Glendalough & Wicklow Mountains Half Day Morning Tour from Dublin
4.5
Glendalough & Wicklow Mountains Half Day Morning Tour from Dublin
By Paddywagon Tours
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 64 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Driver/guide
- Local guide
- Fuel surcharge
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- WiFi on board
- USB points at every seat
What's not included- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Food and Drinks
- Start:
- 34 O'Connell Street Lower, North City, Dublin 1, D01 EY17, IrelandMeet at Paddywagon Office at The Spire - 34 O'Connell Street Lower, Dublin 1.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Infant seats available
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 8962P79- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- Collapsible wheelchairs can be stored underneath the coach. These are the responsibility of the passengers.
- Booster/Baby seats are required for toddlers/babies and available in our offices. Please alert us at the time of booking.
- Bookings made through Viator will automatically be signed up for the pickup point and collection time specified in the booking.
- If you wish to change your reservation to one of the other pick-up locations offered by Paddywagon Tours, you will need to contact us by telephone or email not later than 17:00 the evening prior so that we can guarantee the change. Please note that changes are only guaranteed once confirmed in writing by us.
- You are welcome to take luggage with you if you wish to do so. Luggage can be stored in the storage compartment. Alternatively, hand luggage can be stored in the overhead compartment. Valuables are stored at your own risk and the company is not liable for damage or loss.
- This is a very popular route with those who have afternoon flights and wish to maximise their last hours in Ireland. The tour will typically end in central Dublin by 12:45. Even on rare occasions when the tour experiences delays due to severe weather and related traffic the tour should be back downtown by 13:20. Please advise the driver first thing in the morning if you are concerned about airport connections and he can provide some general advice. In normal circumstances it takes 40-60 minutes from the city to the airport by bus and between 20-30 minutes in a taxi. The timings of this tour are as published and cannot be modified.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 64 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 8962P79
From
$34.54
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 34 O'Connell Street Lower, North City, Dublin 1, D01 EY17, IrelandMeet at Paddywagon Office at The Spire - 34 O'Connell Street Lower, Dublin 1.
- Pass byPaddywagon Tours
- 1
- 2Pass byPaddywagon Tours
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- gretchenc3410 contributionsPADDYWAGON 10/01WOW is what we have to say. Richard, our driver, made it all happen. He was the best. The tour was perfectly paced and we heard so much interesting history and personal stories. Music was great (singing welcome). Nothing but great things to say about Richard. Awesome experience.Written January 11, 2025
- brandiva120 contributionsAbsolutely WonderfulI have to say that was the best tour I have ever been on thanks to our lovely bus driver Richard O'Brien. The music was awesome and the insights incredible. Valued his timeliness and communication. His stories were the best part. Highly recommend!Written January 6, 2025
- Armando M0 contributionsI had a great time!Our driver, Richard O’Brien, was a taskmaster, insisting we be on time for departures. That aside, he was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and very entertaining. His driving skills are excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed conversing with him.Written January 4, 2025
- 45kennedyh0 contributionsBus Driver was Amazing; make sure to check weatherThe weather was terrible, and yet the bus driver ensured we had a wonderful time. Even though the bus driver is not supposed to be a tour guide, he had wonderful stories. This turned what may have been an awful day into a good one. For example, Kilkenny Castle was closed due to weather (which was my main reason for booking this trip) but he told us other places we could see, and we stumbled upon an amazing museum! When we got to Glendalough it was very snowy, and so we took a vote on how long we would stay. Most passengers wanted to only stay an hour, (which was unfortunate for me because I was the only person who wanted to stay longer lol). he told us what we could do within an hour. His music was also AMAZING. Overall, I’d recommend checking for inclement weather two days before your tour and possibly cancelling if you really want to see Kilkenny. There wasn’t even snow yet and they had said they would close the day before. However, I’m giving 5 stars because TECHNICALLY it isn’t Paddywagon’s fault but I would have hoped they would keep us updated since the castle had closed the day before.Written January 4, 2025
- rasha12460 contributionsVery badI had a disappointing experience with Paddywagon Tours. After being left without a guide at Glendalough and returning 5 minutes late, we discovered the bus had already left. Another driver we approached was unhelpful and mocked us instead of assisting. Thankfully, Quiggs from Finn McCools Tours came to our rescue, offering us a free ride to Kilkenny and a guided tour, completely turning our day around. While I wouldn’t recommend Paddywagon for their lack of support, I highly commend Quiggs for his kindness and professionalism.Written January 4, 2025
- laurenjR6902MB0 contributionsThank you Richard!Not only was this bus tour filled with beautiful views, but Richard went above and beyond to provide us with history and humor throughout. I appreciated all of the stops we made along the way and this was definitely a highlight of my trip. Thank you!Written December 30, 2024
- 13kaylal0 contributionsWonderful Experience- Shea is the BEST tour guide!Wonderful experience- especially if you’re looking for a trip to the Cliffs without the hassle of renting a car. Stops in a few cute towns along the way which is a nice way to see different areas in Ireland. Our tour guide, Shea, was incredibly kind and friendly- he was also very knowledgeable and helpful with any questions we had. He made the tour very special and simple for us!Written December 29, 2024
- robyn E0 contributionsA definite mustThis was a wonderful trip. The drive there was so lovely. The scenery was gorgeous and the guide/bus driver was very knowledgable and pointed out interesting snippets along the way. The bus was comfortable, and Wicklow was beautiful. The walk in nature was just so refreshing and wonderful And looking at the monastery ruins was fascinating. The museum was great with the highlight being the labyrinth rock, which even on its own was well with the trip. The trip back was lovely in the dark with all the Christmas lights through the small towns on the way home. I highly recommend this trip with Paddywagon which a professional and reliable company to work with.Written December 29, 2024
- ThivankaD0 contributionsSkip this company and go on a Wild Rovers tour.Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend this tour company. It really makes a huge difference having a driver and a guide like Wild Rovers. Unfortunately Frank was hard to follow (not from an accent but information stand point). He was also quite repetitive with filler information because I guess he didn’t have a lot of information to share like saying we were going to pick up a passenger in Belfast about 8 times. His microphone screeched every time he spoke. He also didn’t have a good handle on the crowd as people were late at every stop. They played their phones loud on the bus disturbing other passengers. The bus was also too hot and too cold for the start of the journey and the wifi didn’t work. I felt he drove quite fast but it might be normal here. I would recommend getting a Wild Rovers tour.Written December 27, 2024
- 736prataps0 contributionsWorst experience everI had a truly frustrating experience with Paddywagon Tours. My four friends and I booked a tour to Glendalough and Kilkenny, but things quickly went wrong. After arriving at Glendalough, we were left without a tour guide and were told to return in 1.5 hours. We ended up being 5 minutes late, and when we returned, the bus had already left. We searched for our vehicle, but instead found another Paddywagon bus heading to the city center. Instead of offering any assistance, the bus driver taunted us about being late, mocking our situation and making unnecessary remarks. It was not only unhelpful but also unprofessional. Thankfully, we found a kind-hearted guide, Quiggs, from Finn McCools Tours. He listened to our story and, without hesitation, welcomed us onto his bus. Not only did he take us to Kilkenny, but he also gave us a free tour of the city. Quiggs was an amazing guide, and he truly turned our day around. My advice to others would be not to expect any support from Paddywagon when things go wrong. Fortunately, there are still some great people like Quiggs who go above and beyond to help.Written December 27, 2024
- 859bonnieh0 contributionsA good tourRichard O’Brien was a great drive and tour guide, very knowledgeable and a good sense of humor. I really enjoyed this tour and thought we had plenty of time at Giant’s Causeway.Written December 27, 2024
- K4431XYcarlam0 contributionsGiants causeway trip from BelfastWe went yesterday to the grants causeway, and we had such a good day. The guide Angelina was really good and very knowledgeable . The weather was terrible with gale force winds for most of the day, but it didn't spoil the day. We visited some lovely places along the way too, which was great too. We thn stopped off for food at a cosy pub on the way back to warm up. All in all a great day and a great experience with a good company.Written December 22, 2024
- Mmmicki0 contributionsWe loved this tour!Blarney Castle has always been a bucket list for me! We opted for this tour to see some other sites coupled with The Blarney Castle. It was a small group (only 8 of us). We sat in the back of the bus, which was very comfortable with a lot of legroom (backpacks + shopping bags too)! Collin, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable about each site and gave us tidbits of info before he began driving to the next site. Since we went in December, each site, was pretty much empty! We literally walked right through the castle and up the steps to kiss the stone. We also had LOTS of time to explore each room as it was empty (seriously, if we saw 15 people that was a lot)! The steps up to the stones were really tight and narrow, however the rope was a huge help and made it super easy! Once up top, it’s not for the faint of heart…open air and if you look over, lots of butterflies! We loved every second and would highly recommend!Written December 22, 2024
- SotBou0 contributionsUnprofessional and unreliable! Avoid themTragic behaviour on their part and extremely unprofessional. No dear Patty Wagon, you have no right to take my money and ask me to cancel or change the day and time of my trip. I wish I could avoid this unacceptable company that I had the misfortune to buy tickets from.Written December 22, 2024
- anonywriter0 contributionsShay made our day!We (a group of 4) took a tour from Dublin that went out to Dunluce Castle and Giants Causeway. It was a day-trip that was very much worth our time! Our driver/guide Shay was lovely and very entertaining. He shared interesting parts of Irish history (a child-friendly version as there were kids on the bus), and played an interesting combination of Irish music and Christmas tunes. Definitely a nice way to see parts of Northern Ireland if you’re staying in the south (though they do run the tour out of Belfast too).Written December 19, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
241 reviews
Excellent
172
Very good
25
Average
19
Poor
9
Terrible
16
DebT13
6 contributions
Mar 2020
My daughter and I only had a few days in Dublin, and I'm so glad we took this 1/2 day trip. Despite some very unpredictable weather, we were able to see Guinness Lake and the surrounding countryside, as well as the lakes in Glendalough. Our driver was very friendly, funny & knowledgeable. The views were incredible! I highly recommend this tour.
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christopher C
Upper Arlington, OH8 contributions
My daughter and I were looking to experience more of Ireland outside of Dublin. We decided on the day trip to Kilkenny and the Wicklow mountains. We enjoyed our time meandering the streets of Kilkenny after walking around the castle and grabbing a pint and some chips at the historic Kyteler’s Inn. After our visit to Kilkenny our driver Jackie brought us through the countryside to the edge of the Wicklow mountains where we enjoyed a soft Irish day walking the trails to both the lower and upper lakes at Gledalough. He shared a secret vista that overlooked the Guinness family lake that served as a filming location for the Vikings TV series and the ridge that Mel Gibson ran along in Braveheart. Jackie was a fantastic guide whose truthful perspective on the history of his country was refreshing, revealing and hilarious. I highly recommend this trip if you are pressed on time but want to experience life outside of the bustle of Dublin City and the beauty of the Irish countryside. If you can get Jackie - even better. Sláinte!!
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy S
2 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
Thank you Edwardo, the round of applause from us all as we parked up at trips end truly earned - great Craik or banter and personal stories interspersed. I loved the lake you recommended and enjoyed your company on the return leg very much. If you join the tour I recommend joining in with the banter off the phone, it sure enriched my experience 😌All the best for you all, friendly and helpful all round and beautiful lands of Wicklow are beyond description, rich mossy forests of deep, clear waters and the change of sighting deer.
The walk wasn't especially strenuous, though the path to the lake was a far meander. Well worth it for the beauty of a clear lake, slight ripples, and a waterfall on the opposite bank trickling down and in. Very peopley - though wonderful to see so many people appreciating the natural beauty of this world. Ireland has Aa unique quality and beauty which has truly touched my heart and won a special place within it - I will be returning to those beautiful green lands again!
Enjoy your visit :)
The walk wasn't especially strenuous, though the path to the lake was a far meander. Well worth it for the beauty of a clear lake, slight ripples, and a waterfall on the opposite bank trickling down and in. Very peopley - though wonderful to see so many people appreciating the natural beauty of this world. Ireland has Aa unique quality and beauty which has truly touched my heart and won a special place within it - I will be returning to those beautiful green lands again!
Enjoy your visit :)
Written May 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ryan R
Mexico City, Mexico3 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Please don't let this company ruin a day of your vacation! As you'll see from the other reviews, when things go right, they're fine. But when it goes wrong it goes VERY wrong. This was our experience:
After hurrying my family out of our hotel to arrive promptly at 8:10 AM for our tour of Glendalough, we arrived and were told that it was overbooked and that we couldn't go on our tour. The driver even said to us that "they do this all the time" hoping someone doesn't show, so this is their standard dishonest business practice. The tour manager offered us a full refund and an afternoon tour free of charge, which we mistakenly accepted.
After rearranging our entire day because Paddywagon intentionally overbooked the tour, the afternoon tour traveled to Glendalough in a 100 degree Fahrenheit bus without functioning air conditioning or a tour guide. When we arrived at Glendalough, very late, the replacement tour guide gave us no direction and told us to walk to the upper lake. This was not a tour, but an overpriced bus ride without A/C.
When we got back into Dublin, my wife and I attempted to visit the Paddywagon office near O'Connell Bridge and the two young men at the desk told us there was no one to call and pretended as if they couldn't send an email from their computer. We emailed customer service the same day request a refund of the tour (as well as cancelling a future tour we had scheduled) and never heard back. We are now filing a complaint with the tourism board and disputing the charges with our credit card company.
Don't make the same mistake we did! There are so many tour companies in Ireland, you don't need to roll the dice with a dishonest company like Paddywagon.
After hurrying my family out of our hotel to arrive promptly at 8:10 AM for our tour of Glendalough, we arrived and were told that it was overbooked and that we couldn't go on our tour. The driver even said to us that "they do this all the time" hoping someone doesn't show, so this is their standard dishonest business practice. The tour manager offered us a full refund and an afternoon tour free of charge, which we mistakenly accepted.
After rearranging our entire day because Paddywagon intentionally overbooked the tour, the afternoon tour traveled to Glendalough in a 100 degree Fahrenheit bus without functioning air conditioning or a tour guide. When we arrived at Glendalough, very late, the replacement tour guide gave us no direction and told us to walk to the upper lake. This was not a tour, but an overpriced bus ride without A/C.
When we got back into Dublin, my wife and I attempted to visit the Paddywagon office near O'Connell Bridge and the two young men at the desk told us there was no one to call and pretended as if they couldn't send an email from their computer. We emailed customer service the same day request a refund of the tour (as well as cancelling a future tour we had scheduled) and never heard back. We are now filing a complaint with the tourism board and disputing the charges with our credit card company.
Don't make the same mistake we did! There are so many tour companies in Ireland, you don't need to roll the dice with a dishonest company like Paddywagon.
Written July 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JPChgo
Chicago, IL29 contributions
Terrible, terrible, terrible! We booked this tour months ago, and had a confirmation. On the morning of the trip Monday Aug 30, we showed up before the designated pickup time of 8:15am. Other tour pickups occurred and Paddywagon even had another pickup for a longer multi-day tour, whose operator told us to stand by. After an hour and 3 phone calls to their office (none of which were answered) we left. Contacting them by email, they replied that they had lost our reservation in their system (?) and therefore had not contacted us, but the tour only left on Tuesdays now. 1) they continued, even in their email reply to us, to publish the phone number which they don’t answer. 2) what kind of outfit “loses a reservation in their system”? I do NOT RECOMMEND this company, we were terribly disappointed.
Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sohaib C
Nottingham, UK12 contributions
The trip was decent, got a little lost as the signs and instructions to get to the lakes weren't entirely clear. Be prepared for a 20-30 minute walks to the lakes depending on where you get dropped off. Weather wasn't the best but still a beautiful view.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Κωνσταντινος Α
4 contributions
It's completely waste of time..you spend the most of time with traffic in the city and once you are out of the city you need both ways another 2-3 hours..
We stayed in the 1:50 minutes which you have to walk around 25 minutes one way to reach the lake and then back again..so actually you have 1 hour?
1hour =35 € it's not worth it a all... 50 passenger x35 =1750€ for 5 hours of "work" They are making..someone is Stealing ..?
Apart this we change 3 bus because we had problems..so we waste even more time..I had one extra bag 10 kg which I had to carry with me all the time because I couldn't leave it in the bus because of this problem..just rent a car or go with local bus it's more worth it..
The only positive thing is that the place it's beautiful
We stayed in the 1:50 minutes which you have to walk around 25 minutes one way to reach the lake and then back again..so actually you have 1 hour?
1hour =35 € it's not worth it a all... 50 passenger x35 =1750€ for 5 hours of "work" They are making..someone is Stealing ..?
Apart this we change 3 bus because we had problems..so we waste even more time..I had one extra bag 10 kg which I had to carry with me all the time because I couldn't leave it in the bus because of this problem..just rent a car or go with local bus it's more worth it..
The only positive thing is that the place it's beautiful
Written November 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melissa Y
5 contributions
Dec 2019 • Friends
Positives-country/landscape is beautiful. Enjoyed lakes and hike at Glendalough. Driver (Jackie) was out-going and friendly.
Disappointed with two aspects
1) tour did not stop at PS I Love You Bridge and we only had 90 minutes at Kilkenny.
Not sure why time was reduced from 2 hrs to 90 minutes as we got back to Dublin 30 minutes early 530pm.
Disappointed with two aspects
1) tour did not stop at PS I Love You Bridge and we only had 90 minutes at Kilkenny.
Not sure why time was reduced from 2 hrs to 90 minutes as we got back to Dublin 30 minutes early 530pm.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Compass29382443370
3 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
The bus was 45 min late,
A part of the group was left to wate with a guide who didn't know what was going on. There was supposed to be a stop on the way, but there wasn't. We were promised at least two hours at the lake, but were given only 90 min, so we basically ran to the lake and back ( a beautiful place if you have time to enjoy it)
A part of the group was left to wate with a guide who didn't know what was going on. There was supposed to be a stop on the way, but there wasn't. We were promised at least two hours at the lake, but were given only 90 min, so we basically ran to the lake and back ( a beautiful place if you have time to enjoy it)
Written July 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam G
2 contributions
Extremely punctual and easy bus ride, amazing scenery and a great 80-90min window for a short hike. Left us wanting much more! There was a small food cart for snacks at our stop too. Bus driver was very lively with the right amount of commentary and we were back in time for lunch.
Written November 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
i'll be in Dublin with a large group of students (57+3 leaders) and I'd like to organize an extra excursion
Written June 24, 2022
We need to be back to the Dublin airport by 2:00 pm. Would this tour be back in time to accommodate this?
Written June 11, 2022
Hi,
Is this tour happening and if so, what time does it begin and what time will we be back in Dublin if I am doing the morning tour. Thank you.
Written April 25, 2022
Katherine M
London, United Kingdom
Do you need to be a fast or strong walker for this?
Written February 7, 2022
Showing results 1-7 of 7
Buy it with
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.