DAY TRIP OUT OF DUBLIN

Glendalough, a monastic site south of Dublin, is beautiful and evocative. It is the site used for the wedding scene in Braveheart. North of Dublin, Newgrange is an important neolithic site.

You can visit both of the above on organized bus tours from Dublin. For information, visit the TI next to Dublin Castle (located in a converted church).

If you have to choose between Glendalough and Newgrange, I'd vote for Newgrange. On the organized tours you also visit Knowth, another neolithic site nearby. But if you have time to go both directions (half-day tour to each) do it.

We picked up a bus eirren(?) tour out of the bus station in downtown Dublin. We picked up our tickets at the bus station the day before (no reservations before that) and caught the bus there the next day. The tour was a full day. It was well organized and a great value.

The tour we chose was Newgrange and the Boyne valley. Newgrange is amazing. We also visited the Hill of Tara, the site of the Battle of the Boyne (just a meadow now) and a couple other places. We chose this over another similar tour to Glendalough, the monastic settlement South of Dublin.

If you have time for a daytrip from Dublin and don't have a car, I can't recommend these tours highly enough.

Thank you!!

My wife and I took the Mary Gibbons Tour to Newgrange in May and loved it. It picks you up at one of numerous locations in Dublin and you stop at the Hill of Tara and Newgrange. Your tour guide will provide a historical overview of the sites as you go. Plus, you're guaranteed admittance into Newgrange, which is sometimes an issue although in late September it should be less so.

Enjoy your trip!

I was in Dublin this Spring, and my friend and I (in our mid-20s) both really liked the Mary Gibbons tour. We thought we got a lot of bang for the buck. Fair warning though, the only place to eat is at the Newgrange cafe - which was expensive, and we were told, bad. Luckily we thought to buy sandwiches and bring them with us.

We took a public bus from the city center to the little coastal village of Howth...see RSTEVES book...it is not crowded and laid back....different atmoshphere and enjoyable..........

Now I suppose you could take a tour bus somewhere else...

Good luck!

Newgrange is great, you should definitely consider going there.

I've enjoyed taking longish coastlal walks in the Dublin area.

You can talk the DART to Howth and walk the Howth Pennisula. It's a good 3-4 hours but very nice.

I've also walked the coastal walks between Dun Laoighire and Dalkey and Bray and Greystones. Both of these walks were very nice. The area around Greystones was a lovely place to relax after the walk, with cafes and nice park on the coast.

If you are into walking, you should pick up the Lonely Planet Walking Ireland book. They have about 6 or 7 Dublin-area walks, 3 of which I've discussed here.

I also suggest Newgrange.It is an amazing place.

I have done Newsgrange and Knowth area and it was amazing. Even willing to miss my cruise ship out of Dublin and take the train to catch up with it in Belfast to do it.

Howth is fun to explore and it a quick trip on the DART.

This time around I am looking foward to going South to Glendalough.