What's It Like to Walk from Bray to Greystones on a Dublin Day Out?

Walk Bray to Greystones and more with this Dublin one day itinerary. Hike from Greystones to Bray. Explore the Bray to Greystones Cliff walk in County Wicklow and then head to Dalkey and Monkstown on Dublin's South Coast.

This post covers a one day itinerary focused on Dublin's South Coast. 

Note: The Bray to Greystones walk has been closed to hikers since 2021 due to erosion of the cliffs that the trail runs along. It is unknown if/when the trail will reopen. As an alternative, I invite you to consider one of my other Dublin walks. The other elements of this one day itinerary are still possible.

As an alternative option for this itinerary, you could substitute a visit to Kilruddery House and Gardens in Bray, one of my favorite things to do in Dublin in May. 

About This Dublin City Itinerary

South Coast Adventure Variant 1

One Day in Dublin City Itinerary Rating: Intermediate
This Dublin itinerary is recommended for people with the following interests: nature, hiking, history

Explore the South Coast Adventure Variant 2

One Day in Dublin City Itinerary Rating: Ambitious
This Dublin itinerary is recommended for people with the following interests: nature, hiking

South Coast Adventure Itinerary in Brief

South Coast Adventure (Variant 1)

1. Breakfast at Happy Pear in Greystones
2. Greystones to Bray Coastal Walk
3. Lunch at Corner Note Cafe in Dalkey
4. Take a Guided Tour of Dalkey Castle led by actors in period costume
5. Have a Pint at Finnegan's Pub in Dalkey
6. Dinner at FX Buckley in Monkstown
7. Catch a Cover Band at Purty Kitchen

South Coast Adventure (Variant 2)

1. Breakfast at Happy Pear in Greystones
2. Greystones to Bray Coastal Walk
3. Lunch at Corner Note Cafe in Dalkey
4. Sorrento Park and Killiney Hill Walk
5. Dinner at FX Buckley in Monkstown
6. Catch a Cover Band at Purty Kitchen

Explore other one day Dublin City itineraries here:

Dublin South Coast Adventure: Itinerary in Detail

Dublin South Coast Adenture (Variant 1)

This one day Dublin itinerary involves taking the DART train a few times so buying a Leap Visitor Card (10 EUR for 1 day, 40 EUR for 7 days) is advisable. The Leap Visitor Card also covers Dublin Bus and Luas routes.

Catch the train from Dublin City to Greystones DART station, the southern end of the line in County Wicklow. Note that not all trains travel as far as Greystones so look explicitly for "Greystones" on the front of the train or on the platform. 

Have breakfast at the Happy Pear in Greystones, a health conscious cafe with excellent vegetarian options and outdoor seating. The Greystones to Bray cliff walk is about 5 miles and is one of the most popular hikes in Dublin. 

You can walk Bray to Greystones or Greystones to Bray. Today, starting in Greystones will allow you to travel from south to north along the Dublin Coast. Walk from the Happy Pear, past Greystones Harbour and you'll find yourself at the cliff walk trail head. 

On one side, you'll see (hopefully) blue sky and open fields and on the other, the Irish Sea. Make sure to come prepared for any weather conditions since things change very rapidly in Ireland. 

Locals are fond of saying: if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes. The Bray to Greystones cliff walk is simply breathtaking with the DART tracks running right below the walk. Keep an eye out for colonies of sea birds on the rocks near the water. 

Hop back on the DART and take the train from Bray to Dalkey. Grab a bite for lunch at the quaint Corner Note Cafe. Bono and Pierce Brosnan live in the area and have been spotted out and about in Dalkey from time to time. A friend of mine even spotted the actors from Vikings which is also filmed in the area.

Buy tickets for the tour of Dalkey Castle and Heritage Center (9.95 EUR per adult ticket at the time of writing). If the next tour doesn't depart immediately spend some time exploring the exhibits on the castle grounds.  

I was particularly impressed by intricate dioramas showcasing what life was like during various periods of the castle's history.

The tour itself really exceeded our every expectation. Actors in period costume led the way. One character was the ghost of a former owner and he proceeded to show us around the cemetery and churchyard on the property. 

Behold the "murder hole" where boiling oil, tar, or other scalding liquid would be poured down on those intending to attack the castle. Another character was the lord of the house who was also a practicing barber surgeon. 

He demonstrated some of the state of the art in period medicine for us. This included things like tasting the urine of a patient to determine the illness and bloodletting. Another character, Rupert, was the servant of the house (and also responsible for warding off attacks via the Murder Hole). 

He demo'ed some weaponry before we headed up to the roof. Rupert told us stories of entertaining at the castle as well as the personal hygiene habits of that time.  

Inhabitants of the castle bathed once a year and hung their clothes in the toilet room so the ammonia from the urine could kill the lice and 'clean' the clothes.  Rupert even said he believed the clothes should be dipped in the toilet for best effect rather than simply hanging them in the room.  

Eww, eww, eww! It was all rather eye opening. The period actors really turn what could be a bland house tour into an entertaining adventure.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Did you enjoy your visit to Dalkey Castle so much that you want to see more Irish castles? Why not make time to head over to Drimnagh Castle, one of my favorite Dublin hidden gems. Of course, this itinerary will keep you busy for the whole day, so save this idea for a separate Dublin day out!

Stop for a pint of Guinness in a traditional Irish pub atmosphere at Finnegan's of Dalkey. 

Hop on the DART one more time heading north from Dalkey to Monkstown. Enjoy expertly prepared Irish beef at FX Buckley (make sure to make a booking). 

If you still have energy, catch at cover band performance at Purty Kitchen. We saw a Smiths cover band and Aja (a local Steely Dan cover band) often makes the rounds.

Dublin South Coast Adventure (Variant 2)

This variant on my Dublin South Coast itinerary diverges from Variant 1 at Step 4 after you've completed the Greystones to Bray Coastal Walk and eaten lunch at Corner Note Cafe in Dalkey. 

This variant is for those who especially like walking. Strike out toward Sorrento Park, an elegant green space on a hill with a Victorian charm that is now overgrown. From here, hike up to Killiney Hill to the obelisk at the apex. 

It takes 30-45 minutes to walk from Sorrento Park to the Killiney Hill obelisk depending on how often you stop to take photos of the breathtaking seaviews. 

Continue on from the obelisk to Killiney train station and take the DART north to Monkstown for dinner at FX Buckley and optionally a show at Purty Kitchen.

Map of This Dublin Itinerary: South Coast Adventure

Click on the maps below to open up an interactive map of the points of interest highlighted on this one day Dublin itinerary focused on the Bray to Greystones cliff walk and South Dublin Coast.

Dublin South Coast Adventure (Variant 1)

Dublin South Coast Adventure (Variant 2)

Guide to Sidewalk Safari Dublin City Itineraries

• Leisurely: No need to get up super-early to start this itinerary which is always good if you experienced a little too much of Dublin's famous craic the night before. Take your time exploring the sights on these itineraries or take detours that you discover on your own in the process of following my suggestions.

• Intermediate: You should be able to comfortably fit in the activities recommended even if you don't get an early start. There is a fair amount of walking involved in these itineraries to get from place to place.

• Ambitious: Lots to see plus a lot of walking. Make sure to get an early start or you won't make it to everything on the list.

The perfect formula for a day out in Dublin City includes: breakfast/coffee, morning activities, lunch, afternoon activities, a pub stop, dinner, and evening fun.

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