Top Dublin Day Trips

Day trips from Dublin include entertaining excursions to Ireland’s stunning cliffs, mountains, and castles. Here are some day trips that past travelers rate highly:

• Cliffs of Moher Tour Including Wild Atlantic Way and Galway City from Dublin
• Dublin to Cliffs of Moher, Burren, Wild Atlantic and Galway Tour
• Northern Ireland Highlights Day Trip Including Giant’s Causeway From Dublin
• Kilkenny, Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough, Sheep Dog Trials, Day Trip From Dublin
• Dublin: Giants Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Dark Hedges and Belfast

Yes, it’s absolutely worth it to take a day trip from Dublin. On a scheduled tour, you leave the driving to someone else, so you can admire the Irish countryside from your comfortable seat aboard a coach or minivan. No need to navigate unfamiliar roads on your own: A Dublin day trip is a convenient way to see some of Ireland’s iconic sights, from the Cliffs of Moher to the Giant’s Causeway.

The price of a Dublin day trip tour depends on the length of the excursion, what sightseeing stops and admission fees are included, and whether you book a group or private tour. They can start at as little as about US$40 per person for a trip to Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains to US$1,000 or more for a private tour of the rugged Wild Atlantic Way.

Yes, you can do a day trip from Dublin to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher, and even add in other sightseeing highlights of Ireland’s western seaboard such as Doolin. Galway City is about a 2.5-hour drive from Dublin and the Cliffs of Moher are a further 1.5 hours, so many travelers will want to let someone else take the wheel and join an organized tour.

Yes, Cork can be a day trip from Dublin: It’s about a 162-mile (260-kilometer) drive, or around three hours by road or 2.5 hours by train. Many popular day trips, like this one also stop at the Rock of Cashel with its medieval remains and Blarney Castle & Gardens, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.

To see Dublin’s main sights, you’ll want to have three full days in the city. That allows time to visit Trinity College with its 9th-century Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Guinness Storehouse. You might like to stroll through Dublin’s green city parks, listen to live music in a few Irish pubs, and shop for souvenirs. You can also squeeze in a day trip to nearby Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains.

Looking at traveler reviews and feedback, the single best day trip from Dublin is the Dublin to Cliffs of Moher, Including Wild Atlantic Way and Galway. There’s a lot of driving, but you cover the postcard-perfect Cliffs of Moher, the rugged Wild Atlantic Way, and the charismatic city of Galway, and see The Burren and two castles too.

Dublin day trip prices vary depending on duration and inclusions. If you’re looking for high-quality experiences on the lower end of the price range, these are the best tours to book now: 

• Dublin: Glendalough, Wicklow, Kilkenny, and Sheepdog Demonstration
• Glendalough & Wicklow Mountains Half-Day Morning Tour From Dublin
• Glendalough & Wicklow Mountains Afternoon Tour From Dublin
• Dublin to Glendalough, Wicklow, and Kilkenny Full-Day Guided Tour
• Howth Coastal Half-Day Bus Tour From Dublin With Live Guide

Yes, particularly over the summer season it’s a good idea to book your Dublin day trip a week or two ahead of time—especially if you’re traveling at weekends. Popular tours to top destinations like the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway do sell out. Most tours let you cancel up to 24 hours before the start time, but do check the fine print as terms and conditions vary.

No, you can’t visit the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway in a single day trip from Dublin: They’re in opposite directions so you’d end up spending more than 12 hours on the road. However, plenty of Dublin day trips visit the Cliffs of Moher, including this one, and there are plenty of great day trips to the Giant’s Causeway too, such as this one.

Most travelers find summer (June through August) the best time of year to book day trips from Dublin. While gray skies and drizzle can rear their heads at any time of year, the weather is generally warmest during summer—although that does mean crowds as well. For a less hectic experience, but with longer days and brighter skies than winter, consider shoulder seasons (April–May and September–October).

Belfast is about 103 miles (166 kilometers) north of Dublin by road, or about a 2-hour journey by train or car—and, yes, this dynamic city is well worth a day trip. While you can easily spend a full day exploring Belfast, day trips like this one add in highlights like the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Giant’s Causeway, the Dark Hedges from Game of Thrones, and Dunluce Castle.

Yes, you can do day trips from Dublin without a car: Ireland’s extensive network of trains and buses makes city trips a breeze, although services in the countryside can be patchier. For hiking trips, multi-stop adventures, road trips like the Wild Atlantic Way, and longer journeys like the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway, choose organized tours that let someone else do the driving.