Dublin is a remarkable capital city of the Emerald Isle but if you want to look closer to the overwhelming sights you need to travel to places outside of Dublin. A few great locations will give you an unforgettable insight into the beauty of Ireland. The majority of these locations are located within less than an hour’s drive from Dublin city and it will be a feast for adventurous travelers 😉
After 8 years of living in Dublin I’ve done tons of freestyle traveling and every single trip turned out into a unique adventure. I’ve so many wonderful memories of special places and people that stood on my way.
The best places outside of Dublin.
One of the most popular destinations north direction from Dublin is Malahide. Malahide Castle & Gardens is mostly known for its historic medieval castle, beautiful gardens and a local coastal town with seafood restaurants facing the ocean. Malahide is among the prettiest places outside of Dublin to visit for a day-trip.
MALAHIDE CASTLE AND GARDEN: This amazing, refurbished castle with an engaging tour, exhibition, beautiful gardens and an expansive walk around the area is situated 16 km north of the city of Dublin. I really enjoyed a castle tour. It takes about 50-60 minutes and the history is said in humoristic way. Malahide village is charming too with a very nice promenade and lots of pleasant restaurants.
Malahide Castle & Gardens is open all year round with admission tickets from Monday to Sunday: 9.30am – 5.30pm (the last tour in winter season is at 3.30pm).
The tour includes the following admission:
- Botantic Garden
- Castle Tour
- Secret Walled Garden
- West Lawn Gardens
- Castle History Museum
For sports lovers, there is Ireland’s biggest cricket venue located in Malahide, which used to be the main ground for the biggest international matches of Test and T20 formats.
TIPS: Get a Dublin Pass | Tripadvisor to save up to 50% on 35+ attractions.
Visit the AVOCA shop for some woollens and quirky gifts – it is one of the oldest and most famous local shops.
How to get to Malahide from Dublin?
DART TRAIN (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) is the quickest and most convenient way to travel from Dublin (Howth) to Malahide.
The distance is 17 kilometers and it takes 25 minutes by DART to get there from Howth station.
Howth Harbour.
There are few places outside of Dublin I would never be fed up with and Howth is one of them. HOWTH is one of the biggest touristic destinations in Ireland. It’s an old charming fishing village, located in the Howth Peninsula, famous for its dramatic cliff walks and fresh seafood.
But it is also a great destination for adventurous hikers. The Howth Head Loop offers stunning panoramas of Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea.
Howth cliff walks.
Howth is one of the greatest places outside of Dublin for spectacular cliff walks! Don’t forget to try fish and chips there in one of the marina’s takeaways, it tastes better than anywhere else. You can take a cliff walk around the peninsula – there are few trekking options and lots of tour operators.
Hiking trails are well-marked, so a guide is not needed. Apart from incredible sea views, it is likely to spot dolphins and seals, which happened to me several times. I even had a photo session with one star 😉
The most famous Howth Cliff walk is the Howth Cliff Path Loop, which starts from the village and takes about 2 hours to complete.
Portmarnock Beach.
PORTMARNOCK BEACH is my top one among my favorite places outside of Dublin. The beach is located in the north of Dublin on the eastern coast, and it’s a stunning 5 km sandy dune beach. Fabulous for beach volleyball.
There is a free spacious car park just next to Portmarnock Hotel. The beach is within 50m from the car park. In case you want to extend your day you may want to pop in for a delicious breakfast in the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links – it is only 20 Euro per person.
The place is mostly known for luxury Golf Club.
Adventurous things to do outside Dublin.
For more adventurous travelers there are few stunning places outside of Dublin to visit. Starting with the Newgrange – a Stone Age monument, to spectacular Wicklow Mountains and gorgeous Enniskerry Waterfall.
Hiking Wicklow Mountains.
WICKLOW MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK: Paradise for adventurous hikers and freestyle travelers. This gorgeous wild area of Wicklow National Park will leave you breathless. Great place for wildlife, hiking adventures and mountain walks around Lake Lough Tay or Glendalough Upper Lake.
Glendalough walk in WIcklow Mountains.
Glendalough is one of Ireland’s most cherished scenic spots. It is located just about an hour from Dublin in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, mostly known for its hiking trails, stunning lakes and glacial valley walk. Hiking trails have a variety of difficulty and length.
- Glendalough Upper Loop can take up t0 16-18 kilometers.
- Lower Lake Loop is a convenient walk for everyone, it takes about 1.15h and it’s only 4.5km.
The longer routes are generally considered as challenging so do not estimate Wicklow Mountains, especially in rainy and windy weather.
There is a convenient parking located at the beginning of the hiking trail. Car parking is currently €5. There are a few food stalls and toilet facilities near the car park.
TIP: If you are visiting the Wicklow Mountains you might want to pop in to BRAY TOWN – the longest seaside town in Ireland, located 19 km south of Dublin, only 3 minutes from Dart station. Bray town is one of the places outside of Dublin that people come for cliff walks.
Enniskerry - the highest Waterfall in Ireland.
ENNISKERRY – (Irish: Eas Chonaill) is the highest waterfall in Ireland. Enniskerry is a village located in County Wicklow. It’s not even an hour driving from Dublin. It’s an excellent base from where to explore the surrounding countryside. The waterfall is on the Dargle river. This beautiful natural attraction is set in the valley in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. The height of the waterfall is around 120 meters.
Among top popular things to do outside Dublin is visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site of Newgrange – especially for those fascinated by ancient history. Newgrange is a Stone Age monument, located about an hour’s drive from Dublin in County Meath.
This prehistoric monument predates the pyramids of Egypt. The main attraction is a massive tomb, built around 3200 BC. You will be able to enter the tomb with a tour and marvel at its astronomical alignment with the rising sun.
Attractions outside of Dublin.
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