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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Howth
Binn Éadair
Day-trip from Dublin on the DART (30 min, about €5 return with Leap) unless you want the 3–4 h cliff loop at an easy pace: then sleep one night.
Howth is a fishing harbour and headland 14 km northeast of central Dublin, reached by DART train in about 30 minutes. The reasons to come are the cliff path, the harbour piers, Ireland's Eye boat trips and seafood. Most visitors day-trip; one night buys you the full cliff circuit and a quiet evening after the Dublin crowds leave.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Binn Éadair
- Best months
- May–Sep; Aug–Sep for heather on the cliffs
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (wet, short daylight, cliff paths muddy)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard 112 · Police, ambulance, fire (alternative) 999 · Irish Coast Guard 112
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Fish and chips at the harbour | €12–18 |
| Pint of stout | €5.50–7 |
| Main course in a harbour restaurant | €18–30 |
| DART single Dublin → Howth | €2.50–3.50 (check) |
| Dublin Bay Cruises single | €25 (check) |
| National Transport Museum entry | Adult €4.50, child or concession €3 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Bus 102 every 30 min via Swords and Malahide to Sutton, then DART or bus to Howth; about 1 h. Taxi about 25 min.
Typical fares
- DART Dublin Connolly → Howth
- about €3 single, 30 min, every 30 min (check)
- Bus H3 Dublin city centre → Howth
- about €2.50 with Leap, 45–60 min (check)
- Dublin Bay Cruises Dún Laoghaire → Howth
- €25 single, 1 h, March–September (check)
Get around
Walk. The village, harbour and DART station are within 10 minutes of each other. Buses H3 and 6 run from Dublin via Sutton to the harbour and up to the Summit. Taxis are few; book ahead if you need one after dark.
See and do
Known for
- Howth Head cliff walk
- Howth Harbour and East Pier
- Ireland's Eye
- Seafood and fish and chips
- Heather on the cliffs in August and September
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin | DART from Howth station to Connolly or Tara Street, every 30 min | About 40 min |
| Malahide | DART to Howth Junction, change for Malahide | About 45 min |
| Dún Laoghaire | Dublin Bay Cruises from Howth west pier, March–September, or DART via Connolly | 1 h by boat, about 1 h 15 min by train |
| Swords | Bus 102 towards the airport, or DART and bus | About 1 h |
| Balbriggan | DART to Howth Junction, change north | About 1 h |
| Booterstown | DART south via Connolly and Pearse | About 50 min |
Sleep
- Howth village and harbour
- Walk to the DART, piers and most restaurants; the only area with real choice of beds.
- Sutton Cross
- West of the peninsula on the DART line; Marine Hotel and Supervalu, 10 min by train or bus to Howth.
- Howth Summit
- Hilltop near the cliff path start and Summit Inn; fewer beds, bus 31/H3 terminus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Excuse me | Gabh mo leithscéalgov muh lesh-kayl |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will un leh-russ |
| The bill, please | An bille, le do thoilun bill-eh, leh duh hull |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- Cliff paths are exposed and can be slippery after rain; wear shoes with grip and keep back from the edge.
- The cliff circuit takes 3–4 h: start before about 14:00 in winter so you finish in daylight.
- Howth Castle and its grounds are closed for redevelopment; the clifftop walks across the head remain open.
- Ireland's Eye has no facilities and no regular ferry: boats run in summer only, enquire at the harbour.
- Avoid the island's cliffs April–June, the main seabird nesting season.
- Swim only at Claremont or Burrow Beach in summer, and only with the lifeguard on duty.
Howth is a low-crime, well-lit village and the main risk is the cliff path: exposed edges, mud after rain and no lighting. Tell someone your route, carry a charged phone, and take the coast guard seriously.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Howth yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Howth Head cliff walk
- Howth Harbour and East Pier
- Ireland's Eye
- Seafood and fish and chips
- Heather on the cliffs in August and September
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Fingal County Council — Visit Fingal: www.fingal.ie/visitor
- Irish Rail (DART times and fares): www.irishrail.ie/
- Dublin Bus: www.dublinbus.ie/
- Dublin Bay Cruises: www.dublinbaycruises.com
- National Transport Museum: www.nationaltransportmuseum.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Howth, revision 5266896 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5266896
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
HowthBinn Éadair
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Howth; all are in Dublin. US Embassy: +353 1 668 8777. UK Embassy: +353 1 205 3700. Canadian Embassy: +353 1 234 4000. Australian Embassy: +353 1 664 5300.
Howth is in County Fingal; the tourist office is in the Old Courthouse by the harbour, open daily 9:30–17:00 (check).Howth is in County Fingal; the tourist office is in the Old Courthouse by the harbour, open daily 9:30 AM–5:00 PM (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/howth). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.