More about hotels in Wicklow
Wicklow is known as the Garden of Ireland, and one look at it explains why. Heather-covered mountains roll down to glacial lakes, forest trails open onto waterfalls, and the coast is close enough that you can do both hills and beach in the same day. It's barely 40 minutes south of Dublin, which makes it an easy add-on to a bigger Ireland trip or a destination in its own right.
Whatever kind of trip you're after, there's a stay to match. Wicklow has everything from harbour-side B&Bs and country guesthouses to golf resorts and a proper five-star estate hotel, so you can base yourself in a quiet village or right on the coast depending on what you're after.
Where to stay in Wicklow
- Wicklow Town: the county's own harbour town, with a working fishing pier and easy access to the mountains inland. Good value and a genuine local feel rather than a tourist strip.
- Bray: the closest base to Dublin, with a long seafront promenade. The cliff walk to Greystones starts right on your doorstep, and transport links back to the city are easy.
- Greystones: a smaller, quieter harbour village with a laid-back café scene. Suits travellers after a slower pace without giving up sea views.
- Baltinglass: inland and rural, closer to the western side of the Wicklow Mountains and the Blessington lakes. A solid pick if you're driving through rather than sticking to the coast.
How much is Wicklow accommodation?
Expect to pay from around AU$160 a night for a simple guesthouse, up to AU$500 or more for a full-service estate hotel with a spa, not far off what you'd pay for a weekend away on the NSW coast back home. Here's roughly how it breaks down by tier:
- Budget guesthouses and B&Bs: from AU$150-165 per night. Simple rooms, usually family-run, often with a proper cooked breakfast included.
- Mid-range hotels: from AU$250-260 per night. Ensuite rooms and on-site leisure facilities like a pool or gym are common at this level.
- Country house hotels: from AU$200-320 per night. Traditional Irish house hotels with restaurants that punch above their weight, and some come with their own spa or cookery school.
- Luxury and resort stays: upwards of AU$500 per night. This is estate-hotel territory, with manicured grounds, fine dining and full spa facilities.
Top-rated hotels in Wicklow
- Powerscourt Hotel, Autograph Collection: sits within the grounds of the Powerscourt Estate near Enniskerry, with the Wicklow Mountains as a backdrop and its own spa and golf course.
- BrookLodge & Macreddin Village: a country estate in the Wicklow hills, built around its own village green and known for its food and a genuinely relaxed pace.
- The Glenview Hotel and Leisure Club: set on 30 acres of woodland near Delgany, with mountain views from the restaurant and a full leisure centre for rainy days.
- Chester Beatty Inn: a straightforward, well-run inn in Wicklow Town, an easy walk from the harbour and the town centre shops.
- Woodenbridge Lodge: in the Vale of Avoca, right beside Ireland's oldest hotel, with the river running along the valley floor past the door.
Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Wicklow
- Staying near Enniskerry or Bray puts you closest to Powerscourt Estate and the Dublin road, while Wicklow Town or Rathdrum sit closer to Glendalough and the mountains.
- If you're relying on public transport, book in Bray or Greystones. Both are on the DART/rail line from Dublin, so you don't need a car to get in and out.
- Rates climb hard around summer weekends (June to August) and bank holidays, so lock in your dates early if you're travelling then.
- A rental car opens up a lot more of the county. Glendalough, Sally Gap and the Vale of Avoca are all easiest with your own wheels.
- Check whether brekkie is included before you compare prices. Most of Wicklow's guesthouses and country hotels build a full Irish breakfast into the room rate, which isn't always obvious from the headline price.
Wicklow earns its "Garden of Ireland" name honestly. The Wicklow Mountains National Park covers heather-covered hills, blanket bog and glacial lakes, and the Sally Gap road cuts straight through the middle of it with Lough Tay's dark water sitting below a sweep of forest. Glendalough is the county's standout for anyone into old architecture. A well-preserved round tower and a cluster of stone ruins sit between two lakes in a steep valley, with walking trails looping around both. It's one of Ireland's best-preserved early medieval settlement sites, and the setting alone is worth the drive.
Powerscourt Estate, just outside Enniskerry, pairs a grand Palladian-style house with formal gardens and a waterfall that's one of the tallest in Ireland. Kilruddery House, near Bray, is quieter but just as impressive. The same family has held it since 1618, and its French-style formal gardens, laid out in the 1680s, are some of the oldest of their kind still surviving anywhere. If gardens are your thing, Mount Usher Gardens along the Vale of Avoca is another worth building time for, with paths that follow the Vartry River through informal, densely planted grounds.
Avoca village, further south, is home to Ireland's oldest working woollen mill, still turning out throws, scarves and homewares since 1723. It's a good stop for picking up something that's actually made locally rather than a generic souvenir, and there's a café on site if you need a coffee break between mountain drives. Brittas Bay, on the coast, is one of the better beaches in the county if the weather plays along.
Getting around is straightforward. Wicklow sits right on Dublin's doorstep, with the N11/M11 motorway running down the coast and regular rail services connecting Bray, Greystones and Wicklow Town to Dublin city centre. Inland spots like Glendalough and Sally Gap are best reached by car or a scheduled tour bus from Dublin, since rail doesn't run that far into the mountains.
Looking to build out a bigger Irish itinerary? Check hotels across Ireland or flights into Dublin to pair with your Wicklow stay.
