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Wicklow, Avoca and Glendalough Tour From Dublin

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Activity Schedule

  • When does it run?

    Mon in Apr/May/Oct
    Mon to Sat in Jun/Jul/Aug/Sept

  • Duration

    Approx 7 hours

  • Start time

    9:20am 

  • Meeting Point
    Check-in is at Connolly Station, Dublin, beside the information desk. The tour operator’s representatives (wearing yellow jackets) will be present to check you in and show you to your reserved seats on the train to Rathdrum
  • Ending Point

    Same as the start point 

Key Highlights

  • Take time out in lovely Wicklow on this delightful half-day tour
  • Visit Ireland′s most famous village – a must for fans of the BBC series ′Ballykissangel′!
  • Shop for high-quality handicrafts at the oldest wool mill in Ireland
  • See the smallest settlement in all Ireland!
  • Enjoy the peace and serenity of the ancient monastery at Glendalough

Overview

Visit Ireland’s most famous village and discover the wild beauty of the Wicklow Mountains where the famous movie 'PS I Love You' was shot, on this half-day tour by rail and coach from Dublin.

Leaving Connolly Station on the Rathdrum train, head south along the coast and enjoy magnificent seascapes on the way to Wicklow town. You then swing inland to the mountains and experience the "Garden of Ireland" (as county Wicklow is known) at its best.

At Rathdrum, you join a coach for the next part of the journey. Stop at the lovely village of Avoca, immortalized in the popular BBC television series ‘Ballykissangel’. See the famous Avoca hand weavers at work and take the chance to down a pint in Fitzgerald’s Bar.

Go on to glorious Glendalough, the ‘valley of the two lakes’, to enjoy the splendid scenery and visit an ancient monastic settlement with a famous round tower and lovely Celtic crosses. Spend time absorbing the atmosphere of this very special place before starting on the journey back to Dublin.

About the Supplier: Railtours Ireland First Class are known for their guided tours of Ireland by rail and luxury coach. They cover the length and breadth of Ireland and have something for everyone who is visiting the country. With over 22 years of experience, discover their range of tours from Ireland's Ancient East to the Wild Atlantic Way!

Itinerary

To join your exciting Wicklow, Avoca and Glendalough Tour, you should make your way to Connolly Station, Dublin, by 0920h (09:20am). The tour operator’s representatives (wearing yellow jackets) will be waiting for you beside the information desk. They will check you in and show you to your reserved seats on the train. A dedicated host will be available on the train to assist you and may also act as a guide on sightseeing tours.

After leaving Connolly Station on the train to Rathdrum you will cross the River Liffey. You will see the late 18th century Customs House and views up river to O’Connell Bridge and beyond. The train then passes through Ireland’s oldest train station – Pearse Station, dating from 1834. The world’s first commuter rail service operated from here to Kingstown – present day Dún Laoghaire – and began on 17th of December 1834.

You will head south through the inner city, passing under the west stand of Lansdowne Road rugby stadium – the world’s oldest purpose-built international rugby ground. At this point you are passing through Ireland’s most expensive real estate.

Soon Dublin Bay comes into view and you continue along the coast until Dún Laoghaire – the main ferry port for Dublin to Holyhead sailings. At Dún Laoghaire you turn inland for a few kilometres and return to the coast at the spectacular Killiney Bay – home to many international celebrities and pop stars, such as Bono (of U2), Van Morrison and Enya.

The Victorian seaside resort ofBray is the first stop. Tourism began to flourish here when the railway arrived here in 1853. The promenade (visible after you leave the station) was modelled on the one at Brighton in England. From here to Greystones, the railway runs around Bray Head via a series of tunnels and bridges, with spectacular views of the Irish Sea.

Feel free to move around inside the train to get the best views of the sea cliffs. At Greystones the line returns to sea level and runs alongside the beach from there to the county town of Wicklow. The name Wicklow comes from Old Norse, Vikinglo, or Viking Meadow.

Here the line swings sharply inland and enters 'The Garden of Ireland', the title by which the county of Wicklow is known. You will arrive in Rathdrum station at around 1330h (1:30pm) after crossing a 30m high viaduct over the Avonmore River.

On arrival at Rathdrum, you will be shown directly to your specially chartered coach. It is essential that you use the ladies and gents facilities onboard the train before arrival at Rathdrum to ensure a swift transfer from the train to the bus.

From here you proceed to Avoca, sometimes known as ‘Ballykissangel’ because of the successful BBC television series of the same name. This pretty little village is home of Avoca Handweavers (the oldest hand weaving mill in Ireland, dating from 1723) and you can watch the weavers at work.

You will have about 90 minutes to explore the village and we recommend starting at the Avoca Handweavers, where there are excellent restaurant and shopping facilities.

Walking from the Handweavers down the village you pass the church, as well as famous FitzGerald’s Bar – both seen in the ‘Ballykissangel’ TV series. Avoca would be a good place to have lunch (payable direct), as there will not be enough time for a meal at the second stop – Glendalough. Your host will give instructions on the time of departure from Avoca. Please make sure that you are back at the bus at the time directed.

Leaving Avoca/Ballykissangel you proceed north and pass the old copper mines, which closed in 1982. The mines were the principle source of employment before the coming of tourism to Avoca in the early 1990s. You also pass the Meeting of the Waters – immortalised in poem and song by 18th century poet, Thomas Moore – and if time permits the tour may stop here.

Leaving the Meeting of the Waters you continue north to Rathdrum and will see splendid views of the Wicklow Mountains to the left. You will pass through the narrow village streets, with its many pubs and shops and will see the church as you leave the village.

From there the coach takes the road to Laragh and Glendalough past the smallest community in Ireland – Clara. It has one school, one church and two houses! But does it have a pub? Your host will solve this puzzle for you! You then arrive in the village of Laragh (pronounced ‘larra’) and from here proceed to the second attraction – Glendalough.

Glendalough is a National Park and is famous as the valley of two lakes, from which the place takes its name. Your tour goes past the lower lake and there will be time for a visit to the upper lake – your host will advise you of the exact details. The other attraction that you visit in Glendalough is the ancient monastery. There has been a settlement in this location since the 6th century when the monastery was founded by St. Kevin.

There will be time (about 2 hours) to explore the ruins and again, your host will advise you of the exact time to return to the bus. Please ensure that you are at the bus at the stated time. Glendalough (pronounced ‘glendalock’) has long been a place of pilgrimage and the present ruins date back to the 12th century.

The Protestant Reformation led to the closing of the monasteries in 1539 by the English Crown, and Glendalough was abandoned around this time. There is also an ancient round tower at Glendalough, which doubled as a bell tower and a landmark for visiting pilgrims. Round towers are an Irish phenomenon and Glendalough is said to be the finest example in existence.

Celtic Crosses – in abundance in the cemetery – are another Irish phenomenon and the circle and cross were a blend of the old pagan religion and the new Christian religion.

On leaving Glendalough the bus will take you back to Dublin. You pass through the village of Annamoe, the adopted home of two-time academy award winner, Daniel Day Lewis. You also pass the town of Roundwood, which, at about 200 metres above sea level, is the highest in Ireland. From here you continue north as far as the Sugarloaf Mountain and make the descent towards the N11 – the main road to Dublin. You should arrive back in Dublin by 1830h (6:30pm) at the latest.

The tour ends back at Connolly Station.

Inclusions

  • Reserved seat in train
  • Sightseeing in comfortable motor coach
  • English-speaking hosts on the train and guides on the sightseeing tours
  • Admission to Glendalough

Exclusions

  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Food and beverages

Please note

Voucher information: Sorry, but we will need you to print a paper version of your booking voucher (we're working on changing this). At this time no refund can be given for customers without a printed copy of their voucher.

There is a dining car on the train, serving full Irish breakfast between Monday and Friday, and light breakfast on Saturdays. You may ask your host for details.

Unfortunately, food is not included in the tour price, but there will be stops where you can grab something to eat.

Customer Reviews

  • Kevin Harrington
    The Tour was the Highlight of our weekend.

    Myself and my partner recently took the Wicklow, Avoca and Glendalough tour from Dublin. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, some of the scenery on the tour is absolutely...

    United Kingdom 03/02/2016
  • William O'Connor

    If I had one little complaint was the coach -part of the trip.coach was to small and the seats were to small,but everything else was really good

    United Kingdom 11/18/2015
  • Catherine H Brown
    Excellent

    Our tour guide was a lovely gentleman who was very helpful and knowledgeable....

    Canada 10/02/2013

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