# Day trip from Dublin to Malahide: castle, gardens and the Velvet Strand

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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/ireland/malahide/itineraries/castle-gardens-and-velvet-strand · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:00 · Salida: 30 min by train (DART from Connolly, Tara Street or Pearse · with the Leap Visitor)
- 09:45 · Guided tour of Malahide Castle (guided tour · adult €17 · book on the official website)
  - Carry on on foot
- 11:00 · Walled garden, botanic garden and butterfly house (conservatory, rose garden and butterflies)
  - 3 min on foot
- 12:30 · Avoca Malahide, the castle café (self-service with a terrace over the gardens) · Avoca Malahide, the castle café, €
  - 12 min on foot
- 14:00 · Malahide marina and main street (New Street, The Green and the jetties)
  - 10 min on foot
- 15:00 · Coastal walk from Malahide to Portmarnock along the Velvet Strand (along the beach to the Velvet Strand · best at low tide)
- 17:30 · Vuelta: 30 min by train (DART back from Malahide)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### 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.

## Consejos

### With an afternoon flight
Spend the morning here and carry on to the airport: it is ten minutes away.

### Leave the dog for the beach
Only assistance dogs are allowed in the castle grounds.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.