Counties Wicklow & Kildare

Wicklow and Kildare may be neighbours and have a boundary with Dublin in common, but that's where the similarities end.

Immediately south of the capital is wild, scenic Wicklow. Its most dramatic natural feature is a gorse-and-bracken mountain spine that is the east coast’s most stunning landscape, complete with deep glacial valleys, isolated mountain passes and, dotted throughout, some important historical treasures, including one of Ireland’s most important early-Christian sites and a couple of 18th-century Palladian mansions.

To the west is flat, fertile Kildare, which also has a handful of elegant Palladian piles but is best known as horse country – of the thoroughbred kind. Some of the world’s most lucrative stud farms are here, many with links to the horse-breeding centre of Kentucky in the USA. Kildare is also home to some of the best golf courses in Ireland and the country’s largest outlet mall.

Explore Counties Wicklow & Kildare

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Counties Wicklow & Kildare.

  • Gardens

    Powerscourt Estate

    Wicklow's most visited attraction is this magnificent 64-sq-km estate, whose main entrance is 500m south of Enniskerry. At the heart of it is an elegant…

  • Christian Site

    Glendalough Monastic Site

    Nestled between two lakes, haunting Glendalough (Gleann dá Loch, meaning 'Valley of the Two Lakes') is one of the most significant monastic sites in…

  • Historic Building

    Castletown House

    Magnificent Castletown House is Ireland’s single-most imposing Georgian estate, and a testament to the vast wealth enjoyed by the Anglo-Irish gentry…

  • House

    Killruddery House & Gardens

    A stunning mansion in the Elizabethan Revival style, Killruddery has been home to the Brabazon family (the earls of Meath) since 1618 and has one of the…

  • Stables

    Irish National Stud & Gardens

    The Irish National Stud, 1.5km south of town, is the big attraction in Kildare – visitors have included Queen Elizabeth II. Owned and managed by the Irish…

  • Brewery

    Wicklow Brewery

    Engaging hour-long tours at this craft brewery guide you through the brewing process, from milling local grains to mashing, whirlpooling, fermenting,…

  • Christian Site

    Moone High Cross

    Housed within the ruins of a 13th-century abbey, the unusually tall and slender Moone High Cross – Ireland's second-highest, at 5.3m – is a masterpiece…

  • Historic Building

    Russborough House

    Magnificent Russborough House is one of Ireland's finest stately homes, a Palladian palace built for Joseph Leeson (1705–83), later the first Earl of…

  • House

    Avondale House

    This fine Palladian mansion was the birthplace and Irish headquarters of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–91), the 'uncrowned king of Ireland' and one of the…

  • Historic Building

    Wicklow's Historic Gaol

    Wicklow's infamous jail was notorious throughout Ireland for the brutality of its keepers and the harsh conditions suffered by its inmates. The smells,…

  • University

    St Patrick's College

    Part of NUI Maynooth, and turning out Catholic priests since 1795, St Patrick's College & Seminary is Ireland's second-oldest university (after Trinity…

  • Cathedral

    St Brigid's Cathedral

    The solid presence of 13th-century St Brigid's Cathedral looms over Kildare's Market Sq. Look out for a fine stained-glass window that depicts Ireland's…

  • Waterfall

    Glenmacnass Waterfall

    Desolate and utterly deserted, the Glenmacnass Valley, a stretch of wild bogland between the Sally Gap crossroads and Laragh, is one of the most beautiful…

  • Waterfall

    Powerscourt Waterfall

    On the southern edge of the Powerscourt Estate, 6km south of Powerscourt House, is this picturesque waterfall. At 121m it's the highest in Ireland (though…

  • Gardens

    Mt Usher Gardens

    Wicklow's nickname, 'the Garden of Ireland', is justified by green idylls such as the 8-hectare Mt Usher Gardens, just outside the unremarkable town of…

  • Nature Reserve

    Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park

    Developed on an area of cutaway bog, where peat has been extracted for commercial purposes, this award-winning, family-oriented park offers a huge range…

  • Ruins

    Baltinglass Abbey

    Founded by Cistercian monks in 1148 and inhabited for nearly four centuries, this 56m-long, now-ruined abbey incorporates both Cistercian and Irish…

  • Museum

    Bog of Allen Nature Centre

    Run by the nonprofit Irish Peatland Conservation Council, this interpretive centre celebrates the amazing biodiversity of Ireland's bogs, and traces the…

  • Park

    Greenan Maze

    Finding your way out of this 2m-high Celtic hedge maze is harder than it looks. Watch others attempt it from the viewing tower; there's also a hedgeless,…

  • Church

    St Kevin's Kitchen

    Glendalough's trademark is St Kevin's Kitchen or Church, at the southern edge of the monastic site. This compact structure, with a miniature round-tower…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Counties Wicklow & Kildare.

  • Activities