Newgrange, the 5,000-year-old tomb with the solstice chamber

Newgrange is a round burial mound built about five thousand years ago, older than Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza, with a stone passage leading to a cross-shaped chamber. It is famous for its white façade, the carved spiral stones around it and, above all, the roof-box above the entrance, through which the sun of the winter solstice lights up the chamber. It is a World Heritage Site together with Knowth and Dowth, in a bend of the River Boyne.

How to visit. You cannot go straight to the monument: every visit starts at the Brú na Bóinne visitor centre, from where a shuttle bus takes you there with a guide. You walk into the passage and the chamber, which are low and narrow; photos are not allowed inside.

Tickets. You must book, and only on the Heritage Ireland website: the Office of Public Works warns that there are no authorised resellers. Tickets are released at midnight (Irish time) 30 days ahead from April to early November and 7 days ahead the rest of the year; cancellations go back on sale every morning from 8:30 to 9:30 and every afternoon from 15:00 to 16:00. Turning up without a booking means risking not getting in. Everyone needs a ticket, babies included, and under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

Without a car, Newgrange Tours by Mary Gibbons runs a day trip from Dublin taking in Newgrange and the Hill of Tara for €80, with tickets and access to the chamber guaranteed.