53.19° N · 6.17° W
Powerscourt Gardens, its 121-metre waterfall, a whiskey distillery and the village of Enniskerry, about 20 km south of Dublin by bus or car.
Part of Irish pubs
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Gardens · 2 h · €14 · terraces, Triton Lake, Italian and Japanese gardens and old roses facing the Sugar Loaf
Waterfall · 1 h to 1 h 30 · €7.50 · the tallest in Ireland, with meadows, a playground, picnic areas and sika deer
Distillery · 1 h · €25 · production, cask warehouse and a tasting of three Fercullen whiskeys
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From April to October, with the gardens in bloom and long days; in May and June, the roses and azaleas. In winter they open with shorter hours and the waterfall closes earlier. It rains on and off all year: bring a waterproof.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
For Powerscourt and Enniskerry you fly into Dublin, with direct flights from many Spanish cities. From the airport it is under an hour by hire car along the M50 and N11; without a car, take a coach to the city centre and then bus 44 from O'Connell Street to Enniskerry.
A car is what lets you see everything in a day: the gardens, the waterfall, which is six kilometres away with no bus, the Maulin walk from Crone Woods and, if there is time, the drive on to Glendalough. Remember to drive on the left and that mountain roads are narrow.
Without a car you can do Powerscourt Gardens, the distillery and the village well: bus 44 drops you in Enniskerry and you walk up. The waterfall and the Maulin walk are far away; for those, take a taxi or a tour.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Powerscourt makes a good family day: the gardens have corners that catch children's attention (the Japanese garden, the winged horses on the lake, the pets' cemetery) and the waterfall has meadows, a playground and picnic tables. The most practical way is to go by car.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: Four-star hotel in Enniskerry, next to the Powerscourt estate, with a spa and outdoor hot tub, The Terrace restaurant and free parking.
Why we like it: An Óige hostel in a restored 18th-century farmhouse above the Glencree valley, with the Wicklow Way at the door, dormitories, private and family rooms.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: the quiche or the salad of the day, and a scone on the terrace.
What to order: the Guinness pie or the lamb shank, and an Irish coffee.
Map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
53.35° N · 6.26° W
By planeCar-free
53.01° N · 6.33° W
By planeCar-freeBy car
53.45° N · 6.15° W
By planeCar-free
53.69° N · 6.46° W
By planeBy car
Tips
The gardens and the waterfall are sold separately; in high season, book.
There is no bus between the gardens and the waterfall: it is six kilometres by road.
The Avoca shop and café, in the house, can be visited without a garden ticket.
On sunny Sundays it fills up with Dublin families.
Enniskerry is a small village in a green valley at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, with a clock tower at the crossroads, a couple of pubs and shops around it. On its outskirts begins the Powerscourt estate, one of Ireland's great country houses, with terraced gardens, lakes and statues set against the pointed outline of the Great Sugar Loaf. Six kilometres away, within the same estate, falls the Powerscourt Waterfall, 121 metres high, the tallest in the country. All of it lies about 20 km from the centre of Dublin.
The Powerscourt Gardens need two hours at least: the terraces that descend from the house to the Triton Lake, the Italian Garden, the Japanese Garden with its pagodas, the stone tower in the valley, the walled garden with old roses and a curious pet cemetery for the families who lived here. In the house are the shop and the Avoca café, with a terrace over the gardens, and the whiskey distillery, with a tour and tasting.
The waterfall has a separate entrance and is about six kilometres away by road. Below there are meadows, a playground, picnic tables and, with luck, the sika deer brought by the seventh Viscount in 1858. If you like walking, the Crone Woods and Maulin trail climbs through the forest to the Ride Rock viewpoint, just above the waterfall.
Leave some time for the village: the clock tower, the crossroads with its pubs and a café before the bus.
With the gardens and the village, half a day. With the waterfall or the Maulin trail, a whole day, and then better by car. It combines well with Glendalough, further south along the mountain road. The best season runs from April to October; in winter the gardens close earlier and the light goes by mid-afternoon.
Questions
On Dublin Bus 44 from O'Connell Street to Enniskerry, or by DART to Bray and the 185. From the village you walk up to the gardens.
The official website lists €14 for the gardens and €7.50 for the waterfall, with separate tickets.
No: it is about six kilometres away, within the estate, and you get there by car or on foot over the mountain.
To the waterfall, yes: Discover Ireland describes it as dog-friendly. On the Crone Woods trail they are also allowed. For the gardens, check the website.
Yes, by car, in a day: Powerscourt in the morning and Glendalough in the afternoon.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/ireland/powerscourt-and-enniskerry
