Fabulous Day trips from Dublin perfect for first time visitors to Ireland
My curated round up of the best day trips from Dublin, to discover the best of Ireland from the capital.
One of the most popular ways to visit Ireland is by renting a car and taking a road trip around the island.
However, it not the only way to explore this beautiful country!
It is also possible and enjoyable to see many of the most beautiful places in Ireland while staying in Dublin and, sometimes, even without a car at all.
I have been living in Dublin for the last 20 years and I have two children who call Dublin home.
So, as you can imagine, I have significant experience about day trips from here, all the advice on this page is based on my own, very personal experience!
On this page, you find my selection of the best day trips from Dublin so that first time visitors to Ireland can see some of the best places in the country without having to tackle a full on Ireland itinerary by car!
Since this article is aimed at overseas visitors, I have only included places that I believe are of interest to them.
Please note: this post contains affiliate links and, should you make a purchase through them, we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Best family day trips from Dublin TL :DR
| Destination | Duration | Transport |
| Wicklow Mountain | Full day | Own car / bus tour |
| Cliffs of Moher | Full Day | Own car / bus tour |
| Giants Causeway | Full Day | Own car / bus tour |
| Blarney Castle | Full Day | Own car / bus tour |
| Rock of Castle | Full Day | Own car / bus tour |
| Trim Castle | Full Day | Own car / bus tour |
| Boyne Valley and Newgrange | Full Day | Own car / bus tour |
| Kilkenny | Full Day | Own car / bus tour |
| Belfast | Full Day | Bus Tour / Train |
Wicklow Mountains
Less than one hour from Dublin you find the wonderful Wicklow Mountains and the Wicklow National Park.
Less known to international tourism than the famous Connemara (in the West), the Wicklow National park is a place of incredible natural beauty and one of those places where you find the mystical Ireland if your imagination: lake, forests, trees, round towers from ancient monastic times.
If you are coming to Ireland with a romantic idea of the country, Wicklow is very much the place for you!
There is plenty to see and do in this area, but my top recommendations for the Wicklow Mountains are:
Glendalough (pronounced Gian -dah -lock) monastic site – a wonderful ancien site with a charming cemetery, mysterious round tower, two beautiful lakes and stunning hikes
Lough Tay, Lough Dan and the Sally Gap – wonderful wild lakes and mountain scenery you can experience by car and hiking. If you have your own car, you can easily see them on the same day as Glendalough.
All these area are close to one another and can be easily reached by car.
If you don’t have your own vehicle, the best and easiest to visit by organised tour is Glendalough. I promise you it is worth it, one of my favorite places in Ireland!
You can find a good organised bus tour >>> here <<<
Cliffs of Moher (Full day)
The Cliffs of Moher are so famous that they are almost a symbol of Ireland.
People flock from all over the word to see them and they never fail to impress, eve in the event rain and less the stellar weather. They are that amazing!
They are pretty far from Dublin, all the way out on the Western coast of Ireland (Dublin is in the East) but they are reachable within a day and many day yours from Dublin offer them as a destination.
While I am usually a fan of self driving tours, for this one I highly recommend taking an organised one.
The long journey gets even longer if you are unsure of the road and you run the risk of driving when very tired on the way back, something that is never recommended.
The tour I recommend is this one by Irish Day Tours on Tiqets. You can get a small discount by using code MAMALOVESITALY5 at checkout (this is the name of my other blog so don’t worry, it is not a mistake! I know are talking about Ireland!)
The tour takes up the whole day, so I recommend to plan some down time the day before and the day after, but if brings you to stunning landscapes that only exist in the West. So, the distance is significant but it is really worth it!
The Cliffs can be safely visited at all ages. Find here >>> our tips for visiting the cliffs with children here
Giant Causeway and Carrick-a-rede bridge: best for a taste of Northern Ireland (Full day)
Another long day trip and one I recommend tackling with an organised tour, rather than on your own, is a trip to the North.
The area of Northern Ireland around the giant causeway and the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, nearby, is simply stunning and, for me, one of the most beautiful in the whole of the island of Ireland.
Several day tours from Dublin bring you here and, as mentioned above, I believe they are the best way to come to the area considering the distance between Dublin and the Antrim coast is significant.
This is one of the best family day trips from Dublin for scenery: kids and adults will love it!
Check duration and costs of day tours from Dublin to the Giants Causeway here
Blarney Castle, Co Cork (Full day)
The most famous of all Irish castle, Blarney castle, is in County Cork, in the South West of the country.
It is a long day day tour from Dublin but one that is very popular due to the popularity of the castle itself: if this is your only time in Ireland and want to see it from Dublin, the long drive is worth it! It is one of the best castles in Ireland, or actually: the best of all!
The best way to reach it it to join an organised bus tour from Dublin.
Once there, you will find not just the castle and its fabulous gardens but also the lovely village of Blarney where you can have a nice meal.
Check out exact duration and price of an organised day trip from Dublin to Blarney here
Rock of Cashel, Co Tipperary (full day)
The rock of Cashel is an ancient fortress perched on a hill overlooking the town by the same name, in County Tipperary.
The rock is an incredibly atmospheric site.
Built mostly between the XII and XIII century it sits on a high hill overlooking the otherwise flat land and immediately casts on the visitor a sense of power and might.
Stepping in leaves you no doubts about the ancient origins of the rock and it is easy to believe the legend that says that this is the location where St Patrick converted to Christianity the then Kings of Munster!
Find a good day tour from Dublin to Cashel and surrounding area here
Trim Castle, Co Meath (one day)
Mel Gibson fans are in for a treat when visiting Trim Castle, in Co Meath.
The castle sits in the centre of the small town of Trim and landed its imposing walls to the filming of Braveheart (yes, that was not Scotland you saw!).
The castle is pleasant to visit and the guided tours available are cheap and well made, with guides touching on the history of the castle but also of its Hollywood past.
Taking the tour is worth it, both for the information provided and for the chance it gives to climb to the top of the castle, from which you get wonderful views of the country nearby.
A great tour of the area and Trim castle from Dublin can be booked here
Boyne Valley and Newgrange
The Boyne valley sits to the north of Dublin and is a place of great historical importance.
Here you can visit world famous sites like neolithic Newgrange and the site of the Battle of the Boyne, a cornerstone event in the history of Ireland. It is one of the best day trips from Dublin for history lovers.
A great tour of the area and Trim castle from Dublin can be booked here
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is about an hour and a half from Dublin but is well connected to the city by a motorway, which makes driving there easy and straightforward.
This is one of my favourite day trips from Dublin and one I take regularly with the kids.
Things not to be missed in Kilkenny are its stunning castle (with cool playground), the city’s amazing cathedral and the colourful houses in the city centre.
You can find more about how to spend a day in Kilkenny here
If you don’t have a car, you can book a tour to Kilkenny and the Wicklow mountains here
Belfast
Belfast is conveniently connected to Dublin by train and is an interesting as well as very pleasant day trip from Dublin.
The city is easy to enjoy on your own, even just strolling around the city center.
However, strongly recommend you take a tour as the history of the Troubles is so significant for Ireland (and not only) it is really worth taking the opportunity to hear about it on location!
There are several tours you can choose from; a good one that allows to also explore in your own time is this by hop on – hop off bus
Depending on your interests and party, you can also consider a visit to the Titanic museum (find tickets here) which is unique to Belfast since this is where the Titanic was built!
I hope you enjoyed this selection of best day trips from Dublin. Safe travels!
