Dublin to Wicklow, Glendalough Small Group Tour with Horse Riding

About This Tour

This tour combines two of Wicklow’s best offerings: horse riding in the mountains and the ancient monastic valley at Glendalough. The horse ride runs for approximately 2 hours and is central to the day, not just a brief add-on. You’ll be assessed at Killegar Stables before heading out on a track nearby, so all experience levels are welcome.

What’s Included

• Horse riding in Wicklow
• Local guide
• Driver/guide
• Live commentary on board

What’s Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Food and drinks

Itinerary

1. Pick-up from the Molly Malone statue on Suffolk Street at 9:20am - please arrive 10 minutes early (5 min)
2. Killegar Stables - horse riding (90 min) - You’ll be assessed at the stables before heading out on a track nearby. Approximately 1.5 hours in the saddle. Boots and helmets are supplied by the stables; jeans are recommended.
3. Enniskerry Village lunch stop (45 min) - Poppies Cafe is recommended for its locally produced food and wide range of options to suit everyone.
4. Wicklow Mountains National Park (60 min) - After lunch, the tour continues through the National Park.
5. Lough Tay - the Guinness Lake (20 min) - Set in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, this lake was a filming location for both the “Vikings” series and “Braveheart”. A good spot to stop for pictures.
6. Sally Gap (20 min) - A very scenic spot in County Wicklow with a few stops along the way.
7. St Kevin’s 6th-century monastic site, Glendalough (30 min) - You’ll visit this ancient monastic settlement and have time to take in the valley and its two lakes.
8. Free time to explore Glendalough Valley and its two lakes (60 min)

Meeting point: The Molly Malone statue sits outside a large stone church on Suffolk Street.

Good to Know

• Specialised infant seats are available
• You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Children must be at least 14 years old and accompanied by an adult
• Jeans are recommended; boots and helmets are supplied by the stables
• Pick-up is from the Molly Malone statue on Suffolk Street at 9:20am
• Maximum group size of 8

Local Tips

At Killegar Stables: You’ll be assessed before heading out, so don’t worry if your riding experience is limited - the stables cater to all levels. Boots and helmets are supplied. Jeans are the right call for the ride; avoid loose trousers. The 1.5 hours in the saddle is through Wicklow countryside, not just an arena loop, so the assessment is about matching you to the right horse rather than a pass/fail.

Enniskerry lunch stop: The tour points you to Poppies Café on the village square, which is exactly right - it’s been open since 1982, the soup is made on the day, and the home baking is the sort of thing you’d come back for. Forty-five minutes is comfortable for a sit-down lunch. Enniskerry itself is a Victorian estate village - the square is small and well-kept, and Powerscourt estate is just up the road if you have any interest in seeing some of the most celebrated gardens in Europe (though you won’t have time on this itinerary).

At Glendalough: The guided section covers the monastic core - the round tower, the cathedral, the story of St Kevin’s monastery. Your free hour afterwards is when the valley opens up. Walk the flat Green Road between the Lower and Upper Lake (3 km return, good underfoot) and you’ll pass nine of the monastic ruins in the process. The Upper Lake is where the crowds thin and the real Wicklow starts. Deer come out of the woods in the late afternoon on the Lower Lake side. The Glendalough Hotel bar is literally beside the car park if you want a pint before the drive back.

What to wear: After the horse ride you’ll have the rest of the day walking. Jeans work for both, but bring a light layer - the Sally Gap and Glendalough can be cold even in summer. Food and drinks aren’t included, so pack something for the morning and budget for Poppies at lunch.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Glendalough - a 6th-century monastic city in a glacial valley with two lakes; St Kevin came here to get away from people, people followed him, and a thousand years later the coaches still come at half ten - but arrive early or stay late and the valley is entirely different
• Enniskerry - built around Powerscourt estate, with gardens National Geographic ranked third in the world behind Versailles and Kew; the 1974 fire gutted the house the week after its restoration was finally completed, and the gardens survived intact