Wicklow Mountains: the Military Road to Glendalough
The garden of Ireland just south of Dublin: a high waterfall, the bogs of the Sally Gap, Lough Tay and the monastic valley of Glendalough.
- Distance
- 83 km (52 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 09 min
- Suggested days
- 2
- Stops
- 7
- Countries
- Ireland
- Updated
- June 24, 2026
At a glance: 2-day road trip of about 83 km (52 mi) with 7 stops, from Dublin to Avoca. About 1 h 09 min of driving in total.
Route description
Leave Dublin for Enniskerry, an estate village below the gardens of Powerscourt. The waterfall has its own entrance about 6 km south; it is the highest in Ireland and has a riverside meadow for picnics.
From Enniskerry, climb through Glencree to join the R115, the Military Road built after the 1798 rebellion. It crosses open blanket bog to the Sally Gap crossroads, with very few buildings in sight. The road is narrow and exposed, and can be icy in winter.
At the Sally Gap, turn east on the R759 to the roadside viewpoint over Lough Tay, a dark lake on a private estate. Then continue via Roundwood and Laragh to Glendalough, where a round tower and stone churches stand in a valley with two lakes.
Walk to the Upper Lake early in the day, before the coaches arrive, or follow the longer trail along the Spinc ridge. The route ends in the Vale of Avoca, a village with an old weaving mill. It is an easy day trip from Dublin, but a night in the mountains is more relaxed.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Dublin
Ireland - 223 km
Enniskerry
Ireland - 37 km
Powerscourt Waterfall
NatureEnniskerry, IrelandIreland’s highest waterfall, about 120 m, in a wooded estate park. It has its own entrance several kilometres from Powerscourt House.
- 49 km
Sally Gap
ViewsRoundwood, IrelandA lonely crossroads on the Military Road amid open blanket bog, the highest part of the drive through the Wicklow Mountains.
- 56 km
Lough Tay
ViewsRoundwood, IrelandA dark lake with a pale beach below steep slopes, on a private estate. The view from the roadside on the R759 is the one everyone photographs.
- 614 km
Glendalough
HistoryLaragh, IrelandAn early medieval monastic site with a round tower, set in a glacial valley with two lakes. Arrive early: the car parks fill on fine weekends.
- 723 km
Avoca
Ireland
