Day Tour from Dublin: Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough, Powerscourt

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1/17

Duration7h–8h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · RU +1

PickupAt your hotel

Walk through 6th-century ruins and stand at Ireland's highest waterfall in a single day.

A private day tour from Dublin through the Wicklow Mountains visits Powerscourt Waterfall (121 meters high), the ancient monastic site of Glendalough, Powerscourt Estate gardens, and Guinness Lake, with hotel or port pickup included and a private driver-guide for up to six people. The itinerary is flexible, and lunch is arranged at a local restaurant near Glendalough. Admission to Powerscourt Estate (€12.50) and Powerscourt Waterfall (€7) are paid separately on the day.

7h–8h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough

Pick up from Dublin hotel or port
Visit Powerscourt Estate and gardens
See Powerscourt Waterfall
Lunch at Wicklow restaurant near Glendalough
Explore Glendalough lakes and monastic site
Visit Guinness Lake in Wicklow Mountains

The Experience

How do you see the Wicklow Mountains, a 6th-century monastic valley, and Ireland's highest waterfall without renting a car or piecing together public transport? A private vehicle picks you up at your Dublin hotel or cruise port and carries your group through the day. The driver is your guide, speaking English, French or Russian, and the route stays flexible — if a stop deserves more time or the light is right for a photograph, the schedule bends. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water, and the day runs seven to eight hours depending on how long you linger at each site.

Powerscourt Estate comes first: 47 acres of Italian and Japanese gardens set against Sugarloaf Mountain, ranked third-best garden in the world by National Geographic. You walk the grounds, browse Avoca design scarves at the on-site shop, and grab coffee at the gourmet deli if you want. Admission is €12.50, paid when you arrive. Then the route drops into the valley toward Powerscourt Waterfall, where water plunges 121 meters down ancient rock — the highest waterfall in Ireland. The admission here is €7. After, you head to a local award-winning restaurant near Glendalough for lunch (your own cost), then spend the afternoon at Glendalough itself: two lakes, monastic ruins dating to the 6th century, and the kind of valley quiet that makes the outside world feel far away.

Guinness Lake (also called Lough Tay) rounds out the day. The crescent-shaped lake sits in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, ringed by forest and rolling hills. Its dark, peaty water and white sand at the top resemble a poured pint of Guinness — the name stuck, and your guide will share stories about the Guinness family estate. The lake has appeared in Vikings, Excalibur and other films. By the time you head back to Dublin, you've crossed four major stops and seen the landscape shift from manicured gardens to wild mountain valley and back.

What’s included

Private transportation from your Dublin hotel or port.
a private driver-guide speaking English, French or Russian.
bottled water throughout the day.
air-conditioned vehicle for up to six people.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot for heart conditions

Operated by Gateway To Ireland Tours

Is this one for you?Your guide connects Wicklow's landmarks through their stories and history, while you relax in a private vehicle that keeps the day flowing seamlessly from one site to the next.