We are delighted to welcome visitors to enjoy the magnificent grounds from 9.00 AM to 5:30 PM daily. Our grounds access plan is for safe, respectful visits to the House, Arboretum & Gardens with visitors asked to observe HSE guidelines at all times. The House is open for House Tours & Retail (Books & Souvenirs) from Wednesday 1st July - Wednesday to Sunday initially
Fota House open 10am - 5pm from Wed to Sun for House Tours & Retail only - Guided House Tours at 12:30pm - 2pm - 3:30pm (Wed - Sun)
Please note the indoor Cafe & toilets are currently not available due to Covid-19 restrictions
Victorian Working Gardens open Mon–Fri 10:30am - 3pm with a large range of plants grown by Fota Gardeners available for purchase
Bakestone Café operates a takeaway coffee and limited snack menu daily 11am-5pm - outdoor seating available
Arboretum open daily 9am - 5:30pm
Walled & Pleasure Gardens open daily
We are pleased that our site partners, OPW, make the Pleasure Gardens exclusive to the enjoyment of ‘Cocooners’ between: 10am-1pm (Mon–Fri), 11am-1pm (Sat). We ask other visitors to respect this initiative within these times.
Please note that the Formal Gardens & Arboretum are managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) so any suggestions or comments should be directed here
We hope to resume a 7 day week opening of the house itself as soon as possible but the layout of this historic house is not fully adaptable to current Covid-19 guidelines - Thank you for your understanding.
Covid-19 Guidelines
House tours are limited to 10 people per tour to facilitate social distancing based on the layout of this historic house
All visitors on house tours must wear a face mask (use own or available for a €1 charge) Likewise all tour guides will wear face visors. Visitors will be briefed on covid-19 considerations prior to tour commencement
Visitors are asked to refrain from touching exhibits or fixtures etc as much as possible
House tour visitors will be asked for a name & contact number for purposes of contact tracing which is compliant with GDPR regulations
Visitors will be asked to hand sanitise prior & post tour
All touch points are cleaned and sanitised regularly during the day
General Site
Visitors are asked to adhere to social distancing of 2m as advised by the HSE
We welcome our community of visitors to safely and respectfully enjoy the House, Arboretum and Gardens
On pathways around the Arboretum & Gardens and to / from the car park visitors are asked to adopt a ‘keep left / pass right’ walking pattern while observing relevant guidelines for social distancing and 'Cocooner'-reserved areas
At any pinch points, such as crossing pathways, visitors are encouraged to beckon through others to avoid undue contact
Visitors are asked to keep contact with others to a minimum and not congregate in any groups in thoroughfares or key points – please keep pathways free others as per guidelines
Access to the property is only via the main gate
Visitors are asked to be socially conscious and responsible for the maximum enjoyment of all.
There's always something to do at Fota! A range of cultural events for all ages and interests take place throughout the season including garden, craft, seasonal and family events, evening concerts and seminars.
