Newgrange & Monasterboice tour from Dublin: skip-the-line entry

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/9

Duration7h

GroupUp to 29

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Ancient monuments, a round tower, and three high crosses in one morning

A small group guided tour from Dublin to Newgrange Monument and Monasterboice, two of Ireland's most important prehistoric and medieval sites in the Boyne Valley. The tour includes entrance fees to Newgrange and Bru na Boinne, transportation in a mini coach, and a qualified guide who explains the sites as you move through them. Between November and March, Knowth is not accessible, so the Bru na Boinne portion is shorter those months.

Step-by-step itinerary

Boyne Valley monuments tour

Meet guide at Molly Malone statue
Travel through Boyne Valley
Visit Newgrange Monument
Lunch at Newgrange Visitor Centre cafe
Visit Monasterboice monastic site

The Experience

The tour starts at the Molly Malone statue in Dublin, where you meet your guide and board a small mini coach with a maximum of 29 people. From there you head into the Boyne Valley, a landscape dotted with ancient monuments and one of Ireland's most important prehistoric areas. Newgrange itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—the largest purpose-built burial site and place of ancient worship in Ireland. The monument was constructed so that it aligns with the winter solstice, a detail that mattered deeply to the Neolithic people who built it thousands of years ago. Your entrance fee is included, so you skip the queue at the visitor centre.

After Newgrange, the tour moves to Monasterboice, a 5th-century monastic site founded by St Buithe. The round tower here is about 28 metres tall and dates to around 968; it was damaged in a fire in 1098 but remains in good condition. The site holds three high crosses from the 10th century, all carved with biblical scenes. Muiredach's High Cross, at 5.5 metres, is regarded as the finest high cross in all of Ireland—it features Old and New Testament carvings and is named after an abbot who died in 923. You'll have time to walk among these monuments and photograph them, and there's a café at the Newgrange visitor centre for lunch during the day.

The tour runs for seven hours and suits all fitness levels. A qualified, enthusiastic guide leads the group throughout, explaining the history and significance of each site. If weather turns wet, rain gear is recommended. The mini coach keeps the group small enough that you can actually hear and move at a comfortable pace, rather than being herded through in a large crowd.

What’s included

Entrance fees to Newgrange Monument and Bru na Boinne.
transportation in a small mini coach.
a qualified guide throughout the day.
access to the round tower and high crosses at Monasterboice.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Hilltoptreks

Is this one for you?A small group means you move at a pace where the guide's explanations actually land and you're not jostling for space at the monuments—the mini coach keeps it under 29 people, so the Boyne Valley's most important sites stay in focus instead of becoming a blur of stops.