Things to Do in County Wicklow
The Garden of Ireland beyond the fairway.

Monastic Site

Glendalough

One of Ireland's most visited heritage sites, and rightly so. Nestled in a steep glacial valley in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough — Gleann dá Loch, "Glen of the Two Lakes" — is a 6th-century monastic settlement of extraordinary beauty and historical weight. St Kevin retreated here c.498 AD seeking solitude, and eventually founded one of early medieval Ireland's most important monastic cities.

Walk the trail between the Upper and Lower Lakes and you'll pass the iconic 33-metre Round Tower (used as a bell tower and place of refuge), the roofless Cathedral, and St Kevin's Kitchen — a small oratory whose stone corbelled roof has survived 1,200 years of Wicklow weather. The setting, enclosed by steep wooded slopes, feels genuinely otherworldly.

Entry to the monastic site itself is free; the visitor centre has an admission charge. Parking charges apply. Plan 2–4 hours — more if you intend to walk the nature trails. Come early in July and August; this place gets very busy by mid-morning in high season.

• Nearest golf: Macreddin GC (15 min), Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort (30 min)
• Time needed: 2–4 hours
• Cost: Monastic site free; visitor centre has admission charge; parking charged
• Best time: Early morning, especially in summer

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Gardens & Estate

Powerscourt Estate, House & Gardens

Rated among the world's finest gardens by National Geographic, the 47-acre gardens at Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry are one of Ireland's great horticultural achievements. Terraced Italianate gardens sweep down from the Palladian mansion towards a bronze Triton fountain, with the cone of the Great Sugar Loaf mountain framing the view perfectly. The Japanese Garden, the Pet Cemetery, and a walled kitchen garden add variety to what is already an exceptional visit.

Four kilometres away — a short drive through the estate — Powerscourt Waterfall plunges 121 metres into a natural pool, making it the highest waterfall in Ireland. Both the estate and the waterfall are worth visiting.

For golf visitors, this is an especially easy pairing: Powerscourt Golf Club (East and West Courses) is set within the estate grounds. Play golf in the morning, walk the gardens in the afternoon. The Avoca café and shops in the house are excellent for lunch or a coffee.

• Nearest golf: Powerscourt Golf Club — East & West (on the estate)
• Time needed: 2–3 hours for gardens; add 30 min for the waterfall
• Cost: Admission charged for house and formal gardens; waterfall separate admission
• Website: powerscourt.com

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Beach

Brittas Bay Beach

If Wicklow's golf courses are its greatest natural asset, Brittas Bay is its best-kept secret beyond the fairway — except it's no longer that secret. Five kilometres of unbroken golden sand dunes on the south Wicklow coast, backed by low dunes and nature reserve, the beach holds a Blue Flag award and is regularly cited among Ireland's finest. On a clear summer's day with the Irish Sea glinting blue and the Wicklow Hills behind, it's hard to argue otherwise.

The beach is adjacent to the former site of The European Club — now being reimagined as Brittas Bay Club (reopening Spring 2027). Combine a morning round at a nearby links with an afternoon at the beach — few golf trips anywhere will give you this combination.

• Nearest golf: Brittas Bay Club (reopening 2027), Arklow Golf Links (20 min)
• Cost: Free entry; parking charges apply in season
• Best time: June–August for swimming; calm days year-round for a walk

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Walking Trail

The Wicklow Way

Ireland's oldest waymarked walking trail, opened in 1982, runs 127 kilometres from Marlay Park in Dublin's southern suburbs to Clonegal in Co. Carlow, passing through some of the most dramatic landscape in the east of Ireland — the Wicklow Mountains National Park, sweeping moorland, dense Sitka spruce forests, and the green agricultural valleys of the south. You don't need to walk the whole thing.

Many sections are manageable as a half-day or full-day walk, and combine beautifully with a golf trip. The trail passes through Glendalough, making it easy to combine a section of the Way with a visit to the monastic site. The Wicklow Mountains National Park visitor centre at Glendalough is the best starting point for information on walking conditions and current trail access.

• Total length: 127km (Marlay Park, Dublin to Clonegal, Co. Carlow)
• National Park info: wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie
• Best section near golf: Glendalough–Laragh loop (4km, 1.5 hours)
• Cost: Free to walk; visitor centre has information and facilities

Gardens

Mount Usher Gardens

Where Powerscourt impresses with formal grandeur, Mount Usher in Ashford charms with naturalistic beauty. Twenty-two acres of "Robinsonian" gardens — named for the 19th-century Irish garden designer William Robinson who championed wild, informal planting — line the banks of the River Vartry with over 5,000 plant species from six continents. Mature specimen trees, ferns, rhododendrons and rare southern-hemisphere plants create a lush, layered experience that changes with every season.

The Avoca café and courtyard shops make Mount Usher an easy half-day stop. Located in Ashford, it's five minutes from Druids Glen — making it a natural pairing for a Druids Glen golf break.

• Nearest golf: Druids Glen (5 min), Druids Heath (5 min)
• Cost: Admission charged
• Website: mountushergardens.ie

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Heritage

Avoca Handweavers

Ireland's oldest surviving business — established 1723, still weaving — the Avoca mill at Avoca village is a genuinely fascinating place to visit. The working mill produces the famous Avoca tweed throws, blankets and knitwear that have become one of Ireland's most recognisable exports, and visitors can watch the looms in action on heritage tours of the building. The café is excellent; the shop is the place to buy a quality souvenir rather than something made in a Chinese factory.

Avoca has several outlets around Ireland, but the original mill in Avoca village is the one worth visiting — it's beside the Vale of Avoca and a short drive from Woodenbridge Golf Club.

• Nearest golf: Woodenbridge GC (5 min)
• Website: avoca.com
• Cost: Mill tours free; café and shop on-site

Scenic Walk

Vale of Avoca — Meeting of the Waters

Where the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers converge at the Vale of Avoca, you'll find one of Ireland's most celebrated natural spots — made famous by the 19th-century poet Thomas Moore, who wrote: "There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet / As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet." A short walk from the road takes you to the ancient tree where Moore is said to have written his poem, with the confluence of the rivers below.

Combined with a visit to the Avoca Handweavers mill just up the road, and a round at adjacent Woodenbridge Golf Club, the Vale of Avoca makes for one of Wicklow's most rewarding afternoons.

• Nearest golf: Woodenbridge GC (adjacent)
• Cost: Free to visit
• Time needed: 30–60 minutes

Historic Estate

Kilruddery House & Gardens

One of Ireland's oldest formal garden designs — laid out in the 1680s — Kilruddery in Bray is a remarkable survival. The 17th-century estate features long twin canals, a rare circular pond, beech hedges and a Victorian orangery, all surrounding a fine 18th-century country house. House tours run in season; the farm shop and café are open year-round. The estate also hosts regular craft markets and seasonal events.

• Nearest golf: Bray GC (5 min), Old Conna (10 min)
• Website: kilruddery.com
• Cost: Admission charged for house and gardens

Scenic Drive

Sally Gap

At 450 metres above sea level, the Sally Gap crossroads on the Military Road sits in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains and offers some of the most dramatic open moorland scenery in Ireland. The drive from Roundwood up to the Gap — and the descent towards Blessington — takes in vast blanket bog, dark mountain lakes, and in August and September, an extraordinary purple bloom of heather that turns the hillsides electric.

The highlight is Lough Tay, visible from the road — a dark, peat-stained mountain lake instantly recognisable from its near-black water. Known colloquially as the "Guinness Lake," it was formerly part of the Guinness family's Luggala estate. Lough Dan, a short walk from the road, offers similar drama in a more sheltered valley.

• Nearest golf: Roundwood GC (15 min), Tulfarris (25 min)
• Cost: Free; drive your own car
• Best time: August–September for heather; any clear day for views

History

Wicklow Gaol

For visitors with an interest in Irish history, the restored Victorian gaol in Wicklow Town is one of the most compelling and sobering heritage sites in the county. The gaol was used to hold rebels after the 1798 United Irishmen Uprising, and later became a processing point for thousands of Irish convicts transported to Australia during the 19th century. Guided tours bring the history to life with actor performances and detailed historical exhibits — not for the faint-hearted, but genuinely excellent.

• Nearest golf: Wicklow GC (5 min), Blainroe GC (10 min)
• Website: wicklowshistoricgaol.com
• Cost: Admission charged

Nature Walk

Devil's Glen

A short drive from Ashford and about five minutes from Druids Glen, the Devil's Glen is a scenic wooded gorge carved by the River Vartry through dramatic cliff faces. The main trail winds through ancient oakwood and mixed forest to a viewpoint above a waterfall — a walk of about 2km return. The woodland is particularly beautiful in autumn when the leaves turn, and the gorge can be dramatic after heavy rain.

• Nearest golf: Druids Glen (5 min), Druids Heath (5 min)
• Cost: Free access
• Time needed: 1–2 hours