Newgrange & Boyne Valley

8hrs | €590
Book online now!

Newgrange & Boyne Valley


Boyne Valley Tours

Duration

8 hours


Boyne Valley Tours

Price

€590


Boyne Valley Tours

Suitable for:

All ages,
small private group


Boyne Valley Tours

Duration

8 hours

Boyne Valley Tours

Price

€590

Boyne Valley Tours

Suitable for:

All ages,
small private group

The Boyne Valley, Birthplace of Ireland’s Ancient East, is a place steeped in history.

Official guided tours to Newgrange and Knowth passage tombs begin at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Center and, from there, visitors are taken by shuttle bus to the sites. These are UNESCO World Heritage sites where you will join others on the official tours.

We will meet you after the Brú na Boínne Visitor Experience tours of Newgrange and Knowth have finished and drive you in comfort onwards to your next location, the Hill of Slane where in 433AD Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, lit an Easter Paschal fire in defiance of Tara’s pagan King Laoghaire. Your final destination will be the royal Hill of Tara, the inauguration site of the High Kings of Ireland. The name, Tara, comes from Teamhair na Rí or ‘Sanctuary of the Kings’.

Tour Highlights

  • Visit the megalithic passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth with the on-site guide. These are UNESCO World Heritage sites so you will be joining others on the official tour.
  • Hill of SlaneAscend to the summit rising above the medieval village of Slane where St. Patrick lit the Paschal fire in 433 AD.
  • Hill of Tara – Climb the seat of the High Kings of Ireland and look out over stunning scenery as far as the eye can see. After a wonderful day, Boyne Valley Tours will drive you back to your accommodation in a private vehicle.

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When you book with Boyne Valley Tours, you will experience over 5,000 years of Irish culture and history, plus breath-taking scenery.

 

 

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  • Private Tour Itinerary

    Boyne Valley Tours will provide private transportation to the Boyne Valley with a personal tour guide.

     

    Brú na Bóinne Visitor ExperienceBegin your tour at the Visitor Center exhibition which is a fully interactive visitor experience exploring Neolithic culture, landscape and the monuments of Brú na Bóinne. The onsite tour guides will then bring you to the passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth – these are UNESCO World Heritage sites where you will join others on the official tours.
    Newgrange & KnowthThe Boyne Valley, in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East, is famous for the Brú na Boínne or ‘Palace of the Boyne’ UNESCO World Heritage passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth. The Stone Age tombs are over 5,000 years old, predating both the pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England.
    NewgrangeThe Newgrange passage tomb is a large circular mound formation 279 ft across and 43 ft high with an internal stone passageway and chamber. It is surrounded by a ring of large stones known as kerbstones, some of which bear intricate engravings.

    The monument has been recognized as much more than a passage tomb. An ancient temple is a more fitting description of Newgrange. Because it is a place of astrological, religious and ceremonial importance. In the 12th century, the mound and land around Newgrange became part of an outlying farm owned by the Cistercian Abbey of Mellifont Because these farms were referred to as ‘granges’, by 1378 it was simply called ‘the new grange’.

    Newgrange is world famous for the phenomena around the time of the winter solstice in December when a single shaft of dawn sunlight penetrates and precisely illuminates the inner chamber.

    Visitors to the historic site can experience the winter solstice illumination at any time of the year and this is often the highlight of the Brú na Boínne Visitor Experience official tour. Once every tour member is present inside, the lights are turned off, plunging the tomb into darkness. A light then simulates the sun as it would appear at dawn on the winter solstice, slowly illuminating the passageway and inner chamber. A lottery is held annually for tickets to allow just 20 people entry per morning to the tomb to view the actual event.

    KnowthKnowth is a Stone Age passage tomb located in the Boyne Valley and, together with Newgrange, form the principal monuments of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. Knowth is the largest passage tomb of the Brú na Bóinne complex consisting of a  mound 220 ft in diameter and 40 ft high plus 19 smaller satellite tombs. It contains two passages placed along an east-west axis and was originally encircled by 127 large stones (similar to the kerbstones at Newgrange) of which 124 are still in place.

    The east-west orientation of the passages at Knowth suggests an astronomical alignment with the equinoxes occurring in March and September. The alignment at Knowth does not however occur today due to the original entrances to the passages being destroyed, making it difficult to establish if an alignment existed in the first place.

    Similar to Newgrange, the imposing mound at Knowth dates from around 3200BC and contains over a third of the total number of examples of Megalithic art in all of Western Europe including the oldest known illustration of the moon. Much of the artwork is found on the kerbstones, particularly those on approach to the passage entrances. Interestingly, some of this artwork was carved on the backs of the stones, known as hidden art.

    A new visitor experience has recently opened at Knowth and includes improved interpretation to tell the story of the 50-year archaeological excavation of the site, its Megalithic art and its importance both nationally and worldwide.

    The Hill of SlaneThe Hill of Slane, visible on approach to the charming medieval village of Slane, was where in 433AD Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, lit an Easter Paschal fire in defiance of Tara’s pagan King Laoghaire. St. Patrick prevailed and eventually Christianity spread throughout Ireland.

    There are a number of historic sites located on the 518ft summit of the hill including the ruins of a college and friary church with its 62 ft high early Gothic tower. Legend has it the hill is also the burial place of one of Ireland’s earliest kings, Sláine. Located on the west side of the hill are the remains of a twelfth century Norman motte and bailey or ‘mound and castle’ built by Richard Fleming in the 1170s, the seat of the Flemings, barons of Slane.

    The Hill of TaraAnother important area within the Boyne Valley is the royal Hill of Tara, the inauguration site of the High Kings of Ireland. The name, Tara, comes from Teamhair na Rí or ‘Sanctuary of the Kings’.

    Although the Hill of Tara is only 650 feet high, on a clear day, 40% of Ireland can be seen from its summit.

    The summit of the hill features an Iron Age royal enclosure known as the Fort of the Kings. In the center is a standing stone known as Lía Fáil or ‘Stone of Destiny at which the High Kings were crowned. According to legend, when a true Celtic King placed their foot on the stone, it cried out to announce his rightful reign.

    The oldest monument on the Hill of Tara is a Neolithic passage tomb, Dumha na nGaill or ‘The Mound of the Hostages’ built around 5,000 years ago, a similar timeline to Newgrange. It is constructed in a similar style to Newgrange although on a much smaller scale. This passage tomb, like many others, has a solar alignment – the chamber is illuminated by the rising sun in the early part of November and February. The tomb also has many associations with the moon, including an interior wall carving of thirteen spirals, perhaps representing an early moon calendar.

    Newgrange is open throughout the year; however, some other sites may be closed during the winter months. In such cases, alternative sites will be arranged.

    With all of our Boyne Valley Private Tours, we are happy to recommend lunch and coffee stops on the day (please note meals are not included in tour prices).

    We look forward to welcoming you!

    Book online now!
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  • Exclusions

    Admission fees, meals.

  • Cancellation Policy
    • Full refund or future credit if the tour is canceled up to 30 days before a tour.
    • 50% refund between 30 days and 10 days before a tour.
    • No refund will be issued within 10 days of a tour.

    The itinerary can be customized even while on tour! In case you have any particular interest, let me know so we can adapt it!

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When you book with Boyne Valley Tours you will experience over 5,000 years of Irish Culture and History. Choose from our tours across the Boyne Valley as well as popular Wicklow Tours and Highlights.

Boyne Valley Tours

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Email: BoyneValleyTours@gmail.com  | Phone within Ireland: 087 8354805  | International or WhatsApp: +353 87 8354805  | USA/Canada: 011 353 87 8354805

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