9 Wonderful Day Trips from Dublin to Make Your Weekend Awesome

Ready to be blown away with new places to go?

Ireland is a country full of diverse, entertaining and exciting places to visit. There are so many exciting places you can visit outside of Dublin that are well worth the journey whatever your tastes are. We have vast mountain ranges, stunning lakes, historical monuments, and much lesser travelled paths that only locals may know.

So just for you, we've compiled a list of places to make a day trip outside of Dublin that will bring something different to your weekend.

Coumshingaun Lough, Comeragh Mountains, Waterford

You're in for a treat here with a moderate trek around this remarkable glacial lake in the south of Ireland. A one hour and fifty-minute drive from Dublin, so it's ideal for a day trip! Coumshingaun Lough is a corrie lake that is surrounded by an amphitheatre type mountain.

It is a beautiful hike which is less visited by tourists to Ireland.

About Coumshingaun Lough

The trek itself is 7.5 Kilometers and takes around four hours to complete. You'll get to see some amazing views over the Waterford landscape as well as getting to overlook the 1200m cliff face. So why wouldn't you make your way to Waterford for a day trip, and let this landscape take your breath away.

You can find your way from Dublin to this stunning lake here.

The Giant's Causeway, County Antrim

It's no secret that this is one of Ireland's most majestic and unusual settings but the fact remains that a lot of Irish people are yet to visit and tourists alike who visit our little country but never make the trip, so were here to remind you of what you are missing.

About the Giant's Causeway

As the legend goes, the giant Finn MacCool from Antrim had a rival giant called Benandonner with who he would shout across the sea demanding a show of strength. Finn decided to make this possible by building a causeway across to Benandonners home.

The work was so tricky that Finn fell asleep. His wife found him sleeping, but with the sound of loud footsteps approaching she covered him with a nightgown and bonnet to deceive Benandonner into believing this was their child. Shocked by the size of their child, he was panicked in wonder about how big Finn must be and retreated. That is how the Giant's Causeway was created according to legend.

Today, we know it was a volcanic area that some 60 million years ago, the molten rock was forced up from the seabed to form a lava plateau. With most of the rock formations being hexagonal, it looks almost human-made.

The drive from Dublin is roughly 3 hours, so it is a long day trip indeed but worth it. You can also walk along the causeway itself for a close up of these formations and an ever better experience.

You can visit the visitor information site here.

You can find your way to the Giants Causeway here.

Newgrange, Donore, Co. Meath

The pyramids in Egypt are believed to be 4,500 years old. Stonehenge in England is 5,000 years old, but that's nothing compared to one of Ireland's national treasures, Newgrange in Co. Meath.

About Newgrange

It's believed to be 5,200 years old and is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Newgrange is a passage tomb and ancient temple created by farmers who prospered in the Boyne Valley.

The remarkable thing about Newgrange is that every year between December 19th and December 21st, the interior passage and chamber light up. The people that constructed this temple designed a 'light box' that ideally allows the sun to shine its light directly inside. It's believed that the purpose was to enable the farmers to mark the beginning of a new year.

Visit the Newgrange visitors centre, where you can learn all about its history and see lots of excavated items from the site. The drive takes roughly 45 minutes from Dublin, so its the perfect place for a day trip.

You can pre-book tickets to visit Newgrange from their visitor's centre here.

You can get directions to Newgrange visitors centre from Dublin here.

The Titanic, Belfast, Co Antrim

The tragic fate of the Titanic is world-famous, but not everyone knows that the birthplace of this enormous boat is in Belfast, Co Antrim.

About The Titanic, Belfast

As Belfast is the home of the Titanic, the locals are very proud of this fact. Everyone's family added in some way to the construction of the most famous ship in the world.

The Titanic is an excellent day out to learn about the ships history and also see what life in Belfast was like during the time of its creation. You will learn of the men and women that helped produce the ship, the surviving passengers and the victims that so tragically lost their lives. Learning of the fate of passengers is fascinating, many of which were emigrating for a better life in America.

The drive takes less than 2 hours from Dublin, so it's perfect for a day trip.

You can visit The Titanic website here.

You can also get directions to the Titanic here.

Marble Arch Caves, Co. Fermanagh

The Marble Arch Caves in Co. Fermanagh is a stunning cave tour which you can experience with the help of a friendly and enthusiastic guide from start to finish. You could not ask for is a better day trip for you and your family.

About the Marble Arch Caves

Your tour commences with a ten-minute boat ride underground followed by a thirty-minute stroll through the show cave.

The entire experience takes roughly 75 minutes from beginning to end. The cave is well lit all the way through, but some of the terrain and steps might be a little uneven, so make sure you wear good walking shoes and walk carefully through it.

The drive time takes around 2 hours.

You can visit the Marble Arch Caves website here.

You can find directions to the Marble Arch Caves from Dublin here.

Tullamore Dew Experience, Tullamore

Tullamore Dew is famous the world over for making Whiskey. Their distillery is only a one hour and fifteen-minute drive from Dublin, so a perfect distance to make a day trip.

About Tullamore Dew Experience

These guys offer a great experience that differs slightly from the crowded Jameson Distillery in Dublin. There are three types of whiskey tours you can take.

There is a 50-minute tour you can take which costs €16. Your guide will open your eyes to the ways of crafting Whiskey along with a tasting of three different variations of Whiskey. The next option is a 90-minute masterclass, where you will see how they make the Whiskey. You will also have tastings of six different whiskeys where you can put your new-found knowledge of flavours to the test.

Finally, the 3-hour Ultimate distillery experience is where you will again explore the distillery, but this time, you will enter the blending room. The blending room is where you will have the joyous opportunity to create your very own personalised Whiskey to take home with you. A sublime experience that you will remember for a long time, this tour is worth making a day trip from Dublin this weekend, but it's probably best to leave the kids at home.

You can visit the Tullamore Dew website here.

You can find directions to the Tullamore Dew distillery here.

Castlecomer Discovery Park, Kilkenny

We all need a little adventure in our lives, and there is nothing that can get the heart rate going more than a bit of fear, if you are afraid of heights that is. Discovery parks in Castlecomer, Kilkenny is undoubtedly a perfect day trip for the whole family.

About Castlecomer Discovery Park

Their treetop walk has a tonne of different obstacles like rope bridges and small platforms that bring a challenging and exciting element to the day which kids will love. They boast the longest over-water zip line in Ireland which is 300 meters and 35 feet at its highest point along with the 'Octagon'. This adult-only Treetop walk and is a little more challenging than the treetop walk for the kids.

The Treetop adventure walk in Castlecomer also offers many other activities from Axe throwing, to Archery, and Canoeing.

You can visit the Castlecomer discovery park's website here.

You can find Castlecomer discovery park's map location here.

The Irish National Stud & Gardens - Co. Kildare

Horses are one of the most elegant and grand animals on the planet, and even more so when they are some of the best treated and valuable horses in the country.

The horses here are thoroughbred winners! They have run and won many races. At the Irish National Stud, they retire to make babies and enjoy the rest of their lives.

About the Irish National Stud

The ground's of The Irish National Stud is beautiful to walk around, and you can see some of the horses in their pens or out grazing in fields together.

Many of the pens will tell you the name's of the horses, and also the price for them to stud, which might leave your jaw on the floor. You can easily spend three hours or more strolling around. There are fairy trails for the kids to search for and explore, making it an ideal day trip for the whole family.

The Gardens within the Stud are exceptionally stunning, and you can finish off your pleasant day with a coffee overlooking its beauty, relaxing on the cafes terrace.

You can get an individual adult ticket for €11.50, and a child for €6.50, or you can get a pass for two adults and four children for €28.

You can visit the Irish National Studs website here.

You can find the Irish National Stud's location here.

The Delta Sensory Gardens - Carlow

The Delta Sensory Gardens in Carlow, established in 2007, was conceived to be a tranquil place to help relax and stimulate people with intellectual disabilities. Since then it has grown as one of the top tourist destinations in Co. Carlow.

About the Delta Sensory Gardens

It has so much to offer for a very chilled day out, with many water features around the garden, designed to mellow out its many visitors.

There are flowers of various colours all around to brighten moods, along with a lovely cafe to get that perfect cup of tea or coffee to enjoy in these very peaceful surroundings. The Delta Sensory Gardens also has a garden centre where you can pick up some similar plants for your garden.

It costs €5 per person into the gardens and children are free.

If you're getting married near Carlow, they offer the possibility of wedding photos to be taken here.

You can visit the Delta Sensory Gardens website here.

You can find the Delta Sensory Gardens location here.