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Day Trips · Leinster, Dublin

Powerscourt Estate & Gardens

Formal 18th-century gardens below Sugar Loaf Mountain, plus Ireland's tallest waterfall nearby

  • Distance25 km from city centre
  • Travel time1.5 hours by public transport
  • TransportDublin Bus 44 from Hawkins Street to Enniskerry village (1h 15min, ~€3.60 / ~$3.96), then 2.5 km walk or taxi to estate; or guided tour
  • Rating★ 4.7
  • Best seasonSpring and summer (gardens in full bloom); autumn for foliage
Powerscourt Estate & Gardens

Powerscourt Estate is a Palladian house (now largely shops and a café, following a 1974 fire) surrounded by 19 hectares of terraced formal gardens, statuary, and an ornamental lake, with the Great Sugar Loaf peak visible in the background. The separate Powerscourt Waterfall, Ireland's tallest at 121m, is 6 km away and requires its own transport or a taxi from the estate.

Practical information for Powerscourt Estate & Gardens
Distance 25 km from city centre
Travel time 1.5 hours by public transport
Getting there Dublin Bus 44 from Hawkins Street to Enniskerry village (1h 15min, ~€3.60 / ~$3.96), then 2.5 km walk or taxi to estate; or guided tour
Address Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, County Wicklow, A98 Ireland

How to get there

  • Dublin Bus 44
  • Guided day tour
  • Car (35 min via N11)

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Average daytime temperature in °C. Figures are for Ireland.

Location

Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, County Wicklow, A98 Ireland

53.1832, -6.2193 View on map

Highlights

  • The Italian Garden and Triton Lake, the estate's formal centrepiece
  • The Japanese Garden and Pepperpot Tower, quieter corners further from the main lawns
  • Powerscourt Waterfall (separate site, 6 km away — a taxi or the seasonal shuttle link is needed, not walkable)
  • Avoca café and craft shops inside the house, a well-regarded lunch stop

Tips for visiting

  • The Bus 44 does not go to the waterfall — visiting both the gardens and the waterfall in one day requires a car or a taxi arranged from Enniskerry village
  • Gardens involve gravel paths and some steps between terraces; a wheelchair-accessible route exists but ask staff at the entrance for the map
  • Enniskerry village itself, a 2.5 km walk from the estate gate, has cafés and a small square worth a stop before or after