Waterford's New Viking Tour Is the Summer Day Out Your Kids Need
If your summer to-do list currently reads “survive the school holidays without losing your mind,” we have something worth adding to it. Waterford Treasures is launching a brand new Children’s Viking Tour this summer, and it looks like exactly the kind of thing that keeps kids utterly absorbed for an afternoon while you quietly congratulate yourself on the excellent parenting decision you’ve made.
Set in Waterford — Ireland’s oldest city, no less — the experience is designed for children aged 5 to 12 and runs every Saturday and Sunday at 2.00 pm throughout Summer 2026. Each tour lasts just over 30 minutes, which is long enough to feel like a proper adventure and short enough to keep even the most easily distracted six-year-old on board.
From the school gate to the Viking gate
The tour kicks off at the Viking House, a full-scale reconstruction of a traditional Viking home. The moment your child walks through the door, they’re met by an expert Viking guide and handed a toy sword to keep. You can already picture the scene on the drive home, can’t you.
From there, the group heads out through Waterford’s medieval streets — genuinely atmospheric, genuinely old — following the route of the city’s original Norse settlers. Along the way, children hear stories of sea voyages, battles and legendary kings. The kind of tales that tend to spark about forty follow-up questions at bedtime, which is either brilliant or mildly exhausting depending on the night.
One of the standout moments of the tour is a visit to a 40-foot replica Viking longboat. There’s also a stop beside Reginald’s Tower, one of Ireland’s most iconic Viking landmarks, named after the Norse ruler Ragnall. It’s been standing since the 10th century, which puts your kitchen renovation firmly in perspective.
History that actually sticks
The tour wraps back at the Viking House, where children get a hands-on look at what everyday Viking family life was actually like — longships, trade, food, community. It’s the kind of living history experience that tends to make the past feel real rather than something trapped in a textbook.
Waterford Treasures have clearly thought carefully about the age range here. The combination of storytelling, exploration and imaginative play is pitched well for primary-school-age children — old enough to engage with the history, young enough to still be completely thrilled about the sword.
Two Vikings explore history the old-fashioned way — and via VR.
Tickets and booking
Tickets are priced at €9.50 per child, with a toy sword included. Adult tickets are also €9.50. Children under five go free, though you can pick up a sword for them for €2.50 if you’d prefer not to spend the afternoon explaining why their sibling has one and they don’t. A family ticket covering two adults and two children comes in at €35, with additional children charged at €6.50 each.
Each tour is limited to 25 participants so advance booking is strongly recommended. You can find all the details and book your spots at waterfordtreasures.com.
As summer activity options go, this one ticks a lot of boxes — educational without feeling like homework, active without requiring you to pack a change of clothes, and memorable in a way that a soft play centre on a rainy Tuesday simply isn’t. Get it in the diary.