I love Dublin and think that everyone who comes to Ireland should pay the city a visit. Having said that, this island has plenty more to offer than just the one city. This is my list of the best day trips you can do from Dublin.
- Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.
- Belfast and the Giants Causeway.
- Howth.
- County Cork.
- Kilkenny.
- Ennis.
- Malahide.
- Waterford.
- The Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough.
- Dublin’s Coast.
This list is by no means definitive, or in any order. I just wanted to give you a good overview of the different options available. I have also written individual articles on how to see most of these places, if you are interested in visiting anywhere mentioned here, just click into the article to find out how in more detail. Where appropriate, I have also created price comparison tables that you can use to compare the different methods of travel available.
If there isn’t an article for any of these places already, one will be coming soon!
Day Trips from Dublin
If you want to see as much of Ireland as possible, then Dublin is a great place to stay. The way the infrastructure has been set up in the country makes visiting many different parts of Ireland easier to do from Dublin. Depending on how long your stay in Ireland is, spending at least one day of your trip out of the city, exploring the rest of Ireland can be a great use of your time.
One of the main issues you might have when exploring Ireland is the logistics, the public transport is not that good and renting a car can be expensive. To compensate for this, there are companies all over Ireland that offer day trips around the country to various sites. These tours will usually take all day and are good value for money. Though, public transport options are usually available, they might not be the best use of your time or money.
If you want to only use public transport during your stay, then don’t worry, you still have plenty of options. If you want to read my recommendations for the best day trips from Dublin using public transport, then you can find the article here.
Galway and The Cliffs of Moher
This is probably the most popular day trip from Dublin and if you have friends who visited Ireland in the last 10 years or so, they have more than likely done some variation of this trip. Galway is the fourth biggest city in the Republic of Ireland and is widely regarded as the most fun. This university town is made up of winding medieval streets and has too many cosy pubs filled with traditional Irish music to count. In the last decade or so the cliffs of Moher have become even more popular and famous than the Giants Causeway and thousands of visitors head there every day!
When you visit, it will be easy to see why these places are so popular. While you can reach them via road or public transport links, I would normally recommend that travellers use the coach tours that are on offer around the country. Galway is about 2.5 hours away from Dublin by car, with the cliffs being a further 1 hour away. Getting between the two cities by public transport is cheaper but will take about an hour longer and you will probably not be able to easily move between the cliffs and Galway.
One of the best options I have found is Irish Day Tours, they run a service from Dublin out to the cliffs and Galway every day. You will see both in detail and a lot of the surrounding area. Not only that, but you will also have a guide to take you there and back, filling in the details of the history all the while.
I have created a price comparison table for you to check out below and see which of these options best suits your travel needs:
| Method | Approximate Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for more details |
| Car Rental | 2.5 Hours | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus to Galway | 3.5 Hours | €13 (One Way) | GoBus.ie |
| Train to Galway | 3 Hours | €45 (Adult same-day return) | Irish Rail |
| Coach Tour | Full Day (12-14 Hours) | €50 | Irish Day Tours |
If you want more information on visiting the Cliffs of Moher, you can find my guide to it here.
Belfast and The Giants Causeway
This is another hugely popular route for travellers when they come to Ireland. Belfast is the second biggest city on the island of Ireland and the capital of Northern Ireland. The Giants Causeway is Ireland’s only UNESCO world heritage site and has captured the imaginations of visitors and locals alike since people started to come to this part of the world. It is even heavily mentioned in certain Irish myths!
The following is an excerpt from my guide on how to see the Giants Causeway:
The Causeway is located about 250 kilometres (155 miles) away from Dublin, so getting there will take some time, and remember: you will need to budget time for getting back too.
The journey is about 3 hours by car and over 5 ½ hours by public transport, each way.
There are multiple companies that offer a coach tour of this route, the best value for money one I am aware of is Finn McCools Tours. Named after the legendary giant who built the causeway In Irish mythology, this tour will bring you to the causeway itself and several nearby attractions including the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge and Belfast city. This tour costs €56 and lasts the full day.
For your convenience, I have created the following reference table for the different ways to get to the causeway from Dublin:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 3 Hours | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Public Transport (Trains + Busses) | 5 Hours 40 Minutes | €40-50 | Irish Rail |
| Coach Tour | Full Day (13-14 Hours) | €56 | Finn McCools Tours |
Howth
I have already spoken about this part of Ireland, for more details on Howth and what to do there, you can find my guide here. If you want to find out a little more about it first, read on…
This is easily one of my favourite places to visit in all of Ireland, it is also one of the most cost-effective places for a day-trip on this entire list. Howth is a small peninsula about 20 kilometres north of Dublin city centre and can be reached by both the DART light rail service or Dublin Bus in about half an hour from the centre of Dublin.
The peninsula itself offers stunning views. From the top of Muck Rock hill, you will be able to see inland and will get one of the best views of Dublin city. On a clear(ish) day you will be able to see the entirety of Dublin city and the surrounding six counties. On the other side of Howth’s Summit, you will be able to see all of Dublin bay and most of the eastern coast of Ireland. On a clear day you should be able to see from the Wicklow Mountains in the south, to the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. If you are lucky, and the weather is perfect, you might even be able to see Wales across the Irish Sea!
You can reach Howth via public transport links. Dublin Bus and the DART both run regular services out there every day. Bus fare is usually about €3 per journey, with the rail service being about €4.50. Though you will be able to explore the area by yourself, I feel that having a guided tour is the better way to do things. This way you will not only learn about the history of this unique part of the world, but you will also be able to find hidden gems that 90% of the people who go to Howth miss out on.
If you are interested in a guided tour of Howth, Sandemans New Europe offer an excellent experience. This tour is cheaper than all the other organised day trips that you will find from Dublin and you won’t have to spend any time stuck on a bus. You will get to see more nature on this trip than you would on almost any of the other day trips you can do from Dublin. The tour is €28, which includes the price of your rail ticket there and back. You can stay longer in Howth if you wish.
For detailed logistical information on getting to Howth, please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 30 – 45 Minutes | €43 (24 Hour Rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 30 – 45 Minutes | €3 | Dublin Bus |
| Rail | 30 – 45 Minutes | €5 | Irish Rail |
| Guided Tour | Half Day (6-8 Hours) | €28 | Sandemans |
County Cork
Cork has the second city in the republic of Ireland and is locally known as the “Rebel County” and the city itself is known as the “Real Capital” of Ireland. County Cork has a long history of rebellions against British rule and many of the revolutionary figures who helped to establish the independent Irish state came from this part of the country. On the southern coast of this county you will find the town of Cobh (formerly Queenstown), this was the final stop of the Titanic, before she set sail on her ill-fated voyage. It was also the final port of call for many Irish emigrants on their exodus from Ireland during the famine. County Cork is also home to the famous Blarney Castle, which is known the world over for the Blarney stone, kissing which supposedly grants the “gift of the gab” – eloquence.
Cork city is well connected to Dublin via multiple transport links. The real issue that you should be aware of is getting around County Cork while you are there. Some of the monuments and towns can be difficult to get to if you don’t have a car. There are tour companies that will bring you around the area and get you into many of the different attractions included in the tour price. From my research, the best value for money tour of County Cork from Dublin is ran by Irish Rail Tours. The tour starts at 6.40 am in Heuston Station in Dublin and goes to many of the different sites around Cork, including guided tours of the city and the town of Cobh, as well as admission fees for various sites and transport costs. This tour will finish in Dublin at about 8.20 pm and it costs €110 for an adult ticket.
For more detailed logistical information on getting to Cork, please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 3 – 3.5 Hours | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 3 Hours | €14 | GoBus |
| Rail | 2.5 Hours | €41-€70 | Irish Rail |
| Guided Tour | Full Day (14 Hours) | €110 | Irish Rail Tours |
Guide to Cork, coming soon.
Kilkenny
The “Marble City”, is known as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Ireland, full of winding cobblestone streets. Some of the main attractions here include Kilkenny Castle, which is open to the public for tours throughout the year. Exploring the grounds of this castle can be a great way to spend a (nice) day outside of Dublin. You will also find St. Candince’s Cathedral, which is the second biggest in Ireland and has one of the few remaining Round Towers left in the country. These were built by ancient Irish monk during the early medieval period.
This town also has an alcohol tour that offers an, arguably, better experience than the Guinness Storehouse; the Smithwick’s Brewery. This is about 50 years older than Guinness and the Red Ale is still hugely popular around Ireland. You can find it served in many of the bars and restaurants along the “Medieval Mile”, which is one of the best-preserved medieval city districts in Ireland. The area has seen a huge boom in recent years with the foodie renascence that Ireland has seen in the last decade.
Getting to Kilkenny from Dublin is straightforward as the cities are close to one another. Kilkenny is about 1.5 – 2 hours away from Dublin by car, just be aware that parking can sometimes be an issue, you may need to drive around before you will be able to find a parking spot. Though there are regular coach services to Kilkenny, I would recommend that you take the train. It is about half an hour quicker and is also cheaper, €15 vs €18 for the coach!
There are plenty of companies that operate full-day tours from Dublin to Kilkenny, most of them will go through the Wicklow Mountains too (more on them later). When I speak to fellow Irish guides, the company that we all seem to recommend the most for this route is Wild Rover Tours. You will pay about €7 more for this tour than the cheapest competitor that I have found, but you will get a tour guide as well as a driver. This really does make the whole experience that much better. This tour costs €33 per person and lasts all day.
For a comparison of the different options available, please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 1.5 – 2 Hours | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 1.5 Hours | €18 | jjKavanagh |
| Rail | 1 – 1.5 Hours | €15 | Irish Rail |
| Coach Tour | Full Day (12 Hours) | €33 | Wild Rover Tours |
For more information on visiting Kilkenny, you can find my guide here.
Ennis
This big town is a little off the beaten track. The capital of county Clare is also known as the capital of traditional Irish music and there are probably more buskers per head of the population here than anywhere else in Ireland! Though this town is close to major Irish landmarks like the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, it is still relatively untouched by tourism. This is one of the best places that you can head to in Ireland if you want to avoid the crowds of tourists in the summer months.
The centre of Ennis is small and easily walkable. During the evening, you will be able to walk from pub to pub, enjoying the live music on offer. The nightlife in this town is something that is worth travelling to see. There are also many different tours on offer that will bring you from Ennis to places nearby, like the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and the Aran Islands. In fact, the best way to see the cliffs of Moher is from the water on one of these tours!
This is one of the most difficult places to get to from Dublin on this list. I would recommend that most people who visit here spend at least one night in the town as well, this way you will get a sense of the great musical pub-culture on offer.
For logistical information on getting to Ennis, please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 2.5 Hours | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 3.5 Hours | €15 | Dublincoach |
| Rail | 1 – 1.5 Hours | €37 | Irish Rail |
Guide to Ennis, Coming soon.
Malahide
If you don’t want to travel too far away on your day out of Dublin, there are plenty of things to see without even leaving the county! About 17 kilometres north of Dublin city is the coastal town of Malahide, built around the 12th century, Norman castle. The coastal route north is one of the most picturesque in Ireland and you can take it in easily from the city centre. On your way up to this small town, you can pass through several others, including Howth, and get the chance to see some great views of Dublin Bay, provided the weather is good of course!
Malahide can be easily reached from Dublin by car or public transport and there are several tour companies that will bring you there, explaining everything that you see while there. Getting there by car and most forms of public transport should take as little as 30-45 minutes. Though there are companies that will take you on full-day tours to Malahide and include trips to other parts of the country like Wicklow and Kilkenny, I think that most of them don’t really work too well. The highest-regarded tour that I am aware of will only take half a day and uses expert, local guides of the area. It is run by the Grey-Line company and costs about €21. This tour also includes a stop-off in the beautiful Howth village, which I always recommend
For Logistical information on visiting Malahide, please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 30 – 40 Minutes | €43 (24 Hours Rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 30 – 40 Minutes | €3 | Dublin Bus |
| Rail | 30 – 40 Minutes | €5 | Irish Rail |
| Guided Tour | Half Day (4 – 6 Hours) | €20.80 | Grey Link Ireland |
Guide to Malahide, coming soon.
Waterford
This is the oldest city in the Republic of Ireland, founded on by the Vikings as a port along the southern coast of the island. The area around the south-eastern corner of Ireland is today known as the “sunny south-east” and has the best weather in all of Ireland! Though to people from warmer climates it might not sound like much, but to Irish people the 2-4 degrees more warmth is a big deal. The county is home to many ancient monuments, from those built by the Vikings to stone-age tombs.
Getting here from Dublin is also straightforward. The city of Waterford is about 170 kilometres away and the cities are well-connected with transport links. Driving will take a little over 2 hours and getting there by public transport will usually take about an hour longer. The only area where this part of the country is lacking is tour companies. The south-eastern part of Ireland has also been overlooked by international tourism, so if you want to escape the crowds, you can head down here.
For detailed logistical information on getting to Waterford (city), please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 2 – 2.5 Hours | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 2 – 2.45 Hours | €16 | jjKavanagh |
| Rail | 2 – 2.5 Hours | €15 | Irish Rail |
Guide to Waterford, coming eventually.
The Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough
The Wicklow Mountains have already been mentioned a couple of times in this list and they are one of the best places to visit on a day trip from Dublin. If you decide to come here you will find beautiful coastal towns and villages, ancient Christian monasteries, stone-age monuments among many other great attractions. County Wicklow also has the largest national park in the Republic of Ireland and its full of wildlife and some of the best hiking routes in the country. From the Wicklow Mountains you will also be able to find some of the best views of Dublin city and the south east of Ireland.
This area of Ireland is also within easy reach of Dublin city centre. The best way to travel around Wicklow is probably via car, this is a popular weekend activity among locals. Getting to Bray, the largest town in County Wicklow and right one the border with Dublin, should take less than half an hour from the city centre. Getting to Wicklow town, in the centre of the county’s coastline, will take a little over an hour by car. There are public transport links to both towns, while the DART will go from Dublin as far as Bray, Irish Rail will offer routes to Wicklow town and there are bus services also. This will usually take about 1.5 hours to get to Wicklow town.
If you want to see as much of the area as possible, the tour that I would recommend is run by Wild Rover Tours. This is the same tour that I spoke about when talking about Kilkenny. This tour will last all day and covers the Wicklow Mountains, the national park and Glendalough Monastery and the tour then goes on to Kilkenny. I always try to recommend these tours whenever possible, because they are only a few euro more expensive than the cheapest option and have a dedicated driver and a dedicated guide, most only have a driver-guide. This means that you will get a much better experience.
For a comparison of the different options available, please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 30 mins – 1.5 Hours | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 30 – 45 Minutes | €3 | Dublin Bus |
| Rail | 30 – 45 Minutes | €5 | Irish Rail |
| Coach Tour | Full Day (12 Hours) | €33 | Wild Rover Tours |
For more information on visiting the Wicklow Mountains, you can find my guide here.
Dublin’s Coast
This is possibly the easiest day trip from Dublin and the one that most Dubliners are likely to take themselves. Travelling along the coast of county Dublin can be a great experience. We have already spoken about a lot of the smaller towns along the coast like Howth and Malahide, but when you take this route, you will be able to see so much more.
The coast of county Dublin has become a desirable place to live and the property prices have gotten high in recent years. Famous Irish musicians like Bono and Enya own lavish homes in some of the small villages that you can pass through and its easy to see why. On a nice day, you could easily mistake parts of Dublin Bay for somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea. Below is a list of some of the towns and attractions that you can check out along the coast, from north to south:
- Malahide
- Howth
- Bull-Island
- Dublin City Docklands
- Dun Laoighre
- Dalkey
- Killiney
- Greystones
- Bray
These are just some of the places that you can visit along the coast. For a price comparison of the ways to get around, please consult the table below:
| Method | Journey Time (Each Way) | Approximate Price (€) | Company Link, for Further Details |
| Car | 1 Hour | €43 (24 hours rental) | Hertz Dublin |
| Bus | 1.5 Hours | €3 | Dublin Bus |
| Rail | 1.5 Hours | €5 | Irish Rail |
This article will be updated over time. Check back again!
