← All Kilkenny tours via partner · From €4 · 555 minutes 
Dublin's Gateway: A Private Full-Day Tour to Kilkenny
Free cancellation Booked securely via partner
Check availability & prices →
From €4 per person
This private full-day tour from Dublin gives you your own local guide for the day, covering two of Ireland’s most popular destinations south of the capital. The pace and focus are entirely yours - no shared coach, no fixed commentary schedule.
Glendalough comes first, the early Christian monastic settlement founded by St Kevin in a glacial valley surrounded by forest and two lakes. The ancient ruins beside the water are genuinely atmospheric, and a good guide makes all the difference here. The route then crosses the Wicklow Mountains, stopping at the Wicklow Gap for panoramic views over the national park, before descending towards Kilkenny. The city’s medieval streets and castle are worth a few hours on their own - Kilkenny Castle dates from the 12th century and sits right in the heart of the city.
Hotel pickup from Dublin is included. The full day runs to approximately nine hours.
At Glendalough: the monastic site is genuinely one of the most atmospheric places in Ireland, but it earns that status through timing. The coach trips from Dublin arrive around mid-morning and leave at noon - if your private tour can reach Glendalough before ten, you’ll see the round tower and the graveyard with the valley largely to yourselves. The Green Road walk from the visitor centre along the Lower Lake to the Upper Lake boardwalk is the right entry into the site - about 3km return and flat enough for any group. The round tower is thirty metres of 10th-century granite, with its doorway three and a half metres off the ground (a practical defence against Viking raiders). Cormac’s chapel equivalent here is St Kevin’s Church - nicknamed St Kevin’s Kitchen from its chimney-shaped belfry - which is still intact and worth looking at slowly. If you want one walk beyond the site, the Poulanass Waterfall trail (1.5km return from the Upper Lake car park) takes you through the oak wood to a thirty-metre cascade.
At the Wicklow Gap: the Wicklow Gap viewpoint on the R756 is a genuine panorama - open mountain in every direction, no development. It’s one of the best clear-day views in the county. Your guide will know the best pull-in, but even a five-minute stop here is worth it on the drive south.
At Kilkenny: with a private guide and an afternoon ahead, you can cover the essentials without rushing. The Medieval Mile - the corridor from Kilkenny Castle to St Canice’s Cathedral - is about 1.5km of medieval lanes, alleyways and limestone. Your guide can take you through Rothe House and the Black Abbey on the way. The round tower at St Canice’s Cathedral is climbable (100 steps, 9th-century stonework) and the view from the top puts the whole town in context. For lunch in Kilkenny, Foodworks on Parliament Street is a reliable option, or Anocht in the old castle stables opposite the castle gates does a good midday plate. Entry to Kilkenny Castle is at your own expense - your guide can advise whether the interior tour is worth your remaining time.
Returning to Dublin: the M9 back to Dublin from Kilkenny is a straightforward 90-minute run. If there’s time before you leave the city, the walk along the River Nore from the castle south to Lacken Weir and back is a pleasant 4km that most visitors miss entirely.