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Private Garden of Ireland Wicklow Tour from Dublin
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From €950 per person
Wicklow is known as the Garden of Ireland for good reason - it was historically the county with the highest percentage of woodlands, and the landscape here is genuinely hard to beat. This private 8-hour tour with Murphy Hidden Ireland takes you through the county’s most spectacular spots, with your guide filling in the stories along the way.
You’ll visit the monastic ruins at Glendalough, stop at the legendary viewpoint above Lough Tay (also known as Guinness Lake), cross the Sally Gap - where scenes from Braveheart and PS I Love You were filmed - and pass through Powerscourt Estate to see Ireland’s highest waterfall and the Palladian mansion. If you’d like to visit the Powerscourt attractions in depth, entrance fees are paid separately on the day.
Beyond the Trees Avondale, a world-class visitor destination in Ireland’s Ancient East, is also nearby following its €19 million redevelopment that reopened in June 2022.
Glendalough - The early medieval monastic settlement founded by St Kevin, a hermit and ascetic who wrote poetry and rules for Irish monks. The dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united in 1214, after which the settlement’s influence gradually waned; English forces destroyed much of it in 1398, though it continued as a place of local worship and pilgrimage. Today it’s one of Ireland’s most visited heritage sites. (60 min)
Lough Tay (Guinness Lake) - One of the most photographed spots in Wicklow. The lake is fed by the Cloghoge River and drains south into Lough Dan. The white sand beach on the northern side was imported by the Guinness family, whose estate borders the lake - and from the right angle, the shape really does look like a pint of Guinness. The best viewing point is along the Military Road above, at the junction with the Wicklow Way. (30 min)
Sally Gap - One of two east-to-west mountain passes through the Wicklow Mountains, with spectacular views of blanket bog stretching in every direction. The name likely comes from the Irish sailearnán (willow). Scenes from Braveheart and PS I Love You were filmed here, along with locations around Blessington Lakes and the wider Wicklow Mountains. (30 min)
Powerscourt Waterfall - Ireland’s highest waterfall, set in an unspoiled natural landscape. Movies and TV series have been shot here since the 1920s, including the hit show Vikings in 2015. The waterfall sits within a deer park that introduced Sika Deer to Ireland, and the surrounding woodland includes some of Ireland’s tallest trees. Entrance fee is not included. (60 min)
Powerscourt House & Gardens - Voted one of the top ten houses worldwide by Lonely Planet, the Palladian mansion at Powerscourt has hosted over fifty films and TV productions since Laurence Olivier filmed Henry V here in 1944. The house contains shops, the Avoca Terrace Cafe, and a strong collection of Irish design. Entrance fee is not included. (120 min)
Powerscourt Distillery - The distillery is run under Master Distiller Paul Corbett and Head of Whiskey John Cashman. Their Fercullen Single Malt - distilled and matured on-site - won Gold at the 2023 Icons of Whiskey Awards. Entrance fee is not included. (60 min)
Travel time - Allow approximately 2 hours for travel to and from Wicklow depending on traffic. (120 min)
Make the most of the Glendalough hour. The monastic city has a 30-metre round tower with the doorway three and a half metres up the wall - a deliberate defence against Viking raids, so monks could pull the ladder up after them. The cathedral, seven churches, and graveyard are within easy walking distance of the car park. If you have any flexibility on timing, arriving at Glendalough early in the day means fewer people and better light. The actual village with food and pubs is Laragh, 1.5km east - useful to know if you need a coffee stop.
Lough Tay’s white beach is the key to the photo. The northern shore’s sand was imported by the Guinness family, and with the dark mountain water above it, the lake genuinely looks like a Guinness pint from the viewing point on the Military Road. Your guide will position you for it. It’s a short stop but a vivid one.
The Sally Gap is bigger than it looks on a map. The blanket bog that opens up on both sides of the mountain road is one of the most dramatic landscapes in Wicklow. Scenes from Braveheart were shot here precisely because it looks ancient and empty. On a clear day you can see across to the Blessington Lakes to the west - the same reservoir that drowned three communities in 1940 when the ESB dammed the River Liffey.
Decide on Powerscourt entrance fees before you arrive. The waterfall, house and gardens, and distillery each charge separately. If your group wants to go inside the house or walk the formal gardens, it’s worth having cash or a card ready - entrance is paid on the day. The distillery tour is a separate experience to the gardens, so if whiskey is the priority, flag that with your guide and allow enough time. Enniskerry village itself is a five-minute walk from the estate entrance - Poppies on the square has been doing soup and home baking since 1982 and is considerably better than the estate café for a refuel between the gardens and the waterfall.
The Blessington Lakes are what you’re looking west toward from the Sally Gap. The reservoir - 22 square kilometres of it - was made by damming the Liffey in 1940 and three communities went under the water before it filled. On a clear day from the Sally Gap you can see across to Blessington and the Russborough House estate on the far shore, where the Vernet Drawing Room is the only interior in Ireland still containing the original paintings it was designed for.