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Dublin: Dun Laoghaire Coastal Walking Tour with Local Guide
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From €27 per person
The stretch of coast between Dun Laoghaire and Dalkey is the kind of place that Dublin people fiercely protect from becoming too well known. It’s where you walk on Sunday mornings, where you swim in the sea year-round, where you go when you want to remember what living near the water actually feels like. This five-hour guided walk takes you along that route with someone who knows it properly.
You start at Dun Laoghaire DART station - just 20 minutes from the city centre by rail, which already makes this one of the easiest half-days you can take from Dublin without a car. Your guide picks up the maritime history of this Victorian harbour town before you head out along the East Pier, one of the finest harbour walks in Ireland, with views across Dublin Bay toward Howth Head on the far shore. The Dun Laoghaire Baths come next - a grand Victorian landmark whose stories span swimming culture, social history, and a century of community life.
At Sandycove you stop at the Martello Tower that houses the James Joyce Museum - the same tower where the opening scene of Ulysses is set. Your guide brings the literary connection to life before the walk continues south through Glasthule and into Dalkey village. Dalkey is medieval at its core - Dalkey Castle is one of the old coastal defence towers of Dublin Bay - but it’s also one of the most pleasant villages on the south Dublin coast, with independent shops, good restaurants, and a strong sense that the people who live there are genuinely glad to be there. Your guide finishes with personal recommendations for food and drinks, and the DART home is right there whenever you’re ready.
The Sunday farmers market in Dun Laoghaire is a genuine local scene. If your visit falls on a Sunday, get to Dun Laoghaire 30 to 40 minutes before the tour starts. The People’s Park market is worth a slow loop - good cheese, good coffee, and a cross-section of south Dublin life that gives you real context before the walk begins.
The Forty Foot at Sandycove is the swim spot. Right below the Martello Tower is the Forty Foot, a sea swimming spot that has been in continuous use since at least the 18th century. It appears briefly in Ulysses and has been a beloved Dublin institution ever since. On any day of the year you’ll find people swimming there, and if you’re feeling brave, ask your guide about the best way down.
Dalkey has better restaurants than many city-centre spots. The village punches above its weight for food. A number of good restaurants and cafes cluster around the main street, and because they’re serving a local rather than tourist crowd, the quality tends to be consistent. Your guide will point you toward their own favourites at the end of the walk.
Dalkey Island is visible from the harbour and worth knowing about. Just offshore from Dalkey is Dalkey Island, another uninhabited island with its own Martello Tower and a small herd of feral goats. You can’t reach it on this tour, but knowing it’s there adds a layer to the coastline you’ve just walked. Kayak hire is available locally if you want to explore it on another day.
The DART journey back to Dublin city centre is scenic in its own right. The train hugs the coast as far as Booterstown, and on a clear day the views across Dublin Bay from a window seat are genuinely lovely. Sit on the right-hand side heading north for the best of it.