Glendalough Upper Lake and Lower Lake together
Glendalough Upper Lake sits in the same glacial valley as Lower Lake and the monastic settlement. Both lakes can be visited without an entrance fee; parking charges are separate. For a first visit, think of the valley floor as a connected outing: time by the water can sit alongside the stone buildings without committing to an upland hike.
The name Gleann dá Loch means valley of the two lakes. That relationship is useful when planning: these are two parts of one landscape, rather than unrelated stops requiring separate admission. Read the monastic site guide if you want to combine the lakes with the churches, and use the walking routes page for distances and difficulty beyond a shore visit.
Walking from the visitor-centre car park
NPWS's parking notice of 29 May 2026 gives about 20 minutes on foot from the OPW car park to Upper Lake via Green Road or the Lower Lake Boardwalk. Use that as an orientation for the connecting walk, with extra time for photographs, pauses and your own pace. It is not a timing for a full circuit or a promise that every person will cover the route equally quickly.
Choose the order of your day before you park. Starting near the monastery puts the historic buildings and OPW visitor centre into your plan; starting at the Council Upper Lake car park brings you to a different part of the valley. Laragh's free car park is another option, about 3 km from Upper Lake and the NPWS Information Office according to the same parking notice. The transport and parking page explains these locations separately.
Our pick: Glendalough sightseeing
This guided sightseeing trip offers transport to Glendalough without a hiking programme.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
A Dublin sightseeing day with a whiskey taste
An English-guided coach excursion combines Glendalough sightseeing with a complimentary Irish whiskey taste. Hiking is excluded; this is a sightseeing day rather than a guided lake walk.
Shore time and the Miners’ Road option
A lakeside visit can stay focused on the valley floor. Give yourself time to look across the water rather than treating every path as an invitation to finish a longer route. Miners’ Road provides an out-and-back walking option towards the mining remains; its route information belongs with the hiking guide. Underground mines are inaccessible, so keep the interest on the surface remains and landscape.
For a day trip, separate the time available in Glendalough from the length of the entire excursion. The sightseeing outing featured here travels in an air-conditioned midi coach with an English-speaking guide and a complimentary taste of Glendalough Irish whiskey. Collection is from locations near hotels in north and south Dublin. It is not a distillery tour or a hiking product. Choose it for a guided sightseeing day, or compare other day-trip formats if a different combination matters more.
Swimming and cold-water hazards
The NPWS water-safety notice of 23 June 2026 does not impose a blanket swimming ban, but it warns of serious hazards. There are no lifeguards, and cold water can cause cold-water shock even in summer. Wind changes conditions, while the bottom near the Upper Lake beach drops steeply close to shore. A beach-like edge should never be read as a supervised bathing area.
Plan a visit from land if you are unfamiliar with these conditions. A pleasant day for a photograph says little about the water temperature or the sudden change in depth. Keep children under close supervision at the edge and give anyone in your party space to enjoy the view without entering the water. The absence of a general ban is not a safety assessment for an individual swimmer.
Inflatable mattresses, swim rings and inflatable toys are prohibited. Swimming tow floats are allowed, which is a separate rule for open-water swimmers rather than permission for leisure inflatables. Boats, canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards require permission under the same NPWS notice. Arrange any intended water activity around those rules instead of arriving with equipment and treating public access to the shore as permission to launch.
Protecting the valley
Keep dogs on a lead, take rubbish away and leave plants and other natural material in place. Fires are prohibited. Camping of every kind is prohibited in Glendalough; the wider park's wilderness-camping rules do not override that local restriction. If you want a longer stay for a separate walking day, use the accommodation area guide to plan a base.
Keep the Upper Lake approach clear of roadside parking on double yellow lines. NPWS's May 2026 parking advice stresses that emergency vehicles need this route. On a busy day, a legal parking choice and a manageable connecting walk make a better plan than trying to stop at the water's edge. Choose your walking distance around everyone in the party and the return journey.
Questions about the lakes
Is there an entrance fee for the lakes?
The lakes are free to visit. Parking can cost extra, and admission to the OPW visitor centre is a separate purchase.
How far is Upper Lake from the OPW car park?
The NPWS notice dated 29 May 2026 gives about 20 minutes on foot using Green Road or the Lower Lake Boardwalk. Allow for your pace and stops.
Can I bring a paddleboard?
Stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and boats require permission. Shore access alone does not authorise launching.
Does the featured trip include hiking?
It is a sightseeing excursion with a whiskey taste, and hiking is explicitly excluded. Use an independent walking plan for a hiking day.