Things to do in Co. Wicklow
21 places
1.Ballinastoe Woods
a Lord of the Rings-style boardwalk
A dense pine forest in the Wicklow Mountains where a winding wooden boardwalk tunnels through mossy spruce, creating an uncanny Lord of the Rings atmosphere — and it's just an hour from Dublin.
- Highlights
- Lord of the Rings-like boardwalk through dense pine
- Panoramic views over Lough Tay (Guinness Lake)
- JB Malone Memorial viewpoint
2.Glendalough
600+ steps on a cliff-hugging boardwalk
A glacially-carved valley in the Wicklow Mountains, home to a 6th-century monastic city, a perfectly-preserved round tower, two dark lakes, and nine waymarked trails that range from easy lakeside strolls to strenuous clifftop hikes.
- Highlights
- 9 colour-coded waymarked trails (1 km to 11.5 km)
- Spinc boardwalk — 600+ steps hugging a sheer cliff face
- 6th-century Monastic City with iconic round tower
- Facilities
- Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
3.Lough Tay
Nicknamed Guinness Lake for its pint illusion
A dark, peaty lake ringed by Wicklow mountains whose white-sand shore makes it look exactly like a freshly poured pint of Guinness — visible only from the road above, but unforgettable from that very first glimpse.
- Highlights
- Nicknamed 'Guinness Lake' — dark peaty water with imported white sand creates the pint illusion
- Filming location for Vikings (Kattegat), Excalibur, Braveheart, and Irish Wish
- Set between Djouce Mountain (725 m) and Luggala (595 m) in the Wicklow Mountains
4.K2Alpacas
Walk your own alpaca on a 2-hour trek
A family-run Wicklow alpaca farm where visitors walk their own alpaca on guided treks, feed the herd in a paddock and browse an all-alpaca gift shop, about 40 minutes from Dublin city centre.
- Highlights
- Guided trek walking your own alpaca on a lead
- Hand-feeding the herd in a paddock
- All-alpaca gift shop with Peruvian handmade goods
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
5.Wicklow Mountains National Park
Ireland's largest national park at 23,000 hectares
A vast swathe of wild mountain scenery just south of Dublin — Ireland's largest and only eastern national park, home to the haunting 6th-century monastic settlement of Glendalough, nine waymarked trails, and some of the country's finest hill-walking.
- Highlights
- Ireland's largest national park (23,000 ha)
- Nine colour-coded waymarked trails from easy strolls to strenuous hill walks
- Glendalough's 6th-century Monastic City and round tower
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
6.Buckroney Dunes
Piebald ponies grazing the dunes
A hidden jewel of the Wicklow coast — a vast, untrammelled dune wilderness rich in wildflowers, birdlife and solitude, backed by a quiet shingle-and-sand beach.
- Highlights
- Wild, unspoilt dune system far quieter than neighbouring Brittas Bay
- Exceptional wildflower displays in spring and summer
- Piebald ponies grazing the dunes seasonally
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly
7.Devil's Glen Wood
a 5km forest loop to the Vartry waterfall
A free, family-friendly Coillte forest near Ashford where the Vartry River has carved a deep Ice Age gorge, with two waymarked loop walks, woodland sculptures and carved Seamus Heaney verses leading to a roaring waterfall.
- Highlights
- Vartry waterfall in a deep Ice Age gorge
- Waterfall Walk (5km loop) and Seamus Heaney Walk (4km loop)
- Woodland sculptures and carved Heaney poetry
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
8.Glendalough Cathedral
Largest surviving church from 6th-century monastic city
The largest surviving church in Ireland's most evocative early-medieval monastic valley — founded by St Kevin in the 6th century and set between two glacial lakes in the Wicklow Mountains.
- Highlights
- Largest surviving church in Wicklow's 6th-century monastic city
- Iconic 30m Round Tower — one of Ireland's finest
- Nine waymarked trails from easy lakeside strolls to the Spinc boardwalk
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
9.Glenroe Farm
The only maize maze in the country
A family-run open farm on the Wicklow coast where kids get hands-on with animals, explore Ireland's only maize maze, and step onto the original set of RTE's beloved Glenroe series — all less than an hour from Dublin.
- Highlights
- Ireland's only maize maze (late July–October)
- Original Glenroe TV series filming location
- Pets' Corner with rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils and chinchillas
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
10.Killruddery
Still run by the family who settled here in 1618
A living 400-year-old estate with Ireland's finest surviving 17th-century formal gardens, just 30 minutes from Dublin — still run by the family who settled here in 1618.
- Highlights
- 400-year-old family estate, still run by the Brabazon family (Earls of Meath)
- One of Ireland's few surviving original 17th-century formal gardens
- Pattes d'oie ('goose feet') angled hedged walks designed after Versailles style
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
11.Mount Usher Gardens
an award-winning Robinsonian garden named by Monty Don as one of his favourites in the world
A rare 22-acre Robinsonian garden along the River Vartry, where 5,000 plant species from around the globe thrive in a natural, informal layout — paired with an Avoca café, food market, and garden centre.
- Highlights
- 22 acres of Robinsonian gardens with over 5,000 plant species
- Award-winning 'managed wild' design along the River Vartry
- Named by Monty Don as one of his favourite gardens in the world
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
12.National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh
180 rhododendron species & 420 varieties
A free-to-enter 52-acre Victorian plant collector's garden in the Wicklow countryside, famous for its spectacular rhododendron collection — 180 species and over 420 varieties — and its role as a satellite of the National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin.
- Highlights
- 180 rhododendron species & 420+ varieties
- Free entry, parking & guided tours
- Victorian double herbaceous borders
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
13.Powerscourt House & Gardens
Voted world's 3rd best garden by National Geographic
Voted the world's 3rd best garden by National Geographic, this 47-acre estate in the Wicklow hills pairs exquisite formal gardens with Ireland's highest waterfall — all just 30 minutes from Dublin.
- Highlights
- Voted 3rd best garden in the world by National Geographic
- 47 acres blending formal gardens, woodland walks, and mountain views
- Ireland's highest waterfall (121m) with BBQ and picnic facilities
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
14.The Cove
Seafood with your feet in the sand
A sheltered white-sand cove with striking turquoise water on the Ring of Kerry — one of Ireland's rare beaches where you can enjoy a seafood meal and a pint with your feet in the sand.
- Highlights
- White sand & turquoise water in a sheltered bay
- Beachfront restaurant — rare in Ireland
- Dolphins & seals regularly spotted in the bay
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
15.Trá Cille Aoil (Glen Strand)
Grey seal colony visible from cliffs
A tiny, secluded pebble beach tucked into the rugged Wicklow coastline, reached via one of Ireland's most rewarding cliff walks — and a regular haul-out for grey seals.
- Highlights
- Grey seal colony visible from the cliffs
- Clear turquoise water on sunny days
- Dramatic natural rock arch on the shoreline
- Facilities
- Good for kids
16.Clara Lara Funpark
biggest water slide in the country
A timeless, screen-free outdoor adventure park set in the wooded Avonmore Valley — kids paddle canoes, whizz down Ireland's biggest water slide, and hunt for pirates, all in a single day.
- Highlights
- Ireland's biggest water slide
- Screen-free outdoor play in a natural valley
- All-inclusive admission covers most activities
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
17.Powerscourt Waterfall
121-metre waterfall from Excalibur
Ireland's highest accessible waterfall thunders 121 metres down a rugged rock face at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains — a family-friendly destination for picnics, woodland walks, and sheer natural drama just 30 minutes from Dublin.
- Highlights
- 121-metre cascade — Ireland's highest accessible waterfall
- Filming location for Excalibur and the TV series Vikings
- Giant redwoods and 200-year-old oaks lining the drive
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
18.Russborough House & Park
2km beech-hedge maze with a statue of Fame
A magnificent Palladian mansion set on 200 acres of parkland in the Wicklow countryside, Russborough combines a world-class art collection, a beech-hedge maze, woodland trails, and a superb café — all just 30 minutes from Dublin.
- Highlights
- Outstanding Palladian architecture with original 18th-century plasterwork
- World-class art collection, including Murillo's Prodigal Son series and restored Vernet Drawing Room
- 2km beech-hedge maze with a crowning statue of Fame
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
19.Avondale House and Forest Park
90-metre spiral slide, longest in the country
Ireland's first treetop walkway and 38-metre viewing tower, set in 500 acres of historic woodland that was the birthplace of Irish forestry and Charles Stewart Parnell.
- Highlights
- Ireland's first treetop walkway — fully wheelchair and pram accessible
- 38-metre spiral viewing tower with 360° Wicklow panoramas
- 90-metre spiral slide — Ireland's longest
20.Greenan Maze
two hedge mazes and three farm museums on a 50-acre Wicklow farm
A family-run farm in the Wicklow hills with two hedge mazes, three quirky museums, farm animals, woodland trails, and a coffee shop — a full day out for all ages.
- Highlights
- Two distinct mazes: a beech hedge maze and a stone-circle labyrinth
- Three farm museums including a 16th-century rebel safehouse
- Daily animal feeding at 2:30pm
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
21.Wicklow Historic Gaol
a former 18th-century prison with live ghost tours and VR
An immersive journey through two centuries of Irish penal history inside an original 18th-century prison building, where holographic characters, costumed guides, and paranormal tours bring its dark past vividly to life.
- Highlights
- Original 18th-century prison building
- Holographic character encounters
- Costumed live actors (Gaoler & Matron)
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access