Wicklow Mountains & Glendalough: Small Coach Tour with Whiskey

4.79

(3392 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Hands wrapped around a warm scone at Avoca, I watched our guide Pat wave his arms as he tried to explain the difference between bog and heath — apparently it’s all in the squish under your boots. We’d left Dublin behind just an hour earlier, coast slipping past the windows, and already the air felt different. Saltier maybe? Or just quieter. Killiney Hill was our first stop — not much climbing but enough to make me catch my breath at the view. You could see the whole curve of Dublin Bay, blue-grey and kind of endless.

The small coach wound up into the Wicklow Mountains after that — Sally Gap was all purple heather and wind that actually made my eyes water (not crying, promise). Pat slowed down to point out Lough Tay, which locals call Guinness Lake because it really does look like a pint from above. He told us about movie crews who come here for the “untamed” look — I guess they don’t have this kind of wild in Hollywood. Lunch was in a pub somewhere between sheep fields; I tried to order in Irish but just got a smile and a thick stew instead.

Glendalough felt older than anywhere I’ve ever been. The round tower stands there like it’s waiting for someone to ring a bell. We walked through mossy stones and listened to Pat talk about St. Kevin — I didn’t catch every word because honestly, I was distracted by how quiet it was near the Upper Lake. Just birds and our boots on gravel. There’s something about that silence that sticks with you longer than photos do.

On the way back toward Dublin we passed around little cups of Glendalough whiskey (Pat called it “medicine for tired legs”). It burned just enough to wake me up before we hit city traffic again. If you’ve got a day in Dublin and want to see something wilder — or just need an excuse for cake before noon — this Wicklow Mountains tour is worth it. Still thinking about that lake view.