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7 walks to do around Dublin

April 14, 2017 by Meg 19 Comments

7 walks to do around Dublin7 walks to do around Dublin. Along the river, or the canal. All walks are easy to moderate7 walks to do around Dublin; and all free to do, all year round!7 walks to do around Dublin - plus you can get to them using public transport!

Dublin walks/trails to do this weekend!

Since arriving in Dublin we have made it our mission to do all the Dublin walks/trails we can get our hands on! We both come from families who love to hike and walk in forests. Since we are trying to conserve our money, while I wait for a job! Getting out and going for a walk doesn’t cost a damn thing! Plus, we love to pack a picnic and it is a great way to really see the city from all angles.

Since we rely on public transport, I thought I would share some of the more obvious Dublin walk options first, the ones that are easy to get to. Then later, I will write a post on the harder to get to walking/hiking trails. If you are keen to get out this weekend, here are some great walks you can do, in and around Dublin this weekend:

  1. Poolbeg Lighthouse (11 km)

We are very fortunate that this is right at our doorstep. I might be a bit trickier to get to for others. It is an 11 km from our door to the lighthouse and back. I suggest you park along the Sandymount beach promenade and start the walk from there. It is such a varied walk, starting along the promenade, then into Sean Moore’s park, bit of a hill through some forest bit, out onto a service road, along the beach and then out onto the pier. There is a guy in a coffee van most weekends which is a great place to stop for a coffee either before or after the walk along the pier. Just a word of warning that at high tide, and bad weather the pier gets beaten with the waves. I tried to run out there on a windy day, and ended up having to turn around. It was a big NOPE! cold, windy, and wet? I did not sign up for that. But on a good day, I imagine the pier may be busy with others taking in the good weather, and the stunning views. It is well worth it.

poolbeg lighthouse

  1. Sandymount Beach Promenade (5km)

If you are not keen on a full-on trek, you could just walk from one end of Sandymount Beach to the other end and back. If you do both ways it is a nice 5km walk, plus it has the most incredible sunset views.

sandymount beach

  1. Ringsend to Ballsbridge Canal Walk (4km)

There are some great walks along parts of the river or canal around Dublin. We are lucky to be very close to Aviva stadium, so we often walk along the river to and from Lansdowne train station. It is also a great to cycle or run, if walking is not your vibe. From Ringsend church, you can follow the river all the way past the stadium, under a bridge and all the way to Ballsbridge. You could even extend this walk and cross over to Herbert Park.

dodder river walk

  1. The Dropping Well to Bushy Park River Walk (5km)

Truthfully, this is a bit further away from us. We took bikes from grand canal docks along the canal/river all the way to the dropping well restaurant before starting this section on foot. The dropping well is in such a cool spot, however, on Sundays it is quite a popular spot for the elderly and families (they do a good roast special!) We grabbed a drink and sat outside on the deck. The great thing is there is a smoking and non-smoking part to the outside deck, so you can still enjoy the views without getting smoked out.

Bushy park dublin

Then if you hop onto a train, you can do anyone of these walks too:

  1. Dun Laoghaire (from 3km)

Take the DART from town to Dun Laoghaire (Mallin) station. There are two piers walks to do in Dun Laoghaire (east and west), but you could also walk along the promenade to forty foot (and go swimming, if you are brave!) Plus, it is an excuse to grab a teddy’s ice cream, which is a great day out in my books! You can read more about Dun Laoghaire here.

  1. Killiney/Dalkey Hill (2km)

Take the DART from town to Dalkey station. As you come out of the station, keep left and follow the signs up to Killiney hill. You could walk up, catch the view, and walk back to Dalkey, or you could walk up from Dalkey and back down to Killiney. There is a DART station in both little towns and the full loop is around 2km, so not too far too walk at all. You can read more about Dalkey here.

  1. Howth (2km – 6km)

Take the DART to Howth. Here you will have plenty of options, including grabbing a mandatory fish and chips. You could walk along the pier, along the short promenade in front of the harbor. Or if you are feeling very active, you could do the cliff walk. Some parts are a bit tough (uphill), but for the most part, the views distract you and it is a great loop. You can walk along the cliffs, and then when you get to the top, reward yourself with a pint at the Summit Hill Inn. The cliff walk is 6km. If you are lazy after the walk (or after too many pints), you can grab a bus which is right outside the pub, alternatively, it is a downhill trek back to Howth station.

howth cliff walk

  1. Bray to Greystones (6km)

Technically not is county Dublin (it’s on the border), but not to be missed. Grab the DART and get off at Bray. You can then walk up Bray’s Head, which is short in distance but all uphill, but the view of Bray is amazing. Then you can come back down and do the bray to Greystones cliff walk. This walk is 6 km (one way), and not at all strenuous. It’s pretty flat. But the views are amazing. You can also watch the train go by, and grab the train from Greystones back home. Just a word of warning, the train doesn’t stop at Greystones very frequently, especially on Sundays, so you may need to wait a bit for the train. You can read more about what we did in Bray here.

Which walk have you done? What have you got planned this weekend? With the long weekend upon us, it is a great opportunity to get out the house and get a bit active! I know my main reason is to try work off all the creme eggs I intend on shoveling in my mouth this weekend!

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

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Related

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: declutter, discover dublin, discover ireland, dublin, Happiness, ireland, irish travel, irishlife, travelling, travels

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dana in Demand says

    April 14, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    The Howth Cliff Walk is one of my favorite in Dublin – I absolutely love the views! Great list, I can’t wait to check some of these out. 🙂

    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 14, 2017 at 5:30 pm

      yay, so happy you stopped by, Dana – enjoy your long weekend!

      Reply
  2. Nina says

    April 14, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    I still haven’t been to Dublin, but I think I definitely have to go next year, and these walks look great for then.

    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 14, 2017 at 5:32 pm

      Thanks Nina, if you are ever in Dublin – we must meet up! #bloggerswhotravelmeetup 🙂

      Reply
  3. Casey the College Celiac says

    April 14, 2017 at 4:58 pm

    I’m a HUGE fan of walks (they’re just such a good way to clear your head, relax and take a break from technology for awhile) and all of these are absolutely GORGEOUS. I especially love the sound of the lighthouse trek, though, cause I mean LIGHTHOUSE? So cool!

    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 14, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      the lighthouse trek is super fun, Casey. I completely agree, walking and clearing your head is such a good way to get fresh air and better perspective 🙂

      Reply
  4. Page_Traveller says

    April 14, 2017 at 10:46 pm

    These photos are gorgeous! I always think of Dublin just as the city, but these country walks look lovely. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 15, 2017 at 9:01 am

      It is kinda of crazy, Dublin has it all – city, beaches and mountains! Granted, the mountains are more like hills compared to other parts of the world. ?

      Reply
  5. Kristen says

    April 15, 2017 at 1:10 am

    Your photos are so pretty! I’ll definitely use this if I ever make it to Dublin 🙂 it’s on my travel list!

    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 15, 2017 at 9:02 am

      Thanks for stopping by Kirsten, come visit us anytime!

      Reply
  6. Chasa Fulkerson says

    April 15, 2017 at 2:10 am

    I would love to visit Dublin one day! This is right my husband and my alley. We love hiking and walking and although we want to experience everything while traveling, even the city, we really want to do things that are more in line with this post!

    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 15, 2017 at 8:59 am

      Yay, so happy that you enjoyed this post. If you guys are ever in Dublin, we’d be happy to hike and show you around.

      Reply
      • Chasa Fulkerson says

        April 16, 2017 at 1:24 am

        That would be great! Thanks!

        Reply
  7. Jessica Lam says

    April 15, 2017 at 7:39 pm

    These photos are absolutely stunning! Ireland is my boyfriend’s dream travel destination so I’ll be pinning this for the future 🙂

    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 17, 2017 at 1:12 pm

      Thanks Jessica! Let me know when you do visit 🙂

      Reply
  8. Samantha says

    June 21, 2017 at 12:24 pm

    I love walking and those views look incredible.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to see Dublin in 3 days (and avoid drinking in Temple Bar) says:
    August 21, 2017 at 8:00 am

    […] The Aviva Lansdowne Stadium is a must-see for the sports fanatics. You can walk along the dodder river from Grand Canal to the stadium. It is a short work and a great view of the stadium from a far. There are other walks you can do in Dublin, all free to do, read my top 7 walks to do in Dublin. […]

    Reply
  2. 35 moments that made my 35th year - This is Us...Living says:
    January 30, 2018 at 8:05 pm

    […] hundred walks, a few hills and taking all the panoramic pictures. We have done some pretty rad walks, along cliffs, up steep hills, we just always seem to find a new place to walk each […]

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  3. 20 things to do in Dublin FOR FREE - This is Us...Living says:
    May 1, 2018 at 8:01 am

    […] own pace, stop when you see something interesting or keep walking, you decide. I wrote a post about 7 walks you can do in […]

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Hey! My name is Meg. I am an astrologer with a focus on Astrogeography and evolutionary astrology. I am a South African currently living in Ireland, using Astrogeography in my own life has been so helpful that I started doing readings to help others move and travel based on their astrology. Read my story here

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