Dublin, Wicklow, Kilkenny. Ireland’s east, every guide we’ve published.
37 first-hand guides across twelve counties. Dublin city, the Wicklow Mountains, Howth’s cliff walk, medieval Kilkenny, Newgrange. Pick where you’re going and start.
Leinster is Ireland’s east. Dublin is the obvious anchor, and the city alone would justify the trip, but the surrounding counties are what make the region work as a base.
Within an hour of the city you can be in the Wicklow Mountains, at Glendalough’s monastic ruins, on the cliff walk in Howth, or in Newgrange. Push two hours and you’re in medieval Kilkenny or Wexford’s quiet beaches.
If you’ve only got a weekend, stay in Dublin. If you’ve got a week, leave it.
Four guides that cover most of what people actually come to Leinster for. If you only read four, read these.
Two days of Dublin from the obvious sights to the pubs locals actually drink in.
Medieval streets, the castle, and where to eat in Ireland’s marble city.
The Wicklow Mountains’ headline loop, with the monastic ruins at the bottom.
The half-day coastal hike most Dublin visitors miss. DART out, walk, pub, DART back.
Activities, attractions and the unmissable bits sorted by where they are. Most of these work as half-day or day-trip plans.
A sober counter to the pub-crawl narrative. Museums, parks, day trips, swims.
Dublin without paying for it. Most of the best things in the city are free anyway.
Beyond the cliff walk: harbour seafood, Howth Castle, the lighthouse, the seals.
Mountains, monastic ruins, and the country’s prettiest waterfalls within an hour of Dublin.
The castle is the obvious one, but the medieval mile and craft brewery are what stick.
The Royal County: Newgrange, the Hill of Tara, Trim Castle, and quiet rolling green.
The cities you’ll base yourself in and the towns worth a day trip. Where to stay, eat and walk for each.
Where to base yourself, what to drive to, what to skip when the weather turns.
Why Kilkenny punches above its weight for a city of 27,000 people.
Seaside town a 45-minute DART from Dublin. Bray Head walk, fish and chips, done.
South Dublin’s coastal village. The pier walk, the people’s park, and forty-foot swims.
The driest corner of Ireland. Beaches, the Hook lighthouse, and Viking-founded Wexford town.
Horse country. Stud farms, Bog of Allen, and the National Stud just outside the town.
Everything within an hour or two of Dublin that doesn’t involve a city centre. Cliffs, mountains, beaches, neolithic tombs.
Where to go when you’ve got one day and a car. The seven we send people on.
Reachable hikes without a car. The Wicklow Way, Hellfire, Bray Head and four more.
City swims you can DART to. Sandymount, Killiney, Portmarnock and the rest.
Ruined hunting lodge on a hill above the city. A short, weird, atmospheric walk.
The wild fallow deer herd inside Europe’s largest enclosed city park. Free, easy.
A 5,000-year-old passage tomb older than the pyramids. Tour beats DIY here.
Where to drink, where to listen, and the castles you can walk into. Dublin’s pub scene is the obvious headline, but the music and the castles deserve their own time.
Past Temple Bar. Old morgues, hidden snugs, music shops moonlighting as pubs.
The pints under a fiver, mapped. Updated as places hike their prices.
Where to actually hear live music in Dublin, not a fake trad session for tourists.
The tours worth booking and the ones to skip. Food, history, ghosts, whiskey.
Dublin Castle is the obvious one. Here are nine more in and around the city.
One of Ireland’s oldest castles, 30 minutes from the city centre on the DART.
Neighbourhoods, coastal towns and a tip on what to do with a long airport layover. Pick the one that matches the trip.
Which Dublin neighbourhood to base yourself in. Temple Bar isn’t the answer.
Coastal stays a 45-minute train from Dublin. Hotels, B&Bs and Victorian guesthouses.
Long layover? Where to actually sleep at Dublin Airport without paying for a hotel.
Day-by-day plans, both Leinster-only and Ireland-wide. Use the 10-day one as a spine if you’re trying to see the whole country.
Our standard recommendation. Starts and ends in Dublin, includes Wicklow.
Two days in Ireland’s capital, with one foot deliberately outside the city.
48 hours in Kilkenny. Easy weekend from Dublin or a stop on a road trip.
The full list across all four provinces. Use it to mix Leinster with elsewhere.
Leinster is Ireland’s drier corner. Dublin shifts a lot by season, from packed summer streets to lit-up Christmas markets. Here is what each season looks like across the east.
Leinster sits in Ireland’s drier eastern shadow. You’ll still get rain, but spring days are usually cooler and a bit clearer than the west coast.
What to pack: Waterproof jacket, layers, sturdy walking shoes, a warm hat for early mornings.
Best for: City breakers who want Dublin at its most pleasant before the summer rush.
Dublin is at its busiest. Wicklow, Kildare and the coast give you breathing room. Expect higher hotel rates in the city through July and August.
What to pack: Layers, a light waterproof, sunglasses, plus a warmer top for breezy evenings on the coast.
Best for: City breakers in Dublin who can handle the crowds, plus families heading to Wicklow or the east coast beaches.
Dublin and the east stay drier than the west into October. Parks turn properly autumnal and the city is far easier to walk than in summer.
What to pack: Waterproof shell, fleece or jumper, walking boots, scarf and gloves by late November.
Best for: City breakers who like Dublin without the summer queues, plus walkers heading into the Wicklow hills.
Dublin shines in winter. Christmas markets, lit-up streets, full restaurants. The east stays drier than the west but expect short days and grey skies.
What to pack: Insulated waterproof, warm jumper, hat, gloves, scarf, properly waterproof boots.
Best for: Dublin city breakers, especially around Christmas markets, theatre and Six Nations weekends.
We’re Nick and Dariece. We lived in Dublin for two years and have been coming back to Leinster ever since. Every guide on this site is from time spent there, not pulled from a press kit. If we recommend a pub, we drank in it. If we list a hike, we walked it. If we say something is overrated, it’s because we paid the entry fee and walked back out unimpressed.
5 routes, 32 counties, and the exact bases and stops we’d book ourselves. One free 24-page PDF, in your inbox in under a minute.
