Day trip from Dublin Howth
A fishing harbour and headland with a cliff path on the north side of Dublin Bay, 24 minutes from Connolly on the DART.
Is Howth worth a day trip from Dublin?
Half a day. Easy and cheap.
Half a day is enough, and it is the easiest trip on this page. The DART from Connolly takes 24 to 25 minutes and runs every 20 minutes for most of the day, for € 2.00 each way on a Leap card. Nothing needs booking and the cliff walk is free. Allow a couple of hours for the cliff path loop from the harbour, then the pier and lunch. Go in the morning and you are back in the city by mid afternoon. The catch: on a wet or windy day the path is exposed and muddy, and there is little else to do.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 24 minone way · Irish Rail DART timetable
- Transport
- DART
- Self-guided cost
- € 4DART return on a Leap card (TFI 90-minute fare, € 2.00 each way); the cliff walk is free · Irish Rail, Leap fares
- Tour price
- From € 50Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 3–5 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Not verified yet
- Best time
- Any dry day; mornings and weekdays are quieterDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Howth
- 01
Cliff Path Loop
The green-arrow route from the DART station, about 6 km and 2 hours. It climbs from Balscadden Bay along the cliffs to the Summit, then drops back to the village.
- 02
Baily Lighthouse viewpoint
From the Summit you look down on the lighthouse at the south-east tip of the headland and across Dublin Bay to the Wicklow Mountains. Add 20 minutes for the detour.
- 03
West Pier and the seals
The working fishing pier, lined with fishmongers and seafood restaurants. Grey seals wait in the water beside the boats for scraps. Ten minutes is enough to walk its length.
- 04
East Pier and Ireland's Eye
A 15-minute walk out to the harbour lighthouse, with a view of the island of Ireland's Eye. In summer, small boats from the West Pier run trips around it.
- 05
Howth Market
Food and craft stalls opposite the DART station, busiest at weekends and on bank holidays. It is a handy stop for a coffee and something baked before the walk.
How to spend the day
Take a DART marked Howth from Connolly at about 09:23, arriving 09:48. Do not get off at Howth Junction. Walk along the harbour and up Balscadden Road to the start of the cliff path, follow it towards the Baily Lighthouse viewpoint and come back over the summit. Eat on the West Pier around 12:30. Trains back leave every 20 minutes, so you can be in Dublin by 14:30.
Howth in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustJune to August is when Howth is at its best and its fullest. The path is dry, the heather on the headland flowers purple in August and boats run to Ireland's Eye. On sunny weekends the DART fills and the pier restaurants have queues from 13:00. Go on a weekday, or start walking by 09:30 at a weekend.
Winter
December to FebruaryThe DART runs as usual and the path stays open, but it is muddy and the wind off the Irish Sea is sharp. Daylight ends soon after 16:00 in December, so walk in the morning. On a clear, calm winter day it works well, followed by chowder on the pier. In rain or a gale, skip it.
How crowded it gets
Busy- Busiest
- Sunny weekends Apr-Sep, 12:00-16:00
- Quietest
- Weekday mornings; most days in winter
The first kilometre of the cliff path and the West Pier take most of the visitors. Arrive before 10:00, walk first and eat at 12:00 before the lunch rush. Trains back after 16:00 on a sunny Sunday are standing room only.
How do you get to Howth from Dublin?
DART
- Travel time
- 24-25 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 min
- Cost
- € 4.00 return with Leap
- Departs from
- Dublin Connolly (also Tara Street and Pearse)
Check the destination on the front of the train: the line splits at Howth Junction and the other northbound DARTs go to Malahide. Howth is the last stop. Tap on and off with a Leap card. Paper tickets from the machine cost more.
Guided hike
- Travel time
- 5 to 8 hours door to door
- Frequency
- On scheduled dates
- Cost
- From € 50
- Departs from
- The Spire, O'Connell Street
A guide takes the group out by train, walks the pier, the castle grounds and the cliffs up to the Ben of Howth, then stops for lunch at your own cost. Train tickets are included. You do not need it to find the path.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Trainers with grip or walking shoes: the path is narrow, rocky in places and muddy after rain. A windproof jacket even in summer. Parts of the cliff have no fence, so skip sandals and keep children close.
What to eat
Seafood off the local boats: fish and chips, chowder, Dublin Bay prawns, crab and oysters. Restaurants and takeaway counters line the West Pier, and the fishmongers there sell cooked prawns and smoked salmon to eat on the harbour wall. Guard your chips from the gulls.
What you will spend
The DART is € 4.00 return on a Leap card, and the walk, the piers and the seals are free. Lunch is where the money goes. The € 50 guided hike includes the train tickets and a guide, with lunch at your own cost.
How to get the most out of the day
- Walk the loop clockwise from Balscadden Road, as signed. You get the sea views on the climb and an easy descent through the village.
- There are no toilets or cafes on the cliff path until the Summit. Use the public toilets at the harbour before you start.
- If your legs give out at the Summit, a Dublin Bus stop there has services back down to the harbour and the station.
- Low cloud can hide the view completely. If you cannot see the headland from the harbour, do the piers and lunch and leave the loop.
How long do you need in Howth?
Plan 3–5 h on site, plus 24 min of travel each way from Dublin.