Kilkenny City and Glendalough Day Trip from Dublin

Description

See Irish castles, caves and cloisters on the Kilkenny City and Glendalough Day Trip from Dublin. Traveling by luxury coach, you'll head into Ireland's south-east region - an area as historically interesting as it is beautiful. Visit Kilkenny Castle, the Dunmore Caves and the monastic settlement of Glendalough while gaining insight into Irish folklore and history from your guide.

After setting off from central Dublin, your first stop on the Kilkenny City and Glendalough Day Trip will be the 12th century Kilkenny Castle - a beautiful Anglo-Norman castle that stands on the banks of the River Nore. You’ll have time to explore Kilkenny Castle’s beautiful gardens, before ambling into the city for lunch (available for an additional cost) and a stroll around its picturesque, cobbled streets. Kilkenny City has a rich heritage of cathedrals, Tudor houses and monasteries, and you'll gain a sense of its medieval history as you walk around. Before leaving the city, you'll see the St Francis Abbey Brewery, founded in the 12th century, where many Irish ales are still brewed today.

A short drive from Kilkenny City is the town of Ballyfoyle, home to the Dunmore Caves. These are Ireland’s largest caves and consist of a series of vast limestone chambers, that you can walk through with your guide. See the massive, icicle-like calcium deposits (stalactites) that hang from the cave ceilings, and learn of the grim Viking massacre that took place in the caves in 928AD.

In the afternoon, your tour will continue over the Wicklow Gap, an unspoiled mountain pass that winds through the magnificent Wicklow Mountains National Park. The route is a photographer’s dream, so be sure to have your camera ready to capture sights of this wild mountain range that dominates the County Wicklow countryside.

Emerging from the west side of the Wicklow Gap, your day trip will reach the glacial valley of Glendalough - famous for its two beautiful lakes and monastic site, comprising the ruins of a medieval monastery and round tower. Reputedly founded by St Kevin, a hermit monk, the round tower was thought to have been created as a place of refuge for Irish monks in medieval times. You’ll have approximately 1.5 hours to explore this fascinating site at your leisure, before returning to Dublin.

Additional information

Inclusions

Exclusions

Schedule details

Departure point

Hotel pickup from selected Dublin hotels

Departure time

Monday - Saturday: Hotel pickups commence from 7:50am
Sunday: Hotel pickups commence from 9:00am

Return details

Concludes at Suffolk Street, central Dublin at approximately 6:00pm