Day Trips to Wicklow from Dublin

Wicklow is nicknamed "the garden of Ireland" and has numerous activities to practice in the middle of nature: there are hiking trails, fresh air and breathtaking landscapes of mountains and lakes.

About 65 kilometers from Dublin, Wicklow is a very well connected place with the capital. In this post I tell you all the means of transport so you can choose the one that best suits your trip: from an organized tour to a train ride, through the bus or a rented car. Enjoy!

The most convenient way to make a first class tour and not miss anything is to book an excursion to Wicklow. This way you can enjoy the itinerary with all the comforts: you save on preparing the tours, booking transportation, getting tickets, thinking about how to get from one point of the mountains to another, etc.

In addition, the organized trips include a professional guide that guarantees safety, because the Wicklow Mountains National Park is immense and you were not going to be the first to get lost on these trails.

Stops included in this type of excursions

• The Powerscout estate, a building from 1741, with terraces and Japanese garden. There is a café where you can have a drink, in case you get hungry.
• The Powerscout waterfall: it is 121 meters high (the highest in Ireland) and is between the mountains of Great Sugar Loaf and Djouce, 6 kilometers from the Powerscout estate.
• Wicklow National Park: covers 20,000 hectares of protected nature. There are lakes, mountains, trails, forests and a lot of routes to enjoy if you like outdoor activities.
• Wicklow Gap: one of the most popular and highest mountain passes in the region.
• Kilkenny: known as the medieval capital of Ireland, is home to Kilkenny Castle, dating from the thirteenth century.
• Glendalough: a ruined monastery complex founded in the 6th century.

Look at the possibilities offered by organized tours from Dublin, as public transport access to the Wicklow Mountains National Park is limited.

Interesting facts

• Price: from 36 € approximately.
• Duration of the trip: these tours usually take all day, about 9 hours.

Another option available is to rent your own car and make the trip at your own pace. This is a good alternative because the road between Dublin and Wicklow is full of places to stop.

If you enjoy driving, it can be a good idea, although remember that in Ireland they drive on the left. It takes some getting used to, so I only recommend that you choose this option if you are an experienced driver.

Take the direct route

Driving to Wicklow Mountains National Park from Dublin is fairly easy. It can be reached via the N11/M11 road, from which smaller roads lead through the park to Glendalough.

If you take the N11/M11 south from Dublin to Kilmacanogue, you will see signs there to Glendalough, through Laragh village. It is approximately 55 kilometers of trip.

Once there, although the entrance to the National Park is free, you have to park at the Interpretation Center (where they give the maps with the hiking trails and any information you need) and there you have to pay for parking. The approximate price is 1 € per hour.

Research rental companies

Renting a car in Dublin is very easy, there are many companies available with competitive prices and a large fleet of vehicles to choose from.

You can research the websites of major car rental companies such as Sixt, Europcar or Avis to get an idea of the car models you would like to rent, their availability and price.

If you like the idea of forging your own route, remember to book in advance. On the websites of these companies you can check the models of vehicles they have available on the dates of your trip and book them directly.

Interesting facts

• Price: The price depends on many factors, such as the car you choose. A mid-range car can cost around 50 euros per day.
• Travel time: Driving from Dublin to Wicklow will take you less than an hour.
• Is it direct: Whatever you want! You drive.

The train is a good option to travel from Dublin to Wicklow: it is fast, direct, economical and very comfortable. It takes about an hour.

The departure station in Dublin is Pearse, in Westland Row, a ten minute walk from Grafton Street, and the arrival is at Wicklow train station This is an advantage for choosing this type of transport, as both stations are in the center of the cities, so you can get off and start your visit directly.

The journey is operated by Irish Rail and is a direct trip. It is also very economical: it costs approximately €8 per person each way. In addition, there are plenty of trains to choose from: more than 30 a week. That is, you can plan your trip to Wicklow with some flexibility if you choose to travel by train and be sure that you can have a seat on the day you plan to travel. However, you can always play it safe and book your seat directly. In summary, train travel between Dublin and Wicklow is highly recommended, both for price and comfort.

Interesting facts

• Price: Approximately 8 €.
• Travel time: About an hour.
• Is it direct: Yes.

The bus is less fast than the train or the car**(it takes about an hour and a half**), but it has quite a few departure stations, so it can be handy if your starting point in Dublin is close to one of them, for example the airport. It costs about 11 € (or 18 €, if you buy the round trip).

The good thing about choosing to travel by bus is that you can choose several places in Dublin to take the bus, that there are many buses available and that you can enjoy the scenery. The disadvantages are that it takes longer than other means of transport that make this journey, it is a little more expensive than the train and makes many intermediate stops, so that a fairly short journey can become heavy.

The bus trip between Dublin and Wicklow is not direct. It makes many stops, so I only recommend it if your starting point in Dublin is close to one of these stops, for example, it can be practical if you travel to Wicklow directly from the airport. (And if you need directions from the airport to Dublin, take a look at these suggestions).

The most flexible timetables: Éireann and Dublin Bus

The companies operating the route between Dublin and Wicklow are Éireann and Dublin Bus. As far as Glendalough, you can also travel with the private company St. Kevin's Bus Service.

• Éireann makes the route from Dublin to Wicklow direct or with a stop in Bray. The line is number 133 (with intermediate stops) or 133X (the direct one). There are many buses available, departing almost every hour. From Dublin, you can choose between several stops: at the North Wall Quay Arena, at the airport terminal 2 and at the Busára terminal. The arrival is at Wicklow station, the ticket price is about 11 € for a single trip and 18 € for a return ticket and the trip takes about an hour and a half.
• Dublin Bus operates the same route with only minor differences: it has fewer intermediate stops (only 6), making the journey 15 minutes shorter, and departs from Connolly Station in Dublin, opposite the train station.

Travel to Glendalough: St. Kevins Bus Service

The company offering this route is called Glendalough St. Kevin's Bus Services. The trips made by this company depart from Dublin City South (Leeson Street Lower) and arrive at Glendalough Visitor Center.

The number of the line is 181 and takes about one hour and fifteen minutes. It costs about 13 € for a single ticket and 20 € if you want a return ticket. The least practical aspect of this service is the timetable: there are only two buses a day.

The advantage of this option is that you arrive at Glendalough and you can start your visit to the beautiful monastery immediately. However, you have to take a cab to Wicklow Mountains National Park. This route is approximately 4 extra kilometers and costs between 11 and 14 € more or less.

Interesting facts

• Price: Approximately 11 € per way and person (around 18 € round trip tickets). To this price you have to add the cab from Glendalough to Wicklow Mountains National Park, about 4 €.
• Travel time: About an hour and a half.
• Is it direct: No, it makes many stops along the way. If you are not interested in these stops, the trip can take a long time.

And another thing: If your trip to Wicklow makes you want to enjoy other excursions from Dublin, you have very good options. I recommend you not to miss the Cliffs of Moher or the Giant's Causeway. In just one day from the capital you can enjoy unforgettable landscapes.