Wicklow Day Trip: Powerscourt, Glendalough & Mountains

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration8h

GroupUp to 19

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Three valleys and a monastery in one morning drive from Dublin

This small-group day trip from Dublin visits Powerscourt Gardens, Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains National Park with a local guide and live commentary. Pickup starts at 9:20am from the Molly Malone statue on Suffolk Street; the tour runs 8 hours and includes entry to Powerscourt at a reduced rate negotiated by the operator. Lunch is on your own in Enniskerry village. Children from age 2 are welcome; comfortable walking shoes are recommended for the monastery and valley floor.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Powerscourt, Wicklow and Glendalough

Pickup from Dublin at Molly Malone statue
Visit Powerscourt Gardens for 1.5 hours
Shop and snack at Avoca shop
Lunch in Enniskerry village
Scenic drive through Wicklow Mountains National Park
Stop at "P.S. I Love You" Bridge
View Lough Tay (Guinness Lake)
Stop at Sally Gap in Wicklow Mountains
Visit Glendalough monastery and valley

The Experience

The tour picks you up at the Molly Malone statue on Suffolk Street at 9:20am and heads south into County Wicklow. Your first stop is Powerscourt Gardens, ranked number 3 in the world by National Geographic—you spend roughly 90 minutes walking the grounds and have access to the Avoca shop for coffee or a snack before moving on. The reduced entrance fee is paid at the gate on the day of the tour.

After the gardens, the group stops in Enniskerry, a small Victorian estate village where you break for lunch on your own; the guide recommends Poppies Cafe for locally produced food that can handle different dietary needs. From there, a scenic drive winds through the Wicklow Mountains National Park, passing the "P.S. I Love You" bridge (a film location), Lough Tay—also called the Guinness lake because a member of the Guinness family lived on its shore and it's where Vikings was filmed—and Sally Gap, a high pass in the hills where you'll see running streams, meadows and sheep.

The day ends at Glendalough, where you visit the 6th-century monastery of St Kevin and have time to explore the valley and its two lakes before heading back to Dublin. Your guide provides live commentary throughout the route, and the small-group format means the pace stays manageable and stops are timed so the whole itinerary fits into the 8-hour window.

What’s included

Local guide with live commentary throughout the day.
reduced-rate entry to Powerscourt Gardens (paid at the gate on the day).
pickup and drop-off at the Molly Malone statue on Suffolk Street.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Hilltoptreks

Is this one for you?Spend a full day visiting Powerscourt Gardens, Glendalough, and the Wicklow Mountains with a local guide handling the route, timing, and commentary while you take in the landscape.