Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains Half Day Tour from Dublin
Description
The tour begins with an introduction to Dublin City, as we head south towards County Wicklow, known affectionately as the "Garden of Ireland". Beautiful lakes, dense forests and romantic brooks make this a wonderful scenic drive and a fine day out from the big city. See the scenery made famous by films such as Braveheart and P.S. I Love You. We make our way over the Wicklow mountains to Glendalough (minimum 1,5 hrs stop) - the valley of the two lakes. Enjoy a relaxing walk to the Upper Lake and explore the monastic ruins of St Kevin's monastery including its round towers, Celtic crosses and much more.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We begin with an introduction to Dublin City after which we leave the city behind and head south towards the Wicklow Mountains. Meet your fellow travelers for a great trip to the "Garden of Ireland."
As we leave the city we pass by Sugar Loaf mountain and descend through Ireland's highest village of Roundwood past beautiful Lough Tay (the Guinness Lake) on your way to magnificent Glendalough.
Renowned for its magnificent scenery and rich and varied heritage in terms of history and archaeology, Glendalough is famed for the Braveheart wedding scenes and it really is one of the most beautiful visitor sites in all of Ireland. You will have 2 hours to explore the deep valley with its ruined Monastic City of Celtic crosses, round towers and much more. Known as the valley of 2 lakes, we enjoy a leisurely stroll along the bank of the river, through the woods where we are greeted by babbling brooks, crystal cascades and the lakes of Glendalough. A real picture perfect moment. If you are a fan of the Hollywood Blockbusters 'PS I Love You' and 'Braveheart' then join us on this tour! You will understand why Mel Gibson chose the Wicklow mountains to be the Highlands of Scotland and Glendalough to be the spot for the wedding scene. And then of course there are all the romantic scenes from 'PS I Love You', this is where Hilary Swank met Gerard Butler for the first time...you never know who you can meet!
We return to Dublin, delighted with our wonderful half day tour and with great photos and memories to last a lifetime.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
Reviews(930)
The driver was very knowledgeable and gave a great tour including History and in depth information of cultural sites and traditional aspects. He truely turned what could have possibly been a short not so exciting visit into an enthusiastic experience and I commend him greatly for it. I definitely enjoyed it and recommend it.
So close to Dublin yet felt a world away. I would have enjoyed more narrative while on the bus regarding the towns/villages we passed through, any historical details on the monastic settlement and even some of the local flora and fauna that we might see. Not having an option on being in the front of the bus certainly made me appreciate when there is that option. And no gift store was a travesty.
Brilliant tour Keith was amazing had a wonderful time in glendalough
Most amazing tour experience, best driver ever so knowledgable and enthusiastic about Dublin and Ireland. Thanks Keeth! Was good to have Larry on the board very calming to have him sitting there.
It was a beautiful tour of Glendalough and Wicklow. The wide walking paths around the wooded lake were stunning. And we saw some goats around the lake. View out the large bus windows was excellent. Loved seeing the countryside and homes along the way. First three rows would have been better but were unavailable at booking. Shane had a lot of good info to share, from Irish history to local food/pub recommendations. We appreciated him stopping along the way at a local strawberry stand for us to hop out and buy some berries.
The tour was wonderful! The guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The transport was comfortable. The location was astonishing. We look forward to the opportunity to return--and stay longer!
It was nice to get some good tour guide information about some Dublin sites we drove past, and some history of Ireland from our driver since it was our first full day in the city, and we did see some nice countryside and a couple of small villages. My complaint is that it was a 1 and a half hour drive to there, and another 1 and a half hour drive back, so only 1 hour at the destination. When you arrive at Glendalough you are on your own, no tour guide information, and the visitor center was only open to the people that paid to park. There isn’t much to the monestary site to see, it’s pretty much a walk through a cemetery. The paved walk to the lake was refreshing, a canopy of green on the left and a stream on the right, passing a couple of small waterfalls, but we felt a bit rushed to get back to the bus in time. For 30 plus Euros each, and the time invested this was the one experience of our two week Ireland trip I would skip if I could do my planning over.
The guide/driver did not use an appropriate microphone for the visit, making it difficult to understand his explanations. Upon arriving at the location, he did not wait for the whole group to be together, making his guidance inadequate for the tour. The place is very nice, but the tour really consisted of the transportation service to get there.
It was beautiful and peaceful even in the rain. It was an easy walk around the lower reservoir. There was even a deer grazing close to the welcome center.
The tour is worth it. The area is beautiful. The lake is breathtaking. Had a chance to go with Karl who is very good in his work a driver/guide. Will recommend this activity when visiting Dublin.
