Shore Excursion from Dublin: Including Dublin highlights and Glendalough
Dublin, Ireland
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
If you're visiting on a cruise and only have a day in Dublin, this convenient tour is a great way to cover its major highlights. Enjoy hassle-free transfers from the port, so you won't have to wait in line for a taxi. Travel in comfort on a climate-controlled coach and hear fun facts about the landmarks from your driver-guide en route.
- Soak in the beautiful mountains, hills and glens of County Wicklow
- Visit the early medieval remains of St Kevin’s monastery in Glendalough
- View top Dublin attractions including Trinity College and O'Connell Street
- Enjoy time to shop for souvenirs in the famous stores along Grafton Street
What's Included
- Driver/guide
- Live commentary on board
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- WiFi on board
- Gratuities
- Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Dublin Port, Dublin, Ireland
Dublin Port Cruise Ship Terminal - We collect passengers from the cruise ship at 07:30 for departure @ 08:00. Where your ship docks later than 07:30, don't worry! The tour will begin 30 minutes after disembarkation commences
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:00 am
Itinerary
Dublin Port - RED Coach Park (Pass By)
1
Glendalough Monastic Settlement
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Wicklow Mountains National Park (Pass By)
2
Molly Malone Statue
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
Dublin Port Company Head Office (Interim) (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infant seats available
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 58 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.9
based on 111 reviews
John_L, Oct 2025
The tour was average and gave us a good view of the countryside. We went to a park and were given no map or clear directions as to what to see. We also were dropped off in the city for about an hour but again had no map or directions as to how to get to the highlights of the city. Maps in both places would have been great so we didn’t have to figure things out from our phone.
Laurie_O, Sep 2025
After all their promises to make sure they will abide by when our ship docks, they left all of us stranded because our ship disembarked too slowly for them. So none of us got to go on the tour that we paid for!! Don’t believe their promises that they’ll wait for your ship
Doris_A, Sep 2025
No show and when I called they said sorry they had to leave early. Supposedly they tried to call.... Useless when we are on the ship
Joseph_Y, Sep 2025
Driver didn’t show up. We were told by shore advisors he left. Our cruise was delayed in letting passengers to go ashore because of large crowds. Driver left and didn’t bother to check ship’s schedule
Michael_A, Sep 2025
Over cast and light rain much of the day which is typical for the region. Connor did a great job navigating and informing. We had a great day in spite of the challenges with water taxi from ship to shore.
Carroll_L, Sep 2025
To begin with, the bus wasn't marked with any type of indicators showing it was a PaddyWagon tour. The driver/guide wasn't visible and greeting people and had just a small logo on the front of his jacket. We couldn't find the bus until he heard us taking out loud about looking for the Paddywagon bus., and then he got up and contacted us. Eight people missed the bus, probably because the couldn't find it.
The tour guide did talk during the trip and gave us information during the ride, but not at the sites.
When it was time to get back on the bus in downtown Dublin, the bus was not at the designated pickup point, which was the same drop-off point, and didn't show up until 25 minutes late. Everyone started talking about how they were going to get back to the cruise ship and started looking up taxis and Uber rides. It added an element of stress that we didn't need.
Taia_P, Jul 2025
JJ, our driver did an exceptional job trying to accommodate everyone's needs. JJ could see I was hurting and went out of his way to drive me back to the cruiseport after the others were dropped off in Dublin to explore, finishing their tour. I will be booking with Paddywagon again!
David_F, May 2025
Connor was wonderful and very knowledgeable. He also had a great sense of humor! Ask for Connor! The tour itself had great stops and we were even given a few pleasant surprises!
Stirling castle was great as was Loch Lomond.
oskie2424, Sep 2024
Our guide knew little of the places we went except for what he remembered as a child and perhaps a recommendation from someone. He dropped us off in 2 places and let us entertain ourselves for hours. Compared to other tours this was a disappointment. A waste of time and money.
Doris_K, Sep 2024
Guide (John) seemed disinterested; was accustomed to doing 8 day tours of Ireland and was worried about not having enough time to get everything in. The result was he shortened our time at Glendalough to a little over an hour - (there was an occasional very light rain which was not a hinderance to many.). This was not sufficient time to walk to the lake and back, which many wanted to do. John gave no information about Glendalough on the drive down, no suggestions on what to see.
After Glendalough he drove back to Dublin and showed us some sights from the van. He then dropped us off in town with 3 1/2 hours for lunch, shopping, and the like. Several objected, stating this was too much time, but this is what John decided.
Very disappointing. John should not be assigned this tour again.
Joseph_R, Sep 2024
We were in the cruise bus lot & gave our tickets to Paddy Wagon agent who is the subcontractor tour and was listed on the ticket.Told he never heard of Viator. Told we were late and our tour had left. We were on the first tender from the ship. We were still on time compared to the listed time on the ticket. Told we were in the wrong place. Were directed to get an. Uber for a 20 ride to their downtown office. While waiting for our Uber for another 20 minutes, another Paddy Wagon agent said they missing 4 people & called out our 2 names. The day was almost ruined. We boarded the bus. Guide was good once tour begun. Meanwhile another couple who were told the same thing & had taken a cab to the office. Their day was ruined.
James_B, Sep 2024
The pickup van is situated just past the Princess buses (within 100 yards). Unfortunately, despite asking 3 people for assistance, we were directed 10 min up the road. The boarding pass lists Paddy Wagon as the vendor on the invoice but NOT on the boarding ticket sent out the day before. The van said Paddy Wagon on the side but we did not know that’s what we should be looking for. There was NO Viator sign or a sign with the name of the tour.
Our driver/guide John was a nice enough guy but he just dropped us of at Glendaugh without telling us what we should be looking for. After quite a drive around Dublin - where tourist sites were identified as we drove by - we stopped at a popular tourist shopping/eating area.
It was an ok day. Nothing special
Carrie_R, Sep 2024
I really enjoyed seeing the Glendalough monastery. The tour around Dublin was nice. We walked (on our own) to Trinity College which was also nice
Bryan_W, Aug 2024
Ship did not get to port due to weather. And the tour operator, Paddywagon tours, refused to give refunds. Easy payday for them!
Janette_C, Aug 2024
We all waited at the port for the bus for over an hour in the chilly weather. The guide/driver who did finally showed up apologized and tried his best to lighten the mood. However, it was quite disappointing that our tour did not start once we docked at the port.
GreenMtGirl, Jul 2024
Our Paddywagon coach was parked in the lot when we walked out of the terminal but it didn't have the company name on it so about 15 of us were standing behind it worrying that we would not be picked up. The misunderstanding lasted about 10 minutes but seemed like a half hour. We were soon on our way to the Glendalough region with our driver/guide Ian. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable but he had a stationary mic and we frequently missed words because he turned his head. The scenery was breathtaking and we had two hours at the national park to hike to the Upper Lake and explore the old church and cemetery. The tour then went onto Dublin with a driving tour and about 2 hours for lunch.
I would definitely book with PaddyWagon tours again.
Lily_C, Jun 2024
First, we were very upset that the operator waited over an hour after the departure for some late comers. That’s very unfair to people who were punctual. We can understand maybe waiting up to 20 maybe 30 minutes tops, but any more is absurd. Hard to imagine that parts of our travel itinerary was not compromised despite the insistence otherwise by the bus driver.
The excursion itself was okay, but we’re just very upset with the late departure situation.
Luis_F, Jun 2024
Great tour of Glendalough and quick Dublin highlights with some time for lunch and shopping.
Small group size and pickup right from the port.
okeefed1, Jun 2024
The scenery, wandering through the ruins of the Abby, and excellent driver and guide. Shopping time in Dublin was appreciated!
Montgomery_F, May 2024
We couldn't get to shore because of rough seas. When we finally disembarked there was no Paddywagon rour . Helpful tourist liasons informed uss that several people ahead of us were looking for them too. Their pilicy is not fair in unusual conditions.
Kathy_W, May 2024
We had a great time on this day trip! Our guide try his best to show us in different places. and shared interesting stories throughout the day.
Sheila_W, Oct 2023
Because of bad weather, a lot of time was lost waiting for our cruise ship to feel like it was safe enough to get passengers ashore in the tenders. What was meant to be an 8 hour tour had to be a 5 hour tour. We had to miss out on Glendalough altogether and spend our whole time in Dublin. However, these are the positives: Alex, our tour guide, tried to salvage what was left of our time by trying to remain upbeat and have a positive attitude. He tried to teach us many things about the culture and especially about the words and sayings of the Irish that are different than ours. He taught us a lot of history we didn't know. He was funny and entertaining. I think that he was probably just as much or possibly more disappointed than we were that the tour was cut short. He really wanted us to have a good time. It was not Alex's fault that we had to begin the tour 3 hours late. He took lemon and tried to make lemonade out of it and I really appreciate that. He tried to accommodate special requests for stops in town. Later, in our free time, my husband and I had great Irish food and heard live Irish music at a nice pub. We also toured St Patrick's cathedral and greatly enjoyed it, and met some nice locals along the way, when we asked for directions. I rated this four stars instead of five because the tour was cut short due to weather. Thanks guys for not cancelling the tour. We have some good memories from the day. Thanks, Alex. Great job!
Julia_P, Oct 2023
I don't recommend it as cruise shore excursion. It's a tender port and our arrival was delayed die to the weather, we are on 3rd tender boat of the ship, but they left us behind. Driver left in front of my eyes and refused to come back. It ruined our plans for Dublin.
Richard_C, Sep 2023
Highlands above Dublin were breathtaking. Mick was very personable and knowledgeable.
Nothing else to say
Seck_C, Sep 2023
The tour provided two different perspectives of Dublin - the serene and luscious countryside and the metropolitan busy city. Our guide had a very strong Irish accent in addition to issues with the microphone so we were not able to capture and appreciate the information he was trying to provide, which was dispensed in a rather incoherent form. Unlike other tour groups, he did not accompany us to tour the lake so we followed other guides and listened to their descriptions.
David_F, Aug 2023
Glendalough is very pretty and a nice little walk through the woods to the lake. We than had about 2 hours to walk around Dublin.
Don_G, Aug 2023
The visit to the monastic cemetery where my great, great, great grandfather is buried. Did not find his gravestone but just knowing that was where he was buried was super.
Nancy_H, Aug 2023
Great tour guide.
Beautiful Glendalough.
Would have enjoyed another stop in Dublin. Maybe a cathedral or some famous site?
But we’re glad we booked it.
Jean_R, Aug 2023
The countryside was nice, but it was a long ride with not much to see. We waites an hour for some people that never came. The tour was already short due to the time the ship was in port. Waiting for people who can't follow instructions made it even shorter. Way too expensive for what we received.
Katie_M, Aug 2023
This tour was wonderful and beautiful. We had Alex as our tour guide for Dublin and Cobh. He is wonderful, kind and really makes you feel like a friend and local. Taught us everything we needed to know and was also funny. Would definitely book with him again.
Likely to Sell Out
From $94.73
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Likely to Sell Out
Shore Excursion from Dublin: Including Dublin highlights and Glendalough
111
8 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$94.73
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in Dublin, Ireland
- Monasterboice (Mainistir Bhuithe) Tours & Tickets
- Irish Rock 'n' Roll Museum Experience Tours & Tickets
- Dublin Cruise Port Tours & Tickets
- Dublin O’Connell Street Tours & Tickets
- Famine Memorial Tours & Tickets
- Windmill Lane Recording Studios Tours & Tickets
- Dublin Castle Tours & Tickets
- River Liffey Tours & Tickets
- Dublin Phoenix Park Tours & Tickets
- National Library of Ireland Tours & Tickets
- The Book of Kells Tours & Tickets
- Glendalough Tours & Tickets
- Oscar Wilde Statue Tours & Tickets
- Temple Bar Tours & Tickets
- Kilmainham Gaol Tours & Tickets
- Powerscourt Estate Tours & Tickets
- Howth Tours & Tickets