Kilkenny, Wicklow and Glendalough Sheepdog Trials from Dublin

About This Tour

This is one of the most popular day trips out of Dublin, and with nearly 8,000 reviews averaging 4.9 it’s easy to see why. The day takes you through three very different sides of Ireland - medieval Kilkenny, the Wicklow Mountains, and a working sheep farm in Laragh - with a stop at Glendalough’s extraordinary 6th-century monastic site in between.

You travel on a luxury coach with a dedicated guide and a separate professional driver, departing Dublin between 8.10am and 8.30am and returning around 6.15pm.

A note on the schedule: on Sundays and during winter months (November to February), the order reverses - Glendalough and the sheepdog demonstration come first, with Kilkenny in the afternoon around 2.15pm.

What’s Included

• WiFi on board
• Air-conditioned vehicle with secure luggage storage
• Dedicated expert guide and separate professional driver
• Guided walking tours in Kilkenny City and at the Glendalough Monastic Site
• Scenic photo stop at Wicklow Gap (weather permitting)
• Traditional sheep farm visit and live sheepdog trial demonstration
• Regular comfort and restroom stops throughout the day
• Parking fees

What’s Not Included

• Food and drinks
• Hotel pickup and drop-off (central meeting points provided)
• Gratuities (optional, at your discretion)
• There is no restroom on board the coach

Itinerary

1. The coach departs from one of three central Dublin meeting points between 8.10am and 8.30am. As you leave the city, your guide covers Dublin’s history, landmark buildings, and local stories about the people who shaped it. (20 min)
2. The route south passes through County Kildare, Ireland’s thoroughbred horse-breeding heartland. The Curragh - an extensive area of open plains and national park - is home to wildlife, the military base, Ireland’s largest prison, and the flat racing track that’s central to Irish equestrian culture. (pass by)
3. Arriving in Kilkenny at approximately 10am, you’ll start with a guided walking tour introducing the city’s medieval character, its history, and its key landmarks. Your guide will also point out good spots for brunch or lunch during your free time. After the guided section, you’re free to explore at your own pace - walk the grounds and gardens of Kilkenny Castle (entry to the interior is not included but can be purchased independently), browse the artisan shops, or settle into a traditional pub. Kilkenny is compact and easy to walk. (150 min)
4. The coach leaves Kilkenny at 12.30pm and heads into the Wicklow Mountains, often called the Garden of Ireland. The route winds through rolling hills and green countryside. (pass by)
5. Weather permitting, there’s a stop at the Wicklow Gap - one of Ireland’s highest mountain passes at 475 metres - where you can step out and take in sweeping views of the rugged landscape. The scenery here has featured in Braveheart, PS I Love You, and the TV series Vikings. (10 min)
6. Glendalough - the Valley of the Two Lakes - was founded in the 6th century by Saint Kevin and has drawn visitors ever since. Arriving around 2.15pm, you’ll have roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes here. Your guide offers an optional walking tour of the monastic site, covering the history, folklore, and the stories behind the well-preserved ruins, ancient graveyards, and the iconic 30-metre round tower, built as a bell tower and place of refuge. After that, you’re free to walk to the lakes, explore at your own pace, or grab something to eat at the visitor facilities. (135 min)
7. In Laragh, a 30-minute stop at a traditional sheep farm in the heart of Wicklow countryside. Skilled shepherds demonstrate sheepdog trials, with highly trained dogs responding to whistle commands to guide their flock across the hillside. Depending on the season, there’s a chance to meet the farmer, hear about local traditions, and possibly hold a lamb. It’s a genuine slice of Irish rural life that regularly comes up as a day highlight. (30 min)
8. The tour typically arrives back in Dublin at approximately 6.15pm. In summer (Kilkenny-first order), drop-off is on Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2, D02 PW96. In winter, it’s D’Olier Street, D02 Y309. Both are within easy walking distance of O’Connell Street and Temple Bar, and well served by public transport. Return times may vary due to weather, traffic, or delays during the day. (10 min)

Meeting point: Outside Leonardo Hotel Dublin Christchurch, Dublin 8, D08 REK7 (formerly Jurys Inn). Look for the grey coach with the silver Wild Rover Tours dog logo. Please arrive 10 minutes early - the coach departs on time and cannot wait for late arrivals.

Good to Know

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels; not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transport options available nearby
• Conducted in English; group size up to 63 people

Local Tips

Use your 2.5 hours in Kilkenny well. The guided walking section covers the highlights, but if you want to explore after, the town is compact: Kilkenny Castle and St Canice’s Cathedral are at opposite ends of the Medieval Mile, about 1.5km of limestone lane and slipways between them. Climb the round tower at the cathedral end - it is 9th-century, 100 steps, and the whole town is underneath you. For brunch or lunch during free time, Foodworks on Parliament Street does the kind of eggs and sourdough worth queuing ten minutes for. If the weather is in, the Kilkenny Castle parkland is 50 acres free to walk through.

Make the most of your time at Glendalough. You arrive around 2.15pm with 2 hours and 15 minutes - enough to do the guided monastic site tour and still walk the Green Road from the visitor centre along the Lower Lake to the Upper Lake boardwalk. That flat 3km return takes about an hour and gets you past nine of the major monastic ruins without any climbing. Skip the Visitor Centre café and walk the ten minutes back to Laragh instead - Trinity Mountain Bothy in the village does proper soup, sandwiches and coffee aimed at walkers, and it’s a better stop than anything beside the car park.

The round tower tells you what this place was. The doorway is three and a half metres up the wall - not symbolic, defensive. When the Vikings came up the valley looking for monastery silver, the monks pulled the ladder up after them. Your guide will cover this on the walking tour, but it’s worth knowing before you arrive so you spot the logic of it straight away.

The sheepdog stop in Laragh is genuine. Laragh is a real crossroads village at the junction of three mountain roads - the Military Road (R115) running south from the Sally Gap, and the routes north to Roundwood and west into Glendalough. The sheep farm stop is as authentically Wicklow as it gets. If you’re there in spring, there’s a chance of lambs to hold.

Winter schedule works in your favour. November to February, the day reverses - Glendalough first, Kilkenny in the afternoon. That means you arrive at the valley before the regular day-trippers who travel independently, and the monastic site is quieter in the morning light.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Glendalough - a 6th-century monastic city at the bottom of two glacial lakes, with a 30-metre round tower whose doorway is three and a half metres off the ground for good reason
• Laragh - the crossroads village 1.5km east of the round tower, where the Military Road ends and Lynham’s pub (open since the 1770s) and the Wicklow Heather restaurant are waiting
• Kilkenny - the Medieval Mile runs 1.5km of limestone lane from Kilkenny Castle to St Canice’s Cathedral; the round tower at the cathedral is 9th-century, climbable, and gives you the whole town at your feet; Tynan’s Bridge House is widely considered the best pint of stout in the city