25 Best Day Trips From Dublin

I've pulled together the 25 best, grouped by what you're in the mood for: dramatic scenery, history, coast and quick escapes. For each one you'll get the distance, roughly how long the day takes, and whether you can do it without a car — plus the best-rated tour from Dublin where one exists. And if you only have time for one, I'll tell you which I'd pick.

Short on time? My one-trip answer: the Cliffs of Moher is the day trip most people remember most — wild Atlantic cliffs, the Burren, and usually Galway in the same loop. Jump to it below, or read the full Cliffs of Moher from Dublin guide.

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At a glance: the 10 most popular

Day trip	Distance	Day length	Without a car?
Cliffs of Moher & the Burren	≈ 265 km	12–13 hrs	Easy (guided tour)
Galway City	≈ 210 km	10–12 hrs	Train or tour
Glendalough & Wicklow	≈ 50 km	6–8 hrs	Tour
Giant's Causeway (NI)	≈ 260 km	12–13 hrs	Tour
Howth	≈ 15 km	Half day	DART train
Kilkenny	≈ 130 km	8–10 hrs	Train or tour
Belfast & Titanic	≈ 165 km	11–12 hrs	Train or tour
Newgrange & Boyne Valley	≈ 50 km	6–8 hrs	Tour
Powerscourt & Gardens	≈ 30 km	Half day	Tour
Connemara & Kylemore	≈ 250 km	12–13 hrs	Tour

The best scenery day trips from Dublin

1. Cliffs of Moher (the one to book first)

If you do one day trip from Dublin, make it this one. The Cliffs of Moher rise to around 214 metres straight out of the Atlantic on Ireland's west coast — the view most people picture when they think of Ireland. Because the cliffs sit on the opposite coast from Dublin, it's a full day (roughly 12–13 hours), but a good tour fills that day properly: the cliffs themselves, the lunar limestone of the Burren, and usually time in Galway on the way back.

Distance: ≈ 265 km · Day length: 12–13 hrs · Without a car: Easy by guided tour · Best for: first-time visitors, scenery, that one photo you came for

New here? Start with the full Cliffs of Moher from Dublin guide, or compare every route on our best tours from Dublin page.

2. Connemara & Kylemore Abbey

Wild bog, mountains and the storybook Kylemore Abbey on a lake. Connemara is the rugged, Irish-speaking heart of the west — a longer day, but a beautiful one, often paired with Galway.

Distance: ≈ 250 km · Day length: 12–13 hrs · Without a car: Tour

3. Glendalough & the Wicklow Mountains

The closest big scenery to the city. Glendalough is a glacial valley with two lakes and a 6th-century monastic site, set in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. Easy to combine with a mountain drive.

Distance: ≈ 50 km · Day length: 6–8 hrs · Without a car: Tour

4. The Giant's Causeway (Northern Ireland)

Forty thousand hexagonal basalt columns stepping into the sea — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a long day across the border, usually combined with the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Antrim coast.

Distance: ≈ 260 km · Day length: 12–13 hrs · Without a car: Tour

5. Powerscourt Estate & Waterfall

A grand house with Italian and Japanese gardens, plus Ireland's highest waterfall nearby. An easy half-day in Wicklow, gentle on the legs.

Distance: ≈ 30 km · Day length: Half day · Without a car: Tour

The best history & culture day trips

6. Newgrange & the Boyne Valley

A 5,000-year-old passage tomb — older than the pyramids and Stonehenge — famous for the winter-solstice light that fills its chamber. The Boyne Valley is dense with ancient sites.

Distance: ≈ 50 km · Day length: 6–8 hrs · Without a car: Tour

7. Kilkenny (the medieval city)

A walkable medieval city with a riverside castle, narrow lanes and a strong craft and food scene. Quick by train and a relaxed change of pace from Dublin.

Distance: ≈ 130 km · Day length: 8–10 hrs · Without a car: Train or tour

8. Belfast & the Titanic Quarter

Northern Ireland's capital, with the superb Titanic Belfast museum on the slipways where the ship was built. Often paired with a black-cab political tour.

Distance: ≈ 165 km · Day length: 11–12 hrs · Without a car: Train or tour

9. Rock of Cashel

A dramatic cluster of medieval buildings on a limestone outcrop in County Tipperary — one of Ireland's most striking historic sites.

Distance: ≈ 165 km · Day length: 9–11 hrs · Without a car: Tour

10. Trim Castle & the Boyne

Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman castle (you may recognise it from Braveheart), an easy half-day in County Meath — usually visited as part of a Boyne Valley and ancient-sites loop.

Distance: ≈ 50 km · Day length: Half day · Without a car: Tour

The best coast & seaside day trips

11. Howth

A fishing village on a peninsula just north of the city, with a cliff walk, seafood, and seals in the harbour. The easiest "escape" of all.

Distance: ≈ 15 km · Day length: Half day · Without a car: DART train

12. Bray to Greystones cliff walk

A scenic coastal path between two seaside towns, reachable by DART. Walk one way, train back — no tour or car needed.

Distance: ≈ 25 km · Day length: Half day · Without a car: DART train

13. Malahide Castle & village

A handsome castle with gardens plus a pretty coastal village and marina, a short hop north on the train. Easy to pair with Howth on a single coastal day.

Distance: ≈ 15 km · Day length: Half day · Without a car: Train

14. Dún Laoghaire & Dalkey

Victorian seafront, a long pier walk, and the "Irish Riviera" village of Dalkey just beyond. Or see the coast from the water on a Dublin Bay cruise.

Distance: ≈ 12 km · Day length: Half day · Without a car: DART train

15. Skerries

A quieter north-coast town with windmills, beaches and harbour walks — a local favourite that most visitors miss. An easy car-free trip on the train.

Distance: ≈ 30 km · Day length: Half day · Without a car: Train

More day trips worth your time

These round out the 25 — great if you've already ticked off the headliners:

• 16. Galway City — the cultural capital of the west; lively streets, music and the bay. See our full Galway city guide. (≈ 210 km · train or tour)
• 17. Aran Islands — windswept islands off Galway, reachable via a longer combined trip. (Tour)
• 18. Wexford & the Hook Peninsula — beaches and one of the world's oldest working lighthouses. (≈ 140 km · tour)
• 19. Cork City & Blarney Castle — kiss the Blarney Stone; a long but doable southern day. (≈ 250 km · train or tour)
• 20. The Burren — a strange limestone moonscape in Clare, usually paired with the cliffs. (≈ 250 km · tour)
• 21. Mourne Mountains (NI) — granite peaks that inspired Narnia, near Newcastle. (≈ 130 km · tour)
• 22. Athlone & Clonmacnoise — a riverside town and an atmospheric monastic ruin on the Shannon. (≈ 125 km · tour)
• 23. Brú na Bóinne + Hill of Tara — ancient seat of the High Kings, paired with Newgrange. (≈ 45 km · tour)
• 24. Carlingford — a medieval village on a lough with mountains behind it. (≈ 90 km · tour)
• 25. Causey Farm — hands-on Irish farm and culture experience for families. (≈ 50 km · tour)

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Day trips from Dublin without a car

You don't need to hire a car to see the best of Ireland from Dublin. Two routes work well:

• By train (DART & Irish Rail): the coastal spots — Howth, Malahide, Bray, Dún Laoghaire, Greystones — are all on the DART. Galway, Kilkenny, Cork and Belfast are reachable on intercity trains.
• By guided tour: for the big scenery that public transport can't reach in a day — the Cliffs of Moher, Giant's Causeway, Connemara, Glendalough — a tour is the practical choice. You're collected in the city centre and everything is handled.

How to choose your day trip from Dublin

A few quick rules of thumb:

• Only one day, first visit? Go west to the Cliffs of Moher — it's the most "Ireland" of all the options.
• Want history? Newgrange or Kilkenny.
• Half a day or tired legs? Howth, Malahide or Powerscourt.
• No car? Stick to the DART coast or book a guided tour for the far-flung scenery.
• Two days to spare? Pair a western trip (cliffs + Galway) with a closer one (Glendalough or Newgrange).

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FAQ: Day trips from Dublin