Are you up for the challenge? These unique and exciting family activity trails around Ireland are packed with adventure. From giants to the Gruffalo, and science to the solar system, there’s a trail here to suit every age and interest.
Heading off for a family walk is always a great way to spend time together, but you can add a whole new dimension to your day out with one of these trail ideas. Whether you’re solving puzzles, collecting stamps, or spotting hidden characters along the way, you’re guaranteed a memorable family day out.
Watch: Family Activity Trails Around Ireland
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Family Activity Trails in Ireland
National Famine Way Passport
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The National Famine Way is an outdoor experience marking the poignant story of emigration from Ireland during the Great Famine of 1847. This digitally and physically waymarked 167km trail connects the National Famine Museum in Strokestown Park, County Roscommon, with Rowan Gillespie’s Famine memorial on Custom House Quay in Dublin, following the banks of the Royal Canal.
The trail is accessible for families, casual walkers and cyclists, so you can set your own pace or complete the route across several visits.
When you order your National Famine Way Pack, you’ll receive a personalised ticket bearing the name of a real family who made the journey in 1847, along with a passport to stamp along your route.
Don’t forget to present your stamped passport on arrival in Dublin at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum to receive your Certificate of Completion — and discover what became of your family group on their 1847 journey.
Activity Trails at Fota House and Gardens, Cork
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There are several fun nature trails for kids to enjoy at Fota House and Gardens, including:
- Junior Plant Hunters Activity Trail – collect your activity book and follow the trail to discover everything the gardens and arboretum have to offer. A great way to spend a morning or afternoon exploring nature.
- Little Explorers Trail – a loop around the gardens and arboretum to explore the wonders of nature.
- Plant Hunters Tree Trail – a free-ranging trail to identify rare and unusual tree species at Fota, suited to families with older kids, teens and adults.
Family Quest and Activity Tree Trail at Powerscourt, Wicklow
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Powerscourt House and Gardens offers a brilliant day out for families, with plenty to see, do and discover — including some fun family trails.
The trees at Powerscourt have been planted over the past two centuries, and there are now hundreds of varieties for visitors to enjoy. Today they look quite familiar, but in the 19th century they were mostly new and exotic species, collected from the Americas and beyond.
Powerscourt is home to many wonderful tree species, including Douglas-Firs, Corsican Pines, Giant Redwoods, Atlantic Cedars and Noble Firs. While you’re out walking as a family, get the kids spotting the different trees and identifying them from their leaves.
There are also free audio tours available at Powerscourt, downloadable via an app in several languages ahead of your visit.
We tried the Family Action Quest Tour, which has 8 stops around the estate and takes between 60–90 minutes to complete — though you’ll want to build in extra time for exploring along the way.
Dublin Castle Family Trail
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Follow the route of kings, queens, aristocrats, presidents and heads of state through Dublin Castle’s famous State Apartments. This clever family trail keeps children engaged as they explore the Castle, hunting for symbols, signs and specific items, with riddles, pictures to draw and puzzles to solve along the way.
You can download the family trail here.
Sam Maguire Passport Trail, Cork
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Sam Maguire’s name is well known from the GAA’s All-Ireland Senior Football trophy, and now you can take the Sam Maguire Passport Trail to find out about the man behind the famous cup.
In one of the most unique family activity trails around, you’ll travel around seven locations in Sam Maguire’s hometown of Dunmanway in West Cork, taking part in challenges and puzzles at his home, school, town and church. Collect a stamp at each location, and once your passport is complete you can apply to attend a Sam Maguire celebration.
All locations are free to visit as you discover the facts about Sam’s life.
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The Giant’s Lair Story Trail, Armagh
The Giant’s Lair Story Trail at Slieve Gullion Forest Park near Crossmaglen is an innovative, magical living storybook. The trail takes visitors on an unforgettable journey through a fantastical land of mystery, dragons, giants, witches and fairies.
Follow in the footsteps of Flynn the mischievous fairy, whose one important job is to make sure nobody wakes Slieve Gullion. It might look like a mountain, but it’s really a sleeping giant! Drop in for a cup of dandelion tea, grab a seat at the Giant’s Table, stroll along to the Ladybird House, and sneak a peek at the local witchy trickster, The Cailleach Beara.
Situated beside the Slieve Gullion Adventure Playpark, with car parking available, The Giant’s Lair is free to explore. The trail takes you into plenty of nooks and crannies, so a backpack carrier or baby sling is recommended for tots.
Gruffalo Trail at Wells House & Gardens, Wexford
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There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo… or is there? While exploring the natural beauty of Wells House and Gardens, take a trip through the enchanted woodlands, complete with fairy trails, sculptures and a chance to spot the Gruffalo and friends.
Those aren’t the only creatures waiting to greet you, either — the animal farm is home to a flurry of furry residents, including pygmy goats, ferrets and meerkats.
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Activity Trails at NMI Country Life, Mayo
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The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life offers a chance to immerse yourself in objects, rare archive photography and film exploring Ireland’s rural past and an almost-vanished, recent way of life.
A range of free activity sheets and museum trails are available from reception. One trail challenges children (and grown-ups!) to find Peadar the Pygmy Shrew, hiding at various locations around the galleries.
Family Quest at Birr Castle Demesne & Science Centre, Offaly
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For families who love nature, discovery and adventure, Birr Castle Demesne’s Family Quest is a great activity. The Quest takes young (and not-so-young) explorers on a journey through time, from great engineering feats to wildlife discoveries and much more in between. Pick it up at reception on arrival — it’s included in the admission fee.
Visitors can also take the Red Tree Trail, which covers 5km and includes 65 trees of distinction, or walk the X-Trails Solar Trail to experience the size, distance and scale of our Solar System along a 2km route. Both trails are included in the general admission ticket, and maps and challenge sheets are available at reception.
Wicklow Passport
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Stamp your journey through Wicklow! Drive, cycle or walk the length and breadth of the county and discover the activities, attractions and flavours along the way. Collect Wicklow Stamps at participating locations, and once you’ve gathered 15, you could become a Wicklow Ambassador!
From restaurants and hotels to museums and shops, there are dozens of places across the county where you can have your passport stamped.
You can order your Wicklow Passport online, or pick one up at a participating venue.
Friends of the Forest Trail at Avoca Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow
Enjoy an interactive nature trail set in the grounds of Avoca Kilmacanogue. Along the way, discover animals and plants and take part in a quiz and some fun games and activities.
The Friends of the Forest trail booklet can be purchased from the desk at Avoca Kilmacanogue and covers 10 points, bringing the family on a real adventure.
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Earth Quest Trail at Brigit’s Garden, Galway
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Get the children engaged and have lots of fun on the Earth Quest family activity trail at Brigit’s Garden. Working as a team, you’ll navigate the Garden and solve science-based challenges along your quest. Look out for a water engineering play area (waterproofs would be a good idea!), a pedal-power generator, a geodesic camera obscura and a weather station, among other installations.
Families discover, observe and identify things as they explore Brigit’s Garden, recording their findings on a special Earth Quest guide, available to collect at Reception.
Narnia Trail at Kilbroney Park, County Down
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Take a trip to Narnia with an enchanted family loop trail through the woodland at Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor. As a boy, C. S. Lewis spent much of his holiday time in the Mournes, particularly around Rostrevor, where he could imagine, dream and wonder — inspiring the magical world of Narnia.
The walk brings the Chronicles of Narnia to life with features along the route. The trail is entered, like Narnia itself, through a ‘Wardrobe Door’, beyond which lies a land filled with strange and intriguing creatures. Enter at your peril — the White Witch has put a curse on the land. It is always winter and never Christmas, and she can turn you to stone. Whatever you do, don’t eat any “enchanted” Turkish Delight! Other features along the way include The Lamp Post, The Beaver’s House, and Aslan’s Table.
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Story Trail at Woodstock House & Gardens, Kilkenny
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Step into a storybook! Irish author Brendan McDonald’s children’s book, Elephant on the Farm, has been transformed by Kilkenny County Council Libraries into a fun story trail at Woodstock House & Gardens in Kilkenny.
Alongside the story trail, there’s plenty to enjoy for a full day of fresh-air fun, including extensive gardens, woodland trails, orienteering trails, an arboretum, tea rooms, a picnic area, and a children’s playground.
Dublin Docklands Family Trail
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It’s time to drop anchor and explore Dublin’s Docklands with the Explorers Family Trail! There’s so much to see and discover here, from Ireland’s smallest museum to the magical creatures hidden atop The Custom House. This circular trail can be started at any of its seven stops, and with a range of activities, it’s suitable for the whole family to enjoy.
You can download your trail map here or pick up a copy from EPIC or the Jeanie Johnston. Don’t forget to drop your completed passport into the EPIC Museum Gift Shop for a chance to win an EPIC goodie bag.
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Land of the Giants, Mayo
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Welcome to the Land of the Giants, a forest walk loop trail extending from the Clare Lake Walk in McMahon Park, Claremorris.
A towering yellow door, a red chair that belongs in the world of Roald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant, a massive wellington boot, an enormous set of keys that can never be lost dangling from a random tree, and a caged T-Rex dinosaur — these are just some of the sights to behold. Two giants, Clare and Morris, live here, but nobody has ever seen them…
The trail is family, buggy, bike and wheelchair friendly, with a total distance of 5km and flat terrain — a walk for everyone.
Titanic Belfast
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Make the most of your trip to Titanic Belfast with a handheld multimedia guide. Choose from a handheld device with single-use disposable earphones, or a mobile version to use with your own smartphone and earphones.
The multimedia guides add verbal and visual depth to the experience, offering extra information not displayed within the galleries for a more personal touch. There’s also a specially designed guide for children, made to engage and delight throughout their visit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these family activity trails free to do?
Many of the trails featured here — like The Giant’s Lair, Land of the Giants and the museum trails at NMI Country Life — are free to explore. Others, such as the Sam Maguire Passport Trail or activities at paid attractions like Birr Castle and Powerscourt, may involve a small fee or are included in the general admission price. Check the individual trail links for the latest details before you go.
Are the trails suitable for buggies or wheelchairs?
It varies by trail. Some, like Land of the Giants in Mayo, are specifically buggy, bike and wheelchair friendly with flat terrain. Others, such as The Giant’s Lair, involve nooks and crannies better suited to a backpack carrier or baby sling for younger children. It’s worth checking the trail’s own website for accessibility details before setting off.
Do I need to book in advance?
Some trails, like the National Famine Way and Sam Maguire Passport Trail, require you to order a passport or pack in advance. Others, such as the free trails at NMI Country Life or The Giant’s Lair, can simply be turned up to. Where an attraction charges general admission, it’s a good idea to check current opening hours and booking requirements directly with the venue.
What ages are these trails suitable for?
There’s a trail here for every age group — from toddler-friendly loops with prams and buggies, to longer, puzzle-based quests that older kids, teens and adults will enjoy tackling as a family team.
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