Glendalough, Wicklow, and Powerscourt

When visiting Ireland, an absolutely splendid side trip, not far from Dublin, is to visit Glendalough in Wicklow National Park and the Powerscourt Estate. There is a bus service and many day tours out of Dublin that will give a taste of all in a single day for those who are on shorter timelines. On the other hand, if you are travelling at a slower pace, I would encourage you to spend a full day at each site. When I choose day tours, I'm really looking more for transportation with a bit of local commentary. I want a tour with very few items on the itinerary, which means I will have plenty of time to explore. I read the reviews carefully to try to determine the reliability of the company. Over multiple visits, I have used a popular company in Ireland for both day trips and multi-day trips with totally different results. I was very happy with the green-painted buses for the multi-day trip (with room upgrades) but was very unhappy with their day tours. For this particular trip, I used St. Kevin's Bus Service. The journey took just over an hour and cost less than 20 Euros (return). It was efficient, reliable, and comfortable.

Wicklow Mountains National Park is very close to Dublin, making it an ideal getaway from Ireland’s capital city. The park includes the fascinating ancient monastic settlement known as Glendalough. This is considered one of Ireland's most important ancient monastic sites. As a bonus for the budget traveller, there is no entry fee for visiting this park.

Glendalough & Wicklow National Park

The Christian community of Glendalough was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and built inside a circular wall. Most of the surviving buildings were built in the 10th to 12th centuries. The settlement was attacked by Vikings several times over the years, but managed to thrive until the Normans arrived in the early 13th century.