Places you can reach in the morning and leave in the evening. Public transport first; the car only where it really helps.
Glendalough
Early Christian monastic site founded by St Kevin in the 6th century, in a glacial valley of the Wicklow Mountains with two lakes. A round tower, stone churches and lake walks; one direct bus a day each way from St Stephen's Green makes it a relaxed full day.
How to get there
- Bus · St Kevin's Bus Service · 1 h 20 minFrom St Stephen's Green North (opposite Stephen Court)
Departures: one bus a day at 11:00 (arrives Glendalough Visitor Centre 12:20), every day all year except Christmas Day; return 16:30 from the visitor centre (back at St Stephen's Green about 18:00); extra 18:00 departure from Dublin
Fare: EUR 23 return, EUR 14 single from St Stephen's Green; from Bray EUR 16 return / EUR 10 single; return tickets valid 30 days. Cards, cash and Leap (not Leap Visitor or Young Adult) accepted (glendaloughbus.com, checked 2026-10)
The bus also stops in Bray (11:40), Roundwood and Laragh. With only the 16:30 return you get about 4 hours in the valley.
What to see
- Monastic City and round tower. Round tower, medieval stone churches and decorated crosses near the visitor centre. OPW suggests 1-1.5 hours for the visitor centre and site.
- Glendalough Visitor Centre. OPW exhibition on the monastery; adult EUR 5, child/student EUR 3, family EUR 13. Daily 09:30-17:00 from 15 October to mid-March (last admission 16:15), 09:30-18:00 mid-March to 14 October. Closed 23-29 December.
- Upper Lake and St Kevin's Bed. St Kevin's Bed is a small man-made cave in the cliff above the Upper Lake; the walk up the valley gives the view of both lakes. 1-2 hours.
Closed days
Visitor centre closed 23-29 December inclusive; the bus runs every day except Christmas Day.
Best time to go
all year; visitor centre toilets close at 16:15 from mid-October to mid-March
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Public car park near the site; a paid parking ticket gives one free admission to the visitor centre (OPW). No official drive time checked.
Good to know
- Take the 11:00 bus and plan to be back at the visitor centre stop for the 16:30 return: there is no later bus to Dublin.
- The graveyard is very hard to reach in a wheelchair; the visitor centre itself is fully accessible.
Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange and Knowth)
UNESCO World Heritage passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, built around 3200 BC in a bend of the River Boyne. You reach Newgrange and Knowth only on a guided tour by shuttle bus from the OPW visitor centre, and tickets must be booked ahead.
How to get there
- Train · Iarnród Éireann / NIR (Enterprise) · 38 minFrom Dublin Connolly
Departures: Enterprise to Belfast hourly at :50 on weekdays (e.g. 08:50, 09:50, 10:50), stopping at Drogheda MacBride 38 min later; also Northern Commuter trains (timetable valid from 14 Dec 2025)
Fare: not verified 2026
Then walk about 15 minutes to Drogheda bus station or take route 163 from the rail station stop.
- Bus · TFI Local Link Louth Meath Fingal (route 163) · 35 minFrom Drogheda MacBride Railway Station
Departures: Mon-Sun 08:40, 10:45, 12:45, 14:45, 16:30 to the visitor centre; back from the visitor centre 09:55, 11:50, 13:50, 15:45, 17:00 (timetable dated September 2025, not re-checked for 2026)
Fare: not verified 2026
Check the TFI Live or TFI Go app before travelling.
What to see
- Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre. Start point for all tours; interactive exhibition on the Neolithic monuments. October-February 09:00-16:15, May-September 09:00-17:45. Closed 24-27 December and 1 January.
- Newgrange. Passage tomb with the triple-spiral entrance stone; guided tour into the passage and chamber, which is low and narrow. No photography inside.
- Knowth. Large mound with a reconstructed timber circle; there is no access to the chambers.
Closed days
Visitor centre closed 24-27 December inclusive and 1 January (OPW).
Best time to go
all year; earlier opening on winter-solstice mornings (19-23 December) when regular tours are suspended
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Public car park close to the site (OPW). No official drive time checked.
Good to know
- Book the Newgrange or Knowth tour online before you go: tickets are very limited, everyone including infants needs one, and access is not guaranteed without a booking.
- Unaccompanied under-18s are not admitted.
- The monuments are outdoors with no shelter: dress for rain.
Powerscourt and Enniskerry
Powerscourt House and its terraced gardens above the village of Enniskerry, in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. An easy half day on the city bus 44 from the centre.
How to get there
- Bus · Dublin Bus (route 44)From O'Connell Street Lower (also Pearse Station, Stephen's Green East)
Departures: about hourly towards Enniskerry (e.g. 09:48, 10:41, 11:33, 12:40 from O'Connell Street Lower on Thu 15 Oct 2026)
Fare: TFI 90 Minute Fare with Leap: EUR 2.00 adult, EUR 0.65 child, valid on Dublin Bus city services (TFI, checked 2026-10)
Journey time not verified. Powerscourt House is about 1.4 km from Enniskerry village (straight-line, OSM).
What to see
- Powerscourt House and Gardens. Open all year except 25-26 December, 09:30-17:30. March-October adult EUR 14, student EUR 10.50, child EUR 5.50, family EUR 33; November-February adult EUR 10.50 (Section 482 list 2026). 2-3 hours.
- Enniskerry village. Village on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains; 2,008 people at the 2022 census. 30-60 min.
- Powerscourt Waterfall. On the estate south of the house, about 4.5 km south (straight-line, OSM); separate ticket and hours not verified 2026.
Closed days
House and gardens closed 25-26 December (Section 482 list 2026).
Best time to go
all year; gardens at their best spring to autumn
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Not needed: Dublin Bus 44 runs to Enniskerry. No official drive time checked.
Good to know
- Prices drop from November to February (adult EUR 10.50 instead of EUR 14).
- Use a Leap card on the 44: the 90-minute fare is cheaper than cash.
- The waterfall is not walkable from the house in a few minutes; plan it as a separate stop.
Kilkenny
Medieval city on the River Nore, seat of the Butlers of Ormond for almost 600 years. Kilkenny Castle and St Canice's Cathedral with its climbable round tower are 15 minutes' walk apart; direct trains from Heuston take about 1.5 hours.
How to get there
- Train · Iarnród Éireann (Dublin-Waterford line) · 1 h 29 minFrom Dublin Heuston
Departures: Mon-Sat 07:20 (arr. 09:05), 10:15 (11:44), 13:15 (14:42) and later; Sunday arrivals 10:44, 14:43. Back from Kilkenny Mon-Sat 11:45, 13:41, 15:33, 19:18, 21:09 (timetable valid from 14 Dec 2025)
Fare: not verified 2026
Kilkenny MacDonagh station is about 600 m from the castle (straight-line, OSM).
What to see
- Kilkenny Castle. 12th-century castle remodelled in Victorian times, in parkland. October-March daily 09:30-17:00 (last admission 16:30), April-September 09:15-17:30. Self-guided adult EUR 8, child/student EUR 4, family EUR 20. 1.5 hours.
- St Canice's Cathedral and round tower. 9th-century round tower beside the cathedral, one of only three medieval round towers in Ireland you can still climb. 45-60 min; prices not verified.
Closed days
Kilkenny Castle closed 2 Nov 2026 13:00 to 5 Nov 2026 09:30 for filming (OPW).
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Direct trains; no official drive time checked.
Good to know
- Take the 10:15 from Heuston on a weekday and the 19:18 back for a full day.
- Kilkenny Castle closes from Mon 2 Nov 13:00 to Thu 5 Nov 09:30 2026 for filming; the park stays open.
- Book castle tickets online in summer: OPW warns of delays.
Belfast
Capital of Northern Ireland, two hours north on the hourly Enterprise train. Titanic Belfast in the old shipyards and the City Hall are the classic day. Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling, not euro.
How to get there
- Train · Enterprise (Iarnród Éireann and NI Railways) · 2 h 8 minFrom Dublin Connolly
Departures: Mon-Fri hourly at :50 from 05:50 to 18:50, then 20:50 (e.g. 08:50 arrives Belfast Grand Central 10:58); Saturday hourly from Drogheda at :27; Sunday fewer trains (first from Drogheda 09:28). Timetable valid from 14 Dec 2025
Fare: not verified 2026
Trains stop at Drogheda, Dundalk, Newry and Portadown and end at Belfast Grand Central.
What to see
- Titanic Belfast. Museum on the Titanic Quarter slipways. Opening times on 15 Oct 2026: 08:50-18:00, last admission 16:20. 2-3 hours; prices not verified.
- Belfast City Hall. Permanent exhibition (opened 2017) and bookable guided tours of rooms usually closed to the public. 1 hour.
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Hourly direct train; no official drive time checked.
Good to know
- Carry pounds sterling or a card: Northern Ireland uses GBP.
- Book Titanic Belfast ahead and arrive before the 16:20 last admission.
- Allow time to get from Belfast Grand Central to the Titanic Quarter (about 2.3 km straight-line, OSM).
Trim Castle
The largest Anglo-Norman fortification in Ireland, with a 20-sided three-storey keep above the River Boyne, in the heritage town of Trim. Hourly Bus Éireann 111 from Busáras; easy half day. Closed for works from 1 November 2026 to 1 April 2027.
How to get there
- Bus · Bus Éireann (route 111) · 1 h 5 minFrom Busáras (Dublin)
Departures: hourly at :15 from 07:15 to 16:15, then more often in the evening (Thu 15 Oct 2026); back from Trim roughly hourly
Fare: not verified 2026
Bus 111X also runs at peak times from Wilton Terrace.
What to see
- Trim Castle keep tour. Guided tour of the keep: adult EUR 5, child/student EUR 3, family EUR 13; castle grounds free. October 09:00-16:00 daily. Stairs are steep and narrow.
- Trim town and St Mary's Abbey remains. Medieval town around the castle; remains of the Augustinian St Mary's Abbey. 45 min.
Closed days
Closed for works 1 Nov 2026 - 1 Apr 2027; in January weekends only (OPW).
Best time to go
spring to October; closed 1 Nov 2026 - 1 Apr 2027
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Hourly bus; no official drive time checked.
Good to know
- Go before 1 November 2026: the castle then closes for works until 1 April 2027.
- Arrive early in summer: OPW warns of delays and no guaranteed access.
- The keep is not accessible for wheelchair users; the grounds are partly accessible.