# Powerscourt and Enniskerry Powerscourt Gardens, its 121-metre waterfall, a whiskey distillery and the village of Enniskerry, about 20 km south of Dublin by bus or car. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/ireland/powerscourt-and-enniskerry · Revisado: 2026-11-12 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. ## How do you get there from Dublin? By bus. Dublin Bus line 44 leaves from O'Connell Street and reaches Enniskerry in about an hour, passing through Dundrum. Another option: the DART to Bray and from there bus 185 to Enniskerry. From the village stop to the garden entrance there is an uphill walk. By car. A good half hour from the centre along the M50 and the N11, taking the exit for Enniskerry. It is the way to see the waterfall too, which has no public transport from the gardens. On a tour. Some tours to Glendalough from Dublin stop for lunch in Enniskerry or give the option of the gardens. ## What to see 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. ## How long and when? 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. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Irish pubs - Cerca: Dublin (a 18.4 km), Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains (a 22.9 km), Malahide (a 28.7 km), Newgrange and the Boyne Valley (a 59 km) ## Qué hacer - **Powerscourt Gardens** (2 h · All ages; there are slopes and steps on the terraces · Gardens €14): The gardens descend from the house in stone terraces to Triton Lake, with its water lilies and two winged horses on the shore, and in the background the silhouette of the Great Sugar Loaf. The terraces were designed by Daniel Robertson in the 1860s. Around them are corners to fill a whole morning: the Italian garden, the Japanese garden with pagodas and bridges, the stone tower in the valley, the walled garden with hundreds of old roses and the pets' cemetery of the Wingfields and the Slazengers, the families of the house. Allow two hours. The garden entrance, €14 according to the official website, is bought online or at the ticket office; the waterfall is separate. The Avoca shop and café, inside the house, can be visited without a ticket. - **Powerscourt Waterfall, 121 metres** (1 h 15 · All ages · 7,50 €): The River Dargle drops 121 metres down the hillside: it is the tallest waterfall in Ireland. It is within the Powerscourt estate, but about six kilometres from the house and gardens, and has a separate entrance fee (€7.50 according to the official website). At the bottom there are meadows to run around in, a playground, picnic tables and space for barbecues, and the car park is free. Sika deer live in the woods, a Japanese species brought here by the seventh Viscount Powerscourt in 1858. There is no public transport here: go by car or by taxi from Enniskerry, or walk up the Crone Woods route to the Ride Rock viewpoint, which sees it from above. - **Tour and tasting at Powerscourt Distillery** (1 h · Adults · Tour with tasting €25): On the same Powerscourt estate there is a whiskey distillery you can visit: an hour through the production room, with the stills, and the cask warehouse, and at the end a tasting of three Fercullen whiskeys, the house brand. It costs €25. At 15:30 there is another tour with a pairing of cheeses and cured meats, for over-18s only. You can turn up without booking if there is room, but at weekends it is better to book on their website. If you go by car, think about who is driving. - **Crone Woods and Maulin walk, with views of the waterfall** (2 h 30 · 6.6 km · Reasonably fit walkers; boots): A 6.6 km circuit that starts from the free Crone Woods car park, west of Enniskerry, and climbs through the woods, sharing the first kilometres with the Wicklow Way. At the top, the Ride Rock viewpoint looks out over Powerscourt Waterfall, with the Great Sugar Loaf opposite and, on clear days, Dublin Bay. You come down with views of the Glencree valley. It takes about two and a half hours with 350 metres of ascent: Discover Ireland rates it as demanding. Follow the arrows on red discs with footprints. With children, it is better from ten or twelve years old and with walking boots. Dogs are allowed. - **A walk around Enniskerry, the village of the clock tower** (45 min · All ages): Enniskerry can be seen on a short walk: the clock tower at the crossroads, the traditional pubs and shops around it and stone houses climbing the slopes of the valley. On the way out of the village, the old forge has a horseshoe-shaped doorway that everyone photographs. It is the place for a drink before the bus back to Dublin, which stops in the village, and the starting point for more than twenty walking routes in the surrounding area. ## Dónde comer - **Avoca Powerscourt, the house café** (Café, Enniskerry, €€). Qué pedir: the quiche or the salad of the day, and a scone on the terrace. - **Johnnie Fox's** (Bar, Glencullen, €€). Qué pedir: the Guinness pie or the lamb shank, and an Irish coffee. ## By plane: Fly to Dublin and half an hour to the mountains 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. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Summerhill House Hotel** (Spa hotel): The hotel A country house turned four-star hotel on the outskirts of Enniskerry, on the Cookstown estate, a short hop from Powerscourt. It has a garden, The Terrace restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and The Lounge bar. The spa The Rainforest Spa is what sets it apart: an outdoor hot tub with views of the countryside, saunas and a cold plunge, as well as treatments. It is just right after a day in the gardens or on the hills around Maulin. Getting there It is about 30 minutes from Dublin by car, with free parking, and a few minutes from Powerscourt Gardens and the village. Without a car, Dublin Bus route 44 reaches Enniskerry. Check-in is from 15:30 and check-out until 12:00. - **Knockree Hostel (An Óige)** (Hostel): The house Knockree hostel is a restored 18th-century farmhouse on the slope of the Glencree valley, about seven and a half kilometres from Enniskerry, run by An Óige, the Irish youth hostel network. The Wicklow Way, Ireland's best-known walking trail, crosses its land, and the Crone Woods and Maulin route passes the door. The rooms There are shared dormitories, private rooms, family rooms and a glamping area. It has a shared kitchen, a lounge, a dining room, a ping-pong table and a drying room for boots and wet clothes, something you will be glad of in Wicklow. Wifi reaches the common areas and parking is free. Getting there By car, along the Glencree road. Without a car: bus 44 to Enniskerry or DART to Bray, then the L15 bus to Enniskerry golf club and a 40-minute walk; with luggage, An Óige advises a taxi from Bray or Enniskerry. Check-in from 14:30 and check-out at 10:00. ### Servicios - **Bus 44 from Dublin and 185 from Bray**: Dublin Bus route 44 runs from O'Connell Street to Enniskerry in a little over an hour; from Bray DART station, the 185 goes up to the village. ## By car: By car around the Powerscourt estate and the Glencree valley 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 100–200 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Summerhill House Hotel** (Spa hotel): The hotel A country house turned four-star hotel on the outskirts of Enniskerry, on the Cookstown estate, a short hop from Powerscourt. It has a garden, The Terrace restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and The Lounge bar. The spa The Rainforest Spa is what sets it apart: an outdoor hot tub with views of the countryside, saunas and a cold plunge, as well as treatments. It is just right after a day in the gardens or on the hills around Maulin. Getting there It is about 30 minutes from Dublin by car, with free parking, and a few minutes from Powerscourt Gardens and the village. Without a car, Dublin Bus route 44 reaches Enniskerry. Check-in is from 15:30 and check-out until 12:00. - **Knockree Hostel (An Óige)** (Hostel): The house Knockree hostel is a restored 18th-century farmhouse on the slope of the Glencree valley, about seven and a half kilometres from Enniskerry, run by An Óige, the Irish youth hostel network. The Wicklow Way, Ireland's best-known walking trail, crosses its land, and the Crone Woods and Maulin route passes the door. The rooms There are shared dormitories, private rooms, family rooms and a glamping area. It has a shared kitchen, a lounge, a dining room, a ping-pong table and a drying room for boots and wet clothes, something you will be glad of in Wicklow. Wifi reaches the common areas and parking is free. Getting there By car, along the Glencree road. Without a car: bus 44 to Enniskerry or DART to Bray, then the L15 bus to Enniskerry golf club and a 40-minute walk; with luggage, An Óige advises a taxi from Bray or Enniskerry. Check-in from 14:30 and check-out at 10:00. ### Servicios - **Crone Woods car park**: Free car park at the start of the Crone Woods and Maulin walk, west of Enniskerry, above the Glencree valley. ## Car-free: Bus 44 and the gardens on foot 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–150 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Summerhill House Hotel** (Spa hotel): The hotel A country house turned four-star hotel on the outskirts of Enniskerry, on the Cookstown estate, a short hop from Powerscourt. It has a garden, The Terrace restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and The Lounge bar. The spa The Rainforest Spa is what sets it apart: an outdoor hot tub with views of the countryside, saunas and a cold plunge, as well as treatments. It is just right after a day in the gardens or on the hills around Maulin. Getting there It is about 30 minutes from Dublin by car, with free parking, and a few minutes from Powerscourt Gardens and the village. Without a car, Dublin Bus route 44 reaches Enniskerry. Check-in is from 15:30 and check-out until 12:00. - **Knockree Hostel (An Óige)** (Hostel): The house Knockree hostel is a restored 18th-century farmhouse on the slope of the Glencree valley, about seven and a half kilometres from Enniskerry, run by An Óige, the Irish youth hostel network. The Wicklow Way, Ireland's best-known walking trail, crosses its land, and the Crone Woods and Maulin route passes the door. The rooms There are shared dormitories, private rooms, family rooms and a glamping area. It has a shared kitchen, a lounge, a dining room, a ping-pong table and a drying room for boots and wet clothes, something you will be glad of in Wicklow. Wifi reaches the common areas and parking is free. Getting there By car, along the Glencree road. Without a car: bus 44 to Enniskerry or DART to Bray, then the L15 bus to Enniskerry golf club and a 40-minute walk; with luggage, An Óige advises a taxi from Bray or Enniskerry. Check-in from 14:30 and check-out at 10:00. ### Servicios - **Bus 44 from Dublin and 185 from Bray**: Dublin Bus route 44 runs from O'Connell Street to Enniskerry in a little over an hour; from Bray DART station, the 185 goes up to the village. ## As a family: Gardens to run around and a waterfall with a picnic 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. ### What works best Powerscourt Waterfall, with a playground and picnic Gardens, with the Japanese garden and Triton Lake A walk around Enniskerry, with the horseshoe-doorway forge The Maulin walk, only with older children and good legs ### Where to stay Summerhill House Hotel Knockree Hostel, with family rooms and a kitchen ### Where to eat Avoca, in the house, with a market for the picnic Johnnie Fox's, at lunchtime ### Good to know The garden terraces have steps and slopes: a lightweight pushchair The distillery tour is for adults ### Qué hacer as a family - Powerscourt Gardens - Powerscourt Waterfall, 121 metres - Crone Woods and Maulin walk, with views of the waterfall - A walk around Enniskerry, the village of the clock tower ## Consejos ### Buy on the official website The gardens and the waterfall are sold separately; in high season, book. ### Car for the waterfall There is no bus between the gardens and the waterfall: it is six kilometres by road. ### You do not need a ticket for the café The Avoca shop and café, in the house, can be visited without a garden ticket. ### Go on a weekday On sunny Sundays it fills up with Dublin families. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do I get from Dublin to Powerscourt without a car? 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. ### How much do Powerscourt Gardens cost? The official website lists €14 for the gardens and €7.50 for the waterfall, with separate tickets. ### Is the waterfall next to the gardens? No: it is about six kilometres away, within the estate, and you get there by car or on foot over the mountain. ### Can I go with a dog? 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. ### Can it be combined with Glendalough? Yes, by car, in a day: Powerscourt in the morning and Glendalough in the afternoon.