Full Day Private Tour to Newgrange and The Boyne Valley

About This Tour

County Meath sits about an hour north of Dublin, but feels like stepping into an entirely different layer of time. This private full-day tour takes you through the Boyne Valley - one of the most mythic stretches of land in Ireland - covering Newgrange, the Hill of Slane, Trim Castle, a lunch stop, and the Hill of Tara. Your driver-guide takes care of the route and the stories; you just take it all in.

The Boyne Valley was home to some of Ireland’s earliest civilisations, and later became the setting for key moments in Irish Christianity. Every stop on this tour carries real weight - between the 5,000-year-old passage tomb at Newgrange and the Hill of Tara where the High Kings were crowned, it’s a genuinely remarkable day out.

What’s Included

• Bottled water
• Free onboard WiFi

What’s Not Included

• Admission to Newgrange (€18, must be pre-booked online at brunaboinne.admit-one.eu)
• Lunch (the Snailbox restaurant is recommended but not covered in the tour price)

Itinerary

1. Newgrange - Around 1 hour’s drive from Dublin. One of the oldest burial sites in the world, Newgrange is a megalithic passage tomb built over 5,000 years ago. Admission is €18 per person and must be pre-booked separately at brunaboinne.admit-one.eu. (240 min)
2. Hill of Slane - The very site where St Patrick lit a great fire in defiance, proclaiming Christianity in Ireland. You’ll visit the ruins of the Abbey and Church that once stood here as prominent landmarks. (45 min)
3. Trim Castle - One of the most impressive and photogenic castles in Ireland, sitting in the heart of Trim heritage town. Built for Hugh de Lacy, the castle took 30 years to complete and remains a remarkable sight today. (45 min)
4. Lunch at the Snailbox - The Snailbox restaurant is your guide’s recommendation for a lunch stop. It’s not covered in the tour price but offers a good range of classic dishes. The restaurant is also known for its collection of over 5,000 baseball caps hanging from the ceiling - bring your own and the staff will swap it for a Snailbox cap. (120 min)
5. Hill of Tara - All five roads from the provinces of Ireland traditionally lead to Tara - the most historically significant site in the country and the ceremonial seat of the High Kings. You can touch the Lia Fáil, the Stone of Destiny, said to cry out when the true king placed his hands on it. Over 142 kings were crowned here. It was also the site where St Patrick confronted the pagan Druids to spread Christianity. The most photographed statue of St Patrick on the hill shows him holding a three-leaf clover aloft. Time to explore the site and visit the local craft shop. (60 min)
6. Return to Dublin - Approximately 1 hour’s drive back to your collection point. (60 min)

Good to Know

• This is a private tour, conducted in English
• Service animals are welcome; specialised infant seats are available
• Suitable for all fitness levels
• Note: Newgrange admission (€18) must be pre-booked separately at brunaboinne.admit-one.eu before your tour date

Local Tips

Book Newgrange the moment you book this tour. The passage tomb runs timed entry slots that sell out weeks ahead in summer, and the €18 admission must be secured at brunaboinne.admit-one.eu before your tour date. Don’t leave it until the week before.

The Hill of Slane is worth the short walk up. The legend says St Patrick lit the Paschal fire here in 433 AD in direct defiance of the High King, who had decreed no fire could burn until his own royal fire was lit from Tara. The ruins of the Abbey and Church are open, and the views across the Boyne Valley explain why anyone would choose this hill to make a point. Allow yourself the full 45 minutes - it goes quickly.

If you’re in Slane village before or after the Hill, the Slane Whiskey Distillery runs tours from the old stable yards at Slane Castle. The castle grounds are famous for hosting open-air concerts since 1981 - U2 played here three times - and the distillery celebrates that forty-year rock and roll history with a whiskey lounge full of vinyl and memorabilia. Book ahead if you want a tour; drop-ins aren’t guaranteed.

Pace yourself at Tara. The Hill of Tara is the final stop and it deserves proper time, not a rush. Come with the energy to walk the site, touch the Lia Fáil, and read the landscape properly. It’s the most quietly moving place on the itinerary.

Trim is worth more than 45 minutes if you can give it. The castle Hugh de Lacy started building in 1176 took thirty years to complete - the cruciform keep is unique among Norman fortresses, twenty-sided and three storeys high. The Yellow Steeple across the river is a 14th-century abbey fragment; the view back to the keep from the far bank is the classic Trim photograph. The castle grounds are free to walk. The Stand pub near the castle is a straightforward local: a pint done properly with no pretence.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Slane - Four Georgian houses at a crossroads, a castle with a forty-year concert legacy, and a whiskey distillery in the old stables where the horses slept
• Trim - the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland on the banks of the Boyne, where Hugh de Lacy’s cruciform keep has been standing for 850 years and the Yellow Steeple across the river is what’s left of a 14th-century abbey