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If you have some extra time in Dublin I highly recommend taking a day trip to Howth and exploring the coast. It’s a quick 30-minute train ride from the city center and a genuinely lovely way to experience the seaside of Ireland. Comprised of a quaint harbor town with a stunning cliff walk, a handful of great seafood restaurants, and views that’ll make you forget you were just in a city — Howth is the perfect half-day or full-day escape from Dublin.
How to Get to Howth from Dublin
Getting to Howth is easy — just hop on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) train for roughly 30 minutes. You can catch it at either Dublin Pearse or Dublin Connolly, depending on which is closest to your accommodation. The train costs around €4–5 each way and runs approximately every 20 minutes. Take it all the way to the Howth stop — you can’t miss it.
Prefer a Guided Tour? If you’d rather have everything organized for you, there’s a great half-day guided coastal bus tour that departs from Dublin city center and covers the Howth highlights — perfect if you’d rather skip the navigation and just show up and enjoy.
Best Things to Do in Howth
Cliff Walk
The Cliff Walk is undoubtedly the best thing to do in Howth — and one of the most beautiful short hikes in all of Ireland. It’s a stunning series of paths around the headland with jaw-dropping cliffside views out over the Irish Sea. You don’t need to follow a rigid route; Howth is small enough that you can follow the paths in a loop and end up back at the town center near the train station.
A loop like this one on Google Maps takes about three hours to complete, depending on your pace and how long you stop to enjoy the views. The trail is marked in places as the “green route” — keep an eye out for those signs. Highlights include Howth Head Peak, Baily Lighthouse, and Ben of Howth.
Howth Pier & Lighthouse
Right at the bottom of the train station is Howth Pier, Howth Pier Park, and the Howth Lighthouse — a lovely area for a wander before or after the cliff walk. There are little shops and restaurants along the harbor and you can admire the yachts at the Howth Yacht Club (Howth is known as one of the swankiest suburbs in Dublin!)
Howth Market
If you’re visiting on a weekend, Howth has a brilliant open-air market right in the town square on Saturdays and Sundays. The stalls sell a mix of street food, artisan products, and collectibles — a great spot to grab a bite and browse.
Lunch & Drinks with a View
One of the highlights of any Howth trip is stopping for a meal or a drink — most restaurants here lean heavily into the local seafood and the views are spectacular. Some of my favorites:
- The Bloody Stream — great for outdoor drinks right on the pier
- Crabby Joe’s — casual lunch with a great harbor view
- O’Connells Restaurant and Pub — traditional Irish pub feel
- The Summit Inn — located right along the cliff walk, this historic pub offers the best cliffside views with your drink
Getting Back to Dublin from Howth
From Howth Station — located right downtown near the pier — you can catch the same DART train back to Dublin Connolly or Dublin Pearse. Trains run roughly every 20 minutes, so you won’t be waiting long. Easy!
If you take a day trip to Howth let me know what you think in the comments! And if you’re planning your wider Dublin trip, check out my other Ireland guides below.
