← All Wicklow tours via partner · From €50 · 5 hours 
Dublin: Kilkenny, Wicklow & Glendalough Tour & Sheepdog Show
This full-day tour from Dublin packs three genuinely different experiences into a single trip, and the variety is what makes it one of the highest-rated day tours in Ireland with over 3,400 reviews. You get ancient monastic ruins, a live sheepdog show on a working farm, and free time in one of Ireland’s most beautiful medieval cities - all without needing to hire a car or plan a thing.
Glendalough comes first, and it sets the tone perfectly. The glacial valley holds the ruins of Saint Kevin’s 6th-century monastic settlement, a round tower that has survived over a thousand years, Celtic crosses, and two lakes surrounded by forested hills. You get 1.5 hours here, which is plenty to walk the main paths and soak in the atmosphere. The route through the Wicklow Mountains on the way there is stunning in its own right, passing through landscapes that were used as filming locations for Braveheart and P.S. I Love You.
The sheepdog demonstration is the surprise highlight for many people. At a working Irish farm, you watch expertly trained border collies respond to whistled commands and herd sheep across open fields with astonishing precision. If the timing is right, there may be lambs to feed or collie pups to meet. From there, the tour continues to Kilkenny, where you get two hours of free time. The city is a joy to explore on foot - Kilkenny Castle and its gardens, the medieval mile of cobblestone streets, craft shops, and pubs that have been pouring pints for centuries. Your guide provides recommendations for lunch and the best spots to visit.