Wicklow Tours

About Wicklow

County Wicklow begins where Dublin ends, its mountain spine rising within 20 minutes of the M50 ring road. Known as the Garden of Ireland, the county combines upland wilderness — heather-clad bog, glacial lakes, and two of the highest mountain passes in eastern Ireland — with manicured estate gardens and one of the most complete early Christian monastic sites in the country. Glendalough, the Valley of Two Lakes, is Wicklow's centrepiece. Founded by St Kevin in the 6th century, the monastic settlement sits in a glacial valley flanked by steep oak-wooded slopes and two dark lakes. A 30-metre round tower, three stone churches, and a carved stone cross survive from the medieval period, and the site is freely accessible year-round. The Spinc walk — a 9-kilometre loop above the Upper Lake — climbs 300 metres to a wooden boardwalk ridge with the best views in Wicklow. For a gentler walk, the Poulanass Waterfall trail (3 kilometres, 90 minutes) follows the lakeshore. Powerscourt Estate, near the village of Enniskerry 25 kilometres south of Dublin, holds 47 acres of formal gardens laid out with Italianate terraces, Japanese gardens, and views of the Sugar Loaf mountain. The separate Powerscourt Waterfall — 6 kilometres from the main house — drops 121 metres, making it the highest waterfall in Ireland. The Sally Gap and the Wicklow Gap are the two mountain passes that cross the Wicklow Mountains. The Sally Gap road (R115/R759) climbs through open moorland past the dark waters of Lough Tay — often called the Guinness Lake for its dark water and white sand beach — before descending toward Glendalough. A full scenic loop from Dublin over both passes with Glendalough in between covers roughly 120 kilometres and fills a relaxed day.