Dublin: Howth Coast and Ireland's Eye Boat Tour

About This Tour

Howth is only 30 minutes from Dublin city centre on the DART train, but the moment you step onto the boat at Howth Harbour you feel like you have left the city entirely behind. This 55-minute coastal cruise takes you around Ireland’s Eye, a small uninhabited island just offshore that serves as a wildlife sanctuary within Dublin Bay’s UNESCO Biosphere.

The boat circles the island at close range, giving you an excellent view of the Martello tower, the sea cliffs, and the enormous freestanding rock known as “the Stack” at the island’s northeastern corner. This is where the seabirds congregate in huge numbers - gannets, guillemots, razorbills, and (in season) puffins nesting on the cliff ledges. The skipper provides live commentary on the island’s history, its wildlife, and the local legends that have built up around it over the centuries.

Keep your eyes on the water and the rocks as well as the cliffs. Grey seals are a regular sight along the Howth coastline, often spotted lounging on rocky outcrops or bobbing in the water alongside the boat. The views back towards the mainland are striking too - Howth Cliffs rising from the sea, the Baily Lighthouse standing guard at the headland, and the sweep of Dublin Bay stretching south towards Dalkey and Killiney. At EUR25 and under an hour, this is one of the easiest and best-value ways to experience Dublin’s coastal wildlife.

What’s Included

• 55-minute boat tour from Howth Harbour
• Live commentary from the skipper
• Circuit of Ireland’s Eye island and Howth coastline

What’s Not Included

• Landing on Ireland’s Eye (separate ferry service available May to September)
• Transport to Howth (the DART train runs directly from Dublin city centre)
• Food and drinks

Good to Know

• This is a boat tour around the island, not a landing - you stay on the boat throughout
• If you want to land on Ireland’s Eye, a separate ferry service operates May to September
• Howth is easily reached by DART train from Dublin city centre in about 30 minutes
• Bring a jacket as it is always cooler on the water than on shore
• The harbour village of Howth has excellent seafood restaurants for before or after the tour