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Kildare: Private Irish Horse Country Tour from Dublin
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From €499 per person
County Kildare is Ireland’s horse country in a way that isn’t just a tourism tagline - it’s a working reality. The Curragh plains produce thoroughbreds that race internationally, the Irish National Stud has been breeding champion racehorses since 1900, and the whole county hums with the industry. This private day tour from Dublin gives you a proper look at all of it.
You’re collected from your accommodation in a luxury vehicle that’s exclusively for your group, with a dedicated driver-guide who knows the county well. The day takes in the Irish National Stud, the Japanese Gardens, and the immersive Racehorse Experience, followed by a drive across the open Curragh plains and a stop at Newbridge Silverware and the Museum of Style Icons. At the end of the day, your guide drops you back at your accommodation or any location in the Dublin area. All taxes, fees, road tolls and parking charges are included.
The Racehorse Experience is better than it sounds. It’s an immersive look at what goes into producing a racehorse - the breeding, the training, the bloodlines - and it’s well presented enough to hold anyone’s interest, not just people who follow racing. Give it the full time rather than rushing through.
The Japanese Gardens are genuinely worth a slow walk. Laid out between 1906 and 1910 under the direction of Japanese garden designer Tassa Eida and his son Minoru, they’re among the finest Japanese gardens in Europe. The symbolic path through life from birth to death sounds like a tourist board description, but when you’re walking it with the landscape around you, it’s actually quite affecting.
Lunch at Newbridge Silverware is on your own. There are options in the area, so it’s worth having a quick look before you arrive. The stop is 90 minutes, which is enough time for a relaxed lunch and a browse through the museum, which features costumes and accessories from figures including Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana, and Michael Jackson.
The Curragh in the morning is something special. If your timing works out, early morning on the Curragh plains means strings of thoroughbreds doing their gallops in the mist. It’s one of those very Irish sights that looks exactly like it should. Your driver-guide will know where to position you for the best view.
Kildare is only about 45 minutes from Dublin. The county gets overlooked by visitors who head straight to the west or south, which is their loss. This tour fits in a day easily and gets you back to Dublin in the evening, which makes it a good option even midway through a longer Irish trip.