Pembroke Kilkenny
Why we like it: Four-star hotel on Patrick Street, two minutes from the castle, with 84 rooms and suites and the Stathams bar-restaurant.
Duration1 night
From Dublin1 h to Glendalough · 1 h 45 to Kilkenny
Best timeApril – October
Budget€160–260 pp
Castle€8
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Dublin by car on a Saturday morning, spend the day in Glendalough, cross the mountains by the Wicklow Gap and sleep in Kilkenny, with Sunday for the city. Without a car, it can be done with the Wild Rover tour and a night in Kilkenny, returning by train.
Saturday
- 109:00Leave Dublin for Glendalough
A little over an hour via the N11 and Laragh. Arrive before 10:30 to park.
- 210:30Monastic city and Upper Lake
The round tower and St Kevin's Cross, and the Green Road to the Upper Lake.
- 313:30Lunch at Casey's
The Glendalough Hotel bar, at the entrance to the ruins.
- 415:00Wicklow Gap and the road to Kilkenny
The mountain pass across the bogs and then the motorway to Kilkenny.
- 518:30Music at Kyteler's Inn
Dinner and the 18:30 music session, Friday to Sunday in high season.
Sunday
- 109:30Kilkenny Castle
The Butlers' rooms; leave through the courtyard to the park.
- 211:30Medieval Mile Museum
Open on Sunday; with an audio guide, or the 11:00 guided walk.
- 314:00St Canice's and back
The cathedral opens on Sunday afternoons from May to September; from October to April, it is closed. Back to Dublin in under two hours.
Glendalough and Kilkenny are the two classic excursions south of Dublin, and they fit one after the other: the monastery valley in the Wicklow Mountains and, on the other side of the Wicklow Gap pass, the medieval city. With a night in between you rush neither, and you get traditional music in a 1324 inn.
Where to stay
Butler House, with a garden leading to the castle courtyard and a room that accepts dogs. Kilkenny River Court, with free parking, if you are driving. Pembroke Kilkenny, on Patrick Street.
Where to eat
Casey's Bar in Glendalough, kitchen until 20:30. Kyteler's Inn for dinner with music. On Sunday, Rinuccini, opposite the castle, serves from 12:30 to 20:30.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Kilkenny, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Kilkenny
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Dublin and take the train to Kilkenny
For Kilkenny you fly to Dublin, with direct flights from many Spanish cities. From the airport, take the coach to Heuston station (the Dublin Express stops there) and an Intercity train to Kilkenny, an hour and a half to an hour and three-quarters. With a hire car it is a little under two hours along the M50 and the M9.
- Getting thereDublin Airport (DUB): Dublin Express…
- Getting aroundOn foot around the city
- Where to sleepPembroke Kilkenny, for the first…
- ServicesKilkenny (MacDonagh) station
Getting there
- Dublin Airport (DUB): Dublin Express to Heuston station
- Irish Rail Intercity from Heuston to Kilkenny
Getting around
- On foot around the city
- A car only if you are carrying on to Glendalough or the south
Where to sleep
- Pembroke Kilkenny, for the first night, next to the castle
- Kilkenny River Court, with free parking if you arrive by car
Services
- Kilkenny (MacDonagh) station
Train from Heuston and Kilkenny on foot
Kilkenny is the most comfortable train trip from Dublin: a good hour and a half from Heuston, and from the station everything is done on foot, from the castle to St Canice's Cathedral along the Medieval Mile. With the 7:20 or the 10:15 train you have the whole day; if you sleep one night, you see it without rushing and with music at Kyteler's.
90–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepPembroke Kilkenny, next to the…
- Getting aroundIntercity Dublin Heuston–Kilkenny, 1 h…
- Where to eatKyteler's Inn, with music
- ServicesKilkenny (MacDonagh) station
Where to sleep
- Pembroke Kilkenny, next to the castle
- Butler House, with the garden that opens onto the castle courtyard
- Kilkenny River Court, on the river
Getting around
- Intercity Dublin Heuston–Kilkenny, 1 h 30 to 1 h 45
- On foot through the centre: from end to end, about 20 minutes
- Wild Rover tour from Dublin, €43
Where to eat
- Kyteler's Inn, with music
- Rinuccini, opposite the castle, open every day
Services
- Kilkenny (MacDonagh) station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Butler House
Why we like it: Georgian house on Patrick Street with a walled garden and its own gate to the castle courtyard, with rooms of various sizes, a family room and one that accepts dogs.
Kilkenny River Court Hotel
Why we like it: Four-star hotel at John Street bridge, over the Nore, with castle-view rooms, family rooms and free parking.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Kilkenny
Kyteler's Inn
What to order: the Kilkenny pork sausage with Guinness and leek, from the local butcher, or the Irish stew.
In high season, music at 20:00 from Monday to Thursday and at 18:30 and 22:00 from Friday to Sunday
Ristorante Rinuccini
What to order: the early evening menu, between 17:00 and 18:00.
Open every day; bookings on its website
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Without a car: the Wild Rover Tours trip (€43) does Glendalough and Kilkenny in a day. To sleep in Kilkenny without a car, go by train from Heuston and leave Glendalough for another day on the St Kevin's bus.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Glendalough to Kilkenny?
A good hour and a half by car over the Wicklow Gap, estimated.
What is open on Sunday in Kilkenny?
The castle, the park and the Medieval Mile Museum; the cathedral only from May to September in the afternoon.
How much does it cost?
With a hire car, a night at Butler House or the River Court, tickets and meals, about €160–260 per person.