FANTASTIC!! I simply don't have enough nice things to say about Mary and her tour. Mary was more than just a tour guide - she was a historian, a comedian, and my de-facto therapist when my flight was cancelled and I emailed her in a panic (for Mary's sake, please don't email her as many times as I did!!). When I made it just in the nick of time from the airport, Mary greeted me with a hug because she was so excited I made it. I learned so much not only about the ancient sites, but also everything we passed along our bus route. And of course, visiting Newgrange (with guaranteed entrance thanks to Mary's tour) was one of the absolute highlights of the trip to Dublin. Don't think twice -- BOOK WITH MARY!! read more

Awful experience. Pickup spot was in front of hotel across town. After tour the bus didn't return us to the starting point in front of the hotel. They just dropped us at some random location. read more

The tour started on time and was very punctual at every stop. Mary was a delight-- strong grandmother vibes in the best way. She gave some history of nearly every building and monument we passed as we left Dublin, and she continued with the history of time leading up to and beyond Newgrange. Even my tweens on board were captivated. We saw Knowth, Newgrange, and the Hill of Tara, but Mary wasn't allowed to give those tours-- no worries, the tour guides there were phenomenal. We were able to eat a small/modest lunch at a farm beside Newgrange (pro tip: skip the coffee), and there was a cafe before that at the Newgrange museum. If you want any Newgrange souvenirs, be sure to purchase them at the Newgrange gift shop, which was our first stop. So far, this tour has been the best part of our Dublin adventure. Highly recommend! read more

Best tour in Ireland! Mary knows so much if the history if the New Grange Boyne Valley and Hills of Tara

We absolutely loved this trip - my husband says it was the highlight of our entire stay in Ireland, particularly Newgrange, but I loved Knowth and we learned so much.... Mary and Mia, our guides, were so incredibly knowledgeable. Mia differentiated between stories, speculation, and known facts. We could have listened all afternoon. The Mary Gibbons tour guaranteed entry to Newgrange, and that was phenomenal. If you have never touched 5000 year-old megalithic architecture, wondered at the culture and ideas that led to the creation of ancient places, or marveled at how these phenomenal structures were built when they are right before your eyes, then these experiences will be awesomely memorable. read more

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Mary Gibbons herself is lovely and highly knowledgeable. The bus is comfortable with wifi. The tour though is over priced, only accepting cash for payment. We weren't told ahead of time that we wouldn't be stopping for lunch- and we didn't bring food so we were super hungry. Also with this lack of lunch they didn't decrease the tour time, so there was a LOT of waiting with nothing to do. I think the tour company would benefit from some proper administration to manage emails and communication. read more

My mother and I just had a wonderful time on Mary's Newgrange Tour. We were picked up in the morning and Mary and her driver could not have been kinder. My mother has a walker and they were so considerate making sure it was stored safely and she was well taken care of. Mary herself was our tour guide- and her knowledge was incredible. I expected information on Newgrange and Tara, but we were entertained through the entire trip with Mary's commentary as we went through the streets of Dublin and out to our destinations. We learned about the buildings we drove past, and the culture and history of the city. I've done many tours traveling, and Mary is tops! Highly recommend! read more

Took the Newgrange and Tara tour with Mary Gibbons on my recent stay in Dublin. I couldn't recommend this trip enough. Mary was so nice and knowledgeable. If you are looking for a Newgrange/Tara trip I'd recommend this one. There is a good amount of walking at both locations, so these locations might not be for everybody. read more

On my week long tour of Dublin I did a tour of Newgrange as part of the "Newgrange and Hill of Tara" tour offered by Mary Gibbons. This gave me not only the opportunity to get out of Dublin but also to learn about Irish history before the time of the Vikings. This was highly recommended by Rick Steves for people who don't have access to a car as the pickup sites are in Dublin. Mary Gibbons is a famed archaeologist in her own right and while she didn't personally lead the tour herself you can tell that the staff that does the tours are archaeologists/historians in their own right and have such passion in telling the history of Ireland from that time period to us tourists. In fact my tour guide was involved with UNESCO with the creation of new sites and detailed the process of getting UNESCO certified. Connections to the archaeology world also allowed her tours to have a dedicated group when visiting Newgrange as the monument itself is strictly accessible via guided tour offered as part of the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre. Through this tour we got to visit three sites: Dowth, Newgrange and the Hill of Tara. We had a reasonable amount of time to explore the sites and I got to do a good amount of walking. There was a lot of history presented in all three sites and not one opportunity for the tour group to make commission. Rain did not stop me from fully enjoying these sites - after all, you're in Ireland, expect rain pretty much every day of the year. My only nitpick was that they gave me the wrong pickup time so I ended up being an hour early. This didn't affect me very much hence my rating stayed the same. LOGISTICS. - €40.00 taken on the day of your tour. - Contact newgrangetours@gmail.com to schedule your tour. Correspondence with them was fast and friendly. - Various pickup spots and two drop-off spots on both sides of the River Liffey. - Lunch opportunity after Newgrange. Got myself a filling soup for €4. You can also do some shopping or get coffee at the Hill of Tara. - FREE WIFI on the bus. read more

I went on Mary Gibbons' tour of Newgrange and it was wonderful. She is the perfect tour guide- a treasure trove of knowledge, also personable and very organized. I would go on a tour with her anywhere in the world. read more

Absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately, Mary was ill so her brother took over the tour. He provided us with a constant stream of information from start to finish. I learned a ton on this tour, which is really important for something like this. Everything ran on time and there plenty of time at all the sites (Tara Hill and Newgrange) to do some solo exploring. Going inside was absolutely the highlight. I can't really think of anything to improve. It was fun, well timed, managed well, and very informative. I will absolutely be recommending this tour to everyone. read more

We found Mary Gibbons tour company through the Visit Dublin website. Our visit to Dublin was planned around getting the greatest use out of our 3-Day Dublin Pass and our 3-Day Freedom Pass on the Dublin Bus system. Both of these require 3 consecutive days of use after they have been initialized. We tried to schedule our 35 euro trip to Newgrange and the Boyne River Valley on a day that would not overlap with one of the days that we had already paid for, which would have fallen on a Sunday. Sunday was not available so we scheduled it on Saturday instead. This meant that in order to see Newgrange we would have to burn on of the days on our passes. The UNESCO site was a high-priority item so we agreed to move it to Saturday. We got a call on early Friday morning from Mary saying that she had canceled the Saturday tour due to low numbers and that if we wanted to go to Newgrange we would have to go on Friday. Again, since it was a priority of our trip we again agreed but needed to make changes to our plans but were thankful for the heads up on making sure we got to see these historic sites. The trip itself was delightful. The bus was a newer model bus that was very comfortable (albeit without restrooms). It picked us up and dropped us off directly in front of our hotel. As we drove through Dublin and the countryside Mary a limitless source of fascinating information about historical sites along the way, and provided us much in-depth information to fully appreciate what we were seeing at the Hill of Tara, Newgrange and at the sights along the way. Mary is a trained archaeologist and it shows. She was also very helpful in giving us some tips in maximizing our money for meals at the only stop allowing dining at the Brú na Bóinne complex. Highly recommended and very informative, but be prepared to be flexible in scheduling arrangements. You may need to do some last-minute shuffling of plans in order to participate in this first-rate historic bus tour. read more

This tour is excellent and hassle free. They pick you up at many convenient spots throughout the City Center, and efficiently provide a great tour of the Bru na Boinne (Boyne River Valley) which includes the spectacular Newgrange and Hill of Tara. This tour is well worth it as you are guaranteed admission into Newgrange which has limited entry. Mary, your tour guide, is very passionate about the history and is very informative pointing out things along the trip. We highly recommend this tour company as also recommended in our Rick Steve's guidebook. read more

My Irish cousin selected this tour for us & so glad he did. Mary was delightful & a most gracious host. She shared a wealth of Irish history while commuting on the bus to the site, mixed with storytelling and humor. The bus was extremely clean & comfortable. This was definitely one of the major highlights during our 2 week stay in Ireland with my aunt. Thank you Mary! I am sorry I didn't catch the bus driver's name-he was an excellent driver & extremely pleasant & helpful. Wonderful memories made. Don't miss seeing Newgrange & Hill of Tara-truly awesome visit. read more

This was my second visit to Newgrange, and my first with Mary Gibbons. Our tour guide was incredible - full of knowledge and quite fun to listen to as we made our way from Dublin to Newgrange and the Hill of Tara. After a long flight and concert the evening before, a ride in the plush motor coach was a great choice for a relaxing day. What's better than a ride through the Irish countryside? You must pay attention at Newgrange and head to the buses at the correct time, or you miss the tour. Lunch is available at the visitor's center. At the Hill of Tara, watch where you walk, there are plenty of sheep droppings to navigate. Make sure to have a pint or Irish Coffee at the cafe, where the service was lovely, despite being busy. read more

Mary Gibbons Travel - Hill of Tara - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

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I traveled to Dublin to see U2 in concert, but also wanted to squeeze in some sightseeing. I've long been fascinated by places like Newgrange so it was on the top of my to do list, but I was traveling alone and not sure how to go about it. A family member recommended Mary and I'm so glad! The tour was priced very well, she was friendly and answered all my questions quickly. The tour bus was comfortable and I enjoyed listening to her wealth of knowledge and the history of Ireland as we traveled to and from each location. I also met some wonderful and fascinating people on the tour, which helped me feel less awkward being solo. I highly recommend her tours, perfect for solo, couples, families, and kids! read more

This was the best tour we had in Ireland, and we are at the end of our trip so that says a lot! Mary led the tour herself and was remarkably knowledge about the history of Ireland. We felt like we were in a classroom rather than a tourist group. Ample time was given at the Hill of Tara and Newgrange to walk around, as well as the delightful surprise of animals (some babies!) on the open farm at which we ate lunch. We despise the corny jokes and rambunctious energy of some tours, and Mary's tour has NONE of that! It was a calm, informative, well-organized ordeal from end to end. Loved it. Professional in every way. read more

Couldn't have asked for a better tour. Mary walked us through such an impressive history from the Stone Age to modern Irish history. 10/10 would recommend this tour to anyone traveling in Ireland. read more

Not a lot of 2018 reviews So I will through in my lot If you like this type of thing, my wife not so much, you HAVE to do this, nothing more to say about that It is a little slow at the start with traffic and picking everyone up at Hotels The problems at the visitor center are not the tour companies doing In the end the wife said she enjoyed it Standing on the Hill of Tara could have been the highlight of my 10 day trip read more

With so many options for tours all over Ireland, my wife and I *had* to take a Mary Gibbons Tour. First of all, she came recommended by Rick Steve's Europe on PBS -- that alone made this tour a must for our 4-day stay in Dublin. Mary injected humor and wisecrackery into the darker themes of Irish history, but she did it in such a way that you came to appreciate typically boring facts and figures native to a history textbook. Mary made sure to "translate" the boring bits of history about the Hill of Tara, monastic sites in the Boyne Valley, and of course Newgrange. Whatever you would find on an official sign or post for tourists, Mary could say it better. If you want to see a LOT of Irish history -- the juiciest bits, I might add -- and you only have a few days to spend in Ireland sightseeing, you *have* to take a Mary Gibbons Tour. read more

This tour was fantastic. The history review from Bronze age to the recent queen's visit was insightful. We were able to book the night before, which was fairly late notice and still very easy. We got confusing directions from the hotel about where the bus picked up, so Mary's bus driver literally tracked us down. So glad we didn't miss it! read more

This was an outstanding tour. Mary Gibbons, who owns & runs this, has a lot of knowledge conveys it quite well. We took the Newgrange & Hill of Tara Tour. Book early as she fills up. The bus is comfortable. She has locations around Dublin for pickup. read more

My husband and I took the tour of Newgrange and Tara with Mary; it's not to be missed! Mary goes above and beyond the usual tour guide stuff. She literally starts explaining Ireland and your environs the minute you step on the bus. Plus, Mary helps you avoid the crowds that popular sites like Newgrange get. The tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Ireland. read more

I rarely give 5 stars, but the Newgrange/Tara tour was wonderful. Was accompanied by Mary's excellent storytelling and history of the big stuff and all sorts of small details. She works with the sight operators and got us through very smoothly with the maximum of info and color to the landscape. read more

My husband and I did a Newgrange tour with Mary Gibbons in January this year. This was one of the most interesting tours we have ever experienced- Mary Gibbons is really knowledgeable! I would highly recommend this tour! read more

Mary is a gem, and the Newgrange/Tara tour is not to be missed. I was spellbound by her stories, but I expect a good yarn from a Dublin tour guide. I did not expect the full academic expertise- Bronze Age to present day in a relatively short and very entertaining bus ride? Fabulous!!!!! read more

Since I already left one Irelandish review (bad taxi service), figured I'd do another (5-star newgrange tour). Was going to do Greyline Tour, but the airbnb I stayed at recommended these guys. SOOO glad I did! Mary contacted me personally when I booked (pay cash on board - very convenient) and her brother (who is also a historian specializing in Irish history) handled our tour. Couldn't be happier. He spoke the whole way up, and most of the way back on the Hill of Tara and Newgrange. You can tell he is very passionate and knowledgeable about Irish history and mythology and I learned so much. I spent a month in Dublin (had to do some work there). This tour was the highlight of my trip. You will not be disappointed. read more

This was an amazing tour. This was the only one I could find that visited both Tara and Newgrange. Mary need a day off so her husband was our tour guide. WOW, what luck to get an actual archaeologist of Irish History for our tour. I had done some reading on Tara and knew its place in Irish history. My mother knew nothing and came away feeling like she had gotten a college level albeit easy to understand, introduction to Irish History. He wasn't able to be with us for all of Newgrange but he was a wealth of information here too before and after the tour. I really want to do the tour again - I'll be back to Ireland soon. read more

National Treasure. This was my second tour with Mary and even better than the first. You will discover thousands of years of Irish history while seeing Unesco World Heritage sites. Mary is a brilliant storyteller who adds touches of local humor to the tour. I really like the addition of the lunch at the farm near Newgrange. This is a must see for any traveler to Dublin! read more

As someone with a great love for mythology, archeology and super old sites with unsolved mystery about them, I loved this tour. It was the perfect day trip out of Dublin on a lovely sunny and windy day. Our tour guide, Phallum, was very studied and knowledgeable not only about the hill of Tara and Newgrange, but of military history and current events as well. Besides learning way more on this tour than we would have on our own, it was nice to be able to skip the line at Newgrange and not have to rent a car to see the sites. Do note that the bus has fewer drop-off points than pick-up points. We did note this, and used it to our advantage -- letting the bus take us to the stop close to the National Museum of archeology (which we just scouted out for 15 minutes before they closed to determine if we wanted to come back), Trinity College for evensong, and then the Temple Bar district for dinner. Thanks for the great tour! read more