My wife and I aren't much on gardens but love any beautiful landscape. With this in mind, should we hit Powerscourt Gardens or skip and just visit Glendalough on our way to Kilkenny.

Powerscourt has gardens and a beautiful landscape. It is pretty easy to hit Powerscourt and then Glendalough (if you are headed south, opposite if heading north). They are not all that far apart. Don't miss Glendalough. Fantastic landscape!

Powerscourt Gardens are lovely. There is also the waterfall nearby which is the biggest waterfall in Ireland (not a great feat however!). The gardens have lovely views with the sugarloaf mountain in the background. It's worth a stopover on your way to Glendalough - but do not miss Glendalough!

Ninermike

I would urge you to visit Powerscourt, you wont be dissappointed.

I may only have time to hit one of them! How long do you really need to spend at Powerscourt to appreciate it? Same for Glendalough? If I have to pick one of the two, which would you recommend?

What day of the week will you be there?

It doesn't matter what day of the week they will be there. Glendalough wins hands down, especially if landscape matters more than gardens.

I think day of the week maters greatly. On weekends and bank holidays Powerscourt and Glendalough are overrun with visitors. Even trying to get lunch at Powerscourt's cafe is a trial that can last hours. If it was a weekend I think I would skip Powerscourt and do Glendalough.

If you can do it, go to both. I'm not a huge garden fan, but Powerscourt is amazing - fountains, statues, everything an 18th century manor house should have (think Pride and Prejudice).

Glendalough, if you can get there when the tour buses aren't, is a very serene and peaceful place. Beautiful even with the tourists, but the gabber is distracting.

Also beautiful is the National Stud/Japanese Gardens/St. Fiachra's Wild Garden - all in one place west of Dublin. There is also a Holy Well dedicated to St. Brigid nearby.

I'll be there on a Sunday in late August...arggghh!

Well you gotta be there when you gotta be there. I would pick up sandwiches and things at a supermarket or petrol station and plan on having a picnic. You don't want to have to fight the lunch crowds too. Skip the house portion of Powerscourt (it is mainly shopping anyway). See the gardens including the Japanese garden, the pet cemetery and Pepperpot Tower. You might be able to see it all in 1 1/2 hours if you don't linger. Skip the waterfall as it is overpriced. The area is large enough that you won't be tripping over people outside.

At Glendalough if you want the tour sign up for it right away in case there is a wait. There is more area to explore so it will most likely take longer. Get an early morning start so you can fit it all in.

Ninermike

Since you can only make it to one, then I'd choose Glendalough, head off early, try to get on the road by 9am, if possible, and take your own lunch. Once you are there , the day is your own, Glendalough is very beautiful but will probably be very busy in the high summer when you visit. My husband goes walking there ( we live in Dublin) very early on weekend mornings 6.30am, and he said its like heaven, its quiet and tranquil, and you can listen to the birds singing, before all the crowds descend.

are there any good lunch options in Glendalough? I haven't seen any reference to good dining there. Is a picnic the best option?

Three takeaway vans. The Glendalough Hotel, near the entrance to the monastic city, is good for dinner, so I imagine it does a good lunch. Several places in Laragh, about 4 or 5 km. from Glendalough.

There are some good places to eat but they will be extremely crowded. There is Lynham's of Laragh, Wicklow Heather and as Padraig suggested the Glendalough Hotel. Depending on your route you could eat at Avoca Handweavers in Avoca or the Woodenbridge Hotel.

The reason I suggested a picnic lunch was to avoid the crowds in the pubs and restaurants and avoid a long wait that may take many hours. If I were doing it I would pack a lunch. That way I could fit in more sightseeing. Just plan on a nice relaxing dinner in Kilkenny.

We've eaten at the Glendalough hotel twice. The first time (4 years ago) the lamb stew was great. This summer the prawn sandwich was very disappointing... dry. But the ice cream was great

My husband and I were hiking the Wicklow Way, and you're supposed to be able to see the gardens from above at some point. It was a long, long climb, and we neared the viewing spot, people on horseback shouted to us "The view is worth all of the effort!" Of course, being Ireland, we couldn't see a thing through the fog.

Anyway, I've heard from many other sources that the gardens are well-worth a visit.