Visiting Waterford Crystal: Incredible Ireland
Is visiting Waterford Crystal worth it? When first beginning to draft my dream Ireland itinerary, I was uncertain about whether I should squeeze in a visit to the famous House of Waterford Crystal. After all, I had a pretty jam-packed day planned, and a stop in Waterford meant driving a bit out of the way.
Keep reading to learn more about what to expect when visiting Waterford Crystal and also discover some helpful tips for planning your trip!
Visiting Waterford Crystal: Hours
The most important factor to keep in mind when visiting Waterford Crystal is timing! It sounds obvious, but for most of the year the factory closes at 3:15 PM and only the retail store remains open. You cannot visit the factory without hopping on a tour. Before visiting, be sure to check the hours, final tour times, and prices on the official website so you can avoid missing the factory tours, which are a must.
Note: You do not need to schedule a tour in advance, although you can save some money by purchasing tickets online in advance. When we arrived there was a bit of a wait before the actual tour started, so you may want to allow extra time in your itinerary in case it is a busy day or there are lots of tour groups.
The Waterford Crystal Factory Tour
If you enjoy learning how things are made, are looking for great indoor activities on a rainy Irish day, are interested in crystal, or looking for a timeless souvenir from Ireland, you will definitely enjoy visiting Waterford Crystal and seeing what goes on behind the scenes.
The visit and tour take about 1.5 hours, and while visiting the factory you’ll be able to see every aspect that goes into producing a piece of this iconic crystal.
Mold Room
After a brief introduction where you’ll be able to see some impressive crystal pieces, your guide will take you to the Mould room, where wooden molds are created and later used to shape molten crystal.
Crystal Blowing Room
Next, you’ll continue to the blowing room, where furnaces rage at 2552°F (1400°C). Here, the master craftsmen take the molten crystal and transform these fiery globs into gracefully shaped crystal. This was by far my favorite part of the tour, as I’ve always been interested in glassmaking.
Washing, Hand Marking, Cutting, Engraving, and Sculpting
From here, the pieces undergo several processes such as washing, wand marking, cutting, engraving, sculpting, and of course quality control before these high-end crystal products are complete! You’ll follow your guide through each of these different rooms as they explain the various processes.
The Waterford Crystal Showroom
Your visit concludes at the Waterford Crystal Showroom where you can take a look at the incredible crystal pieces produced by Waterford. While most (if not all) of the products were outside of my budget, it was still interesting seeing the many different pieces on display, from football trophies to chandeliers.
If you have more time in Waterford…
Besides crystal, there are a few more things to do in Waterford. Did you know that Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city? It was actually founded by Vikings in 914 A.D, and there are still a few remaining historic towers, landmarks, and sites to visit. Personally, we opted not to spend too much time in town as we had a bit of a drive ahead of us. That being said, if you have more time, consider checking out these things to do:
- Waterford Treasures: Medieval Museum
- King Of The Vikings Cultural Center
- Reginald’s Tower
- Christ Church Cathedral
- French Church
- Blackfriars Abbey
Overall Thoughts
So, was visiting Waterford Crystal worth it? I’m torn. On the one hand, I did enjoy having the opportunity to take a tour and see how the crystal was made. It was a nice way to mix things up on our itinerary, and added something different and unique to our trip. I also think that Waterford Crystal would be an easy day trip from Dublin!
On the other hand, the factory was a bit out of the way, and the limited hours made it difficult to fit into our Ireland itinerary.
My conclusion: If you plan out your timing better than I did, you’ll probably be able to fit a visit to Waterford into your schedule quite nicely, and still be able to see other nearby places such as Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel. That being said, if you don’t enjoy factory tours, have limited time, or have zero interest in glass or crystal, then I would save yourself the drive and perhaps skip Waterford altogether.
You might also enjoy these Ireland posts:
- The Ultimate 2 Day Dublin Itinerary
- The Ultimate Northern Ireland Itinerary + Game of Thrones Journey of Doors
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