Europe
Ireland
Province of Leinster
County Wicklow
Vale of Glendalough
Things to Do in Vale of Glendalough
Glendalough Monastic Settlement
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Glendalough Monastic Settlement

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See all things to do
Glendalough Monastic Settlement
4.5
2,156 reviews
#2 of 17 things to do in Vale of Glendalough
Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites
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About
This historic site, whose Gaelic name translates to “valley of the two lakes,” consists of the 6th-century monastery founded by St. Kevin and the famous round tower, standing 112 feet high with a base measuring 52 feet in circumference. Visitors: There is a car park at the Visitor Centre. It is recommended to see the informational video at the Visitor Centre before starting your explorations.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
11 within 3 miles
Glendasan River Restaurant
74
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Irish • Bar • European
Casey's Bar & Bistro
175
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Irish • Bar • European
The Wicklow Heather Bar & Restaurant
2,280
1.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Irish • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Weavers Kitchen
1
0.9 miIrish • Pizza • International • European
Glendalough Green
113
1.2 mi$ • Quick Bites • Irish • Cafe
Red Grouse Glendalough
1
1.1 miItalian • American • Irish • Israeli
Lynham's of Laragh
238
1.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Irish • Bar • Pub
The Conservatory
87
1.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Irish • Cafe • European
Jakes Bar
3
1.4 miBar • Pub
Glendalough Green
12
1.5 mi$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Deli
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Attractions
8 within 6 miles
The Wicklow Way
216
0.2 miHiking Trails
God's Cottage Glendalough Prayer Centre
3
0.2 miChurches & Cathedrals
Brockagh Resource Centre
2
0.3 miCivic Centres
Wicklow Mountains National Park
1,265
1.1 miHistoric Walking Areas • National Parks
Glenmacnass Waterfall
125
Waterfalls
Vartry Reservoir
25
Dams
Shekina Sculpture Garden
6
Gardens
Church of St. Laurence O'Toole
2
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Churches & Cathedrals
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,156 reviews
Excellent
1,517
Very good
541
Average
82
Poor
12
Terrible
4
Bozeman-Dublin
Trim, Ireland8,612 contributions
Beautiful and Serene
Sep 2022 • Solo
The Monastic settlement at Glendalough is stunning. The visitors centre is a three or four minute walk and though not essential, it does provide a nice bit of historical context and explanation for the site.
Access to the car oark costs €4 and the visitors centre exhibition costs snother €5 but the actual Monastic Site is completely free.
The Round Tower is the highlight, build vereeniging 900 and 1200. The cathedral ruins are besutiful too. Its the setting that makees it so special, in the valley with the lake nearby.
There are beatiful trails in the National Patk, make sure to allow plenty of time for your visit, not just to the Monastic site.
Don't miss Reefert Church by the upper lake, it's enchanting, and the site of St Kevin's Cell.
A truly wonderful place, good for the soul!
Written September 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Geoff Stebbings
Wexford, Ireland6 contributions
Great visitor centre
Jul 2022
Being local (well Enniscorthy) I have been here many times but this visit was to bring visiting relatives from the UK to see the place. As such it was interesting to see it with fresh eyes. Entry to the car park is 4 Euro, per car, which is good value, though the car park does get full and there is a shuttle bus from nearby Laragh. Because I didn't feel I could do a satisfactory potted history we went into the visitor centre (my first time with this) and at 5 euro (less for concessions) it was worth the money and included a short film which gave a good basic history of Christianity in Ireland as well as Glendalough. My visitors enjoyed it. But most of all the lady on reception was delightfully helpful and a real asset to the place. Glendalough is a popular place and can get very busy but it really is somewhere you should see - you could stay all day if you walk up the valley.
Written July 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
moosegrin
East Moline, IL95 contributions
Historic site, with opportunity for great nature landscape hikes.
Nov 2021
Absolutely a do not miss experience. We visited on 3 November 2021 , a cool and party sunny day. The visitor's center was not open, but a guide was posted outside with maps and informstion. it's a amazing historic site with a 32 meter high tower from the 10th century. Surrounded by Celtic cross both historic and modern, it's site that puts you in a peaceful contemplative mood. If you only walk to the settlement, it's a good 2 hour visit. Glendalough is much more than that with a multitude of hikes and landscape views, The 1.4 mile walk to the upper lake (about 25 minutes) is a walk thru tall, moss covered trees and peaceful forest. at the upper lake, another 15 minute walk takes you to a very stunning waterfall. If you want the view of the upper lake that is shown in many of the tourist brochures, that is additional 45 minutes up to the top of the hills. So, if you enjoy hiking, you could very easily enjoy an entire day here and spend much of that time in lovely landscapes away from crowds.
Written November 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
fobl11
Birmingham, UK613 contributions
A truly stunning place to visit
Aug 2021 • Family
Me and my family visited here last week and absolutely loved it.
We parked at the visitor centre car park, which cost €4 for the day. We then took the short 5 minute or so walk to the monastery.
The monastery is fantastic to wander around and it is amazing how well intact some of the buildings are.
It was then about a 20-25min walk (with my 4 year old walking) up to the Upper Lake from the monastery. The woods you walk through are beautiful and my son loved walking along the little forest path that followed the pavement (the path all the way to the lake is perfectly suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs).
The upper lake is stunning and has plenty of space to chill and enjoy the scenery. It would be a great spot to stop and enjoy a picnic.
One added bonus was the waterfall near the lake. Its a short walk up a steep path, maybe 5mins or so, but is worth it. Its beautiful.
We then took the boardwalk path back towards the visitors centre which was brilliant as it provides a greater viewpoint of the lower lake.
Next time i am in Ireland i will definitely be visiting here again.
Written September 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
FIL M
London, UK370 contributions
SENSE OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY
Oct 2022
Beautiful spot full of history and wonderment. Surrounded by luscious mountains, vegetation and so on. Well worth a visit. Cost to park the car is four euros which is not bad at all given that you can spend the day wandering around the park/mountains
Written October 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ciaran L
Kildare, Ireland2 contributions
An observation
Oct 2021 • Family
I visited Glendalough today a bank holiday Monday the place was busy but not packed. There was was a que to get in to the last car park .There was a small camper van in front of us when we eventually got to the gate I noticed they drove in and left immediately wondering why , I asked the gate attendant why ?
A 15€ daily charge for a camper van also the toilets closed at 3 pm . There were lots of tourists here , What sort of a welcome are we sending out
Written October 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jody M
91 contributions
Tower is worth the trip
Aug 2022
The site is free to visit but you need to pay for parking. There is a visitor centre on site that you also need to pay to enter. The site itself is alright but the tower is really impressive. There are many trails to choose from for a lovely walk. If you’re just visiting the site, you need less than an hour but if hiking, you will need enough time for the route you choose.
Written September 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John L
Grand Bend, Canada2,029 contributions
Wonder, history and magnificent scenery
Oct 2022
Glendalough Monastic Settlement was also known as the city of seven churches. St Kevin founded the settlement in the late 6th or early 7th century as a place of retreat from the world, and Glendalough became one of the major pilgrimage sites in medieval Ireland. The settlement has a remarkable collection of medieval churches and buildings spread across 3 acres. Visiting is a moving experience filled with wonder, history and magnificent scenery.
Written January 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Erik K
Pittsburgh, PA657 contributions
Amazing area with stunning views and a ton of history!
Sep 2021
Amazing area with stunning views and a ton of history!
The Lower Lake area was just gorgeous, with ducks nesting on the shore.
The Settlement itself was amazingly steeped in history. From the Round Tower to the Cathedral ruins to St Kevin's Kitchen, it was amazing.
Be aware that the cemetery is still an active cemetery, we were surprised to see a burial there the day we visited.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Seafrog1941
Eugene, OR49 contributions
Mind Blowing
Nov 2019
The all rock architecture one can see at this site is incredible. My first thought was, "How the hell did they build that?" There are conical tower roofs built entirely of stone where the individual rocks can be seen. There is also a pitched church roof built entirely of stone. The associated graveyard has a number of interesting structures and monuments and is currently still in use for a few burials.
Written September 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Glendalough Monastic Settlement, Vale of Glendalough

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