Glendalough Weekender — 2 Days in the Valley of Two Lakes
Glendalough — Gleann Dá Locha, the Valley of the Two Lakes — is the most visited place in County Wicklow and one of the most beautiful valleys in Ireland. This two-day itinerary covers the full range of what the valley offers: the extraordinary early-medieval monastic city, the classic Spinc ridge walk, the Poulanass Waterfall trail, and the ancient Green Road. Arrive Friday evening, leave Sunday afternoon rested, well fed, and genuinely moved by the place.
How to reach Glendalough
By car
Glendalough is 50 km south of Dublin city centre. Take the M50 south, join the N11 towards Wicklow, and exit at Kilmacanogue or Newtownmountkennedy to pick up the R755 through Roundwood to Laragh. From Laragh, the R756 runs the final 3 km into the valley. Allow one hour from Dublin in normal traffic; 90 minutes on a summer Friday evening.
Parking at the Upper Lake car park costs €4 per day and is cashless (pay by phone or card at the machine). The car park fills by 10 am on summer weekends — arrive before 9 am or accept a walk from the lower car park near the Visitor Centre (free, but a further 1.5 km each way). The lower car park is the better option if your first destination is the Monastic City.
By bus — St Kevin's Bus
St Kevin's Bus Service runs twice daily from Dublin city centre (Dawson Street) to Glendalough, year-round. The journey takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. The service stops at the Glendalough Hotel, walking distance from both the Monastic City and the Visitor Centre. Check current timetables and book tickets at glendaloughbus.com. This is by far the most stress-free option for a weekend — no parking, no traffic, and the bus stops right in the valley. Return tickets cost approximately €20 per adult.
Friday evening arrival
Aim to arrive in Glendalough by early evening on Friday. Check in to your accommodation, take a short 20-minute walk along the Lower Lake shore as the day-trippers leave and the valley quietens, and have dinner at the Glendalough Hotel bar or Lynham's Hotel in Laragh (the better kitchen of the two, in our experience). Go to bed early — Saturday is a long day.
Where to stay
Options within the valley and in nearby Laragh village (3 km from the Upper Lake car park):
- Glendalough Hotel — the closest hotel to the Monastic City, dating to the 1800s. Comfortable, reliable, and in the right place. Rates from approximately €120 per room per night at weekends.
- Lynham's Hotel — in Laragh, a family-run hotel with a well-regarded restaurant. Slightly lower rates than the Glendalough Hotel, and often easier to book at short notice.
- Wicklow Way Hostel — popular with walkers and particularly good value, just 500 m from the Monastic City. Book well ahead for summer weekends.
- The Glendalough Valley Hostel (An Óige) — budget hostel beside the Visitor Centre. Basic facilities, great location, and the sound of the Glenealo River at night.
- Self-catering cottages in the Laragh area — several options available through agencies; minimum two-night stays at weekends.
For the full list, see our accommodation page.
Saturday — The Monastic City and the Spinc
Morning: Glendalough Monastic City
Begin at the Visitor Centre (opens at 9:30 am; entry €5 for adults, €3 for children, free for under-12s). The 20-minute introductory film provides essential context before you walk the site — it is well made and genuinely worth watching. The site itself is free to walk at any time, but the museum is gated.
The Glendalough Monastic City was founded in the late sixth century by Saint Kevin (Caoimhín in Irish), a monk and hermit who sought solitude in this remote glacial valley. Within his lifetime, the hermitage had grown into one of the most important monastic cities in Ireland. At its height — probably in the ninth century — the site housed several thousand monks, scholars, craftspeople and pilgrims, with a scriptorium producing illuminated manuscripts, a school of international reputation, and a network of satellite churches extending for several kilometres up the valley.
The principal monuments to visit, in order:
- The Gateway — the only surviving example of a monastic gateway arch in Ireland, probably twelfth century. Notice the two arched openings (for pedestrians and carts) and the original granite capstone.
- The Cathedral — the largest church on the site, largely twelfth-century, though the nave may be ninth-century. The Romanesque chancel arch, now weathered to smoothness, was once highly carved.
- The Priest's House — a small, enigmatic Romanesque oratory whose precise function is unknown. The carved doorway is one of the best-preserved pieces of decorative stonework at Glendalough.
- The Round Tower — 30 metres tall, its cap restored in the nineteenth century, the tower is entirely intact and one of the finest in Ireland. Round towers served as bell towers and as places of safe storage; the elevated doorway (now 3.5 m above ground) allowed monks to pull up a ladder behind them during raids.
- St Kevin's Church — also known as St Kevin's Kitchen because of its small round tower (actually a belfry) that looks like a chimney. One of the most perfectly preserved early-medieval churches in Ireland. The stone corbelled roof is original.
Allow one and a half to two hours for the monastic city. Then walk the 1.5 km path to the Upper Lake — follow the signs from the main site. The path runs along the north shore of the Lower Lake through mixed woodland (oak, birch, rowan) and is beautiful even in poor weather.
Stop for coffee and a sandwich at the small café at the Upper Lake before beginning the Spinc.
Afternoon: The Spinc Walk
The Spinc and Glenealo Valley loop is 9 km, takes three and a half to four and a half hours, and is rated Strenuous. It is the best walk in Wicklow. Start no later than 1 pm if you are walking in the shorter days of spring or autumn; in summer, you have ample time starting at 2 pm.
The route begins at the Upper Lake car park (parking €4/day). It climbs by boardwalk and stone steps up the southern face of the valley — approximately 380 metres of ascent in the first two kilometres — onto the narrow Spinc ridge, from which the views over the Upper Lake are extraordinary: dark water, granite scree, the distant sea. The boardwalk follows the ridge for two kilometres before descending into the wild Glenealo valley (the western arm of Glendalough), passing through the ruins of the nineteenth-century lead-mining village known as Van Diemen's Land. The route returns along the Miners' Road beside the Upper Lake.
Essential: waterproof footwear, a windproof jacket, and enough water. The Spinc ridge is fully exposed. Even on warm summer days, conditions on the top can be cool and windy.
Evening
You have earned a proper dinner. The best options within easy reach:
- The Wicklow Heather Restaurant (Laragh) — long-established, locally sourced, excellent Irish stew and beef. Book ahead at weekends.
- Lynham's Hotel (Laragh) — reliable bar food and a good selection of local ales. The terrace is good on a summer evening.
- Glendalough Hotel bar and restaurant — convenient if you are staying there; the kitchen is solid if not spectacular.
Sunday — The Waterfall, the Green Road, and Roundwood for lunch
Morning: Poulanass Waterfall Trail
A gentle start to the day. The Poulanass Waterfall trail is 1.6 km, easy, and takes about 35–45 minutes at a relaxed pace. It begins from the Upper Lake car park, following a well-surfaced path through mature oak woodland beside the Glenealo River to the base of the Poulanass waterfall — a series of cascades dropping through a narrow rocky gorge, most dramatic after rain. The trail is suitable for most fitness levels and for older children who can manage short uphill sections on a path.
This is the ideal Sunday morning walk: quiet (most day-trippers have not yet arrived), genuinely lovely, and short enough to leave the rest of the day free. Bring the camera.
Mid-morning: The Green Road
After Poulanass, continue on the Glendalough Green Road — an ancient trackway that runs along the valley floor, originally used by monks and their cattle to reach the upper valley from the monastic settlement. The Green Road is a pleasant, level walking route through mixed woodland with views across the valley, and can be combined with the Poulanass trail or walked separately as a linear route. It connects the Upper Lake with the lower valley and is one of the quieter walking options at Glendalough when the main trails are busy.
If you have the energy and inclination, the Miners' Road (a separate, level 4 km out-and-back from the Upper Lake car park) provides a peaceful alternative — the road follows the north shore of the Upper Lake through old mining infrastructure, with tremendous views back up the valley.
Lunchtime: Drive to Roundwood
Pack the car by late morning and drive the 12 km to Roundwood — the highest village in Ireland at 238 metres, with a broad main street, a handful of good pubs, and the kind of reliable Sunday lunch that a weekend's walking demands.
The best lunch options in Roundwood:
- The Coach House Inn — traditional Irish Sunday lunch, generous portions, excellent carvery at weekends. Arrives early: carvery is often sold out by 1:30 pm.
- Roundwood Inn — a long-established pub with a more extensive menu including game dishes and a good selection of Wicklow ales. Popular with walkers coming off the Wicklow Way.
After lunch, the drive back to Dublin via the N11 takes approximately one hour in normal traffic.
Weekend summary
| When | Activity | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday eve | Arrive, short lakeside stroll, dinner | ~1 km | Easy |
| Saturday am | Glendalough Monastic City (walk and visit) | ~3 km | Easy |
| Saturday pm | The Spinc & Glenealo Valley | 9 km | Strenuous |
| Sunday am | Poulanass Waterfall Trail | 1.6 km | Easy |
| Sunday am | Glendalough Green Road | ~3 km | Easy |
| Sunday lunch | Drive to Roundwood for lunch, then home | — | — |
| Total walking distance | ~17 km | Moderate–Strenuous | |
Parking note
The Upper Lake car park is the best base for both the Spinc and the Poulanass trail. Cost: €4 per day, payable by card or the ParkMagic app. On summer weekends it fills before 10 am — arrive by 8:30–9 am or use the lower (free) car park and walk the 1.5 km path to the Upper Lake. Do not park on the verges of the R756 road through the valley — cars parked illegally are regularly ticketed by Wicklow County Council wardens.
Related walks and itineraries
The Spinc & Glenealo Valley
Full route notes, GPX download, audio tour and practical tips for Wicklow's most celebrated mountain loop.
Walk the Wicklow Way in a Week
Ready for the full trail? Our day-by-day guide takes you from Marlay Park to Clonegal in seven stages, with accommodation at every stop.
The Miners' Road
A flat, peaceful out-and-back along the northern shore of the Upper Lake, through old lead-mining infrastructure with superb valley views.