Dublin Day Trips in 4 Days on a Budget
Four days based in Dublin nests the 3-day plan exactly, Howth, Bray to Greystones, and Glendalough, and adds Newgrange, the one trip in this family where the money isn’t the problem, the booking window is. For the Cliffs of Moher and Belfast, our 5-day plan and beyond keep extending this same spine.
Book these before you go:
- Newgrange and Boyne Valley tour : the real sell-out risk on this itinerary, book 3-7 days ahead in peak season
- 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 |
| 4 | Newgrange and the Boyne Valley | Guided tour only, no walk-up | EUR 18 direct, or EUR 45-75 coach |
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.
Day 4: Newgrange and the Boyne Valley
Newgrange itself isn’t expensive, roughly EUR 18 for a combined Newgrange and Knowth ticket, but it’s guided-access only through the Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre , no independent walk-up to the passage tomb. Book 3 to 7 days ahead in peak season (June through August), 1 to 2 days ahead the rest of the year. Without a car, a small-group coach day tour from Dublin is the realistic route, roughly EUR 45-75 and 8 to 9 hours round trip, often bundling Hill of Tara or Monasterboice Abbey.
Do I need to book Newgrange before I land? Yes. There’s no walk-up option at the passage tomb, a Neolithic monument older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, and peak-season slots sell out days ahead, not hours. Lock a date as soon as your Dublin trip is fixed.
Is 4 days enough for the Dublin gateway family on a budget?
It covers four of the six day trips, the four cheapest and easiest ones, but skips the Cliffs of Moher and Belfast, the two that need the most travel time and the biggest single spend. Our 5-day plan adds the Cliffs of Moher next, the priciest day on this whole list.
Before you go
A standard Leap Card covers Days 1 and 2 at the regular city fare; Glendalough and Newgrange both run on a separate bus or tour ticket instead. 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 four days has a reliably dry month.