Powerscourt Estate, ten miles south of Dublin in County Wicklow, has one of the great formal gardens in Europe. The Italianate terrace stepping down to a pond with the Sugar Loaf framing the view is the most-photographed garden image in Ireland. There is also a separate Powerscourt Waterfall a few miles up the road. Both are worth seeing; here is what to do at each.
The Estate gardens
The main gardens cover 47 acres and were laid out over 150 years. The Italianate central terrace is the postcard view. Beyond it are the Japanese Garden, the Pet Cemetery (the Powerscourt family's actual pet cemetery, with proper headstones), the Walled Garden, the Tower Valley, and the Pepperpot Tower. A full slow walk takes two and a half hours.
The waterfall
Powerscourt Waterfall, four miles from the main estate, is Ireland's highest at 121 metres. It is in a separate small park with its own car park and entry. About thirty minutes is enough; you walk to the foot of the falls, photograph it, walk back. Best after rain.
Is the estate or the waterfall worth more time?
The estate, by a clear margin. The waterfall is impressive but it is one thing in a small park. The estate has half a dozen distinct gardens, the house, the cafe, and shops. If you can only do one, do the estate. If you have a half day, do both.
How much does it cost?
Powerscourt Gardens admission is 13 euros for adults. Powerscourt Waterfall is a separate 6 euros. Combined ticket is around 17 euros. The house itself (now home to a hotel and several shops) is free to walk through.
How do I get there without a car?
The 44 bus from Dublin to Enniskerry stops a fifteen-minute walk from the estate gates. Buses run roughly every hour. The waterfall is harder to reach without a car; the nearest bus stop is in Enniskerry village, an hour's walk from the falls. A taxi from Enniskerry to the waterfall is about ten euros each way.
Is the cafe at the estate any good?
Avoca at Powerscourt is the on-site cafe and is one of the better places in Wicklow for a long lunch. The view from the terrace looks straight down the formal garden axis. Lunch dishes are around 15 to 20 euros. Often busy on weekends; you can wait twenty minutes for a table.
Is it worth doing the house tour?
The house was largely destroyed by fire in 1974 and the modern building is a partial reconstruction with shops, restaurants and the hotel. There is no full house tour in the grand-mansion sense. The shops on the ground floor (including a proper cookware shop and an Irish design shop) are worth a browse if you have an hour, but if you are not interested in shopping, skip the indoors and stay outside.
When is the best time to visit?
May for the rhododendrons and azaleas, October for the autumn colour. June and September are the best weather. July and August can be busy; coach tours arrive between ten and three. Arriving at opening (nine thirty) gives you the gardens to yourself for an hour. The waterfall is best in winter or after heavy rain when the flow is highest.
The pet cemetery
The Powerscourt Pet Cemetery is exactly what it sounds like: stone gravestones for the Powerscourt family pets going back to the 1880s. Some of the inscriptions are funny, some are tender. It is one of the more unexpected things you find in a formal garden of this scale.
Combine with
Powerscourt is fifteen minutes from Glendalough by car. Doing both in a single day is feasible if you start early. Powerscourt in the morning, Glendalough in the afternoon. Lunch in Roundwood between them.