Day trip from Dublin Newgrange
A Neolithic passage tomb in the Boyne Valley, part of Brú na Bóinne, reached only by shuttle from a visitor centre near Drogheda.
Is Newgrange worth a day trip from Dublin?
Go, if you get a ticket.
Yes, but book the ticket before anything else. Entry to the tomb is only through the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, on a timed tour, and tickets go on sale 30 days ahead from April to November and sell out. The € 18 tour covers Knowth and the Newgrange chamber. Without a car it takes the whole day: 37 minutes by Enterprise train to Drogheda, then the Local Link 163 bus, which runs only a few times a day. There is no Civitatis coach tour to Newgrange itself. No ticket? Skip it, the centre alone is not worth the trip.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 37 minto Drogheda, + Local Link 163 bus to the visitor centre · one way · Irish Rail Enterprise timetable
- Transport
- Train + bus
- Self-guided cost
- Not verified yet
- Tour price
- –
- Time needed
- 7–9 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- 24-27 Dec and 1 Jan
- Best time
- Mar-Oct, when the tour includes Knowth; book 30 days aheadDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Newgrange
- 01
Newgrange chamber
A guide takes small groups down the 19-metre passage into the 5,200-year-old chamber and switches off the lights to simulate the winter solstice sunrise. No photos are allowed inside.
- 02
Entrance stone and roof box
The carved kerbstone at the entrance carries the triple spiral, and the opening above the door lets the solstice light in. You see both up close while waiting for your turn inside.
- 03
Knowth
The largest mound, ringed by smaller satellite tombs and kerbstones carrying a large share of Europe's megalithic art. You walk around it and onto the top, but not into the passages.
- 04
Visitor centre exhibition
A full-scale replica of the chamber and displays on how the tombs were built, on the south bank of the River Boyne. Allow 30 to 40 minutes before your shuttle time.
Good forAncient sites
How to spend the day
Book a tour slot for around 11:45. Take the 09:50 Enterprise from Connolly, arriving at Drogheda at 10:27. The 163 bus left the station at 10:45 on the timetable we found, so confirm it on the TFI journey planner the day before. The tour goes by shuttle to Knowth and Newgrange and fills the early afternoon. Catch the bus back to Drogheda at about 15:45, with 17:00 as the last one, and a train to Connolly by 18:15.
Newgrange in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustApril to September brings the longest centre hours, 09:00-17:45, and the full tour with Knowth. It is also when tickets sell out soon after they are released, 30 days ahead. The mounds stand in open fields with no shade or shelter. Early afternoon slots fit the 163 bus best. Arrive at the centre well before your slot time.
Winter
December to FebruaryFrom 2 November to the end of February the only option is the Newgrange tour with the exhibition. Knowth is closed, tickets go on sale just 7 days ahead and the centre shuts at 16:15. It closes on 24-27 December and 1 January, and normal tours stop on the solstice mornings of 19-23 December. Still worth it: the chamber is the point.
How crowded it gets
Busy- Busiest
- Jun-Aug and Easter, when every slot sells out weeks ahead
- Quietest
- Nov-Feb weekdays, with tickets available a few days before
Timed tours cap the numbers, so the site itself never feels crowded. The squeeze happens at the booking stage. Set a reminder for the morning your date is released, and have a second date ready.
How do you get to Newgrange from Dublin?
- Travel time
- 37 min + Local Link 163 bus
- Frequency
- Hourly trains; bus 5-6 times a day
- Departs from
- Dublin Connolly
Enterprise or commuter train to Drogheda MacBride, then TFI Local Link 163 from the station to the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre. Commuter trains take about an hour instead of 37 minutes. Pay the bus with Leap or cash. Entry is € 18 and must be booked on the Heritage Ireland site.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Dress for standing in a field: waterproof jacket, warm layer and closed shoes with grip for wet grass. The monuments have no shelter. In summer add sunscreen. Leave large backpacks behind, as the passage is low and narrow.
What to eat
The visitor centre has a cafe with soup, sandwiches and cakes, and that is the only food on site. Eat there before or after your tour. If your connection leaves time in Drogheda, the town centre is a 10-minute walk from the station.
What you will spend
Entry is € 18 for the tour that covers Knowth and the Newgrange chamber, booked on the Heritage Ireland site. Add the train to Drogheda and the Local Link 163 bus, paid with Leap or cash. The shuttle to the monuments is part of the ticket.
How to get the most out of the day
- The passage is low and narrow. If you are claustrophobic or have limited mobility, tell the guide and stay outside for the chamber visit.
- You cannot drive or walk to the monuments directly. All access is by shuttle from the visitor centre, so set your map to the centre.
- A free lottery at the visitor centre gives a few people a place in the chamber on a real solstice morning.
- If the 163 bus times do not fit your slot, taxis wait at Drogheda station. The centre is about 15 minutes away by road.
How long do you need in Newgrange?
Plan 7–9 h on site, plus 37 min of travel each way from Dublin.
When is Newgrange closed?
24-27 Dec and 1 Jan. Best time: Mar-Oct, when the tour includes Knowth; book 30 days ahead.