Dublin Day Trips in 3 Days on a Budget
Three days based in Dublin nests the 2-day plan exactly, Howth and Bray to Greystones on the DART, and adds Glendalough, a EUR 14-23 bus fare each way to a free monastic site. All three days run without a rented car and without a packaged coach tour. For Newgrange, the Cliffs of Moher, and Belfast, our 4-day plan and beyond keep extending this same spine.
Book these before you go:
- Nothing on Days 1-2 needs advance booking, both run on the regular DART timetable
- Glendalough and Wicklow half-day tour : only if the public bus timetable doesn’t suit your day
- Your Dublin hotel : compare a central room before you land
| Day | Day trip | Travel time from Dublin | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howth | 25-35 min by DART | EUR 4 return, no booking |
| 2 | Bray to Greystones | About 40 min by DART to Bray | EUR 4-6 return, no booking |
| 3 | Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains | About 1h20 by St Kevin’s Bus | EUR 14-23 bus, free site |
Day 1: Howth, the cheapest day out
Take the DART from Connolly, Pearse, or Tara Street, 25 to 35 minutes depending on the station, trains every 20 to 30 minutes, roughly EUR 2 each way on a Leap Card, about EUR 4 for the round trip. Take the H3 bus up to Howth Summit first, then walk the Cliff Path Loop back down into the village, the same coastal views with a fraction of the climbing, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. Eat at the harbour: Beshoff Bros does fish and chips or chowder for EUR 8-12, the Oarhouse a few doors down if you’d rather sit down and pay a bit more. Check current fares at transportforireland.ie before you tap in.
Do you need to book anything for Howth? No, and that’s the point. It’s the one trip in this whole family with no ticket, no tour, and no backup plan required if the weather turns.
Day 2: Bray to Greystones, a second cheap DART day
Bray is about 40 minutes out by DART, Greystones another 10 minutes past it, both covered by the same Leap Card zone system as Howth. The connecting cliff walk between the two towns runs about 7 kilometres and 2 to 3 hours, but it has had repeated landslide closures over the past several years; check current trail status at bray.ie before you build the day around it. If it’s shut, the shorter Bray Head loop stays open more reliably, or just take the DART straight to Greystones harbour and skip the connecting path entirely.
Is this a different ticket to Howth? No. Bray and Greystones sit on the same DART line under the same Leap Card fare structure, roughly EUR 2-3 each way, so there’s nothing extra to buy for the second cheap day.
Day 3: Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains
St Kevin’s Bus leaves St Stephen’s Green North, about 1 hour 20 minutes each way, EUR 14 one way or EUR 23 return. The monastic site, the Round Tower and the ruined churches by the Lower Lake, sits inside Wicklow Mountains National Park and is free to walk; the OPW car park costs EUR 4 a day only if you drive instead of taking the bus. Walk a trail from the Upper Lake if you want mountain scenery beyond the ruins, anywhere from a flat 30 minute loop to a multi-hour climb.
Is the monastic site really free? Yes, no ticket and no gate at the ruins themselves. The only cost is the OPW car park if you drive, and the bus fare either way; the site’s history and setting cost nothing beyond getting there.
Is 3 days enough for the Dublin gateway family on a budget?
It covers the three cheapest trips, but skips Newgrange, the Cliffs of Moher, and Belfast entirely. Our 4-day plan adds Newgrange next, the trip that needs a booking window rather than extra money.
Before you go
A standard Leap Card covers Days 1 and 2 at the regular city fare; Glendalough runs on St Kevin’s Bus instead, a separate ticket bought on the day or in advance online. Dublin Airport has no rail or metro link in 2026, so budget the Airlink 747/757 or Aircoach coach into the centre, roughly EUR 9-12. Pack for rain regardless of the forecast; none of these three days has a reliably dry month.