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Dublin To Newgrange Private Car MPV Day Tour
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From €1100 per person
A private full-day tour with a chauffeur-guide, covering some of the most historically rich sites in Ireland - from a 12th-century castle on the coast to a 5,200-year-old passage tomb in the Boyne Valley. The vehicle and chauffeur are fully licensed and insured under the Irish Government Transport Authority.
Note: entrance fees to Malahide Castle and Newgrange/Knowth are not included - you’ll need to purchase those directly on the day. A lunch stop is built into the itinerary.
Malahide Castle and Gardens - A 12th-century castle set in beautiful grounds. You’ll do a self-guided visit here, with 30 to 60 minutes to explore. (45 min)
Newgrange and Knowth, Brú na Bóinne - One of the oldest buildings ever discovered, estimated to be around 5,200 years old. Both monuments are included in this stop. (150 min)
Hill of Tara - A photo stop at this site that became truly significant in the Iron Age (600 BC to 400 AD) and rose to prominence in the Early Christian period as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. (15 min)
Slane Castle - A drive-by of this elegant 1780s castle. (pass by)
At Malahide, the Talbot Botanic Garden is the hidden gem of the demesne. Most visitors head straight to the castle interior, but the walled gardens hold 5,000 plant species - with a particular strength in Southern Hemisphere plants assembled across generations of the Talbot family’s travels. The Avoca café in the grounds is a decent stop for coffee before you get back in the car. With only 45 minutes at this stop, you’ll need to choose: castle interior or gardens. The gardens, if they’re open, are the less-expected choice.
The Malahide story earns its telling. The Talbot family held that castle for 791 years before the last heir transferred it to the Irish state in 1975 to cover inheritance taxes. There’s also the local legend that on the morning of the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690, fourteen members of the family breakfasted together at the castle - and none came back by evening. The castle’s history threads directly into the next stop on this tour.
Newgrange operates on timed entry slots, and with 150 minutes at the site you’ll have time for both Newgrange and Knowth. Purchase your tickets at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre as soon as you arrive - slots go quickly in the morning rush. The passage tomb at Newgrange is aligned to the winter solstice sunrise; even outside that period, walking into the chamber gives you a real sense of the engineering involved 5,200 years ago.
Slane is more than a drive-by for those who know it. The village is four symmetrical Georgian houses at a crossroads - built by the local landlord in the 1700s to demonstrate his wealth. The castle beyond it has hosted open-air concerts since 1981 (U2, Rolling Stones, Springsteen, Metallica). The old stable yards have been converted into the Slane Whiskey Distillery; tours and tastings run on a schedule, but even passing through, the character of the village at the Boyne crossroads is worth a moment’s pause.