Dublin shore excursion: Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains

St. Kevin's monastery valley tour, hiking, scenic monastery views, famous Irish film backdrop

This full-day shore excursion from Dublin includes pickup at the cruise terminal, a professional driver-guide, and a route through County Wicklow to Glendalough's 6th-century monastic site and back through Dublin's city center. The tour runs approximately 8 hours and times the return to the ship around its departure window, so you don't have to calculate the schedule yourself. Small group sizes and an air-conditioned coach are standard. Lunch is your choice of stops along the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Glendalough1h 30m
2. Wicklow Mountainspassing by
3. Molly Malone Statue2h

Dublin and Glendalough tour

• Collect from cruise ship terminal
• Drive through Wicklow countryside
• Visit Glendalough monastic site
• Pass Wicklow Mountains on return
• Tour Dublin city highlights
• Return to dockside for departure

The experience

You're collected at the cruise ship terminal at 07:30 (or 30 minutes after disembarkation if the ship docks later), and your driver-guide boards the luxury coach with a sign ready to go. The first stretch takes you through County Wicklow, known as the garden of Ireland: rolling hills, streams and glens that have stood in for the Irish countryside in films like P.S. I Love You and Braveheart. The landscape is the kind photographers chase, and it sets up what comes next.

Glendalough, the valley of two lakes, is the centerpiece. The site holds St. Kevin's 6th-century monastery, including Ireland's finest round tower and St. Kevin's cross: legend says if you can touch your hands around the cross, you'll be married within a year. You'll walk the monastic grounds and take in the lakes and the mountains that frame them. On the return drive through Wicklow's peaks and turf hills, the landscape shifts again. This is where you'll see why the postcard version of Ireland looks the way it does.

After lunch (or a refreshment stop, depending on when the ship docked), the tour swings into Dublin's city center. You'll pass O'Connell Street, the Ha'Penny Bridge, Temple Bar, the Molly Malone statue, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, and Trinity College, with time to browse Grafton Street's shops. The timing is built so you're back at the dockside with a buffer before the ship departs: no guessing whether you'll make it.

What’s included

• Your tour includes luxury coach transport with air conditioning, a professional driver-guide providing live commentary in English, pickup and drop-off at the cruise terminal, and WiFi on board.
• lunch is at your choice of stops along the route.

Before you book

Days and timesThursday to SaturdayDeparts at 08:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (under 13)

GroupUp to 58

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Paddywagon Tours

Is this one for you?The 8-hour day starts early and moves at a steady pace (you're on the coach by 08:00 and covering ground through Wicklow and back into Dublin), which is what keeps Glendalough's monastic site, the mountain scenery, and Dublin's city center all inside one departure window. If you want the inland ruins and the mountains without building the day yourself or worrying about the ship's schedule, this structure does that work.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (under 13).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Glendalough and why is it worth the drive from Dublin?

Glendalough is a monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century, set in a valley between two lakes in the Wicklow Mountains. The site includes Ireland's finest round tower and St. Kevin's cross, a stone monument visitors can touch as part of a local tradition about marriage within a year. It's the main inland stop on this tour and the reason the Wicklow route exists.

How early do I need to be ready when my ship docks in Dublin?

Pickup starts at 07:30 at the cruise terminal. If your ship docks after 07:30, the tour begins 30 minutes after disembarkation commences, so you don't have to rush off the gangway.

Will I have time to eat during the tour?

Yes. The itinerary includes a lunch or refreshment stop, and your guide will point out options along the way. The timing depends on when your ship docked, but a meal break is built into the day.

What Dublin landmarks are included in the city portion?

After returning from Glendalough, the tour covers O'Connell Street, the Ha'Penny Bridge, Temple Bar, the Molly Malone statue, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, Trinity College, and Grafton Street for shopping. These stops happen in the afternoon, after the Wicklow Mountains portion.

How long is the full tour and will I make it back to the ship on time?

The tour runs approximately 8 hours from pickup to drop-off at the dockside. The itinerary is structured around your ship's departure schedule, so timing is adjusted if needed to get you back with a buffer before the ship leaves.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes the luxury coach, your professional driver-guide, air-conditioned transport, WiFi on board, port pickup and drop-off, and live commentary throughout the day. Lunch and gratuities are separate.