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Howth and Malahide Castle Private Tour
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From €585 per person
The north Dublin coast tends to get overlooked in favour of the city centre, which is exactly why this tour is worth doing. Over 6.5 hours, your driver-guide takes you to two of the finest spots in the region - a beautifully preserved 12th-century castle and one of the most dramatic headlands on Ireland’s east coast - with everything arranged privately for groups of 1 to 8.
There’s no juggling public transport, no waiting for a group to assemble, and no fixed commentary when you’d rather just stand and look at the sea. The day is yours, and your guide is there to make sure you see everything worth seeing and understand what you’re looking at.
It’s a good mix: proper history at Malahide, fresh air and views on the Howth cliffs, and then harbour time at the end where you can find lunch and watch the seals come in.
Malahide Castle’s gardens are genuinely worth your time. The castle itself is the draw, but the grounds are beautiful and often less crowded than the main building. If the weather is decent, spend a bit of extra time walking the walled garden and the parkland - it’s a very pleasant start to the day before you head north to Howth.
The cliff walk at Howth can be as short or as long as you like. The loop trail around Howth Head is about 10 km in its full form, but the section you’ll cover on this tour captures the best of the views without requiring a serious hiking commitment. Wear shoes with a bit of grip - the paths can be uneven and exposed in places.
Plan your Howth lunch before you arrive. The harbour has several good seafood restaurants and casual spots, and they fill up quickly, particularly on weekends. Beshoff Bros does excellent fish and chips in a more casual setting if you want to eat quickly; Aqua is the sit-down option with sea views if you want something slower. Both are right on the harbour.
Watch for seals near the pier. The seal colony at Howth is one of the more reliable wildlife sightings around Dublin. They tend to haul out on the rocks near the east pier, and if you walk to the end of the pier you’ll often find them close enough to photograph without a long lens.
If you’re visiting Howth Market, go early. The market runs on the harbour at weekends and is genuinely good - local food producers, craft stalls, fresh fish straight from the boats. Earlier in the day it’s lively and well stocked; later on, some vendors start packing up and the crowds thin out.