Listen to ancient tales of Kings and witches in historic Kilkenny
Travel the stunning landscape of the Wicklow Gap
Visit the filming location of films such as Braveheart & PS. I Love You
Explore the monastic city of Glendalough & its glacial lake
Benefit from the attention of your friendly, award-winning guide
Get a sense of the real Ireland with the folklore and stories that shaped our nation
Travel with us through the rugged gems of the East Coast. From Kilkenny, a charming medieval city, and the vast expanse of the Wicklow Mountains, to the glacial valley Glendalough, rich in stunning scenery and monastic artefacts. Explore the wild, powerful beauty of quintessential Ireland and delve deep into the beating heart of our ancient country.
Join us on one of our Kilkenny, Glendalough and Wicklow Mountain tours. Enjoy stunning scenery, flora and fauna as we travel through the countryside to Kilkenny before continuing on to the wild and rugged Wicklow Mountains. We’ll depart Dublin between 8:00 and 8:30am (dependent on pick up location) to arrive at the famous heritage site of Glendalough; a glacial valley and medieval monastic settlement which played an important role in the religious and cultural history of Europe. Afterwards, we stop at a working sheep farm on our Wicklow Mountain tour. Having taken in the sights of one of the most beautiful parts of the island, sit back, relax as we begin our return journey to Dublin.
During the winter months, we will go to Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains first, and will visit Kilkenny City in the afternoon.
With human activity and settlements in the area dating back to the Mesolithic Period, Kilkenny is a city which is as historic as it is charming. There are plenty of tales to be told around every corner; from kings and sieges to witch trials and murder. As part of your one day tour, you will arrive in Kilkenny at 10:00am for a walking tour of Ireland’s medieval capital. But first, we have a quick break to stop for a coffee and recharge the batteries after the bus ride. Your 45 minute guided walking tour of Kilkenny City will take you through the narrow and winding cobbled streets and under the city’s many medieval arches as you explore all the main attractions and landmarks. Along the way, your tour guide will entertain and inform you with the history of the city.
After the walking tour, you will have a further 1 hour 45 minutes to explore Kilkenny at your own leisure. The city’s compact nature means that all the points of interest are easily accessible by foot and you will have plenty of time to visit an attraction if you wish (admission is not included). You may choose to visit the famous 12th century Kilkenny Castle. The castle is the signature symbol of the city and is majestically located on the banks of the River Nore. Kilkenny Castle has a storied past and was once the Irish stronghold of the legendary Strongbow. Alternately, you could visit Rothe House, a magnificent example of a wealthy silk merchant’s home built in 159. The house contains multiple medieval exhibits; including priceless Viking artefacts and a medieval garden which contains plants of the era including Gortahork cabbage and Blood of the Boyne apples.
Kilkenny has a proud food heritage and you will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch while in the city. There is plenty to choose from including artisan cafés and charming gastropubs. You tour guide will be happy to make lunch recommendations once you arrive in the city. Depart Kilkenny at 12:30pm.
During the winter months, we will go to Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains first, and will visit Kilkenny City in the afternoon.
After lunch, we travel through the county of Carlow into the wild and rugged Wicklow Mountains, specifically the Wicklow Gap and its scenery, which is the most varied on the island of Ireland. The landscape on your Wicklow Mountains tour will change from lush green rich pasture with gentle valleys, to the dramatic and the breathtaking ancient glacial valleys of the Wicklow Gap. The journey through the mountains will bring you through spectacular locations where famous movies such as Braveheart and PS I Love You were filmed.
Enjoy a 20 minute stop for a stroll and photographic opportunities on top of the Wicklow Mountains overlooking the glens and valleys of County Wicklow.
During the winter months, we will go to Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains first, and will visit Kilkenny City in the afternoon.
Continuing over the mountains as part of your Glendalough day tour, we arrive at theworld famous heritage site of Glendalough (Glen of two lakes) at 14:30pm. The landscape here is dominated by oak, Scots Pine and mixed woodland, and of course, the two lakes from which the name Glendalough is derived. The lower lake takes under an hour to walk and the upper just over an hour.
On arrival in Glendalough, you can join your tour guide on a 30-minute guided tour of Glendalough’s Monastic City, an ancient window into the golden era of Irish history – the Early Christian period. The Monastic city is heralded as a national monument of immense importance and it is here that Irish monks ‘saved civilisation’ while the rest of Europe went through the Dark Ages. The monastic site dates back to 600 AD and played an important role in reintroducing Christianity to Northern and Central Europe after the Dark Ages. It was here that the famous Irish monk Saint Kevin founded his monastery and round tower. This location later acted as a shelter for Christian manuscripts to protect them from the barbarous marauding Vikings.
Our guides will leave you with some of the folklore and legendary stories of Glendalough’s past and direct you towards the stunning Upper Lake. You will have ample time take in the walk and fully appreciate the beauty of the area’s natural wonders.
Our visitors have the opportunity to visit the village of Annamoe located at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, where you get the unique chance to experience a Shepherd at workwith his best friend the Border Collie Sheep Dog.
The dog, listening to the whistling sounds from the Shepherd, will herd the sheep across fields, through gates and fencing into corrals, out again over ditches around trees to your feet. If you want an idea of what to expect, here is a short clip of the Irish sheep dog trials where shepherds and their dogs complete for sport: Depending on the time of the year you will also have the opportunity to hold and feed a little lamb. This is an experience not to be missed!
Departing Annamoe at 17:10, we journey through the highest village in Ireland known as Roundwood. From there you can see the Sugarloaf Mountains, which prior to the Ice Age were higher than the Alps. You can also catch a glimpse of the Powerscourt Estate and the Glen of Imaal just before reaching Kilmacanogue. Now it’s time to sit back and relax as we begin our return journey and arrive back in Dublin city at approximately 6:15pm.
During the months of November, December, January, February Subject to weather conditions on occasions the times of visiting the city of Kilkenny and
the monastic site of Glendalough will be reversed.
8:10 AM at Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin, 23 Upper O'Connell Street
8:20 AM at Bus Stop, 33 College Green / Dame Street, Dublin 2. (50 metres from the front gates of Trinity College overlooking the street fountain)
8:30 AM at Leonardo Hotel Dublin Christchurch - Formerly Jurys Inn, Dublin 8.
Please be there 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
6:20 PM at Bus Stop, Westmoreland Street, DO2 HR67.
All weather clothing and a smile on your face :-)
All attractions included in the price of the ticket.
Food and drinks
Full refund up to 24 hours cancellation notice in advance of the date of the tour. That is prior to 12:01am on the day before the tour date.
Cancellation notice must be given by email, if no cancellation notice is given, the refund policy is then at the discretion of the reservations department. Tickets for Events or Attractions are non-refundable. Airport, Limousine or Coach - transfer services are non-refundable.
Q? What type of vehicles do we have?
A. All vehicles are touring specification coaches ranging from 33, 41, 53 and 63 seat luxury vehicles. We do not use vans or shuttle buses.
Q? Do we have Wifi on the coach?
A. Yes, we offer free Wifi on board all our coaches so you can post your pictures of the day while you travel!
Q? Do we cancel a tour due to low numbers?
A. We have never cancelled a tour in the history of the company due to a lack of numbers and never will. On occasion, in exceptional weather circumstances, a tour might have to be cancelled. In such a situation a full refund is granted.
Q? What do I need to bring?
A. All weather clothing and a smile on your face.
Q? Will food be provided?
A. Unfortunately, food cannot be provided, but we offer rest stops where food can be purchased. You are also invited to bring your own food. Please note that hot food is not allowed on any of our buses.
Q? Are the attractions included in the price?
A. All attractions are included in the price of the ticket.
Q? Will I get my money back if I cancel?
A. * Full reund up to 24 hours cancellation notice in advance of the date of the tour. That is prior to 12:01am on the day before the tour date. Cancellation notice must be given by email, if no cancellation notice is given , the refund policy is then at the discretion of the reservation deprtment. * Tickets for Events or Attractions are non-refundable * Airport, Limousine or Coach – transfer services are non-refundable
Q? What happens if I don’t return to the bus on time?
A. We always make sure that the departure time is clearly communicated to our guests before they leave the coaches so there is no misunderstanding or delays. We will wait for you for a maximum of 5 minutes before we will have to leave you behind. In that case, you would be responsible for making your own way back to Dublin. We ask for your understanding in this matter as we are also responsible for our other guests who expect to receive a tour as scheduled and the time schedule needs to adhere to for everyone’s enjoyment.