All access to Knowth and Newgrange is through Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre beside Donore village on the south side of the River Boyne. (GPS Co-Ordinates: Latitude 53.694567 Longitude -6.4463) Visitors are brought by shuttle bus to and from the sites. Access is by guided tour only with limited places on each tour. There is no direct access to the sites.

Yes. Visitors wishing to see Dowth can access the monument directly on the north side of the River Boyne. Visitors cannot enter the chambers although they are free to walk around the site.

No. Tickets for individuals (14 people or fewer) are sold on a first come first served basis. Tickets go on sale each morning for that day. Places on the tours are limited and fill up as the day progresses and quite often are sold out by early afternoon. Therefore, visitors who wish to see Knowth or Newgrange are advised to arrive as early in the morning as possible. Access to the Monuments is not guaranteed.

All groups of 15 people or more must book well in advance. There are limited slots each day for groups. The maximum number allowed per group is 48 including leaders/guides. Requests for bookings can be faxed to Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre on 041 9823071 or emailed to brunaboinne@opw.ie. All groups must report to the Visitor Centre at their allotted time, not directly to the Monuments. Groups are brought by shuttle bus to and from the Visitor Centre. It is not always possible to accommodate unbooked groups or late arrivals.

The tours to Knowth and Newgrange take approximately 1 hour 15 minutes each. To visit both sites it takes approximately 3 hours. The exhibition in the Visitor Centre is self-guiding and takes approximately 45 minutes.

The big difference between visiting Newgrange and Knowth is that at Newgrange, visitors are allowed to enter the chamber whereas at Knowth, they cannot. The passages at Knowth have collapsed inwards over the years and are no longer easily accessed. Knowth is the larger of the two Monuments. The complex there consists of one large mound and eighteen smaller mounds. The kerbstones around the large mound are decorated with excellent examples of Neolithic art. Knowth has a long and complicated history. Ceremony and settlement existed at Knowth both before and long after the Neolithic period. Archaeologists have identified activity at the site from the Neolithic period, Iron Age, Early Christian period to Norman times. There is a small exhibition room in the mound where visitors can look down the eastern passage. Visitors can also walk on top of the mound for a panoramic view of the Boyne Valley. Newgrange is the more popular of the two sites. The guided tour of Newgrange orientates visitors within the landscape. Before going inside the monument, the significance of the famous Entrance Stone as well as the Roof box are described. Inside the chamber, the winter solstice phenomenon is explained as well as the burial ritual.

Yes. Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre is a child friendly environment and children are always welcome at Knowth and Newgrange. For their safety and comfort a responsible adult should take care of them during their visit. An adult must accompany children under 16 years of age. It is possible to bring buggies through the Visitor Centre, onto the buses and outdoors at the sites but not into the chamber at Newgrange or into the exhibition room at Knowth. Parents/guardians should be aware that all visits to the sites are guided and courtesy and consideration towards other visitors is appreciated.

The tours to both Monuments are outdoors and there is no shelter at either site. Visitors should dress appropriately.

Pets are not allowed in the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre or on tour at Knowth and Newgrange. Guide and assist dogs are welcome.

The Visitor Centre is fully accessible for wheelchair users. Wheelchairs are also available to borrow during your visit. The car park is 300m from the Visitor Centre (average gradient 1:17). The shuttle bus stop is 200m from Visitor Centre and the shuttle buses can accommodate wheelchairs. The bus journey is 2km. The path from the bus drop off point to the entrance of Newgrange is 200m (average gradient 1:7). The chamber at Newgrange is not accessible to wheelchairs. A full-scale wheelchair accessible replica of the chamber at Newgrange forms part of the exhibition in the Visitor Centre. At Knowth nearly all of the tour is accessible except the small exhibition room and the top of the mound. The chambers of Knowth are not accessible to any visitors.

There is no luggage storage facility at Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre.

Smoking is prohibited in the visitor centre, the chamber at Newgrange and the exhibition room in Knowth. Smoking outside and on tour is allowed but please be considerate to other visitors.

All tours are conducted through English, as there can be many different nationalities on each tour. The Exhibition and the audio-visual in the Visitor Centre are translated into Irish, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Free leaflets are available in the Visitor Centre in the same languages as well as in Japanese. Translations of the text of the exhibition are available to borrow in French, German, Italian and Spanish. If a group is visiting and they have their own leader, we are more than happy to accommodate the group leader translating the tour.

Yes. For personal use photography/filming is allowed everywhere except in the passage and chamber at Newgrange. As a courtesy please ask the guide if they mind being recorded. For commercial use a permit is required. Please contact the Office of Public Works (OPW) on 01 6476915 or 01 6476916.

The monuments at Brú na Bóinne Monuments are old and vulnerable. The guides are present on site to assist with the preservation of these Monuments, to help create awareness of the importance of our ancient heritage, to enhance visitor understanding of Brú na Bóinne and to help manage the high volume of visitors.

As visitor numbers to the sites are limited and as demand is so high, tours can fill up quickly especially during the summer months. Maximum allowed per tour is 48 and tours leave Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre approximately every 30 minutes to the Monuments.

Yes of course but be careful that you return on time!

Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre opened in June 1997. Located on the south side of the river Boyne, its primary purpose is to manage the flow of visitors to Newgrange and Knowth. The Centre interprets the monuments, the Neolithic people and their culture. The Centre also provides other facilities for tourists such as information, a restaurant, toilets and parking. When visitors arrive at Knowth or Newgrange they are rewarded with a tranquil environment.

No, the Office of Public Works and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government do not allow any religious ceremonies at any of the sites managed by them.

The guides at Newgrange warn everybody that the passage is low and narrow and that if anyone fears they may get claustrophobic, then they should wait and ensure that they are the last person to go into the chamber. Visitors should visit the replica in the centre before they go to the monument. 

While there are over 50 recorded Monuments in Brú na Bóinne but only Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth are accessible to the public at present. The rest of the Monuments are on private land.

Yes. There is a picnic area in the grounds of Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre. The Tearooms provide food to take away but food or drink is not allowed in the exhibition or on the buses. Picnics are not permitted at Newgrange or Knowth.