← All Kilkenny tours via Viator · From €1274 · 9 hours 15 minutes 
Dublin's Gateway Private Full-Day Tour to Kilkenny
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From €1274 per person
This private full-day tour takes you from Dublin out through the Wicklow Mountains, into the monastic valley of Glendalough, and on to the medieval streets of Kilkenny - all with your own local guide and dedicated transport. It’s a big day out, covering some of the most rewarding scenery and history Ireland has to offer.
You’ll have the whole experience to yourselves, which means you set the pace and the conversation goes where you want it to.
The following admission fees are payable separately on the day:
Pick-up in Dublin - your guide collects you from your preferred Dublin location. Travel time is built into the day. (approximately 320 min total travel)
Glendalough Monastic Settlement - one of Ireland’s most evocative early Christian sites. The ancient round tower and monastic ruins sit among serene lakes and green valley walls. (60 min)
Wicklow Mountains National Park - rugged mountains, glacial valleys, and open wilderness. You’ll stop to take in the views across this protected landscape. (60 min)
The Wicklow Gap - a scenic mountain pass with sweeping views across the surrounding peaks and valleys. (10 min)
Kilkenny Castle - a magnificent medieval fortress at the heart of Kilkenny city. You’ll explore the grand chambers and gardens and hear about the castle’s long role in Irish history. (105 min)
This is a private tour. Public transport is available near the Dublin pick-up point. Suitable for all fitness levels.
The tour is available in German, Russian, English, French, and Spanish.
At Glendalough, spend your first minutes at the round tower before the guided section begins. The tower is 30 metres of mica-slate and granite with the doorway three and a half metres off the ground - the monks pulled the ladder up when the Vikings came up the valley. The conical roof was rebuilt from original stones in 1876. Your guide will know the full story, but the detail stays with you.
If your group has energy for a walk at Glendalough, the flat Green Road between the lakes is the right choice. It takes about 25 minutes each way, runs past nine of the major monastic ruins, and brings you to the foot of the Upper Lake. It’s buggy-friendly and dog-friendly, and the two lakes are a completely different experience from each other. With an hour at the site, you can do the ruins and reach the Upper Lake.
In Kilkenny, the 105 minutes at the castle works better if you combine the interior tour with a walk through the castle parkland. The parkland is 50 acres of free public space along the River Nore - down through the formal garden, along the river, back up by the rose garden. The castle grounds give you a sense of the city’s scale that the interior rooms don’t. Entrance fees at Kilkenny Castle are paid separately on the day.
Lunch fits naturally between Glendalough and Kilkenny - the Wicklow Gap is roughly the midpoint. Ask your guide about stopping in one of the Wicklow valley villages on the way through. Alternatively, Kilkenny’s lunch scene is strong: Foodworks on Parliament Street does sourdough and eggs done right, and Rinuccini opposite the castle has been making fresh pasta since 1989.
After the castle, the Medieval Mile is worth whatever time you have left. Kilkenny Castle and St Canice’s Cathedral are a kilometre and a half apart, linked by a street of medieval lanes, the Tholsel, Rothe House, and the Black Abbey. The round tower at the cathedral is 9th-century and climbable - 100 steps, views of the whole town.