Day Trips from Dublin: 6 Drives Across Ireland
Ireland is small enough that a great deal of it is a day trip from Dublin, and big enough that some of the famous names really are not. The Wicklow Mountains start twenty minutes past the M50; the Cliffs of Moher are a three-hour drive each way and a long day by any measure.
The six days below are paced honestly, with the driving counted as it actually is on Irish roads — where a national route through villages averages far less than its distance suggests. Open any day to see it hour by hour, then change whatever you want.
Day drives from Dublin
Glendalough & the Wicklow Mountains Day Trip from Dublin
A monastic round tower between two lakes, over a mountain gap road
1 days · 102 km
A monastic round tower between two lakes, over a mountain gap road
Boyne Valley Day Trip from Dublin
Neolithic passage tombs older than the pyramids, plus Trim Castle
1 days · 83 km
Neolithic passage tombs older than the pyramids, plus Trim Castle
Kilkenny Day Trip from Dublin
A castle, a medieval mile and Ireland's best-preserved old city
1 days · 247 km
A castle, a medieval mile and Ireland's best-preserved old city
Howth Day Trip from Dublin
A fishing harbour and a cliff loop with Dublin Bay below
1 days · 31 km
A fishing harbour and a cliff loop with Dublin Bay below
Belfast Day Trip from Dublin
The Titanic yards, political murals and a different currency two hours north
1 days · 354 km
The Titanic yards, political murals and a different currency two hours north
Cliffs of Moher & the Burren Day Trip from Dublin
The Atlantic wall of Clare and the limestone desert behind it — a long day
1 days · 542 km
The Atlantic wall of Clare and the limestone desert behind it — a long day
Car or train?
Howth is the one day here that is better without a car: the DART from the city centre drops you at the harbour and the cliff loop starts at the station. Glendalough, the Boyne Valley, Kilkenny and the two long drives all want a car — Irish rural bus services exist but they will cost you the day. Three practical notes: motorway tolls on the M50, M1 and M7 are common and the M50's is barrier-free (pay online the same day or your hire company will charge a fee), rural roads are narrower than their classification suggests, and driving is on the left.
Driving out of Dublin — the practical bits
- Are the Cliffs of Moher really doable in a day from Dublin?
- Yes, but it is a long one — roughly three hours each way, so plan on ten to eleven hours door to door. It works best if you make the drive part of the point and add the Burren on the way back, rather than treating it as a single stop.
- Do I need to pre-book Newgrange?
- Yes. The passage tomb can only be visited on a guided tour from the Brú na Bóinne visitor centre, tours sell out in summer, and you cannot drive to the monument itself — the shuttle from the centre is the only access. Book before you drive.
- What about the M50 toll?
- The eastbound and westbound toll at Junction 6–7 is barrier-free: cameras read your plate and you pay by 8pm the next day online. Hire companies charge an administration fee on top if they pay it for you, so do it yourself the evening you drive.
- Which day works best in bad weather?
- Kilkenny — the castle, the medieval mile and the brewery are all indoors or short hops. Glendalough is fine in drizzle and better without crowds, but the upper lake walk turns to mud.
- Can I edit these plans?
- Yes — swap any stop for one of three alternatives, or rebuild a day entirely. The drive times update with your change.
Want a different day out of Dublin?
Tell us where you're starting and how long you have, and we'll build the day around your own driving limit — then you can swap any stop.
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