Wicklow mountains is not only the home of stunning views and landscapes. It's also a very popular filming location for movies and TV series - among them TV series Vikings. A must for us to visit, so we arranged a surprise visit for my parents visit back in July.
Wicklow mountains is located in County Wicklow, not far from Dublin. Because of this we decided to stay in a hotel in the outskirts of Dublin City. It would give us easy access to the roads towards Wicklow and away from the buzz of the city traffic.
Wicklow mountains is the largest continuous upland area in Ireland and home of amazing views and landscapes to explore. We went by car, but there are many tourist tours that will take you from Dublin, if that is your cup of tea or you simply don't have access to a car!
A few places we decided to visit was the Guinness Lake, Powerscourt Waterfalls, Sally Gap, P.S I Love You- bridge and we also decided to drive down to Bray which is located by the coast. You have to pay an entry fee to access the waterfall, but everything else is free of charge - you just need to have your eyes peeled on Google Maps to make sure you find the locations! Parking will be tricky as you many times just have to stop on the side of the road.
My favourite place was probably the waterfall. I just love watching them, and let's be honest - they do make a lovely photo. The park where it was located was not big and contained a small shop for coffee/tea/easy snacks and a bigger playground. You could walk around the area where they also had a sensory walk. However, the walk was quite disappointing as it only took around 20 minutes and it was only a normal forest walk. Because you have to pay an entry fee I would expect a longer walk. Other than that the waterfall was mind-blowing and you are able to get very close.
Second best thing must have been the drive around Sally Gap. This is just a scenic drive, but the views are stunning. Unfortunately it was quite foggy when we went but we still got to enjoy some of the views. When you're driving this route you ca also stop to check out the filming location for Vikings, and they were actually filming when we went so it got us curious to what movie or TV-series is being filmed - however they are very secretive.
"There is plenty of cafés or restaurants if you need to top up your energy levels!"
Bray was also a lovely wee place to visit. The drive to get there also gave the views and when you arrive you have a big beach to explore. We parked up and went for a stroll by the ocean. There is plenty of cafés or restaurants if you need to top up your energy levels!
Overall Wicklow mountains makes up for that perfect roadtrip if you go by car. I would stay for one or two times to really have the time to explore as it might be stressful to try and do it all in one day. We had approximately two days and we struggled to fit everything in. You also never know when the rain will strike, which can make it very foggy. Just be sure to wear good clothes and remember that you might not be able to see well during the foggy days. If you are driving you need to be aware of the sheep. They have a tendency to roam the roads so drive carefully! Irish roads are very narrow so driving slow might be a good idea anyways!
If you. decide to go on a tour you most likely will be on a bus and you don't have to worry about this. You can enjoy the views and you would for sure get a history lesson out of it from the guide! The tours vary in price and you just have to try the one that fits you the best. Whatever you choose you will 100% get a lovely trip out of it.
~ linnity