Considering Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth are all more than 5,000 years old, the architectural, artistic and astronomical know-how needed to build each one is truly astonishing. Start your journey in the Boyne Valley at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, the hub for the Neolithic monuments in the area and the starting point for all tours of Newgrange.  

Inside, the centre hosts a full-scale replica of the chamber found at Newgrange as well as models of the individual tombs at Knowth, which were all renovated in 2019 to include new discoveries and technologies.

Leave the modern world and walk along a simulation of the River Boyne as it might have been in the Neolithic period. Complete with sounds and sights from this time, the exhibition includes video installations that celebrate all the monuments in the area, from the stars of the show in Newgrange and Knowth to the henge monuments discovered in recent years.

These ancient landmarks wouldn't exist without those who built them. Explore how people lived 5,000 years ago and see the houses they lived in, how they made their food and how they treated their dead, before hopping on a shuttle bus to see the real thing.

Newgrange is impressive from the moment you approach its white quartz front – the huge round stone walls capped by a grassy dome seem eerily futuristic, given the site’s age. 

With your knowledgeable tour guide, enter the 5,000-year-old passage tomb through a narrow access way lined with large slabs of stone. Due to the size of the corridor, only a small group of people are allowed in at a time, making the experience even more special. There aren’t many examples of prehistoric engineering as impressive as this one, where the morning sun shines through a perfectly aligned roof box during the winter solstice each December, illuminating the entire main chamber. Access to this almost miraculous happening is limited to 50 people per year, and the good news is that it’s decided by lottery.

Newgrange is worth seeing at any time of the year, and you can witness a very realistic electrically-powered simulation of the magical winter solstice on your guided tour. Booking online is highly advised, especially in the busy summer season, when only 700 visitors per day can enter into the passage. 

Access to Knowth, another Neolithic passage tomb a short hop away from Newgrange, was restricted until October 2019, so relatively speaking, not many people have been inside. Visits are now possible through the Visitor Centre tour.

Similar in size to Newgrange, but with two passages and one central chamber, it is thought Knowth may have been used to bury a small number of priests who were significant figures at the time. Lavishly decorated kerbstones mark the entrance, and the main burial mound is surrounded by 18 smaller satellite mounds, so there’s plenty to explore here.

Less talked about than its winter-focussed cousin, Knowth’s striking tunnel alignments seem to coincide with sunrise and sunset during the spring and autumn equinoxes. Just like Newgrange, it doesn’t matter what time of the year you visit as the extraordinary prehistoric feat of architecture and engineering is the main attraction. 

A third, smaller passage tomb, Dowth completes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne. Like its larger companions, the site is home to important nods to Ireland's past. Alongside two burial chambers and a ritual basin, the Dowth passage tomb features prehistoric drawings and an early Christian souterrain escape route, which is known as the ‘fairy mound of darkness’.

The mound was damaged during an excavation in 1847, so the tomb is inaccessible, but a peaceful ramble around the site as you uncover the relatively hidden tomb makes for a great way to reimagine its initial discovery and experience the ancient history of the site. Although Dowth is not part of the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, you can drive right up to it before or after your visit to the larger site.

Walk in the footsteps of the High Kings of Ireland as you climb to the distinctive ridges atop the Hill of Tara. Once the centre of political and religious power in Ireland, the site was believed to have been a dwelling place of the gods and was used to crown the country's new leaders. It also became an important part of the story of St Patrick as he tried to spread Christianity. Nowadays it’s a wonderful place to learn about the history of Brú na Bóinne and enjoy the Hill of Tara walk.

As one of the youngest parts of Brú na Bóinne, Trim Castle represents the Norman period in this region. The three storey castle, now in the heart of Trim, was built by Hugh de Lacy in 1172 and takes in views of the the River Boyne. After much restoration work, Trim Castle is open to the public and the spiral staircase climb to the top rewards you with incredible views.

Enjoy a riverside walk after your tour and book in for lunch in the nearby hotel or any of the lovely restaurants in the town.