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Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin provided by Collins Day Tours

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Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin

See all things to do
See all things to do
Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin
5
1,274
By Collins Day Tours
Book in advance
from
$36.50
per adult
Reserve now & pay later: Save your spot free of charge with flexible booking.
Recommended by 98% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Full view
Tour snapshot
Tour the Irish countryside on a stress-free day trip from Dublin 
Duration:
9h
Ticket type:
Mobile
Free cancellation
  • Duration:
    9h
  • Ticket type:
    Mobile
  • Free cancellation
About
Combine some of Ireland's natural wonders and historic highlights on this full-day tour from Dublin, an easy and efficient way to explore the countryside. Transport between Wicklow National Park, Wicklow Gap, Glendalough, and Kilkenny gives you more time to focus on the sights rather than stressful navigation. Guide commentary brings historic sites to life; guided and independent elements allow ample free time; and onboard Wi-Fi keeps boredom at bay. 
Know before you go
  • Duration: 9h
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Available languages
English
Highlights
  • A separate driver and guide ensures safety and attention on the tour
  • Take optional walking tours in Glendalough and Kilkenny 
  • Guide's commentary reveals the rich history of the tour's highlights
  • Wi-Fi on board the bus is convenient for uploading photos to social media
What to expect
Depart from a central Dublin meeting point, and make yourself comfortable on the coach bus for the ride through the scenic Irish countryside. Climbing into the hills of Wicklow, take in the sights before hopping out to explore Glendalough and the Valley of the Two Lakes. Follow your guide to several lookout points, where you can snap photos and listen to commentary on the area's history as an early Christian settlement, complete with 6th-century monastic ruins. Leave the driving to an expert as you gaze out the windows through the dramatic mountain pass of Wicklow Gap. In Kilkenny, disembark to explore the country's medieval capital with a guided walking tour. Highlights include Rothe House, St. Canice's Cathedral, and Kilkenny Castle, all of which you learn about through your guide's informative commentary. Then, explore on your own, shopping for souvenirs or seeking out a traditional Irish pub for lunch (own expense). Relax on the journey back to Dublin for drop-off.
Know before you go
  • Duration: 9h
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Available languages
English
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Highlights
  • A separate driver and guide ensures safety and attention on the tour
  • Take optional walking tours in Glendalough and Kilkenny 
  • Guide's commentary reveals the rich history of the tour's highlights
  • Wi-Fi on board the bus is convenient for uploading photos to social media
What to expect
Depart from a central Dublin meeting point, and make yourself comfortable on the coach bus for the ride through the scenic Irish countryside. Climbing into the hills of Wicklow, take in the sights before hopping out to explore Glendalough and the Valley of the Two Lakes. Follow your guide to several lookout points, where you can snap photos and listen to commentary on the area's history as an early Christian settlement, complete with 6th-century monastic ruins. Leave the driving to an expert as you gaze out the windows through the dramatic mountain pass of Wicklow Gap. In Kilkenny, disembark to explore the country's medieval capital with a guided walking tour. Highlights include Rothe House, St. Canice's Cathedral, and Kilkenny Castle, all of which you learn about through your guide's informative commentary. Then, explore on your own, shopping for souvenirs or seeking out a traditional Irish pub for lunch (own expense). Relax on the journey back to Dublin for drop-off.
Need help booking?
Call the number below and use the product code: 33832P1
Important information
Inclusions
  • Live commentary on board
  • Professional guide and separate coach driver
  • Walking tours at Glendalough and Kilkenny included (not compulsory)
  • Transport by air-conditioned luxury coach
  • Free WiFi on board
  • Entry/Admission - Glendalough Monastic Settlement
  • Entry/Admission - Wicklow Mountains National Park
Exclusions
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Kilkenny Castle entrance fee
  • Entry/Admission - Kilkenny Castle
Duration
9h
Departure details
  • Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin, 23 O'Connell Street Upper, North City, Dublin, D01 C3W7, Ireland 8.45am outside the front of the Hotel
Additional information
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Hot drinks/food not allowed on board the coach
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Inclusions
  • Live commentary on board
  • Professional guide and separate coach driver
  • Walking tours at Glendalough and Kilkenny included (not compulsory)
  • Transport by air-conditioned luxury coach
  • Free WiFi on board
  • Entry/Admission - Glendalough Monastic Settlement
  • Entry/Admission - Wicklow Mountains National Park
Exclusions
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Kilkenny Castle entrance fee
  • Entry/Admission - Kilkenny Castle
Departure details
  • Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin, 23 O'Connell Street Upper, North City, Dublin, D01 C3W7, Ireland 8.45am outside the front of the Hotel
Duration
9h
Return details
  • The National Wax Museum Plus, The Lafayette Building, 22-25 Westmoreland St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Co. Dublin, D02 EH29, Ireland
Additional information
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Hot drinks/food not allowed on board the coach
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Itinerary
  • You'll start at
    Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin
    23 O'Connell Street Upper, North City, Dublin, D01 C3W7, Ireland
    8.45am outside the front of the Hotel
    See address & details
  • 1
    Glendalough Monastic Settlement
    Stop: 90 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • 2
    Wicklow Mountains National Park
    Stop: 60 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • 3
    The Wicklow Gap
    Stop: 15 minutes
    See details
  • 4
    Kilkenny Castle
    Stop: 3 hours - Admission excluded
    See details
  • You'll end at
    The National Wax Museum Plus
    The Lafayette Building, 22-25 Westmoreland St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Co. Dublin, D02 EH29, Ireland
    See address & details
+
–
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,274 reviews
Excellent
1,161
Very good
97
Average
8
Poor
6
Terrible
2
Barbara W
Simsbury, Connecticut, United States72 contributions
A wonderful day tour to conclude our week in Ireland
What a great tour! Our guide, Antonio, told us charming stories and also showed us the best places to shop and eat. He shared his cell phone number in case of emergency and carefully checked after each stop to be sure we were all on board. He was fun and funny. Our bus driver, Steve, was amazing in how well he handled the narrow, steep, twisting drive through the mountains. As a group of six, two grandparents, two parents, and two children, we all found things that captured our attention and imagination. The scenery was spectacular. We had plenty of time in different locations to walk, hike, eat, and shop. Talking with the sheep farmer, watching his dogs work, and then holding and bottle feeding the lambs was a wonderful way to conclude the day. This is long day trip, well worth your time. Also, it is truly priced well.
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Patricia R
6 contributions
Day Trip to Kilkenny and Glendalough
Nice day trip outside of Dublin. Kilkenny is a very walkable town. We took a self-guided tour through the castle and strolled around the few main commercial streets. Our tour guide, Brian, was a great conversationalist, and later he led us on a walking tour from the castle across town to the Black Abbey, providing information about a number of the historic buildings we passed along the way. Glendalough has scenic views of the monastery ruins and hiking paths. Wear very comfortable shoes. If you're not a fast walker, the extra time provided for a hike up to the upper lake, may not be enough for you. We spent an extra 15 minutes on the bus waiting for the stragglers to appear. Finally - Special recognition has to go to our bus driver who had to maneuver our large bus around dozens of cyclists on very narrow, winding roads. They very rudely rode in the middle of the lanes and pretended not to notice the presence of a many-tonned vehicle behind them. Our driver was cool about it the whole time.
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Alex M
Mount Airy, NC1 contribution
Ask for Pat
This was a great trip! Our tour guide, Pat, was funny, informative, and genuinely interested in getting to know each of the people on the tour. And our driver, Brian, maneuvered us through some very tight spaces—in the city and out on the narrow country roads— with great skill and comfort. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone seeking to visit and to know more about Glendalough and Kilkenny.
Written June 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
kimstamps
Mechanicsburg, PA1,261 contributions
Enjoyable tour and informative guide
This trip to Glendalough and Kilkenny was fun and informative. Glendalough is peaceful and lovely, even with some dreary weather. It's a quick stop with a hike to the lake - if you're not up for the hike, there's a museum dedicated to St. Kevin. Then onto Kilkenny, a historic village featuring a castle. Our guide Phil and driver Paul were friendly and professional and made the trip even more enjoyable. Phil gave an informative tour of Kilkenny. We arrived in Kilkenny during a musical festival, so restaurants were pretty busy. If you'd like to see more of Kilkenny, you might want to bring lunch or grab something at Glendalough. Or just enjoy some time in a pub. It was nice to have an experienced driver navigating the roads and a guide spinning local lore. Well worth the price!
Written May 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
J C
Many thanks for your lovely review ! Glad you enjoyed the day with Phil and Paul despite the weather. We appreciate your suggestions for lunch as its exactly what we feel too. Its best to either bring something with you as the free time for lunch is at 1.30 pm. This can be a little late for some so bring some snacks just in case. It also allows for more free time in Kilkenny to visit the Castle, do some browsing or soak up the atmosphere in one of the many local pubs over a pint of Smithwicks beer! Regards Graham, Collins Day Tours
Written May 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David D
2 contributions
Wonderful day trip to Wicklow and Kilkenny
Family
Pat was our guide and Eighs was our driver. We were a group of 5 and on a full bus. They assigned seats to keep groups and families together. Pat is a retired teacher and that shows. His walking tours were extremely informative and gave extra context to events and some of the buildings. It wasn’t a canned spiel like other guide use. He did a great job explaining the historical significance of the ruined abbey, the churches and the area. The same was true at Kilkenny. We didn’t go on his walking tour though. We had a 2 hour stop and that was enough time for us to eat, walk the city center and relax with ice cream in the castle’s park with time to spare.

Make sure you use toilets when you have a chance. The bus doesn’t have one and traffic into Dublin can be tricky.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Tim
Lake Worth, FL1 contribution
Satisfying Day Trip Experience Worth Your Time
Family
Excellent experience. Glendalough was beautiful, and Kilkenny was fascinating. Our guide, Pat, was the best. He’s authentically Irish, refreshingly knowledgeable and articulate, possessing a fine self depreciating sense of humor. On the way back, he talked with each person on the bus personally about what they would like to know about trip tips, Irish history, and culture. We wanted to find a great music pub where musicians meet up spontaneously and play. We got two fine recommendations for local non-touristy pubs. If you get Pat, you will be lucky.
Written August 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Andrea AJA
Columbus, IN1 contribution
Take this tour! It was one of the best things we did while in Ireland.
We always felt safe as the driver navigated the very tight Irish roads with our bus. The tour guide gave us plenty of information about the places we were visiting and driving by. He also talked to us about Ireland's history. But it never felt like a lesson, more like a friend telling you a tale. The lake at Glendalough was breathtaking and such a lovely spot for photographs. The Wicklow Mountains were windy but lovely in a more rustic way. While in Kilkenny we also visited the Castle. We had tickets for 2:30 and had plenty of time to eat first and wander Kilkenny afterward before our bus departure at 4pm.
We were a group of 6 adults, ourselves and our in their 20's children and significant others and we all agreed that this tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Ireland. Thank you very much for such a well put together tour.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Nancy
1 contribution
Great Glendalough and Kilkenny guided bus tour!
We thoroughly enjoyed our bus tour led by Pat the guide and Brian the driver! Pat was very informative and humorous and gave special attention to every single guest. Our understanding of Irish history and culture was dramatically increased during this tour. We highly recommend this Collins Day Tour with Get Your Guide!
Written June 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John B
Birmingham, UK7 contributions
Irish history come alive
Went for a truly informative and a true fount of knowledge of all things Irish with uncle Pat and bus operator Terry. Enjoying the walking tour through to the upper lake and the walking tour around Kilkenny the colourful past and history of Ireland come alive through Patrick's words. 11/10. I'll do any tour if hosted by the duo.
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Gerry C
1 contribution
A great day out which I would highly recommend.
From a busy Dublin City to the solitude of Glendalough our guide Pat kept us interested and informed with lots of information and stories, all delivered in a lively and humorous fashion. His walking tour of Kilkenny brought the marble city to life. Nothing was too much trouble for Pat, ably assisted by driver Alec. The day flew and I was sorry when it ended. A great day all round, shared with a lovely group of people from all over the world. Gerry
Written May 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
J C
Thanks for your great review! Pat and Alec are always delighted to see such a positive review. Pat is certainly a great storyteller and Alec a top coach driver. Regards Graham, Collins Day Tours
Written May 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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About the operator

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By: Collins Day Tours
2,773
Vojta H
Vojta H
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Awesome tour with awesome tour guide
Very pleasant bus tour to Glendalough and Kilkenny, guide had so lot of knowledge, was funny and helpful in any cas…
lukasj796
lukasj796
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100% recommendable
We had a great time with our guide Pat. Was a very informative tour while also being highly entertaining. Our drive…
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Most memorable day in/around Dublin
First of, the guide, Pat, has been the sweetest, most knowledgeable and genuinely passionate one could possibly hop…
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Lovely Tour with Joe
The Tour was lovely especially because our guide Joe Power gave us all sort of information starting with Dublin whi…
303joachimg
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Day Tour with Joe to Kilkenny
Amazing tour and a very nice guide, with a lots of great impressions and picture motives in Glendalough etc.
myriamldr
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Excellent Day Trip
Several good things about this trip. Liked that our departure time was early but not crack of dawn. We boarded and …
KevinK131992
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Wonderful day
We were lucky to be part of a tour with Pat as our guide and Brian as our driver. Pat's humorous and warm nature we…
eileenmcardle
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Glendalough, Sallygap, killkenny
Spent a lovely day tourning with Pat our guide and Gareth our bus driver, Pats knowledge is exceptional, a great gu…
matthewgJ3709WT
matthewgJ3709WT
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Good Times
Absolutely the best tour I have ever taken!! Pat the tour guide was so nice and personable. And Chuks the driver…
saracambi
saracambi
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One funny day!
This is my first time with a guided tour. It was an amazing day with Pat, a deliciuos guide, and Alec in a special …
470paulinac
470paulinac
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Magical Day Tour to Remember
Wonderful! I loved the beautiful Wicklow's nature, and the cultural learning from the Marvelous medieval Kikenny ci…
Trent M
Trent M
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Great informative and entertaining
Pat and John gave us a tour to remember. Pat was entertaining, gave us a lot of historical information and many lau…
Aditya K
Aditya K
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Amazing Day with Collins Day
At the outset I must say that Pat, our Guide was truly awesome. A Historian, A Guide and A friend all rolled into o…
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7 of us went on the day trip with Pat as our guide and Joseph as our driver. I would highly recommend the tour , es…
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Great trip, Great comedy, And excellent driving. As far as you turns to go best I’ve ever seen....😁
Frequently Asked Questions about Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin
Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin will start at 8:45 AM. Discover and book Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin on Tripadvisor
Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin price starts from $37.13. Discover and book Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin on Tripadvisor
Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Kilkenny Day Tour from Dublin on Tripadvisor