Glendalough is a monastic settlement founded by St Kevin in the 6th century, set between two lakes in a glacial valley in the Wicklow Mountains. The site itself takes only an hour or two to walk, but most visitors combine it with a drive over the Sally Gap or Wicklow Gap, two of the highest mountain passes in Ireland, through open blanket bog and heather. It works as a car day trip more than a bus one, since the scenery on the road there is much of the point.
| Distance | 67 km from Dublin city centre |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 1 hour by car; 2h30m by bus (St Kevin's Bus) |
| Getting there | Car (N11/R755) or St Kevin's Bus (+353 1 281 8119; stkevinbus.com; departs St Stephen's Green West 11:30 daily; €15 return ~USD 16.40) |
| Address | Glendalough Visitor Centre, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, A98 PX46 |
How to get there
- Car
- St Kevin's Bus
- Wild Wicklow Tour (guided; wildwicklowtours.ie)
Location
Glendalough Visitor Centre, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, A98 PX46
53.0033, -6.3271 View on map
Highlights
- Round Tower - an 11th/12th-century bell tower over 30 metres tall, one of the best-preserved in Ireland
- Upper Lake and Lower Lake - the two lakes the monastic settlement sits between, with a lakeside path connecting them
- St Kevin's Church - a small stone-roofed church, sometimes called 'St Kevin's Kitchen', near the graveyard
- Spinc Trail - a boardwalk and cliff path above the Upper Lake with views back down over the valley
- Sally Gap - a mountain crossroads through open bog at over 500m, on the route between Dublin and Glendalough