Advice about Wicklow area
 

Taking a 10 day trip to Ireland and in the middle we have 2 nights allocated for the Wicklow area.

We will leave Galway on the morning on Tuesday the 16th of September and head to the Wicklow area. We will stay in Wicklow until Thursday the 18th when we head to Dublin.

Any suggestions on the best things to visit/see? Best places to stay? Eat? Etc.

We don't mind walking and seeing some sites but do not want to do any heavy hiking.

Any recommendations would be wonderful!

Thank you.
Sarah

In the Wicklow area, you'll probably want to see Glendalough. I'm going there myself in 2 weeks. Staying at the Riversdale B&B, just down the road from Glendalough.

Glendalough is an anciaent monastic site (founded by St. Kevin in the 5th or 6th century). Not only do you have the ruins of the monastic city (which was attacked by Vikings on several occasions), you also have an area of really outstanding natural beauty. Many people just spend a few hours there as a day excursion from Dublin, but I don't think you'd could go wrong staying 1 or even 2 nights there.

I heartily recommend Riversdale B&B.

Town of Avoca is the setting for the Ballykissangel PBS series if you happen to be a fan of that show.

Powerscourt waterfall. You can drive up close and there are walks around there. Not spectacular in itself but it is a pretty area.

Powerscourt Gardens. Enniskerry.

Any of the seaside towns to walk on the beach--Bray, Greystones. They are on the DART (train) and make for day trips to Dublin

Agree with David above. Glendalough is spectacular. I have been many times and always enjoy it.

I'm not going to suggest an itinerary: people's preferences vary. One of the many things I like about Wicklow is the mountain scenery. so I mention a few scenic things.

It makes good sense to stay in Glendalough: that allows you to get out in the valley before the hordes of day-visitors.

The drive down the Vale of Laragh between Glendalough and Woodenbridge is beautiful (and passes by Avoca, if that interests you).

Another scenic trip starting at or near Glendalough is to move northwards towards the Sally Gap on what is known as "the military road". That road couls serve as your route to Dublin - slower and far lovelier than taking more efficient routes. Make a diversion to visit Lough Tay.

A nice country house hotel for dinner one evening: http://www.hunters.ie/. Another country house hotel where you might get a pleasant lunch: http://www.woodenbridgehotel.com/.

Great! Thank you for the replies. I am going to look into all of these suggestions. Appreciate it! :)
~Sarah

Would staying 2 nights in the Glendalough area be OK? On day 2 would it be reasonable to travel up to to Powerscourt area and then back down to Glendalough to sleep?

Or would we be better off staying 1 night in Glendalough and then 1 night a little further north?

Thank you!!

The distances in Wicklow are not so great that you should feel a need to relocate. And it's easy enough to pick on a number of places that interest you, then get a map and plan a circuit that follows scenic routes without too much backtracking.

Some routes work better in one direction than in the other, so you might be better off having a chat with your B&B or hotel host about fine-tuning your plans.

I second jaja's rec for Riverdale. My wife and I spent 3-4 days (3 nights)based there and really enjoyed ourselves.