Things to do in Co. Wicklow
21 places
1.Ballinastoe Woods
A fairytale boardwalk above Lough Tay
A Coillte forest in the Wicklow Mountains where a wooden boardwalk climbs through towering pines to sudden panoramas over Lough Tay — a favourite of walkers, mountain bikers and photographers.
- Highlights
- Fairytale boardwalk through the pines
- Views over Lough Tay
- JB Malone Memorial viewpoint
2.Glendalough
A 6th-century monastery between two glacial lakes
Glendalough is a glaciated valley in the Wicklow Mountains where a 6th-century monastery founded by St Kevin sits between two lakes, ringed by woodland and mountain trails.
- Highlights
- 6th-century monastic city founded by St Kevin
- 30m round tower and St Kevin's Cross
- Nine colour-coded waymarked walking trails
- Facilities
- Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
3.Lough Tay
the stout-dark lake you can only view from above
Lough Tay is the "Guinness Lake" — dark water over a white sand shore, framed by heather hills. You cannot reach its shore: it lies inside private Luggala Estate land, and the view from above is the whole experience.
- Highlights
- Nicknamed the Guinness Lake for its dark water and white-sand shore
- J.B. Malone Memorial, the classic viewpoint
- Ballinastoe Woods boardwalk through the pines
4.K2Alpacas
Lead your own alpaca on a woodland trek
A working alpaca farm in the Wicklow hills, 40 minutes from Dublin, where you lead your own alpaca on a gentle woodland trek and finish with a glass of prosecco.
- Highlights
- Alpaca & Prosecco Trek (2 hrs, ages 8+)
- Kids Alpaca Experience for young children and visitors with mobility issues
- Enchanted Fairy Forest walk
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
5.Wicklow Mountains National Park
23,000 hectares of mountains, lakes and monastic ruins
Ireland's largest national park, a vast upland of heather bog, glacial valleys and mountain roads, with the sixth-century monastic settlement of Glendalough at its heart. Entry is free and the park is open day and night, all year.
- Highlights
- Ireland's largest national park (23,000 ha)
- Glendalough Monastic City and 30m Round Tower
- The Spinc boardwalk above the Upper Lake
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
6.Buckroney Dunes
Wild dunes, rare orchids and a hidden sandy beach
Buckroney Dunes are part of a protected coastal dune system 8km north of Arklow, where a vast sandy beach hides behind rolling dunes. A quiet, wildlife-rich spot reached on foot.
- Highlights
- Dune-backed sandy beach
- Nesting little terns and ringed plover
- Rare wildflowers: pyramidal orchids, wild asparagus, purple thyme
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly
7.Devil's Glen Wood
Free forest loops to a hidden gorge waterfall
A steep, wooded gorge near Ashford where the River Vartry tumbles over a waterfall, threaded by two waymarked forest loops and dotted with sculptures and carved poetry.
- Highlights
- Waterfall viewing platform above the River Vartry
- Two marked looped walks, 4km and 5km
- Sculptures in Woodland carvings and Heaney quotations
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
8.Glendalough Cathedral
largest church in a 6th-century monastic city
Glendalough Cathedral is the largest church in the Monastic City, a 6th-century settlement founded by St Kevin in a glaciated Wicklow valley.
- Highlights
- 30m round tower
- Largest church in the Monastic City
- St Kevin's Kitchen oratory
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
9.Glenroe Farm
Pet farm, fairy garden and a 400-year-old cottage
Glenroe Farm is a working family farm on the North Wicklow coast, home to friendly farm animals, playgrounds, a fairy-garden nature walk and Ireland's first maize maze — plus the 400-year-old thatched cottage made famous by RTE's Glenroe.
- Highlights
- Pet farm with horses, donkeys, alpacas, sheep, goats, pigs and sika deer
- Pets' Corner with rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils and chinchilla
- Outdoor playground with views of the Sugarloaf
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
10.Killruddery
A 17th-century garden 35 minutes from Dublin
A 400-year-old family estate outside Bray whose French-style 17th-century gardens, working farm, house tours and farm-to-table food sit just 35 minutes from Dublin.
- Highlights
- 17th-century French-style gardens with formal 'rooms'
- Guided tours of the Tudor Revival house and Orangery
- Working farm, Walled Garden and Apple Orchard
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
11.Mount Usher Gardens
A 22-acre Robinsonian garden Monty Don loves
An award-winning Robinsonian garden on the banks of the River Vartry, where 22 acres of informal planting sit alongside an Avoca café, food market and shops.
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
12.National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh
180 rhododendron species, free to visit
A free, 100-acre Victorian plant collectors' garden in east Wicklow, famed for its two-century-old rhododendrons, ancient oaks and tranquil wildflower meadows — and far quieter than its Dublin sister garden at Glasnevin.
- Highlights
- Free admission, open every day except Christmas Day
- 180 rhododendron species and over 420 varieties
- Broad Walk planted with alternating crimson and white rhododendrons
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
13.Powerscourt House & Gardens
A 47-acre garden ranked third best on Earth
A 47-acre Palladian estate in the Wicklow hills, ranked by National Geographic as the third finest garden in the world, with terraces, lakes, a Japanese garden and the Sugarloaf Mountain as its backdrop.
- Highlights
- 47 acres of gardens laid out from 1731
- Named third best garden in the world by National Geographic
- Palladian mansion with shops, café and terrace views
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
14.The Cove
Small rock cove beloved by year-round sunrise swimmers
A small, sheltered pebble cove tucked beneath rocky cliffs just south of Greystones Marina, reached by a long ramp and loved by year-round sea swimmers. It is a designated bathing area with "Excellent" water quality, but no lifeguard.
- Highlights
- Naturally formed shingle cove 170m south of Greystones Marina
- Designated bathing area, water quality rated Excellent 2021-2024
- No lifeguard on duty - swim with care
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
15.Trá Cille Aoil (Glen Strand)
A hidden pebble cove on a seal-spotting cliff walk
A small, quiet pebble cove just south of Wicklow Town, reached by the waymarked Glen Beach Cliff Walk and watched over by a resident colony of grey seals.
- Highlights
- Small pebble cove with clear turquoise water
- Waymarked clifftop loop of about 4 km
- Grey seals at Lime Kiln Bay, best seen from Bride's Head (Ceann Bhríde)
- Facilities
- Good for kids
16.Clara Lara Funpark
60 acres of water slides, canoes and rafting
A 60-acre outdoor adventure park in the Avonmore River valley near Glendalough, built for families — water slides, canoes, rafts and rope courses instead of screens.
- Highlights
- Aqua Shuttle mountain water slide
- Paddle your own Amphicat canoe
- Rowing boats and a pirate island
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
17.Powerscourt Waterfall
the country's tallest waterfall at 121 metres
The River Dargle plunges 121 metres down rugged rock at the foot of the Glensoulan valley — Ireland's highest waterfall, ringed by woodland with picnic and barbecue areas at its base.
- Highlights
- 121 m cascade, the country's highest waterfall
- Free-to-use BBQ stations and picnic tables at the base
- Playground and sensory trail for children
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
18.Russborough House & Park
Palladian mansion with a world-class art collection
A Palladian mansion on the N81 just outside Blessington, holding one of Ireland's great private art collections, wrapped in 200 acres of parkland, maze and lake walks.
- Highlights
- Guided tour of the 18th-century Palladian house and its art collection
- Beech hedge maze with a statue of Fame at its centre
- Beit Museum exhibition in the basement
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
19.Avondale House and Forest Park
Walk 23m above the forest on a treetop boardwalk
A 500-acre Wicklow estate where a fully accessible boardwalk lifts you 23 m into the treetops, above the birthplace of Charles Stewart Parnell.
- Highlights
- Treetop Walk over 23 m above the forest floor
- 38 m Viewing Tower with Wicklow panoramas
- 90 m spiral slide and Ireland's longest marble run
20.Greenan Maze
Two hedge mazes, three farm museums, a fairy trail
A family farm day out in the Wicklow hills, built around two hedge mazes, three old farm museums and a rewilded nature reserve. A hidden gem worth finding, just 15 minutes from Glendalough.
- Highlights
- Celtic hedge maze and Solstice stone-circle maze
- Three farm museums including a 1985 Bottle Museum
- 16th-century farmhouse that sheltered 1798 rebels
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
21.Wicklow Historic Gaol
A 1700s prison you can tour by candlelight
Wicklow's Historic Gaol has watched over the town for more than three centuries, its stone walls holding the stories of the 1798 Rebellion, the Famine and the fight for independence. It is currently closed for renovation, with a reopening and renewed exhibitions promised soon.
- Highlights
- 300 years of Irish history behind the walls
- Character-led tours with the Gaoler and Matron
- Candlelit ghost tours and paranormal nights
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access