Day Trips from Dublin

A day out from Dublin can be a short train ride to a fishing village or a few hours among granite peaks. It can also be a coach day to the Atlantic or across the border into Northern Ireland. This 2026, the places below add up to 91 day trips and tours from Dublin.

We would start with your hours, since a trip can fill a morning or a 13-hour day. Then comes what drew you to Ireland: cliffs, medieval streets or the north's recent history. Last, think about train or coach.

Travellers have left more than 77,062 reviews on the trips shown here, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Of the trips shown here, the one with the most reviews is "From Dublin: Cliffs of Moher, Burren & Galway City Day Tour", with more than 27,886 reviews and a rating of 4.8 out of 5.

A morning or an afternoon

Howth, a fishing village on Dublin's doorstep, is 30 minutes from the centre by DART. Trains run every 10 to 20 minutes.

Glendalough is 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes away by road. Day tours usually pair the valley with the Wicklow Mountains around it.

A full day by rail

Kilkenny is 1 hour 30 minutes from Heuston by train, which leaves time for its lanes. Belfast is a little over two hours away on the Enterprise, a cross-border train from Connolly.

Galway is 2 hours 30 minutes from Heuston by train, or about as long by road on the M6.

A long day on the coach

For the Cliffs of Moher, count on 7 to 8 hours on the coach there and back. Reaching the Giant's Causeway means about seven hours of driving there and back, which is why Giant’s Causeway tours from Dublin fill the whole day.

Cliffs and columns on the coast

Landscape photographers and bucket-listers head for the Cliffs of Moher, a sheer drop of 214 metres into the Atlantic. Our Cliffs of Moher tours from Dublin suit anyone who does not mind a long ride, though mist can hide the view. With 44,643 reviews on our trips there, you can read plenty of first-hand accounts before you pick one.

Families, geology fans and active explorers have more to do at the Giant's Causeway, where you climb over basalt columns. Should you want the wider choice, the Causeway gives you 18 trips to compare, against 11 to the cliffs.

Bog, lakes and empty hills

Connemara is for nature purists and hikers looking for solitude. It lies more than 4 hours away by road, and the regional roads are slow once you arrive.

Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains give hikers and photographers lakes and granite peaks without a long bus ride. Split between Glendalough and medieval Kilkenny? Past travellers tip it towards Kilkenny, rating our trips there 4.7 out of 5.

Belfast and the north

History buffs and museum lovers go to Belfast for Titanic Belfast, on the slipway where the ship was built. Choose Belfast tours from Dublin if the Troubles interest you too, since Black Taxi tours drive to the Peace Walls and murals.

With few days in Ireland, Northern Ireland tours from Dublin fit Belfast and the north coast into one day of about 13 hours.

Old towns, castles and food

Kilkenny wins over architecture fans and history lovers who prefer a historic town to a hike. Its Medieval Mile strings together narrow lanes, old pubs and a restored castle.

First-time visitors after a classic Irish moment climb the narrow stairs of Blarney Castle to kiss its stone. Expect a queue, and 3 hours 35 minutes on the road each way.

Galway is for foodies, music lovers and relaxed wanderers who would rather sit in a pub than hike in the wind. Cork appeals to food lovers, with the English Market at the heart of its food scene. At 2 hours 40 minutes by train, day trips from Dublin to Cork suit those who do not mind a long transit day.

Two days or more

Many multi-day tours from Dublin follow the Wild Atlantic Way with a guide at the wheel. We would suggest them to solo travellers and to anyone wary of driving on the left.

Road-trippers and slow travellers with two or three days for the south-west belong on the Ring of Kerry. Its loop of ocean cliffs, beaches and green mountains starts more than 4 hours from Dublin.

We would compare the road first, since a short DART ride and a coach day to the Atlantic leave very different time on the ground.

Table data is indicative and comes from the GuruWalk catalogue. Each activity's current details, including availability, are the ones shown on its listing when you book.