Day trips from Dublin

Dublin's day trips sort into two kinds: the ones inside two hours, which are on this page, and the ones that take a whole day of coach for two hours on the ground, which are not. The Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Belfast and the Giant's Causeway are three hours each way and we leave them to the operators who run them. What is inside two hours is better than its reputation.

The Wicklow ring

Glendalough is an hour and ten by coach and there is no train, which is why almost everyone goes on a tour. The half days do the Sally Gap, Lough Tay, which the guides call Guinness Lake, and the monastic valley, and are back by two. The full days continue over the hills to Kilkenny with a sheepdog demonstration at a hill farm on the way, and get back around six. The small-group versions with Powerscourt add the waterfall and the gardens.

The north

Newgrange and the Boyne Valley are fifty minutes north. The tomb is five thousand years old and entry is by shuttle bus from the visitor centre in groups of a few dozen, so the tours that include the entry are worth the premium over the ones that only drive past. The full days add the Hill of Tara, Monasterboice and its high crosses, or Trim Castle.

The coast

Howth is thirty minutes on the DART and does not need a tour, but the half-day coastal bus tours exist for people who want the guide and the stop at Dún Laoghaire on the way back. The boats from Howth harbour, the cliffs and the lighthouse, Ireland's Eye, the sunset cruise, are the best value on this page.

The odd one

The Game of Thrones studio tour in Banbridge, an hour and forty north on the Belfast road, is on this radar because it is inside two hours. It is an admission ticket, not a tour, so you need a car or the shuttle from Dublin. [prüfen]