines. That’s six wines in total with snacks and a welcome stroll in between.
€50 | Email info@latitude51.ie stating your preferred time slot | Over 18s.
Rebel City Distillery Tour
2.00pm-3.15pm, Sat 15th Aug, Rebel City Distillery
Go behind the scenes at Cork’s first new distillery in over 50 years and experience the story, passion and craft behind this family-run distillery. Led by co-founder Bhagya Barrett, this intimate tour offers a personal insight into the unique distillation process in the very place the spirits are made. The experience includes a guided tasting of the handcrafted range, featuring Maharani Gin, Rebel City Absinthe and Maharani Vodka.
€28 |Rebel City Distillery Tour Ticketing|Over 18s
Cork Historic Doughnut Tour
2.30pm–4.30pm, Sat 15th Aug, Meet at 25 Parnell Place, Cork City Centre (T12 VH29)
Explore Cork on a family-friendly walking tour combining tasty doughnut stops with local history and culture. Discover the city through its sweetest treats while getting insider tips on where to eat, drink, and visit.
€50 (adults) / €42 (kids) with “Cork Fork” 10% discount | Historic Doughnut Tour Bookings.
Sailing, Shucking and Shanties
5.30pm, Sat 15th Aug, Pick up at Custom House Quay
Enjoy a cruise with Cork Harbour Cruises on a 2.5-hour round-trip journey from Custom House Quay to the lower harbour. Take in stunning sights including Cobh, Spike Island, Haulbowline and Blackrock Castle. Oysters will be freshly shucked for tasting by K O Connell Fish Stall from the English Market, while Sea Shanties by Cobh Molgoggers provide lively onboard entertainment. All of this while enjoying a guided tour of the harbour’s remarkable history and landmarks.
€50 | Sailing Shucking and Shanties Bookings Cork Harbour Tours
Behind the Scenes at Blarney Brewing
1.00pm-1.45pm & 2.00pm-2.45pm, Sat 15th Aug, Blarney Brewing, Commons Road
Go behind the scenes at Blarney Brewing and discover how great beer and circular food systems go hand in hand. Their brewers will explain how Blarney Brewing beers are made, from grain to glass, and how brewery by-products are reused locally as part of their future sustainability objectives. Perfect for beer lovers, and anyone curious about how local brewing fits into Cork’s food ecosystem.
Historic Pub Trail
3.00pm–6.30pm, Sat 15th Aug, Cork City Centre
Step into the heart of Cork’s legendary pub culture on this relaxed and flavour-filled historic pub trail, a curated journey through some of the city’s most iconic and character-rich drinking spots. Enjoy stories, drinks, some food tasters and warm hospitality, while visiting The Long Valley, Mutton Lane, O’Sho, Fordes, The Castle Inn and Callanans. Note: allergens apply. More than a pub crawl, this is a storytelling experience of Cork’s food, drink, and character, where every stop has a tale.
€69.50 | Historic Pub Trail Bookings Eventbrite. | Over 18s
Chase the Fairy Absinthe Experience
12.00pm, Sun 16th Aug, Rebel City Distillery
Join Rebel City Distillery for Ireland’s only absinthe experience, celebrating the alchemy and artistry behind the spirit. Includes a guided distillery tour, welcome absinthe on arrival, and two absinthe cocktails, with non-alcoholic options available.
€50 | Spirit School Booking TripAdmit | Over 18s.
Tutored Beer Tasting & Micro-Brewery Visit
12.00pm–12.45pm, Sun 16th Aug, Elbow Lane
Step inside Ireland’s smallest brewery and discover limited-edition, award-winning beers in an informal guided tasting. Includes four tasting beers, pinchos, a brewery overview, and an Elbow Lane organic cotton T-shirt.
€60 | Tutored Beer Tasting Bookings Elbow Lane | Over 18s