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Highlights: Day Tour from Dublin of Wicklow Mountains National Park, Glendalough, The Wicklow Gap Scenic Drive, County Kildare, Norman town of Kilkenny, Kikenny Castle.
Famous pub fronts in Kilkenny town.
This day Tour from Dublin is fully Guided with live commentary. It departs from Dublin city and travels south into the Glens and Valleys of the Wicklow Mountains National Park.
Our first stop is Glendalough “Valley of the Two Lakes” and its 6th century monastic site of St Kevin.
This is a beautiful valley deep in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. The guide will walk you through the ancient monastery of St Kevin. They will explain some of the history and folklore of this area.
Monastic site in Glendalough
Who was St. Kevin and how does this area sit into the history of Ireland? The importance of monasteries in Ireland during this period. Some of the Viking raids and how the early Celts and Irish lived with the monks here.
Then you have some time to explore the valley yourself, taking a walk to the Upper lake or just enjoying the woods and lakes in this area. There are also some cafes to relax and enjoy a snack.
We spend Approx. 1.5hrs in Glendalough.
Then its time to continue on the day tour of Kilkenny and Wicklow on small country roads through what is known as “The Wicklow Gap”. This is a wonderful scenic drive through stunning parts of West Wicklow. Along the way we pass by small farms and cottages.
The Wicklow Gap
We will also see small rural towns and villages and of course plenty of sheep in this region. We leave county Wicklow and enter county Kildare, famous for its horses and equestrian centres. The landscape starts to change as we pass through Kildare and into Kilkenny. The farms become larger and more of an arable type.
Upon reaching the town of Kilkenny, named after St. Canice, another town named after a monk as many of Irish place names are. Kilkenny town is steeped in history and was once for a short period the capital of Ireland. There is a very old Norman feel to this town with its large impressive Castle, stone cobbled streets and hidden alley-ways.
Kilkenny Anglo-Norman Town
There is plenty of time here to explore this medieval Norman town such as St. Canice’s Cathedral, Rothe House (Tudor Building), and of course Kilkenny Castle to name a few. Kilkenny is the home town of a very famous Irish beer called “Smithwick’s”, which is very popular to many tourists who travel to Ireland. It was the location for one of Ireland’s earliest and most famous witch trials – The story of Dame Alice Kyteler and her servant Petronilla.
You will have Approx. three hours to explore this medieval town. Your guide will give you a short tour of the town and recommend places to visit and where you can enjoy a nice lunch.
Kilkenny Castle
You will want to visit Kilkenny Castle, which sits next to the River Nore that flows through the centre of the town. The Castle is one of the most impressive in all of Ireland and is one of the reasons that this town is so popular to visit. There are wonderful park-lands and grounds around the castle with a walk along the riverside.
The castle was initially built in 1195 and passed through many hands before belonging to the Butler family in 1391. They were a very powerful and wealthy Anglo-Norman family who controlled much of this part of Ireland. In 1967 Arthur Butler, Lord Ormonde sold the abandoned and deteriorating castle to the Castle Restoration Committee and “The people of Kilkenny” for a ceremonial £50.
After you have explored Kilkenny town and visited the Castle, we will make our way back towards Dublin.
We should arrive back in Dublin for 18:00.
If you cannot make the tour on the date requested and you contact us with in 48hrs of your tour date, then we may be able to provide an alternative date depending on availability.
Pickup Locations:
Departs from the Molly Malone statue on Suffolk St at 09:00am
Other Pickups are available upon request for groups of 10+
Return to Dublin for 5:30pm
For the Day tours we recommend you bring
What does your Transport look like?
We use small white buses with “Hilltoptreks” written on them.
Do I need to print my Ticket?
No, Once you book online, Your name and details are on the guides list for your tour.
Is Entrance Fee included for Kilkenny Castle?
No you will need to pay your own entrance fee at Kilkenny Castle
