Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland. All of the museums in the city are based in the Viking Triangle which is the oldest part of the city. You can practically spend a whole day in this small area. This itinerary will take you through Waterford's History from the Viking era to the Georgian.
There are many fantastic hotels in Waterford City. If you hope to immerse yourself in history we recommend the Granville Hotel. It is the birthplace of Thomas Francis Meagher who went on to be an Irish nationalist and leaders of the Young Irelanders in the Rebellion of 1848. He also designed the Irish tricolour.
If you have chosen this hotel for your accommodation you are in for a treat for breakfast. Our personal favourite is the Eggs Benedict which features the Waterford Blaa (a flourly bap which has protected geographical status so can only be made in Waterford! They also serve a drop of Irish Whiskey or Waterford Muldoons (a toffee and hazelnut liquor) in the porridge!
Once you are fed it's time to start your day!
King of the Vikings
The King of the Vikings is a 3D Virtual Reality tour. It is the first of its kind in the world and it tells the story about how Waterford was invaded by the Vikings. During busy periods this may require a reservation. We recommend this is your first stop just in case you have not made one, you can make a reservation now and come back later in the day.
When you leave King of the Vikings delve deeper into the streets and you will stumble across the longest Viking sword in the world.
Reginald's Tower
Reginald's Tower in the round Viking tower that prominently stands at the end of the quay in Waterford. It is the oldest civic building in Ireland dating back to the 1200's and the last resident left the tower in 1954. It is believed to have many different uses over the centuries. Once a defence system, now a tourist attraction. It is proudly featured in the left of the first image in this itinerary. It is the Viking museum of Waterford City and houses many archaeological finds. At the top of the tower there is a original cannonball embedded into the walls from a time where it was once under attack.
Waterford Crystal
We are going to leave the Viking Triangle for just a moment and head across the road to the Waterford Crystal factory and showroom. If you started after breakfast, this is a great place to stop next. Waterford Crystal run factory tours throughout the day on demand with no set times. While you are waiting for your tour you are more than welcome to look through their showrooms or grab some lunch in their café. Their showrooms often has very interesting pieces such as trophies for upcoming sporting tournaments. During the factory tour you will see some of the professionals blowing crystal and making intricate pieces which is a fantastic experience. Waterford Crystal is not mass produced in Ireland any more so this is a great place to pick up an authentic piece.
Medieval Museum
We are going back across the road to the Medieval Museum. This museum is a self guided audio tour so you can progress though the areas at your leisure. This museum is a part of the Waterford Museum of Treasures so buy a dual ticket which will also permit entry to Bishop's Palace (our next stop!). The museum consists of two medieval chambers. It has various aerial models of Waterford City so you can see how the city expended through the centuries. It contains many artifacts such as perfect preserved priest gowns from the medieval era and the cap of maintenance, which is the only surviving piece of clothing worn by Henry VIII.
Bishops Palace
This is our last stop on our journey through time in Waterford City. Bishop's Palace is a 250 year old building which contains artifacts dating from 17th century Waterford. The artifacts found in this building are simply wonderful. The top floor of the museum is houses important parts of Irish history such as the 1916 Rising and Waterford during World War I.
Evening Time
Waterford was named Irish Foodie Destination of the Year 2019. This clearly means there are plenty of places to wine and dine in Waterford in the evening time. The main area with all the restaurants is the Apple Market. This is also where all of the nightlife is. Some of our favourite restaurants in Waterford are Emiliano's (Italian) and Momo (Mediterranean and also featured in Ireland's Top 100 Restaurants). There are also some great bars to eat in such as Geoff's and the Kaz Bar.
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