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13 Best Day Trips from Dublin (By Car, Tour + Train)

13 Best Day Trips from Dublin (By Car, Tour + Train)

In this guide, you’ll find 1, the best day trips from Dublin for those of you with a car and 2, some great day tours from Dublin for those of you without a car.

While there are plenty of things to do in Dublin, it’s well worth exploring the wealth of attractions that lay a short distance away.

And, although the likes of Wicklow tends to be the ‘go-to’ of the Dublin day trips, there’s plenty more on offer, as you’ll see below.

The best day trips from Dublin by car

best day trips from Dublin by car

 

If you’re driving, there’s countless places to visit near Dublin by car, once you know where to look.

Below, you’ll find the ‘old favourites’ like Glendalough and Newgrange, but you’ll also find some often missed Dublin day trips, like the Cooley Peninsula and more.

1. Wicklow (55-minute drive)

Glendalough walks

Photos via Shutterstock

Also known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’, Wicklow is one of the best day trips from Dublin for good reason!

Well-known for its outstanding natural beauty, the county is blessed with glittering lakes and monastic villages and ruins.

I’ve been taking half day trips from Dublin to Wicklow for years and the itinerary that I tend to use is this one:

If you’re looking for more active Dublin day trips, tackle one of the longer Wicklow walks over the course of a morning!

 

2. The Cooley Peninsula (1.5-hour drive)

Carlingford Town

Photos by Tom Archer via Tourism Ireland

The Cooley Peninsula is one of the more overlooked Dublin day trips. There’s plenty of things to see and do here and there’s a clatter of great places to eat.

Depending on whether or not you want to include a hike in your trip, here’s a suggested itinerary:

There are heaps of other things to do in Carlingford if the options above don’t tickle your fancy!

 

3. The Boyne Valley (35-minute drive)

Trim Castle

Photos via Shutterstock

County Meath is another of the best day trips from Dublin by car. It’ll take you around 35 minutes by car to reach and there’s an endless number of things to do in Meath to keep you busy.

If you’re looking for a day-out in the Boyne Valley, here’s a mini itinerary to tackle:

Or, of you fancy seeing more of Meath, check out the Hill of Tara, one of the most important archaeological sites in the country or Trim Castle, the best-preserved of the many Anglo-Norman castles in Ireland.

 

4. The Mournes (2-hour drive)

Tollymore Forest Park

Photos via Shutterstock

One of the more impressive places to visit near Dublin by car are the Mourne Mountains in County Down.

Now, you’ll need to do a bit of planning if you opt for this Dublin day trip, as there’ll be a fair bit of walking involved.

If you’re visiting the area for the first time, I’d strongly recommend heading into Tollymore Forest Park (above) and then heading for lunch in Newcastle followed by a stroll on the beach.

Or, if you fancy a hike, there’s heaps of Mourne Mountain walks to tackle, like the tough Slieve Donard hike.

 

5. The Ring of Gullion + Newry (1.5-hours)

Cloughmore Stone

© Tourism Ireland photographed by Brian Morrison

One of the best day trips from Dublin that’s very regularly overlooked is the trip that takes in both the Ring of Gullion and a glorious corner of Rostrevor.

Start your road trip with the Slieve Gullion Drive or walk, depending on how you’re feeling (the walk is steep). Head into nearby Gather and Brew after for a bite-to-eat!

When you’re ready, take the spin out to Kilbroney Park – it’s here that you’ll find the Cloughmore Stone and the aptly named Kodak Corner.

If you’re looking for day tours from Dublin with plenty of walks, this one is hard to beat!

 

6. Kilkenny (1.5-hour drive)

Kilkenny Castle

Photos via Shutterstock

Another of the best day trips from Dublin is Kilkenny. Now, while there are plenty of things to do in Kilkenny, many people make the mistake of think that there’s only the castle.

Head for the supposedly haunted Dunmore Cave, first, and take the tour.

Then spin into the city and you have everywhere from the Smithwick’s Brewery and the castle to the Medieval Mile to choose from.

Food wise, there’s plenty of options in the city. If you need a reccy, both foodworks and Aroi Asian Fusion are worth a bash. Round off your day with a visit to Jerpoint Abbey.

 

7. Options that require 2.5-hours+ driving

Legnabrocky Trail

Photos via Shutterstock

Although I’ve tackled several places to visit near Dublin by car above, there’s endless day tours from Dublin if you’re open to driving a bit further.

One of the more popular road trips from Dublin is to Cuilcagh (above) in Fermanagh. It’s around a 2.5-hour spin.

If you’re not afraid of a bit of driving, you could visit Waterford (Coumshingaun Lough’s a tough but rewarding hike), Wexford and plenty more.

The best day trips from Dublin without a car

best day tours from Dublin

 

The second section of this guide is for those of you looking for the best day trips from Dublin without a car.

If you don’t fancy taking an organised tour, I have a guide to some great day trips from Dublin by train, too.

Note: if you book a tour through one of the links below we may make a tiny commission that helps us keep this site going. You won’t pay extra, but we really do appreciate it.

1. Cliffs of Moher, Kilmacduagh Abbey + Galway

cliffs of moher at sunset

Photos via Shutterstock

I’m going to kick things off with arguably one of the best day tours from Dublin when it comes to reviews (it has 4.8/5 from 15,149+ reviews at the time of typing).

If you’re looking to escape the capital and explore a chunk of the west coast, this day tour from Dublin takes in the Cliffs of Moher, Dunguaire Castle, the Burren and plenty more.

Key info on the tour:

  • Starts at: 6:45 AM
  • Length: 13 hours
  • Reviews: 4.8/5 from 15,149+ reviews
  • Cost: From €78 p/p
 
 

2. Giants Causeway, Dark Hedges, Dunluce + Belfast

giants causeway tours

Photos via Shutterstock

Next up is another of the best day tours from Dublin when it comes to reviews (it has 4.8/5 from 6,191+ reviews at the time of typing).

This is a half day trip from Dublin that takes in some of the top attractions on the Causeway Coastal Route, like Dunluce Castle, The Dark Hedges and the Giant’s Causeway along with a 1.5-hour stop in Belfast City.

Key info on the tour:

  • Starts at: 6:45 AM
  • Length: 12 hours
  • Reviews: 4.8/5 from 6,191+ reviews
  • Cost: From €88 p/p
 
 

3. Kilkenny, Wicklow + Glendalough with Sheepdog Show

upper lake Glendalough

Photos via Shutterstock

If you’re looking for short day trips from Dublin, this organised tour requires much less travelling than the previous two, and it currently has 4.8/5 from 1,923+ reviews.

This is one of the more popular half day trips from Dublin and it takes in Glendalough, the ancient city of Kilkenny and a very impressive sheepdog demonstration.

Key info on the tour:

  • Starts at: 08:00 AM
  • Length: 9 hours
  • Reviews: 4.8/5 from 1,923+ reviews
  • Cost: From €33 p/p

Read more + buy tickets

 

4. Rock of Cashel, Cahir + Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

Photos via Shutterstock

The next of our half day tours from Dublin is going to appeal to those of you looking to visit some of the most impressive castles in Ireland.

This is a 12-hour tour that includes the entrance fees to each of the attractions.

And, while there’s a good bit of driving involved, it’s broken up with the stops at Blarney Castle (the home of the Blarney Stone), the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle.

Key info on the tour:

  • Starts at: 06:50 AM
  • Length: 12 hours
  • Reviews: 4.6/5 from 556+ reviews
  • Cost: From €85 p/p

Read more + buy tickets

 

5. Newgrange and the Boyne Valley

Newgrange

Photos via Shutterstock

Another of the best one day trips from Dublin takes you into the heart of the brilliant Boyne Valley to explore counties Louth and Meath.

You’ll take the tour of Newgrange, explore the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre and see the ancient Monasterboice which is home to some magnificent Celtic Crosses.

Key info on the tour:

  • Starts at: Check when booking
  • Length: 8 hours
  • Reviews: 4.7/5 from 462+ reviews
  • Cost: From €85 p/p

Read more + buy tickets

 

Explore Ireland beyond the Dublin day trips

best ireland itinerary

If you’re looking to explore Ireland from Dublin, I have 200+ different options in my Road Trip Itinerary Library.

You can pick trip length, your mode of transport and plenty more.

Still struggling to decide on a one day trip from Dublin? Ask away in the comments below!

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