Newgrange
A vast 5,000-year-old passage tomb older than the pyramids - a UNESCO monument in the Boyne Valley, aligned to the winter solstice sunrise.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.
UNESCO World Heritage
Newgrange is a great Neolithic passage tomb in the Boyne Valley, built around 3200 BC, older than Stonehenge and the pyramids of Egypt. A vast mound of stone and earth ringed by carved kerbstones, its inner chamber is aligned so that at the winter solstice the rising sun floods the passage with light. Part of the UNESCO Bru na Boinne complex, it is seen on a guided tour.
What you actually see
- The great mound - the vast Neolithic tomb ringed by carved kerbstones.
- The entrance stone - the famous carved spirals at the passage mouth.
- The inner chamber - the passage and chamber, with a simulated solstice light.
- Bru na Boinne - the wider complex including Knowth and its carved stones.
When to go
Year-round; the winter solstice sunrise in the chamber is the famous event, but access to it is by a heavily oversubscribed lottery, so most see a simulation. Book the guided tour ahead in the busy season.
Honest expectations
It can only be visited on a guided tour from the Bru na Boinne centre, with limited places, so book ahead. Seeing the real solstice illumination is a lottery of thousands, so almost everyone sees the recreated version. It is a monument of profound age rather than dramatic ruins.
Nearby
Knowth and the Hill of Tara are in the same Boyne Valley; Dublin is under an hour away.
What to pack for Newgrange
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
