Half-day coach trip from Dublin to Glendalough and Wicklow

Without a car, the quickest way to see Glendalough is a coach tour from central Dublin. Paddywagon Tours runs a half day through the Wicklow Mountains with a stop at the monastery: €33 per adult and €25 per child up to age 12, with morning (pick-up from 8:00) and afternoon departures. It gives you time for the monastic city and the walk to the lake, not for long hikes.

If you want to make the most of the day, Wild Rover Tours combines Glendalough with the Wicklow Gap pass and Kilkenny in a ten-hour trip for €43. And if you prefer to go independently and stay longer, the regular St Kevin's bus leaves St Stephen's Green every day at 11:00.