Brú na Bóinne is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape above the River Boyne in meath, where passage tombs built around 3200 BC - centuries before Stonehenge - are still standing in open farmland. On this private chauffeur day trip from Dublin, you’ll visit Newgrange and Knowth before finishing at Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman fortress in Ireland.
Inside Newgrange, a guided tour takes you down the narrow stone passage and into the cruciform chamber. Your guide simulates the winter solstice sunrise: on the shortest day of the year, a beam of sunlight travels 19 metres along the passage and lights the chamber for about 17 minutes. Photography isn’t permitted inside, which actually helps you take it in. At Knowth, the guided exterior walk reveals over 200 decorated kerbstones - roughly a third of all megalithic art in Western Europe - and the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre exhibition puts the whole Neolithic landscape into context before you step onto the shuttle bus.
One important note: Newgrange entrance tickets must be pre-booked online. They’re €18 per person and include the guided chamber tour; without them, you’re looking at the mound from outside. Your driver picks you up in Dublin and coordinates the day to suit your schedule.
What’s Included
Private transportation with driver
All tolls and taxes
WiFi on board
Bottled water
Air-conditioned vehicle
What’s Not Included
Entrance fees (Newgrange tickets €18 per person, pre-booked online; Trim Castle keep tour around €5 for adults)
Lunch
Gratuities (15% is the local recommendation)
Itinerary
Newgrange - Guided tour of the passage tomb, including the winter solstice light simulation inside the chamber. Allow around 60 minutes.
Knowth - Guided exterior walk of the tomb complex and its decorated kerbstones. No chamber access. The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre exhibition brings the Neolithic landscape to life - allow 3 hours across both sites and the centre.
Trim Castle - Built in 1176, the largest and best-preserved Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Walk the free grounds or join the guided keep tour for views from the battlements. Allow 30-45 minutes.
Good to Know
This is a private tour, so the day runs to your schedule
All visits to Newgrange and Knowth must start at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre - you can’t approach the monuments directly
Pre-book your Newgrange tickets online at least 30 days before your visit; 60 days in summer is safer
Photography is not permitted inside the Newgrange passage or chamber
Infants and small children are welcome; prams and strollers are fine; specialist infant seats available on request
Suitable for all fitness levels; much of the visit is outdoors, so bring a waterproof layer and wear sturdy shoes
Conducted in English; starts and ends in Dublin - provide your pick-up details when booking
Local Tips
Book your Newgrange tickets the same day you confirm this tour. Thirty days is the minimum, not a guideline. Sixty days is safer in summer. Tickets are non-refundable and include the guided chamber tour - without them you’ll be looking at the mound from outside.
Start with the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre exhibition. The immersive displays on Neolithic ceremonies and the solar calendar take about 45 minutes and genuinely change what you notice at both monuments. Don’t skip it.
Trim has more than the castle. Across the river, the 40-metre Yellow Steeple is all that remains of St Mary’s Abbey and is free to visit any time. The town bridge is thought to be the oldest unaltered medieval bridge still in use in Ireland. Good cafés along the main street - see Trim for more.
Being a private tour, pacing is yours. If you want to linger at Newgrange and keep Trim shorter, that’s easy to arrange. The 7-8 hour window gives you breathing room at all three sites. Slane is also close to Brú na Bóinne if you want to know what else is nearby in the Boyne Valley.
Nearby on IrelandMe
Trim - Heritage town on the Boyne with medieval ruins, riverside walks, and good lunch spots
Slane - A quiet village 8km from Newgrange, with its own castle and Boyne Valley views
County Meath - Hill of Tara, Bective Abbey, Loughcrew cairns - one of the most ancient landscapes in Europe
