Ireland’s Ancient East: 6-Day Self-Drive Tour

About this experience

Step into Ireland's Ancient East and discover a landscape shaped by over 5,000 years of continuous human history. This 6-day self-drive journey takes you from the vibrant capital of Dublin through the historic heartlands of Wicklow, Waterford, Wexford, and Kilkenny — a region where Neolithic monuments, early Christian monastic ruins, Viking settlements, and Norman fortresses sit side by side amid breathtaking natural scenery. Your adventure begins in Dublin before heading north to the Boyne Valley and Newgrange — a Neolithic passage tomb built around 3200 BC, older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids. The Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre near Drogheda tells the story of the pivotal 1690 confrontation between William III and James II. Travel south into the Wicklow Mountains National Park to the glacial valley of Glendalough, where a 6th-century monastic site founded by St Kevin forms one of Ireland's most atmospheric heritage destinations. Continue to New Ross for the Dunbrody Famine Ship — an authentic reproduction of a 19th-century emigrant vessel that brings to life the tragedy of the Great Famine (1845–1849), which claimed over a million lives. Explore Waterford's Viking Quarter — Ireland's oldest city — with its medieval streets and world-class heritage attractions. Visit the romantic town of Lismore and its castle. Your final stretch takes you to the Rock of Cashel in Co. Tipperary, one of Europe's most remarkable collections of Celtic art and architecture, before finishing in medieval Kilkenny — the city of castles, cathedrals, and craft.