Hi travel buddies,
Our group of 4 are working to finalize our last 2 days in Ireland. We fly to Scotland on June 5th, and want to visit Newgrange on the 4th. I have read through a year's worth of Travel forum comments and still have a couple questions about getting tix.
1) YES, I understand you can't make an online reservation until 30 days out (of June 4th). So how many folks have actually had success in getting reservations at the start of that window? It seems to book up really quick, and we don't want to miss the opportunity to visit on our only available day.
2) It sounds like tour companies get tickets in advance of the 30 day window, and several forum writers recommend MaryGibbons. Don't they use a large bus? Also DayTours Unplugged and Tours by Locals look like options, and in smaller vehicles. At least a tour would be a guaranteed ticket into the site, correct?
If we had confidence we could get tixs online, we would stay in the area and taxi to the airport the morning of the 5th. Otherwise, probably have to stay in Dublin.
Thanks in advance
Posted by
1583 posts
Yes, Mary Gibbons uses a large bus. It is comfortable. Even if you want a small group experience I would rather have the live and knowledgeable narration of the Mary Gibbons tour than take pot luck on someone else.
Edit to add: Going with a small group tour doesn't mean you get a small group experience once you are actually at Newgrange. A group of about 20 people go in at a time. If you go with Mary GIbbons the tour group is usually split into two groups. When I went to Newgrange with Mary Gibbons we did not go to the visitor center. The Mary Gibbons guide provided us with the information that the visitor center provides. Instead we went directly to the site of the passage tomb. I believe if you go on your own you must go to the visitor center first. Then you take a shuttle bus to the passage tomb. I don't know if that is true of other small group tours.
Posted by
910 posts
We took the Mary Gibbons tour in 2017. Back then you had to fill out a form online; request your dates and then they confirm and you go from there. It looks like it's still the same, so not sure what the 30 days out, that you mention, is all about. I'm not sure that applies. Maybe they put you on the list then confirm 30 days out. I don't remember any of that. I'm thinking you should think of the bus as transportation; so there is nothing bad about the bus. It was roomy and comfortable. You don't go as a group into Newgrange. You are with everyone else (John Q. Public) in line to get in; so I wouldn't be the least bit concerned about that. Are there small tours that somehow get private access to Newgrange. Seems unlikely. I don't know, but that's not how it seemed to work from my observations.
Yes, Mary Gibbons tour includes admission to the site.
Posted by
3 posts
Compay -
You can most certainly obtain Newgrange tickets at the start of the selling window but they do go fast. Keep a reminder on your google calendar or any other calendar you use.
IMHO with a group of 4 don't bother with tour companies. The onsite tour guides all provide excellent historical information, free time to roam and ability to explore the chamber with your guide present. The groups heading out to the site are limited anyway so you will not feel crowded or miss out on anything.
I like your idea - get tixs on line, stay in Trim (only about 30-40 min from Newgrange) which is what we did, then taxi in the morning to Dublin Airport (about a 40 minute ride). In Trim we stayed at the Castle Arch Hotel - original wall around the hotel, nice rooms, good food for dinner and/or breakfast and only 34 minutes to Dublin.