Boyne Valley Day Tours

Private Hire Day Tours with Michael Fox, National Tour Guide and Professional Driver

Discover Ireland’s Ancient East with private, fully guided day tours centred on the Boyne Valley and its extraordinary layers of prehistory, early Christianity, and medieval heritage. Separate full day tours are also available to County Wicklow, renowned for its dramatic landscapes, historic estates, and beautifully landscaped gardens.

Fourknocks Passage Tomb dating back 5,000 years

Newgrange

Newgrange forms part of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site and is a Neolithic passage tomb built over 5,000 years ago. It is renowned for its stone art and its precise alignment with the Winter Solstice sunrise.

Knowth

Knowth is the largest of the three great passage tombs at Brú na Bóinne, built around 3200 BC. It is distinguished by its twin passages and by the extraordinary quantity of megalithic art carved on its kerbstones, representing one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric art in Europe.

Dowth

Dowth is a Neolithic passage tomb dating to around 3200 BC and forms part of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage landscape. Less excavated than Newgrange or Knowth, it retains a more enigmatic character and appears to have been associated with solar events linked to the winter period.

Fourknocks

Fourknocks is a Neolithic passage tomb later reused in the Bronze Age. Quieter and less visited than Brú na Bóinne, it offers an intimate insight into Ireland’s prehistoric funerary landscape.

Hill of Tara

The Hill of Tara is the great ceremonial landscape traditionally associated with the High Kings of Ireland. Its earthworks, monuments, and commanding views make it one of the most symbolically important sites in Irish history.

Bective Abbey

Bective Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1147 and closely connected to Mellifont. Its surviving cloister and riverside setting make it one of the most atmospheric monastic ruins in County Meath.

Monasterboice

Monasterboice is one of Ireland’s most important early Christian monastic sites, celebrated for its outstanding high crosses, including Muiredach’s Cross, among the finest examples of medieval stone carving in Ireland.

Hill of Slane

The Hill of Slane rises above the River Boyne and is closely linked with Ireland’s conversion to Christianity. Tradition holds that Saint Patrick lit the Paschal fire here in defiance of pagan law.

Skryne

The Hill of Skryne lies close to Tara and has long associations with kingship and early medieval history. Tradition records that relics linked with Saint Colmcille were brought here for safekeeping during times of unrest.

Duleek

Duleek, meaning “the House of Stones”, was an important early Christian centre associated with Saint Cianán. The site includes the remains of St Mary’s Abbey and a churchyard rich in medieval and later memorials.

Kells

Kells is a historic monastic town with a strong early medieval heritage. The site is known for its impressive stone crosses and the nearby Spire of Lloyd, an unusual inland lighthouse offering wide views across the surrounding countryside.

Tlachtga

Tlachtga, also known as the Hill of Ward, is closely associated with the festival of Samhain. Tradition speaks of a great ceremonial fire lit here, with flames carried to other royal hills across the region.

Fore Abbey

Fore Abbey in County Westmeath was founded by Saint Feichin in the 7th century and later developed as a Benedictine priory under the de Lacy lordship. The ruins are set in a peaceful valley and are linked locally with the “Seven Wonders of Fore”.

Wicklow

A day tour to County Wicklow offers a contrast to the Boyne Valley, with mountain scenery, historic routes, and peaceful valleys. Highlights often include Glendalough and the dramatic landscapes of the Wicklow Mountains.

Immerse yourself in the rich heritage and culture of the Boyne Valley with our full day private tours. Visit the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, home to the great Neolithic monuments of Newgrange and Knowth, renowned for their remarkable stone art and their alignment with the solar cycle. Explore the Hill of Slane, where Saint Patrick is said to have lit the Paschal fire, and discover the Hill of Tara, the ancient ceremonial seat of the High Kings of Ireland.

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Your tour can also include other outstanding Boyne Valley sites such as the Neolithic passage tomb of Fourknocks, Monasterboice with its celebrated high crosses, medieval Trim Castle, or the peaceful ruins of Mellifont Abbey, Ireland’s first Cistercian monastery. Each itinerary is tailored to your interests, allowing you to experience the archaeology, landscape, and layered history of the Boyne Valley at a relaxed and personal pace.

The tri spiral engraving in the chamber at Newgrange is one of the most iconic and sophisticated examples of prehistoric art in Europe. Carved into a large stone in the right hand recess of the cruciform chamber, the design consists of three interlinked spirals. The lines are deeply and deliberately engraved, creating a sense of movement and balance that draws the eye inward. Despite being over 5,000 years old, the carving is remarkably precise, showing a strong understanding of symmetry, rhythm, and visual harmony.

The meaning of the tri spiral remains open to interpretation, which adds to its power and fascination. Some believe it may be connected to cycles of time, such as the movement of the sun, the changing seasons, or concepts of life, death, and rebirth. Others see connections to the Winter Solstice, when sunlight penetrates the passage and illuminates the chamber, reinforcing ideas of renewal and cosmic order. Whatever its original purpose, the tri spiral stands as a clear statement that Newgrange was not just an architectural achievement, but also a deeply symbolic and ceremonial place for the people who built it.