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Day itinerary · 53.45° N · 6.15° W

Malahide in a day, 25 minutes by DART from central Dublin.

DART to Malahide, a guided tour of the Talbots' castle, gardens and butterfly house, lunch at the castle café and a coastal walk to Portmarnock.

Leaving from
Direct flight to Dublín fromBilbao 2 h 15Santander 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 30Barcelona 2 h 45Valencia 2 h 45Alicante 3 hMurcia 3 hSevilla 3 hMálaga 3 h 15Fuerteventura 4 h 30Flight times are approximate.
See the planChoose a restaurant

Part of Malahide

Malahide Castle among the trees of its parkWilliam Murphy from Dublin, Ireland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Total time7 h
By car30 min each way
From Dublin25 min by DART
CastleAdult €17 · family from €48
WalkingAbout 2 h, flat
DifficultyEasy

The plan

The day at a glance

Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.

  1. Leave Dublin 30 min by train

    DART from Connolly, Tara Street or Pearse · with the Leap Visitor

  2. 1
    Guided tour of Malahide Castle

    guided tour · adult €17 · book on the official website

  3. Carry on on foot
  4. 2
    Walled garden, botanic garden and butterfly house

    conservatory, rose garden and butterflies

  5. 3 min on foot
  6. 3
    Avoca Malahide, the castle café

    self-service with a terrace over the gardens

    Malahide Demesne, K36 YP65 Malahide · +353 1 893 1900

    Café €
    Book
  7. 12 min on foot
  8. 4
    Malahide marina and main street

    New Street, The Green and the jetties

  9. 10 min on foot
  10. 5
    Coastal walk from Malahide to Portmarnock along the Velvet Strand

    along the beach to the Velvet Strand · best at low tide

  11. Back home 30 min by train

    DART back from Malahide

Approximate cost About €10–20 per person

Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.

The route

Guided tour of Malahide Castle

A car-free day trip from Dublin: Malahide is a coastal village north of the city, 25 minutes by DART, with a castle where the Talbots lived for more than eight centuries, gardens with a butterfly house and a long beach that continues to Portmarnock. Everything is done on foot from the station, and you can head back whenever you like.

The day, hour by hour

9:00 · DART to Malahide. From Connolly, Tara Street or Pearse; about 25 minutes. From the station to the castle, ten minutes' walk through the park.

9:45 · Malahide Castle. The visit is guided, from three quarters of an hour to an hour, through the Talbots' rooms. Adult €17; book on the website in high season.

11:00 · Gardens and butterfly house. The walled garden, the Victorian glasshouse and the tropical butterflies.

12:30 · Lunch at Avoca. The castle café: quiche, soup or a sandwich on the terrace, without leaving the grounds. Open every day.

14:00 · The village and the marina. Walk down to New Street, The Green and the marina pontoons.

15:00 · Coastal walk. Along Malahide beach and the Robswall rocks to the Velvet Strand and the Portmarnock Martello tower. Come back the same way.

17:30 · DART back. In central Dublin before six.

Time1 h
Malahide Castle among the trees of its parkWilliam Murphy from Dublin, Ireland · CC BY-SA 2.0

Change the route

With young children, if it rains or if you fancy something else: another stop that fits the same day.

A path among the trees in Malahide Castle park
With small children, the fairy trail and the playground instead of the coastal walk: Fairy Trail and the West Lawn playgroundChildren's walk · 45 min · through the park woodland, with fairy houses, and the playground alongside
The illuminated bar of the restaurant, with a bartender preparing drinks
To stay for dinner on any day, including Monday: Siam Thai MalahideFamily-run Thai restaurant on The Green, with more than thirty years of history, open every day from midday, Sundays included.
The Georgian façade of Newbridge House in Donabate
With a whole day and children, the farm at Newbridge House in Donabate: Newbridge House and its farm, in DonabateGeorgian house and farm · 2 h to 3 h · one station north of Malahide · park and café open daily

Where to eat

Where to eat?

Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.

The Avoca shop and café at Malahide Castle© AvocaSelf-service café next to the castle

Avoca Malahide, the castle café

Café · Malahide · €€€€

What to order: the quiche of the day or a soup with bread, and a scone for dessert.

Open daily; no booking
Gibney's, on New Street in Malahide© Gibney'sThe pub on New Street

Gibney's

Bar · Malahide · €€€€

What to order: a pint and whichever dish of the day they recommend at the bar.

On the main street, two minutes from the station
The illuminated bar of the restaurant, with a bartender preparing drinks© Siam ThaiThai cooking on The Green, open every day

Siam Thai Malahide

Restaurant · Malahide · €€€€

What to order: the massaman curry or the Thai-style aromatic duck.

Open daily from 12:00
The dining room at Old Street Restaurant© Old Street RestaurantSeasonal Irish cooking in the village

Old Street Restaurant

Restaurant · Malahide · €€€€

What to order: the Sunday set menu, or the early menu during the week.

Closed on Mondays; book on their website

Map

The stops, in order

With where to park at each one.

What to do Eat 88 €Stay Services

Getting there

By car or without one?

Without a car

DART from Connolly, Tara Street or Pearse, about 25 minutes; or buses 32 and 42. From the airport, the 102.

By car

About 25 minutes from the centre; the castle has free parking.

When to go

When to go to Malahide

All year: the castle opens daily from 9:30 to 17:30, except 24 to 26 December. From April to September the gardens are at their best and the coastal walk is more tempting.

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Best timeGood timeLow season

Tips

Worth knowing first

  1. 1
    With an afternoon flight

    Spend the morning here and carry on to the airport: it is ten minutes away.

  2. 2
    Leave the dog for the beach

    Only assistance dogs are allowed in the castle grounds.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does the day cost?

The castle, €17 per adult (family from €48), plus lunch and the DART, which is covered by the Leap Visitor card.

Can it be done in half a day?

Yes: castle, gardens and lunch, and back early in the afternoon.

Does it work with small children?

Yes: swap the coastal walk for the fairy trail and the playground.

More plans like this

Other days of walking and good food

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The Bardenas by 4x4 and lunch in TudelaGuided 4x4 3 h + Ribera vegetables €€€
A green TurisNat off-road vehicle fording a stream in the sierra
Cazorla: 4x4, olive oil and castleGuided 4x4 route · 4 h 30 + Tasting menu €€€€
The Bomfim 1896 dining room, with picture windows towards the quinta
Pinhão: Bomfim 1896 and a tastingTrain along the Douro + Douro cooking in a wood-fired oven €€€ + Tasting at the quinta
A museum room with a full-size chip stand and giant cones
Bruges with children: chips, a boat and swansFrietmuseum · €7 children + Boat 30 min · €9 children + Brasserie De Halve Maan €€

geocalia.com/en/ireland/malahide/itineraries/castle-gardens-and-velvet-strand
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.

7 h plan · €35–60 pp
From Dublin · 30 min
See the plan

Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/ireland/malahide/itineraries/castle-gardens-and-velvet-strand