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Private Tour of Glendalough and Powerscourt Gardens, (1-7 ppl)
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From €559 per person
This private tour is priced per group - one price covers up to 7 people, which makes it good value if you’re travelling with family or a small group. You’ll be collected from your accommodation in Dublin, do a short sightseeing loop through the city, then head south into County Wicklow for the day.
The main stops are Glendalough, one of Ireland’s most important early Christian sites, and Powerscourt Gardens, which has been voted the number one garden to visit in Ireland. In between, you’ll pass through some of Wicklow’s best mountain scenery.
Your professional guide will be with you throughout and the vehicle is air-conditioned with Irish snacks and water on board.
Dublin city sightseeing and drive to Wicklow - 1 hour
Your guide meets you at your accommodation for a meet and greet, then takes you on a brief sightseeing tour through Dublin city before heading south into County Wicklow. The Wicklow Mountains come into view quickly - the heather shifts colour with the seasons and the landscape opens up as you leave the city behind.
Glendalough monastic site - 2 hours
Glendalough is a 6th-century monastic settlement founded by Saint Kevin, set in a sheltered valley. You’ll visit the visitor centre first, which has exhibits and Celtic crosses on display, before exploring the grounds. The site includes the ruins of several early churches, a well-preserved round tower built hundreds of years ago, and the remains of the monastic settlement where monks lived and worked. Your guide will explain the history of Saint Kevin’s community and the people who settled here over the centuries.
Powerscourt Gardens - 3 hours
Powerscourt Gardens cover 47 acres and have been divided into themed sections filled with sculptures, statues, and seasonal flower arrangements set along tree-lined avenues. The gardens have consistently been voted the best in Ireland. Within the Powerscourt Estate you’ll also find a selection of shops and cafes if you want to take a break or pick up something to bring home. Entrance is approximately €15 per person, paid separately on the day.
Lunch in a local pub is available during the day and is not included in the price.
Return to Dublin - 1 hour
On the way back to Dublin, your driver will share recommendations for live music venues and good spots for traditional Irish food - useful local knowledge to round off the day.
The monastic city is bigger than the round tower. Most visitors photograph the tower and move on, but spend the afternoon at Glendalough and you’ll find a full medieval city in fragments - a cathedral, seven churches spread across the valley, and Reefert Church tucked above the Lower Lake. The tower’s doorway is deliberately three and a half metres off the ground - the monks pulled the ladder up behind them when the Vikings came raiding. Your guide will explain it, but look up at the doorway and the defensive logic becomes obvious.
Walk out to the Upper Lake if time allows. The Green Road from the visitor centre to the Upper Lake is a flat 25-minute walk and noticeably quieter than the area around the car park. At 2 hours at Glendalough, you have enough time to do the Lower-to-Upper walk and still get back comfortably. The Upper Lake is in a deeper part of the glacial valley and the silence there is a different quality.
Lunch near Glendalough. The tour mentions a local pub for lunch - Laragh village, 1.5km from the monastic site, is the spot. Lynhams of Laragh is the local pub with solid food; Trinity Mountain Bothy does good soup and sandwiches. Both are quieter and better value than the visitor centre café.
For families with young children. The Lower Lake path at Glendalough is buggy-friendly and mostly flat. Powerscourt Gardens at Enniskerry has wide gravel paths suitable for strollers throughout the main sections. The 3-hour slot at Powerscourt is enough to do the Italian terraces and Japanese garden without rushing.
Enniskerry village on the way. Powerscourt Estate sits just outside Enniskerry, a small estate village 40 minutes south of Dublin. If you arrive before the estate opens, Poppies café on the village square has been serving soup, sandwiches, and home baking since 1982 and opens at 8.30am. A better start to the morning than waiting in the car park.