This is a solid full day out from Dublin - two counties, two very different types of history, and a lot of good scenery in between. You’ll visit Glendalough in County Wicklow in the morning, cross the Wicklow Gap in the afternoon, and spend two hours in medieval Kilkenny before heading back to Dublin around 6pm.
Your guide is a 100% Irish tour guide who knows both counties well and brings the history to life on the coach as well as on the ground.
What’s Included
Professional guide with live commentary on board
WiFi on board
USB ports at every seat
Air-conditioned vehicle
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Pick-up and drop-off in Dublin (refer to your voucher for details)
What’s Not Included
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Entrance to Kilkenny Castle (optional extra)
Itinerary
Dublin to Glendalough via the Wicklow Mountains - You head south out of Dublin and into County Wicklow, passing the Sugar Loaf Mountains on your way towards Glendalough. (pass by)
Glendalough - You’ll have 1.5 hours to explore this remarkable early Christian monastic settlement. Walk the river banks through the woods to the two lakes, and take in St Kevin’s Cross and the 10th-century round tower. Glendalough is well known as the location for the Braveheart wedding scene, and fans of P.S. I Love You will recognise it too. (90 min)
The Wicklow Gap - You cross the Wicklow Gap, a high mountain pass with panoramic views over the Wicklow landscape. Along the route you’ll see traditional Irish boglands - a classic feature of the Irish countryside - and pass Turlogh waterfall, one of Ireland’s most dramatic and sitting beside Ireland’s highest reservoir. (pass by)
Kilkenny City - Two hours in one of Ireland’s most enjoyable medieval cities, sitting on the banks of the River Nore. The Norman castle dates to the 1100s and you can explore its gardens freely - or pay a small optional fee to tour the palatial interior. Kilkenny’s cobblestone streets are perfect for wandering: the Black Abbey, the Cathedral of Saint Canice with its round tower, plenty of pubs and restaurants for a relaxed lunch. (120 min)
Return to Dublin via County Kildare - A leisurely drive back, arriving into Dublin around 6pm. (pass by)
Meeting point: Paddywagon Office at The Spire - 34 O’Connell Street Lower, Dublin 1.
Good to Know
Infant seats are available; infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transport options are available nearby
Suitable for all fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Maximum group size of 58
Conducted in English
Local Tips
At Glendalough, go straight to the round tower. You have 90 minutes, which is enough for the main monastic city and a walk along the river toward the Lower Lake, but not enough to reach the Upper Lake and back. The green road from the visitor centre is flat, well-signed, and gives you the full sweep of the ruins: St Kevin’s Church (the one that looks like it has a chimney), the cathedral, the round tower with its doorway three and a half metres off the ground. Don’t spend the time in the visitor centre café - get straight out to the ruins.
In Kilkenny, the two hours go fast. The castle gardens are free to enter and worth a walk-through. For the castle interior, buy your ticket early - queues build through the lunch hour. The cobbled lane behind the castle (the Butter Slip) leads up to the High Street and the Black Abbey without backtracking. St Canice’s Cathedral at the top of the town has a round tower you can climb - 100 steps, 9th century, and a view over the whole medieval city.
For food in Kilkenny, Foodworks on Parliament Street does a good brunch and lunch, or try Rinuccini in the Parade basement opposite the castle - Italian, daily-made pasta, a relaxed room for a quick meal. Both are a short walk from the castle gates. Avoid the main tourist-facing spots on the castle parade if you want somewhere a local would go.
The Black Abbey is free and takes ten minutes. It’s a 13th-century Dominican friary with original medieval stonework and an unusual rose window. Easy to miss if you stick to the castle-to-cathedral route - it’s just off the High Street, a two-minute detour.
Nearby on IrelandMe
Glendalough - A 6th-century monastic city in a glacial valley, with a 30-metre round tower, seven churches, and a river walk between two lakes that feels genuinely different from the rest of Ireland.
Kilkenny - Ireland’s smallest city, with a Norman castle, a medieval mile connecting it to a 13th-century cathedral, and a pub culture that the locals take as seriously as their hurling.
