Our Wicklow Mountains Tour gives you the chance to hop aboard one of Dublin’s most highly-rated day tours. On this tour, you will see some wonderfully natural beauty spots such as Wicklow’s National Park, Lough Tay – aka the Guinness Lake, Sallys Gap, Avoca Village and Glendalough’s upper and lower lakes.

Our tour begins with an introduction to Dublin City, as we head south to visit county Wicklow, which is more commonly known as the “Garden of Ireland”. Here awaits a number of beautiful lakes, dense forests and wonderful views making this a wonderful scenic drive and a fine day away from the hustle and bustle of Dublin city.

This tour also brings you to scenery made famous from films such as Braveheart and P.S. I Love You. It also brings you over and along the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough Lake & Valley, including stops at Glencree Valley & Cemetery, Sallys Gap (Wicklow Gap) & Military Road, the PS I Love you Bridge, the Guinness Lake & Lough Tay (home to the hit TV-Series, Vikings) and of course, the spectacular Glendalough Upper Lake & Valley.

Wicklow’s National Park

Our tour to the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough provides you with the perfect opportunity to see what the Wicklow Mountains and its National Park has to offer. County Wicklow lies just south of County Dublin. And the National Park covers 816 kilometres (316 miles), making the Wicklow Mountains National Park the largest of Ireland’s six National Parks.

Sally’s Gap, Military Road, Wicklow.

The National Park extends over much of the Wicklow Mountains, and it is a landscape made up of wide-open vistas which are only interrupted by forestry and narrow winding mountain roads. Our tour also gives you the chance to see fast-flowing streams which descend into the deep lakes of wooded valleys as they continue their course into the surrounding areas.

The purpose of Wicklow Mountains National Park is the conservation of biodiversity and Wicklow’s wonderful landscape. The National Park has over one million visitors each year and is also a valuable space for locals and tourists alike. Glendalough Upper and Lower Lakes and Valley remain the most visited area within the park.

Glencree

Found at the top of Wicklow’s  Glencree Valley, on the edge of the Wicklow National Park, this former 19th Century British Army Barracks is the first quick stop on your tour from Dublin. Located just 19 kilometres (12 miles) outside of Dublin, stopping here first offers you a chance to visit some of Ireland’s famed countryside, historic buildings, local arts and crafts. You too can stop for a quick refreshment and taste some of Ireland’s best Irish cooking by popping into the Armoury Cafe. 

We top this visit off by providing you with the chance to see the Lourdes Grotto and the German War Cemetery. It is here 135 German military servicemen and civilians are buried. Six were prisoners of war who died while imprisoned in Ireland during the First World War. Others were victims of air and naval disasters of the Second World War.

Sallys Gap

Taking this tour to the Wicklow Mountains provides the chance to travel along the road to Sallys Gap. This is a real treat as there are spectacular views of the surrounding boglands and the Wicklow Mountains. Sallys Gap is very popular for natives and visitors alike and is one of two roads across the Wicklow Mountains. 

From Sallys Gap, you can go almost anywhere in Wicklow as it is a cross-road that leads you North to Dublin, West to Blessington, South to Glendalough or East to Roundwood (one of the highest villages in Ireland).

Military Road, Sallys Gay, Wicklow Mountains.

Initially, Sallys Gap road was established after the Irish rebellion of 1798 and was built by the British Army wishing to hunt down the Irish rebels from the Wicklow Mountains. Still to this day, Sallys Gap is known as “Military Road”.

Views along this road include the Glencree valley, the dark waters of Lough Tay (Guinness Lake), Kippure Mountain and Glenmacnass Waterfall.

The P.S. I Love You Bridge 

The P.S. I Love You Bridge is an unusual tourist spot located in the Wicklow Mountains and is roughly no more than three kilometres (2 miles) from Sallys Gap. It is a small bridge which was made famous for its appearance in the 2007 award-winning film “P.S. I Love You”.

The bridge provides some great photo opportunities, and there is a wonderful little waterfall that flows next to the bridge. The best time to see this area of County Wicklow in full bloom would be the summertime, of course. But rest assured,  no matter when you travel on this day tour from Dublin, you are sure to see wonderful sights of the Wicklow Mountains and the Sugar Loaf, which can be seen not too far away. This mountain has been a landmark for all those travelling along the east coast including pilgrims and scholars on the way to and from the Monastic City of Glendalough.

The waterfall that passes under the P.S. I Love You Bridge is the start of a small stem that falls into the Cloghoge River, which then falls into Lough Tay (the Guinness Lake) and then into Lough Dan.

Lough Tay/The Guinness Lake 

Lough Tay, along with Glendalough Lake and Valley, said to be one of the most photographed locations in County Wicklow. And there are many reasons for this, as the lake is surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Wicklow Mountains, making it one of Ireland’s most unforgettable locations. 

Lough Tay, aka The Guinness Lake.

Lough Tay, or as it is known locally “The Guinness Lake”, is fed by the Cloghoge River and then drains into Lough Dan, located to the south. The beach which you see on the northern side is made up of bright white picturesque sand.  This sand is where it gets its name, “The Guinness Lake”, as it was imported by the Guinness family whose estate runs through part of the Lough Tay area. Also, the lake’s shape with the white sand on top makes it look like a pint of Guinness!

In more recent times, Lough Tay will be familiar to fans of the “Vikings” tv-series, as they should recognize it as Kattegat, home to the series’ hero Ragnar and his sons Bjorn Ironside, Hvitserk, Ivar the Boneless, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye.

Glendalough Lake and Valley

Glendalough is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Wicklow. This is not a surprise when you see the stunning landscape, historic ruins and beautiful lakes on offer at this location. Glendalough is made up of an Upper and Lower Lake, which is reflected in its Gaelic name ‘’Gleann Da Loch’’, meaning ‘’The Glen of the Two Lakes”.

Situated in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, Glendalough is also home to an ancient monastery founded in the 6th century by Saint Kevin, known as the founder and first abbot in the area.

Glendalough Lower Lake & Valley.

Saint Kevin’s Monastic remains include a superb round tower, stone churches and decorated crosses, which provide the perfect scenery on your Glendalough walk. The round tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the area, and the site also includes a Celtic high cross, St. Mary’s Church and St. Kevin’s Church. The remains of three stone crosses and a stone fort can also be found between the upper and lower lakes.

Glendalough is also home to a visitor centre that brings visitors back in time to the start of Irish History (made up of Scholars and Saints). Here you will have the chance to follow the footsteps of Saint Kevin with the help of an audio-visual show which is available in many different languages. The visitor centre is open daily throughout the year and is a must before entering the Monastic site. Please note that entry to the visitor centre is not included in this tour. 

Glendalough is also home to a Round Tower and Cathedral.

Finally, Glendalough is home to some of the most scenic walks a person may take. Should you wish to explore the area in more detail, we recommend that you visit the Glendalough Visitor Centre and pick up a Glendalough walks map.

The maps only cost 50c and are extremely helpful in ensuring walkers stay on the right trail as Glendalough is made up of many trails such as;

Trail 1: The Miners Road Walk (The Purple Route)

Trail 2: The Green Road Walk (The Green Route)

Trail 3: Poulanass (The Pink Route)

Trail 4: Poulanass and Saint Kevin’s Cell

Trail 5: The Derrybawn Woodland Trail (The Orange route) 

Trail 6: The Woodland Road (The Grey Route)

Trail 7: Spinc and Glenealo Valley (The White Route)

Trail 8: Spinc and the Wicklow Way (The Red Route)

Trail 9: Spinc (Short Version) (The Blue Route)

We recommend the Glendalough Poulanass Walk (Pink Route) as it is home to the Poulanass Waterfall and is well worth the effort. The name Poulanass is taken from the Gaelic phrase ‘Poll an Eas’, which means ‘’hole of the waterfall’’. Such a visit to this waterfall provides the perfect photo opportunity as you will reach the highest point in the area and start to descend through the famous Oak Woods.

Avoca

Avoca (or in Gaelic; Abhóca) is a small Irish town in County Wicklow and gets its name from the river Avoca.

The Avoca area has been long associated with famous copper mines and has been immortalised by Thomas Moore in the famous song “The Meeting of the Waters”. The song is said to have been written under a tree, the stump of which remains in the area.

Enjoy a bite to eat in Avoca, home to Fitzgerald’s Pub and the Avoca Woollen Mills.

Avoca is also famous for its handweaving and is still home to a woollen mill, which is only a short walk from the tours resting point. 

Finally, Avoca village will be familiar to fans of the BBC TV series Ballykissangel. It was filmed in 1966, and Avoca Village was one of the locations used in the film “Jules Verne’s Rocket to the Moon”. Avoca is also home to a traditional Irish Pub where you can enjoy a hearty meal, and a pint of Guinness should you wish too.