Wicklow Mountains National Park: landscape and origins
Glendalough is easy to reach and hard to park at – knowing that wins you the day.
Three public car parks serve the valley. The free one in Laragh is 3 km (1.9 mi) from the Upper Lake; from there you walk along the Green Road through the woods and pass the monastic site.
The OPW car park at the visitor centre lies right by the Monastic City; the Upper Lake is a 20-minute walk along the Green Road or the Lower Lake boardwalk. If you pay here, you get one free admission to the visitor centre.
The Upper Lake car park is closest to the trails but fills first. If it is full, the NPWS warns you could be stuck in a queue for an hour on the narrow road – better to turn around and park in Laragh.
Easy, about an hour out and back along the Upper Lake through pine woodland to the Miners' Village; on the way, a view across the lake to St Kevin's Bed.
Strenuous, about 4 hours 15 minutes and 490 m (1,608 ft) of climbing, over the Spinc cliffs towards Lugduff and Mullacor mountains. Hiking boots and rain gear recommended.
Nature and history: monasteries, mines and bogland
St Kevin and the monastic site
St Kevin came to the valley in the late sixth century and died in 617. By the end of the eighth century the monastery employed up to 1,000 laypeople; between 775 and 1095 it was plundered many times.
About 30 m (98 ft) high, with its entrance 3.5 m (11 ft) above the ground; inside there were once six wooden floors with ladders. The roof was rebuilt in 1876 using the original stones.
The ruins of the Miners' Village lie at the western end of the valley; more mine sites are on the Wicklow Gap. The underground mines are not accessible.
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01Best time to visit: all year, with heather in late summer
On sunny weekends Glendalough is busy.
Avoid weekends
In sunny weather, especially at weekends, traffic and parking at Glendalough become a problem, according to the NPWS.
Since 20 July 2026 the White Trail between the Miners' Village and the footbridge (the “White Zig Zags”) has been upgraded for five to six months; there may be occasional disruption.
Weather and climate in Wicklow Mountains National Park
Best months by the climate data: June to August. Average daytime highs of 16 to 18 °C, lows of 10 to 12 °C, 79 to 93 mm of precipitation a month. The wettest month is November (121 mm), the driest April (67 mm).
0°5°10°15°20°
Jan74
Feb74
Mar84
Apr116
May138
Jun1610
Jul1812
Aug1812
Sep1611
Oct139
Nov106
Dec85
High °CLow °C
Daily highDaily lowPrecipitation
All monthly values as a table
Monthly averages 2001–2020, NASA POWER model
Month
High °C
Low °C
Precipitation mm
January
7.4
3.9
97
February
7.3
3.5
79
March
8.5
3.8
78
April
10.7
5.5
67
May
13.3
7.7
70
June
16.0
10.3
79
July
17.5
11.9
83
August
17.5
12.0
93
September
15.9
10.7
81
October
13.1
8.9
116
November
9.9
6.4
121
December
8.0
4.6
114
Year
1,078
Modelled values, not a weather station: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) for a grid cell of about 55 × 40 km around the map point National Park Information Office (53.01° N, 6.35° W), with an average cell elevation of about 110 m. Averages for 2001–2020. Higher ground and valleys can differ markedly.
02How to get there: bus 181 from Dublin or by car to Laragh
Glendalough is reachable by bus, most of the rest of the park hardly.
Bus 181 from Dublin
The privately owned St Kevin's Bus Company runs route 181 from Dublin city centre to Glendalough. There are also Local Link routes 183 from Arklow and 895 from Sallins.
There are double yellow lines along the road to the Upper Lake; the Gardaí issue parking tickets and illegally parked cars may be towed. When the car parks are full, the NPWS suggests turning around.
Built between 1801 and 1809, the road runs 58 km (36 mi) from Rathfarnham via Sally Gap and Glenmacnass Waterfall to Laragh and Aughavannagh, largely through the park.
Wild Wicklow Tours · Day trip from Dublin · 8.5 hours
From Dublin: Wild Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough & Guinness Lake
In a smaller coach on the mountain roads that big coaches avoid: from Dublin along the coast, over the Wicklow Mountains to Lough Tay and on to Glendalough, with time at the monastic site and a whiskey tasting from the valley. In winter shorter, focusing on the mountains, Lough Tay and Glendalough.
4.8 out of 5 stars · 1,809 reviews on GetYourGuide · from €55 · as of 5 Oct
Departure 8:45 St Stephen's Green North, 9:00 Cathal Brugha Street, 9:15 opposite the Grand Canal Hotel.
According to the list of inclusions, the tour covers admission fees, an English-speaking guide, a whiskey tasting, the air-conditioned minibus and pickups in north and south Dublin; food and tips are not included. The tour is a sightseeing trip with short walks, not a hike. From 1 November to 4 April a shorter winter route applies, returning at about 16:00 to 16:30, with a minimum number of participants. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
Ad · we may earn a commission if you book through this partner link – at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the atlas. Offer details checked 4 Oct 2026. See official ticket information.
03Free entry, some parking charges
What costs money at Glendalough is the car park – and the exhibition.
The Wicklow County Council car park beside the Woollen Mills is free, staffed and open daily from 8:00 to 20:00. It is 3 km (1.9 mi) through the woods to the Upper Lake.
The OPW car park at the monastic site charges a fee in busy periods, payable by coin or card, 8:00 to 20:00. If you park here you get one free admission to the visitor centre.
Nine waymarked trails, all starting at the information office: from the easy Green Road (3 km) and the Miners' Road (5 km) to the Spinc and Wicklow Way route (11.5 km).
Researched 4 Oct 2026. Not a live status. Dates apply only to the year stated. A successful automatic fetch is not an editorial confirmation; outdated automatic values are hidden and replaced by the source link.
