This private 8 to 9-hour day tour from Dublin packs in three genuinely worthwhile stops: the monastic ruins at Glendalough, the world-renowned gardens at Powerscourt, and the medieval city of Kilkenny.
You travel in a Mercedes Viano with your own guide, which means you set the pace - linger a bit longer where it catches you, move on when you’re ready. WiFi and bottled water are on board throughout.
Kilkenny is a particular highlight - narrow medieval streets, independent cafes, traditional pubs and one of the finest Norman castles in Ireland, all along the River Nore. It’s the kind of city that rewards a proper wander.
What’s Included
Private transportation in a Mercedes Viano (air-conditioned)
WiFi on board
Bottled water
Private guide for the day
What’s Not Included
Lunch
Gratuities
Itinerary
Glendalough - St. Kevin’s Church and the early Christian monastic site in the Wicklow valley. You can hike one of the trails here - routes vary in difficulty, so there’s something for most fitness levels. (120 min)
Powerscourt Gardens - Ranked among the most beautiful gardens in the world, this formal estate sits in the Wicklow Mountains with Powerscourt Waterfall visible from the grounds. (120 min)
Kilkenny City - A guided look at one of Ireland’s most beautiful medieval cities, including Kilkenny Castle and the city’s famous “Medieval Mile” of historic architecture along the River Nore. (120 min)
Good to Know
This is a private tour
Suitable for all fitness levels
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller; specialised infant seats are available
Service animals are welcome
Public transport is available nearby
Local Tips
At Glendalough, the round tower is the famous first impression, but the valley itself is the real thing. The flat Green Road walk from the visitor centre to the Upper Lake is 25 minutes one-way and passes all the main ruins at a comfortable pace. If your group is up for it, the Poulanass Waterfall trail from the Upper Lake car park adds a 40-minute return detour through oak woodland to a 30-metre cascade - well worth it if your guide can fit it in.
Powerscourt Gardens open at 9:30am. The National Geographic ranking (third in the world, behind Versailles and Kew) is earned across 47 acres of formal terraces, an Italian garden, a Japanese garden, and a walled kitchen garden. Allow the full two hours; the Triton Lake and the tower folly are at the far end and get skipped by people who don’t plan for them.
The gardens are in Enniskerry, the small estate village at the foot of the Powerscourt avenue. Richard Cassels designed the Palladian house between 1731 and 1741; a fire gutted it the week after a long restoration was completed in November 1974, and the shell has been open since 1996. The house now holds shops and a café. Poppies on the village square - open since 1982 - is a better coffee stop than the estate café if you have a few minutes before moving on to Kilkenny.
In Kilkenny, the Medieval Mile runs from the castle to St Canice’s Cathedral. The castle parkland along the River Nore is free to walk and gives you the best views of the castle from the water side. For lunch, Foodworks on Parliament Street or Anocht in the old castle stables are both solid choices within easy reach of the itinerary stops.
This is one of the longer-distance day tours from Dublin, combining Wicklow and Kilkenny in a single run. The Mercedes Viano means you can relax between stops - use the WiFi, charge your phone, and get your bearings for the next place before you arrive.
Nearby on IrelandMe
Glendalough - A 6th-century monastic city in a glacial valley, with a 30-metre round tower, seven ruined churches, and walking trails from a 25-minute lakeshore stroll to a full day on the Spinc ridge above the Upper Lake.
Enniskerry - The estate village at the foot of Powerscourt, where the Palladian house and 47 acres of terraced gardens (National Geographic third in the world) form the centrepiece of this tour’s Wicklow stop - and 6km further is the 121-metre Powerscourt Waterfall.
Kilkenny - Ireland’s smallest city by royal charter, with a Norman castle at one end of the medieval mile, a 13th-century cathedral with a climbable round tower at the other, and a hurling tradition that claims more All-Ireland titles than any other county.
