Slane Itineraries
Half a day or a full weekend. Here are the best ways to spend your time in Slane, planned step by step.
Whether you have a few hours or a full weekend to explore, these itineraries give you a local’s route through Slane. Each one links directly to the restaurants and activities along the way.
Half a Day in Slane: the Village, the River and the Hill
Slane is small enough to cover on foot in a morning if you leave the car at the Square. This takes in the Georgian village, the drop down to the Boyne at the mill, and the climb to the ruins on the Hill, and finishes with lunch on Main Street. Nothing in it costs money except the food.
- 110:00·30 minutes
Coffee and the trail map
Pick up a coffee and a pastry at Gorgeous Patisserie on Chapel Street, then, on a weekday, call into the Slane Hub at 2 Main Street for the historic trail map.
- 210:30·1 hour
The Slane Historic Trail
Walk the village trail from the Square: up Chapel Street past the churches, then down Mill Hill past the castle gates to Slane Mill and the bridge, and back up. It is about 2.2km and the climb back from the river is the hardest part.
View Slane Historic Trail - 311:45·45 minutes
Up the Hill of Slane
Drive or walk north out of the village on the Collon road to the Hill, park at the foot and go through the gate. Give the friary and the college ruins half an hour and the view another ten minutes. On Sundays from April to October a free volunteer tour has run from the gates at 2pm, which would mean swapping this step with lunch.
View The Hill of Slane - 413:00·1 hour
Lunch on Main Street
Back in the village, the Conyngham Arms serves its all-day menu from noon, seven days a week, or Silly Sid's in the Village Inn does lunch until 4pm.
View Conyngham Arms Restaurant
A Full Day from Slane: Newgrange, Ledwidge and the Distillery
The day most people come to Slane for, built around a pre-booked Brú na Bóinne tour. It needs a car, two bookings made in advance, and a day between Tuesday and Saturday if you want the Ledwidge Museum.
- 109:30·2.5 to 3 hours
Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, Donore
Drive east to the OPW visitor centre at Donore for a morning tour slot booked on heritageireland.ie, 30 days ahead in season. Do not drive to Newgrange itself: every visit starts here with a shuttle bus to the monuments.
View Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, for Newgrange and Knowth - 212:30·45 minutes
Lunch at the visitor centre
Brambles Café in the visitor centre is open from 10:00 to 16:00 seven days a week, whenever the visitor centre is open. Boyne Valley Wools is a few minutes away at Roughgrange if you want to see the Jacob sheep and the spinning studio.
View Brambles Café at Brú na Bóinne - 314:00·45 minutes
The Francis Ledwidge Museum
Drive back toward Slane and stop at Janeville, on the Drogheda road just before the village, for the poet's cottage birthplace. It is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm, so this step only works on those days.
View Francis Ledwidge Museum - 415:30·2 hours
Slane Distillery
Cross the village to the distillery in the castle's old stable block for the two-hour Tour and Tasting, booked online in advance. Someone in the car will want to skip the tasting.
View Slane Distillery - 518:30·1.5 hours
Dinner in the village
Dinner at the Conyngham Arms, which serves until 8.30pm Monday to Saturday and 7.30pm on Sunday, or ring Inside Out on Chapel Street for a table.
View Conyngham Arms Restaurant
Ready to plan your visit?
Check the weather forecast before you head out.