Things to Do in Wicklow: The Garden County's Hidden Treasures

Wicklow sits about an hour south of Dublin. Its headline attractions are Glendalough's 6th-century monastic city and lakes (free to walk; a fee applies only for the visitor-centre exhibition), Powerscourt House and Gardens, and the Wicklow Mountains. Allow a full day for one or two sites, or a weekend to combine Glendalough, Powerscourt and a coastal walk.

Wicklow is the closest you'll get to wild Ireland without leaving the Dublin commuter belt. Inside an hour of the city you can stand in a 6th-century monastic city, walk the highest formal gardens in the country, and lose a phone signal entirely on a mountain bog. That mix of easy reach and genuine remoteness is why it earned the nickname the Garden County, and it's what makes it the best single county in Leinster for a day out.

Here's the local steer on what's actually worth your time, from the headline attractions everyone knows to the quieter corners most day-trippers drive straight past.

Get the best of Leinster in your inbox

What's on, where to eat and the best days out across the 12 counties, free every week.

Subscribe free

The must-see attractions in Wicklow

Glendalough Monastic City

The valley of the two lakes is the one thing you shouldn't skip. St Kevin founded a monastery here in the 6th century, and what survives, a near-complete round tower, a tiny stone church and a graveyard, sits in a glacial valley that does a lot of the heavy lifting on its own. The Heritage Ireland visitor centre is free to walk past; you only pay if you want the exhibition.

Go early. The car parks fill by mid-morning in summer and the Upper Lake especially gets busy. Arrive before 10am and you can walk the lakeshore in something close to peace before the coaches land. Allow two to three hours if you want to add a walk.

Powerscourt Estate and Gardens

Forty-seven acres of formal gardens beneath the Great Sugarloaf, laid out over two centuries with Italian terraces, a Japanese garden and a walled rose garden. It's the kind of place that rewards a slow wander rather than a tick-list march. The estate opens at 9:30am, with last entry around 5:30pm in summer; give it two to three hours.

Powerscourt Waterfall is a separate site a few kilometres on, and at roughly 120 metres it's the tallest in Ireland. Worth the short hop if you've come this far and the weather's holding.

Wicklow Mountains National Park

More than 20,000 hectares of blanket bog, heath and upland, the largest of Ireland's national parks. This is where Wicklow stops being a garden and starts being genuinely wild. Glendalough sits inside it, so most visitors see a slice without realising, but the Sally Gap drive and the boardwalks up around the lakes are the real introduction.

The national park service publishes trail conditions and closures; check before you set out, because mountain weather here turns fast even in July. For the full route rundown, our guide to the best hiking trails in Glendalough covers the colour-coded loops from the gentle to the Spinc and beyond.

Wicklow Gaol

A former county prison in Wicklow town, now a museum that doesn't soften the story. The guided tours run through the rebellion years, the Famine and transportation to Australia, and the building's grim acoustics do half the work. Evening tours add a darker edge for anyone who likes that. Allow about 90 minutes, and it suits older kids more than small ones.

Brittas Bay

Five kilometres of Blue Flag sand backed by dunes, and the best beach day on the east coast outside of high summer crowds. The catch is parking: the main car parks fill before 11am on any decent weekend, so come early or come on a weekday. If you're after a quieter, working-harbour kind of day instead, the seaside town just down the coast has its own appeal, and our things to do in Arklow guide covers it.

Where can you go in Wicklow to avoid the crowds?

The headline sites earn their reputation, but Wicklow's quieter corners are where it gets interesting. These four reward anyone willing to drive ten minutes off the main trail.

The old gold valleys around Avoca

Wicklow was the centre of an Irish gold rush in the 18th century, and the Miners' Way and the Vale of Avoca still carry the marks of it. The walking routes thread through old workings and woodland, and it's a quiet, unhurried alternative to the Glendalough crowds. For the wider network of routes across the county, our best hiking trails in Wicklow guide maps the lot.

Kilmacurragh Botanic Gardens

An arboretum near Rathdrum run as an outpost of the National Botanic Gardens. The Himalayan rhododendrons are the headline act, and they peak in April and May when the whole place turns. It's free, it's rarely busy, and it's a proper spring day out for anyone who likes plants and quiet in equal measure.

Victor's Way Indian Sculpture Park

A genuinely odd one, near Roundwood. Black granite sculptures depicting the cycle of human life, set across landscaped grounds, intended as a contemplative space rather than a family afternoon. It's adults-only by policy and it isn't to everyone's taste, but nothing else in Leinster is quite like it. Check the season and opening days before you drive out, as it runs limited hours.

Devil's Glen and the Sculpture Trail

A woodland walk near Ashford with contemporary sculpture dotted along the route and a waterfall at the turn. It's an easy, shaded loop that works well on a warm day, and it's the kind of place locals bring visitors when Glendalough is heaving.

Booking a guided day trip to Wicklow

If you're coming from Dublin without a car, a guided day tour is the easiest way to string Glendalough, Powerscourt and the mountains into one day. Two honest options at different paces:

• The full day, small group: the Dublin to Powerscourt, Wicklow and Glendalough small-group tour takes in the three headline sites in one run with a guide. Best if you want depth and don't mind a long day.
• The half day, if you're short on time: the Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains half-day tour from Dublin gets you the lakes and the mountain scenery and has you back in Dublin by afternoon. Best for a morning that still leaves the rest of the day free.

Both let you skip the car-park scramble at Glendalough, which on a busy weekend is reason enough on its own.

Things to do in Wicklow with kids

The county does families well without trying too hard. Clara Lara Fun Park near Rathdrum is the classic, an outdoor water-and-adventure park that suits roughly ages 5 to 14 and runs as a summer day out. Squirrel's Scramble is an indoor adventure park geared at younger children, which is the better bet when the weather turns, as it reliably does. And older kids tend to get a kick out of the Wicklow Gaol tours, which land somewhere between history lesson and ghost story.

Where to eat in Wicklow

For a sit-down meal with a sense of place, the Strawberry Tree at BrookLodge in Macreddin trades on organic and wild Irish produce and is worth booking ahead for. Fishers of Newtownmountkennedy pairs a clothing store with a deli and café that's a reliable lunch stop off the N11. And Avoca at the original Avoca mill has been weaving since 1723 and now does a food hall and café alongside the shop, which makes it an easy combined stop.

What's on in Wicklow through the year

Wicklow's calendar leans on the outdoors. The Wicklow Gardens Festival opens private and public gardens through spring. Summer brings the Wicklow Regatta in the harbour town and lakeside events around Blessington. The Wicklow Food Festival runs in autumn, and the brave see in the new year with the Bray Polar Bear swim on 1 January. Dates shift year to year, so check the organiser before you build a day around any of them.

Getting to Wicklow

By car, Wicklow town is about an hour south of Dublin on the M11, and Glendalough roughly the same via the R755. By public transport, the DART runs as far as Bray and Greystones on the northern edge of the county, and Bus Éireann and local services reach Wicklow town and Arklow, but the mountains and Glendalough are far easier with a car or a guided tour. If you're touring the wider region, neighbouring Wexford picks up where Wicklow's coast ends to the south.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wicklow best known for? Glendalough's monastic city and the Wicklow Mountains. The county's nickname, the Garden County, comes from its estates and gardens, Powerscourt chief among them.

How many days do you need in Wicklow? A single day covers one or two headline sites comfortably. To pair Glendalough, Powerscourt and a beach or a mountain walk without rushing, give it two.

Is Glendalough free to visit? Walking the site and the lakeshore is free. There's a fee only for the visitor-centre exhibition and for parking at the Upper Lake.

Can you do Wicklow as a day trip from Dublin? Yes, easily. It's about an hour each way by car, and guided day tours run from the city daily.

This guide contains affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Where to stay in Wicklow

Making a night of it? Browse hotels, guesthouses and places to stay in Wicklow:

See places to stay in Wicklow on Expedia

Swim safety right now

13 Wicklow beaches are monitored by the EPA through the bathing season. No bathing restrictions are in place right now. See live water-quality status for every Wicklow beach →

Heritage sites in Wicklow

Wicklow has 3,089 recorded archaeological monuments, and 4 are set up to visit. See the historic sites in Wicklow worth visiting →

Walking trails in Wicklow

Wicklow has 56 waymarked walking trails on the national register, graded and mapped. See the walking trails in Wicklow worth lacing up for →

Nature reserves in Wicklow

Wicklow is home to a national park and 6 nature reserves open to the public. See the wild places worth visiting in Wicklow →

Historic buildings in Wicklow

Wicklow has 1,293 recorded NIAH buildings, 13 of them rated of National or International importance, from Georgian houses and churches to bridges and mills. See the historic buildings in Wicklow worth seeking out →

Top things to do in Wicklow

Agricultural Heritage Display Centre, This rural history exhibition, in Enniskerry County Wicklow, shows the evolution of Irish farm life from the 1700's illustrated by a large collection of farm machinery and implements.

Arklow Maritime Museum, The Arklow Maritime Museum, in the town of Arklow in County Wicklow, displays information on the maritime history of Arklow.

Beyond the Trees Avondale, Journey through the forest in Avondale Forest Park, often called the birthplace of Irish forestry.

Great Sugar Loaf Mountain, The Great Sugarloaf (Ó Cualann also Beannach Mhór) is 4km west of Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow and is set apart from the Wicklow Mountains, with its conical shape and broody demeanour the Great Sugar Loaf makes an instant impression.

Black Castle Wicklow, The Black Castle ruin stands on a rocky headland over the sea.

Bray South Promenade Beach , Located in the North of County Wicklow, adjacent to the border with County Dublin.

Glenroe Open Farm, Situated on the Dublin side of the picturesque village of Kilcoole County Wicklow, and just off the N11, Glenroe Open Farm opens its gates to visitors from March to October each year.

Powerscourt Waterfall, Beautiful natural attraction set in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains near the town of Enniskerry.

What's on

Ancient Music Festival 2026
Wed 8 July · Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary · Festival

Movies by the Bandstand
Wed 8 July · Bray Seafront · Free

Traditional Arts Collective (TAC) at the Ancient Music Festival
Sat 11 July · Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary · Festival

Treetop Live presents Paddy Casey
Sat 11 July · Beyond the Trees Avondale

Battle of the Sounds
Sat 11 July · Bray Seafront · Free

Seán Ryan & Ciara Callanan Ryan at the Ancient Music Festival
Sun 12 July · Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary · Festival

Events & attractions: Fáilte Ireland Open Data (failteireland.ie), CC BY 4.0.