Wicklow

Glendalough & the Wicklow Mountains. The easiest day trip from Dublin.

Why Glendalough Is The Easiest (and maybe best) Day Tour From Dublin

You can leave Trinity College and be in the Wicklow mountains 45 minutes later. You're not spending hours on a coach on a motorway.

This makes it the easiest day trip from Dublin.

It's not just natural scenery here, there's also a medieval monastery and sheepdogs that you'll want to smuggle home with you.

This makes it the best Dublin day trip too.

The Garden of Ireland

Wicklow is called the Garden of Ireland. It's the picture perfect Ireland that you dreamt of. Make sure your phone has plenty of power, because you will take a lot of photos here.

What's Glendalough (and how do you pronounce it!)?

Repeat after me "glen-da-lock". Now say it quickly, glenadalock. Once more even quicker and barely pronounce any of the As. Well done, now you say it like we do.

It means the valley of two lakes. And in the 6th century, it was home to a monastic settlement founded by St Kevin. It was safer in the rugged mountains for the gentle monks.

Today, you can walk through the ruins of the cathedral, the priest's house and the thousand year old round tower.

The two lakes are a short walk from the visitors centre. It's worth the walk. Sit on the lakeside bench, put the phone away and just take in what a majestic and historic place you are in.

0:00

/0:10

Wicklow Mountains National Park

The national park is three times the size of Manhattan, and is covered in a spongy blanket bog. Its deer, goats and peregrine falcons are watching you as you visit their home.

I go hiking in the Wicklow mountains most weekends. I still find it hard to believe that a place as remote feeling as this is on the doorstep of our capital city. On a sunny day, you skip with joy in this glacial wonder. On a winter day, you could be in the depths of Patagonia and all you can think of is the warm fire waiting for you at home.

☔

This is Ireland. It rains. A lot. This travel umbrella will keep you dry.

The park has well known spots like Glenmacnass waterfall, the Sally Gap, the heart-shaped Lough Tay (the Guinness lake).

Braveheart was filmed here, Scotland highlands, Wicklow, who can tell the difference 🤷? The wedding scene was shot in the ruins of Glendalough.

🇮🇪

Overwhelmed by the options? Book an Ireland trip planning call with me and I'll create a custom itinerary for you.

Wicklow Villages

The villages of Wicklow are wonderful places to stop for coffee & scone. Listen in on the accents from the locals at the next table. Wonder how much a small house around here would cost.

Laragh is next to Glendalough and has a lot of buses. It's worth driving little further to Avoca or Roundwood.

Be sure to stop at the Avoca Store. They have food from tiny Irish producers. I love this place and spend way too much money here, but that's ok.

Or go Enniskerry and visit the Powerscourt Estate. The best garden in all of Ireland.

Sheepdogs

Some of the bus tours stop at local farms for a sheepdog display. I'm the kinda guy who would pick this tour over any and be more excited to watch a two year old sheepdog than 1500 year old ruins.

Kilkenny

Some of the tours also continue onto Kilkenny because it's not far away and you've already done the hard part, in getting through Dublin traffic. Kilkenny is one of Ireland's best preserved medieval cities, with a true castle (unlike Dublin Castle).

You can read my guide to Kilkenny here.

Day Trips To Glendalough

Let's get into details here. You can drive to Glendalough. If you are based in Dublin and returning to Dublin, don't drive here. No way.

Let someone else do the work navigating the tiny mountainous roads where there is often no signal. You want to look out at the views, not at your GPS.

There's a lot of choices for bus tours to Wicklow and it can be confusing, so I'll simplify it here.

Small Bus Tour of Wicklow - These guys do a very in-depth tour of Wicklow. It is a full day tour in Wicklow. Importantly, they use a small bus which can go down narrow roads that bigger buses can't go. No sheepdogs though.
Wicklow & Kilkenny Day Trip - You see a lot on this tour. The mountains, Glendalough, sheepdogs and Kilkenny.
Wicklow & Powerscourt - This tour is a little different and includes a stop at Powerscourt House & Gardens, as well as the usual stops.
Half Day Tour To Wicklow - If you're short on time, you can do a half day tour. I don't think it's enough time though. But it's better than nothing.

Private Day Tour

Private Day Tour to Wicklow - If you want a private tour of Wicklow, Terry, Linda or Gillian will be your hosts for the day.

🚌

Let someone else do the planning & driving. G Adventures are my pick for All-Ireland tours. Small groups and a 4.9 rating on Trustpilot.
See all their Ireland tours

Go Straight To Wicklow When You Land

Here is a smart strategy if you just arrived in Ireland. Everyone stays in Dublin on their first night. I love Dublin, but if you want to immerse yourself immediately in the real Irish experience, skip the city and stay in Wicklow when you land.

It's just 45 minutes from the airport to the Powerscourt Gardens. Its beauty will ward off the jet lag. Then check into one of these hotels.

🛏️ Powerscourt Hotel Start your trip in luxury here on the 1000 acre estate.

🛏️ Roundwood Lodge A 19th century inn in the quaint village of Roundwood. Named as one of "Ireland's Fab 50 Places to Stay" by the Irish Independent.

🛏️⛳ Druids Glen Resort If you're a golfer, you can tee off a couple of hours after landing on the course at your hotel in Druids Glen.

The next morning, you can be the first people at Glendalough and have it to yourself before the bus tours arrive.

Visit Dublin at the end of your trip. Drop the rental car off a few days early because you won't need in it Dublin. Save a few bucks. Here's what to do in Dublin.

🚗

Don't rent your car until you read my 10 things to know about renting a car in Ireland