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Private Tour of Howth & Malahide Villages
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From €559 per person
Two of Dublin’s most appealing coastal villages in a single day, with a local guide who knows them well. You’ll be collected from your hotel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle and spend the morning in Howth - cliff summit views, a working fishing harbour, and some of the best fish and chips you’ll find anywhere in Ireland. The afternoon brings you to Malahide, where an 800-year-old castle sits at the heart of a well-kept coastal village with an estuary walk and a Victorian greenhouse full of living butterflies.
Water and Irish snacks are included throughout the day, and there’s time for lunch in Howth along the way.
Dublin city sightseeing and drive to Howth - 1 hour
Your guide meets you at your hotel and takes you on a sightseeing loop through Dublin city, sharing stories and local knowledge as you go. The journey to Howth takes around 45 minutes from the city centre.
Howth - 3 hours
Howth sits on a dramatic headland north of Dublin, and the summit views across the coastline are well worth the drive up. From there you’ll come down to the fishing village below, where the harbour is lined with fishing vessels, sailing boats, and motorboats. The two piers - east and west - offer their own walking routes, and there’s a short cliffside trail nearby if you want to stretch your legs.
The village itself has shops, cafes, pubs, and restaurants serving fish caught locally. Howth is particularly well known for its fish and chips, and lunch here is a highlight of the day. This is your free time to explore as you like. The headland also has two islands just offshore, which you’ll see clearly from the pier.
Malahide - 3 hours
Malahide is a well-kept coastal village with a sandy estuary and a strong independent retail scene - good for finding something genuine to bring home. The main attraction is Malahide Castle, which has been standing for around 800 years. The Talbot family lived here for most of that time, and a resident guide takes you through the decorated rooms, which are filled with medieval furniture and artwork, telling the story of the family who shaped the place.
After the castle, you can walk the walled gardens and visit the Victorian greenhouse, which has a large collection of living butterflies.
Return to Dublin - 1 hour
On the way back, your driver takes you through some of Dublin’s more affluent neighbourhoods - a pleasant wind-down after a full day out.
Howth’s cliffside loop walk is one of Dublin’s best-kept open secrets. The full loop is about 10 kilometres and takes a couple of hours, but even a short section from the summit down toward the east pier gives you Atlantic views that feel a long way from the city - despite being 20 minutes out. Wear good shoes if you plan to go beyond the car park at the summit.
The fish and chips conversation in Howth is genuinely contested. Beshoff Bros and Leo Burdock both have outlets on the harbour, and locals will tell you firmly which is better. Your guide will likely have an opinion. Order the cod or haddock, eat outside near the water, and watch the seagulls work very hard to get involved.
Malahide village is worth exploring beyond the castle grounds. The main street has a few genuinely good restaurants, and the New Street area behind it has independent shops that are more interesting than you’d expect from a commuter village. If there’s time before the return journey, the estuary walk out from the castle gates gives you a quieter side of the place.
Ireland’s Eye is the small island you can see from Howth pier. In summer, boat trips run out to it from the east pier - it takes about 15 minutes and the island has a ruined church, a Martello tower, and a seal colony. It’s not part of this tour, but worth noting if you’re back in Howth independently.