Ireland is a country known for its natural beauty – it’s called the Emerald Isle for a reason! However, the first places for nature that come to mind for most are the Cliffs of Moher, or maybe Kerry.
And of course, these places are absolutely breathtaking. But you don’t have to even leave the country’s capital to get amazing nature!
Dublin is home to amazing culture, nightlife, and history. Perhaps lesser known by tourists, it’s also home to amazing places to hike, and amazing parks to walk!
I lived in Dublin for four months while studying abroad, and I made sure to get out and explore the area as much as I could. I’ve compiled a list of the 8 prettiest hikes and walks around the area, and mostly within an hour of the city center!
For the distances from the Dublin City Center for each of these hikes and walks, I used O’Connell Bridge as a base point, and the times are from the closest station to there. These times don’t include time walking to the closest station, or to the trailhead from the drop-off. Of course, there’s more than one route to get to these trailheads, so the times may vary!
Make sure to include as many of these hikes and walks as you can into your Dublin itinerary!
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1. Howth Cliff Loop
- Distance: 5 miles / 8 kilometers
- Trail Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance from City Center: 25 minutes by car, 25 minutes by train, 45 minutes by bus
Howth is a small coastal fishing village just a quick trip from the city center. Before you start your hike, I’d suggest grabbing a coffee at Bodega Coffee and shopping around the Howth Market.
Then continue straight past them, and start your hike of the Howth Cliff Loop! If you pass the signage, it’s a bit of a combination between the Cliff Path Loop and the Tramline Loop.
For this hike, you’ll be mostly walking along a cliff surrounded by the ocean, and with mountains in the distance. This hike is truly one of the prettiest I’ve done. The water is so blue and with the seagulls flying around you, it’s so peaceful.
Eventually, you’ll start to come in view of the peninsula that houses the Bailey Lighthouse! This is usually the featured image when you look up this Dublin hike. It’s very picturesque, and gets even more so as you get closer to it. You may even see some wildflowers! I was shocked by how many there were when I did this hike in January!
After your hike, grab some fish and chips on the pier at The Oar House, or some paella at Octopussy’s. Then, walk over to Howth Castle to end your trip. This is actually the first castle I’ve ever seen, so it holds a special place in my heart! You’ll have to pass the train station to get to it so it’s a bit out of the way, but worth it. If you’re looking for more to do here, check out my post on how to spend a day in Howth.
2. Phoenix Park and Magazine Fort
- Distance: 3 miles / 4.8 kilometers
- Trail Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance from City Center: 15 minutes by car, 10 minutes by train, 15 minutes by bus
A popular Dublin park, Phoenix Park is a massive, must visit hot spot. It’s actually twice as big as Central Park! It’s home to the Dublin Zoo, wild deer, and tons of monuments!
There’s many of walking trails to choose from in this park, with this being one of the shorter ones, and with a closer access to from the city center.
In the Phoenix Park and Magazine Fort loop, you’ll pass the tall Papal Cross, the Phoenix Monument, the Wellington Monument with is Washington monument-esque, and eventually the Magazine Fort from the 1600s! Lots of cool things to see in a single park stroll.
Honestly, it’s also fun to walk around here without a distinct path and clear direction, and explore without an end goal. Everywhere here is so beautiful! I won’t lie, I did a lot of this looking for the famous wild herd of deer that hangs out in this park.
3. Killiney Hill
- Distance: 0.9 mile / 1.4 kilometers
- Trail Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance from City Center: 25 minutes by car, 30 minutes by train, 55 minutes by bus
The serenity I felt doing this Dublin hike is unmatched. You’ll feel such peace when you see these views, and this was one of the least crowded hikes on this like.
Killiney Hill is located in Dalkey (fun fact – this is where Matt Damon spent COVID), a tiny village with its own castle! After strolling around the area, I headed towards the park!
This easy hike takes you through the forest for a bit, and then opens to be surrounded by bushes and wildflowers, with more views of mountains and the ocean. This is a great place to pack a blanket and sit for a while, the view never gets old.
4. Bray Head Hillwalk
- Distance: 4.8 miles / 7.7 kilometers
- Trail Type: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance from City Center: 30 minutes by car, 40 minutes by train, 1 hour by bus
Bray was my go to hike when I had friends or family visit me when I lived in Dublin. It’s very easy to get to from Dublin, and is absolutely breathtaking the whole hike!
It’s a bit of a walk from the bus/train station to the promenade where the trail starts. Once you get there, it opens up into a lovely rock beach with a walking path along it. Either before or after your hike, you should grab a meal at Butler & Barry or The Dough Box for beautiful views while you eat, and grab Gino’s Gelato as a dessert.
Then, start heading towards the mountain where you see the cross at the top! In about 5 miles, that’s where you’ll be admiring the views from!
My favorite thing about the Bray Head Hillwalk is on one side is the ocean, and on the other is the Wicklow Mountains. No matter where you look, it’s incredible. It’s definitely one of the more challenging hikes on this list, but very rewarding. It only gets prettier the closer you get to the cross.
Once you make it to the cross, you’ll still have beautiful views of the mountains and ocean, you’ll just have them from a better view point, with the added element of now you can see the Bray Promenade, too! It’s a bit crowded at the top, but with the views you get, it’s understandable.
Here’s a little secret – when you’re about to start the hike, if you go left off the path, it leads to a little private cove! It’s off the beaten path and I know these directions aren’t exactly detailed, but if you’re able to find it, it’s worth it. The first time I went here, it was by accident because I got lost…
5. Glendalough Green Road
- Distance: 1.9 mile / 3 kilometers
- Trail Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance from City Center: 1 hour by car, 1 hour 30 minutes by bus
The famous Glendalough Monastery is the furthest away hike on this list from the city center, but still worth the trip.
Getting here is a bit more difficult than some of the other hikes – unless you have a car, you have to take St. Kevin’s Bus Service. It’s 20 Euro for a round trip, and on weekdays there are only two buses, and only one on weekends. It may make your trip a bit more pressed for time than you’d like.
Once the bus drops you off at the visitor center, you’re right next to the main part of monastery! It dates as far back as the 6th century, and there are still remnants of the monastic city, such as the Round Tower and Celtic cross grave markers. And there’s cute sheep strolling around!
While this is beautiful, sitting in the valley, the actual hike starts a bit along. If you’re coming by the bus, the official Green Road Walk trailhead on AllTrails won’t be where you actually start, but you can still use the navigation.
On this hike, you’ll pass even more ruins, sparkling lakes, and the beautiful woods. Something very specific I remember thinking about this hike was how it felt like it could be an enchanted forest or something.
Once you reach the upper lake, take it all in. This was my favorite part of the hike. It’s truly such a beautiful place to explore, it’s no wonder it’s such a popular place.
After your hike, if you still have time, grab and pint and some cheese fries (trust me) at the Glendalough Hotel Restaurant.
6. Dun Laoghaire Harbour
- Distance: 1.6 miles / 2.6 kilometers
- Trail Type: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance from City Center: 20 minutes by car, 20 minutes by train, 35 minutes by bus
Dun Laoghaire is a suburb of Dublin that has a beautiful harbour and piers. If you’re wanting a nice sunset stroll on the water, this is the place for it.
The East Pier is extremely flat, and a lot longer than it looks, with one way being over half a mile. I wasn’t prepared for that and had brought takeout with me to eat at the end of the pier, not realizing how far I had to carry my food. No regrets though.
This is a popular place for walking and running, and the pier essentially has two lanes, one slightly elevated. It ends with a lighthouse, and views of the mountains, the suburb, and if you go at the right time, an amazing sunset.
he colors were stunning, and the birds flying overhead added to the aesthetic. I will note – it was very windy! But overall, highly recommend having a takeout picnic here.
7. St Stephen’s Green
- Distance: 2.2 miles / 3.5 kilometers
- Trail Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance from City Center: 5 minutes by car, 10 minute walk
This park in the middle of the city is a nice escape from the bustle of Dublin City Center without having to actually leave it! Highly recommend grabbing a to-go meal from any of the nearby restaurants and have a picnic here, or cozying up with a book.
There’s plenty of paved paths to walk around St Stephen’s Green. You can expect to pass trees, sculptures, a lake, flowerbeds, and even more beauty!
There’s benches if you want a break from walking and want to enjoy the nature in one spot. This urban park is very well manicured and peaceful. If you want to get even more steps in after walking around here, head over to St Stephen’s Shopping Centre directly across the street to go shopping.
8. Montpelier Hill
- Distance: 3.1 miles / 5 miles
- Trail Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance from City Center: 20 minutes by car, 45 minutes by bus
A Dublin hike with a spooky history, Montpelier Hill is also known as the hellfire club because of the legends surrounding the abandoned hunting cabin on site. From the destruction of a sacred cairn to meetings of quite sinister purposes, the history is interesting to read about.
To get to this hill, you’ll hike through the lush forest, with plenty of views of the surrounding mountains. The best views, though, are when you get to the abandoned building – which you can go into the ruins of, by the way! 10/10 would recommend if you’re a fan of urban legends and urban exploring.
Not only is this structure cool, but you’ll also be greeted with views of the Dublin bay and more mountains, and forests behind you.
One thing to note about this hike is that if you’re taking public transportation, add about 3 miles to this distance… the nearest bus station is about 1.5 miles away from the trailhead.
The way there has a decent uphill, and there aren’t any sidewalks so you’ll be walking on the side of the road. Even this is still beautiful though, don’t let this deter you! You can also stop on the way up at Timbertrove Cafe off the road for a quick bite to eat before your hike!
Bonus: WIcklow Mountains National Park
There are many more hikes to do in Wicklow Mountains National Park other than the Green Road! Popular trails include the 3.9 mile / 6.3 kilometer moderate Spinc Loop, parts of the Wicklow Way, the 3.1 mile / 5 kilometer moderate Miner’s Road, and the 9.3 mile / 15 kilometer moderate Glendalough Loop.
AllTrails has 137 Wicklow Mountain National Park Trails to explore.
Helpful Tips
If you’re planning on taking public transport to get to and from these hikes, you’re going to need a Leap Card. You can buy these from the Dublin Airport, or places around the City Center. When I had family visit, I got them one from a Spar there.
Also, it’s Ireland you’re hiking in! Pack for the cold, and pack layers! Make sure a waterproof outer layer is one of those layers, as well as moisture wicking base layers. It’s also smart to avoid cotton, and wear sturdier pants than just leggings! I did not properly dress for a Wicklow Hikes, and it put a major damper on what should have been an incredible experience
Especially if you’re hiking in Wicklow, ankle supporting hiking boots will be your best friend. The terrain is no joke, and Dublin mud can feel like a bog! Don’t worry about this though if you’re doing one of the paved walks.
As with any hike, make sure to bring plenty of water and snacks! Make sure to follow the principles of leave no trace. Be aware of your surroundings, and hike safely! Check out my article for tips on how to stay safe while solo hiking – they’re good to follow even if you’re not alone!
Happy Hiking!
I hope you enjoy these Dublin hikes and walks as much as I do! It won’t be a complete Dublin trip without adding at least one of these to your itinerary!
P.S. If you’re trying to figure out where to stay in Dublin on your trip, check out my article here.
