Guided walking tours of Cork are offered daily Monday to Friday during summer months (April to September). They are conducted by professional tour guides and allow visitors to discover Cork's rich historical past. Further details are available from the tourist office (tel: (021) 425 5100; www.corkkerry.ie) on Grand Parade, or online at Cork Historic Walking Tours (www.walkcork.ie). 

Tours of Cork city in open-top buses are operated by local coach company Cronins Coaches (tel: (021) 430 9090; www.croninscoaches.com). Ticket holders can hop on and off at any stop along the way.

Bus Éireann (tel: (021) 450 8188; www.buseireann.ie) also offers open-top bus tours of Cork city from June to August, as well as day tours from Cork to the Ring of Kerry; the Lakes of Killarney; Bunratty and the Cliffs of Moher; and to West Cork, including a cruise to Cape Clear. Other companies offering sightseeing tours from Cork are Easy Tours (tel: (021) 454 5328; www.easytourscork.com) and Road Runners (tel: (021) 477 3423; www.roadrunners-tours.com).