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From Dublin: Half-Day Trip to Glendalough and Wicklow
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From €33 per person
If you only have half a day and want to escape Dublin for somewhere genuinely beautiful, this afternoon trip to Glendalough is hard to beat. The tour departs mid-afternoon, which means your entire morning is free for sightseeing, a long brunch, or whatever else you have planned before heading south into the Wicklow Mountains.
The drive is part of the experience. Within an hour of leaving the city, you’re surrounded by rolling green hills, heather-covered moorland, and the distinctive cone of Sugar Loaf Mountain on the horizon. The coach passes through Roundwood, one of Ireland’s highest villages, before descending into the glacial valley that holds Glendalough.
Glendalough - “the valley of the two lakes” in Irish - is one of the most atmospheric spots in the country. The monastic settlement was founded by Saint Kevin in the 6th century, and what remains includes a near-perfect round tower, several stone churches, and Celtic crosses among ancient headstones. You get at least 90 minutes here, which is enough time to explore the ruins, walk along the lower lake, and follow the woodland paths towards the upper lake if you want the extra distance. The setting is so peaceful it’s hard to believe you were in the middle of Dublin just an hour before.
The coach passes through Roundwood on the way down - Ireland’s highest village at 238 metres, sitting on the R755 between Dublin and Glendalough. It’s a through-stop on this tour, but worth knowing: if you ever want to extend a Wicklow trip, the Roundwood Inn is a 17th-century coaching inn run by the same family since 1980, known for Wicklow game and an improbable Hungarian goulash. The Coach House across the street has been in the Michelin Guide since August 2024. Worth a stop in its own right on a different day.
At Glendalough itself, your 90 minutes goes further if you use it well. The flat Green Road runs from the visitor centre along the Lower Lake, past the round tower and the cathedral ruins, to the boardwalk at the foot of the Upper Lake - 3km return and the best single route through the monastic city. The round tower’s doorway is three and a half metres off the ground - that was deliberate, not decorative. When Viking raids came up the valley, the monks pulled the ladder up after them.
Arriving in the afternoon means the morning coach crowds have already thinned. The light on the Upper Lake in late afternoon, with the valley sides catching it, is worth the timing. The walk to the Upper Lake adds about 30 minutes each way from the visitor centre, so budget accordingly within your free time.
The village of Laragh is 1.5km east of the Glendalough site, at the crossroads of three mountain roads. If you want something to eat or drink while you wait for the return coach, Lynhams is the local pub - in business here since the 1770s.