Depart from your Dublin accommodation and drive through the Wicklow Mountains with stops along the way such as Guinness Lake and Glendalough Monastic Settlement. We drive through the Wicklow Gap where parts of Braveheart was filmed before going towards Kilkenny City. In Kilkenny City I recommend having lunch, visiting the castle, taking a walk through the old city and view the cathedral.
County Wicklow is known as the Garden of Ireland and you will see why on our private day tour. The rolling hills, lakes, mountains and sheep dotted through the lush green valleys live up to its nickname. Glendalough, which means, 'valley of the two lakes' is at the heart of the Wicklow mountains has a hiking path with views of the lakes, waterfall, Wicklow Mountains National Park, deer, sheep and the medieval monastery founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century.
Guinness Lake or Lough Tay is 30 mins is a short drive from Glendalough. It has a black texture at the bottom of the water and a sandy beach on one shore making it appear as a giant pint of Guinness. These amazing views were witnessed in the tv show called Vikings as the lake and beach were used for the set of the fictional village of Kattegad.
P.S. I Love You was filmed just minutes away. In a scene in the movie Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler had their first kiss on a bridge with a beautiful emerald green background from County Wicklow.
Kilkenny City is the smallest city in Ireland, although it was once the capital. It's very authentic with early Christian, medieval and Norman influences including Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice's Cathedral, Black Abbey and it's the home of Smithwicks too. There's good options for lunch in Kilkenny City
Entrance fees to Kilkenny Castle and Cathedral at the guests expense.
