Day Trip from Dublin: A Hike on Great Sugarloaf Mountain

Although I love Dublin, Ireland has so much more to offer outside of their capital city. And there are plenty of short-day trip options.

We decided to take a break from our books and papers to enjoy some sunshine in the Wicklow Mountains.

Since we don’t have a car we had to find a trail we could get to using public transportation. We decided on the Great Sugarloaf Mountain trail. We took the DART from Pearse Street Station to Bray Station and then hopped on the 45A bus from the Bray Station to the Kilmacanouge stop. From there, it’s just a short walk over the pedestrian bridge and towards Quill Road. From there, take the walk up the narrow lane and eventually there will be signs pointing you the right direction to the trail. You could also rent a car and park it at the car park BUT this will shorten the hike significantly and, in my opinion, you’ll miss some of the best parts such as the wild horses and sheep!

Fair warning, the final stretch of the hike involves some beginner level rock climbing. There were plenty of children and dogs doing the climb, but just something to keep in mind!

The view from the top though is well-worth the climb! On one side you can see all of Dublin, Killiney Hill, Bray and Greystones. On the other, you can see the rest of the Wicklow Mountains.