Is it difficult to visit Newgrange without using a tour company? The website states that there are a limited number of guided tours offered each day. We are looking to stop there on our drive from Dublin to Belfast this June and would hopefully arrive there around 10:00am. Would this be early enough? Also, how long should we plan on the tour lasting?

10:00 am will probably be fine though that means you will be getting an early start from Belfast. I think the tours of each area take about an hour each. You can do either or both (Newgrange and Knowth). The only issue is how long you will wait for the tour to start. If this is a weekend day, expect things to be more crowded. Week days there are school tours too though.

Coming down the M1, don't expect to see a sign for Newgrange. Look for Bru na Boinne. The person leading our caravan drove right by it before I could stop him. had to pay the toll coming back.

Bill

Don;t know if you've read about Newgrange. It's a fantastic sight - but you must be sure that no one has a problem with claustophobia - or very tight, dark places.

(Someone in our group panicked partway through the tunnel and a lot of people had to leave so she could get out - practically hysterical.)

You gain admission at the Bru na Boine Visitor's Center and purchase tickets to be bussed to the sites. The times and numbers are strickly regulated. We arrived only moments before a large tour bus disgorge a hoard of people. Our wait for transport was about 20 minutes, but I heard some of the people from the bus saying that THEIR wait was going to be about and hour...

Bob

Thanks for the tips! Just to note, we are leaving from Dublin so hopefully we can make the 35 mile trip to Newgrange in about an hour.

Itallian_Chauffer - Do you happen to remember what time you arrived at?

We will be visiting on Thursday, June 4th.

An hour or so should do it from Dublin - although be prepared for rush hour traffic, and allow even more time if you're coming from the south side.

Bring change for the toll plaza at the Boyne.

Look out for signs for Bru na Boinne and you'll be fine. The earlier you get there the less time you'll be waiting around - although the Visitors' Centre is interesting with a life-sized replica of the Newgrange passage tomb, and the self-service cafe serves quite good food.

IMO just Newgrange on its own is plenty - don't bother doing both tours because they'll be a bit repeptitive.

Hmmm - I am pretty claustrophobic, but had no problems with the catacombs in Rome. I was a little freaked out, but just kept moving quickly, on the long, narrow enclosed passageways leading up to the viewing areas at St. Paul's cathedral. Do you think I would have a problem at Newgrange? I'd love to see it, but dark narrow tunnels are a bit of a problem for me.

I am a little claustrophobic, but had no great problem with Newgrange. The trick is to hang back, and be last of your group to go in (if need be, tell others why you want to be last in). That way, you don't feel as trapped as you might if there were people behind you. And if it does feel too much, you can retreat without causing too much disturbance.

azzure -

This is NOTHING like the catacombs in Rome - which are fairly open. and at least the ones I was in did have some light. This is pitch dark and the passage is so narrow that a large person will have trouble squeezing through between the rock walls. It isn't lit at all until everyone is gathered in the small central room - to duplicate the effect it would have at sunrise.

If I had any problems with small (very small) spaces I woud eer attempt Newgrange.

Sorry -

There's no moving fast since you're in the middle of a group of people, each trying to sidle through the passage and then fit into the central room - it's a slow shuffle - and if there's a big person in front of you they may have to maneuver to get through.

We were there in April sometime after lunch and waited about an hour to get on the bus. We felt we didn't have enough time at the Visitor's Center, so we spent more time there after the tours. I'm fairly sure we spent about 4.5 hours between the tours and the visitors center.

The entire experience was more interesting than we had anticipated. I would think that even if someone doesn't go inside the tunnels, there is enough discussion taking place outside to keep it interesting.


--Annie

I would recommend going, and seeing Knowth/Dowth as well as Hill of Tara. All are incredible sites, and each is different. Yes, it's tight - but only for a little while. They do pack people into the chamber, so you may not want to stay too long, make sure you are the last in. The site itself (not just the passage inside) is great.

Interesting, I never considered myself to be claustrophic, but now I'm a bit apprehensive! But, I'm sure it's well worth the tight squeeze.

I'm very claustrophobic...checked out the mockup at the visitors center and decided I would be ok. I did hang back and was last to enter which allowed me to go back out if need be. One other person did go back out. I did fine.

Do you mean to visit the actual site by yourself? I started at the Visitor center and had no problems. I arrived right as they opened and got on the first tour to Knowth then on to Newgrange. There was minimal waiting and much to see at the center to help fill in the gaps. I seem to remember cars having driven up to Newgrange themselves, but I don't remember if you can buy tickets on-site or not to actually go in the tomb. From the visitor center, it was maybe an hour round-trip to each site? Hope that helps!

The passage in is tight in one spot, but it's also a short tunnel. It's not a long walk to the end. We had about 15 people in our group last week, and we didn't find it frightening at all. One lady felt a bit scared of the dark but did fine. They only turn the lights off for a moment.

After most of our group left the tunnel, our guide allowed myself and 2 other women lay down on the ground positioned just right, to see the light which comes in at ground level. That was a thrill!

The Hill of Tara is also quite interesting.

It's really similar to other tourist sights. If you get there early, you should have a relatively uncrowded visit with a short wait. If you arrive after the tours, you may have to wait a long time.

They've obviously changed it since I was there. For us, we entered in pitch dark - about 25 of us - the chamber was full - and there was no light at all (a very gray day outside) until everyone was in the chamber, when they turned a small light on.

We had one quite large person who had to squash through the tunnel at one point - as well as the women who had to leave. It wouldn;thve been so bad, exept she was in the middle of the group and about 10 people had to go all the way back out for her to exit, since you can;t pass one another.