Newgrange & The Boyne Valley Coach Tour from Dublin
Brú na Bóinne is under an hour from Dublin, and the whole day turns on one booked time: your group's slot at the visitor centre. The Hill of Tara, the Battle of the Boyne site and the Monasterboice high crosses fit around it in about eight hours.
What the day covers
- Brú na Bóinne and Newgrange tomb
- Hill of Tara
- Monasterboice high crosses
- Battle of the Boyne site
When it runs
- Year-round; solstice access by lottery
Booking Brú na Bóinne
All visits begin at the visitor centre, where coaches park. Nobody can go straight to the monuments: a shuttle bus takes visitors to Newgrange, and the tomb is seen on a guided tour only. Groups of 15 to 30 must email the OPW to reserve a group time slot. A larger party should ask the centre how to split it across slots. Tickets are limited and the booking window is longer in the main season than in winter, so book as soon as your date is fixed. Opening hours are shortest from October to February.
Running order
The order follows your Brú na Bóinne slot. With a late-morning slot, start at the Hill of Tara, reached by the M3 with its tolls between Clonee and Kells. Cross to the Boyne for the tomb, then visit the battle site at Oldbridge. Finish at Monasterboice, just off the M1 north of Drogheda, and come home down the M1 through the Gormanston to Monasterboice toll. With an early slot, run the order the other way round. The legs between sites are short, so the day has plenty of slack.
Stopping at Tara and Monasterboice
Tara is an open hilltop with a small car park that fills on fine weekends. The driver confirms where the coach sets down and waits. Monasterboice has a small graveyard site with its round tower and high crosses, and needs about half an hour. The Battle of the Boyne site is a short drive from the visitor centre. Allow an hour there if the group wants the exhibition as well as the grounds.
Solstice, seasons and what to bring
Places inside the Newgrange chamber at the winter solstice sunrise are given out by lottery, often years ahead. Around the solstice in December the regular tours are suspended for the solstice mornings. Plan another date unless you hold lottery places. For the rest of the year, bring waterproof shoes for the wet grass at Tara and a layer for the wind on the hill. The day suits school history groups, overseas visitors and anyone interested in archaeology.
Can we go inside Newgrange?
Yes, on the guided tour from the visitor centre, if your group holds a slot. The tour includes the passage and chamber. Without a booked slot the group can still see the exhibition, but not the tomb.
What happens if we miss our slot?
Slots are fixed. Tell the operator your slot time when you book so the pick-up is planned with a margin for M50 and M1 traffic.
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Send the date, the passenger count and any timed entries you already hold. We come back with a fixed price for Newgrange & The Boyne Valley.