If you're visiting Dublin and looking for a free, relaxed tourist spot to visit I'd highly recommend coming to Phoenix Park, one of the largest public parks in Ireland. We taxied up from city center to Phoenix Park and it wasn't too far. There are local bars and such not too far from the park if you need a snack or brew before hitting the park. We were told that this park sometimes hosts concerts and some major events, even that Obama had visited and spoke during one of his trips. The park is lush, spacious and with lots of nature to see. My favorite thing about this park is the free roaming deer that you can see. They are extremely friendly and gentle. It's so unique to get an experience like this to walk with deer and to have them be so comfortable that you can approach them and that there were so many. A beautiful place to spend an hour or two in nature and not far from Dublin City, worth checking out. read more

I didn't explore too much of Phoenix Park, just the end near the Wellington Monument. But what I did see is super. The park is one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces in any European capital city. 1700 acres, it's home to the Dublin Zoo, the Flower Gardens and more. Lots of walking paths. Lots of monuments including the Wellington. Lots of meadows and woodlands and landscaped spots. The park is peaceful even with the buses running along its main avenue. There are a number of benches and lots of space for laying out a blanket for a picnic. Well worth the time to explore. [Review 1986 of 2024 - 167 in Republic of Ireland - 23008 overall] read more

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Wow. Just wow. As you might imagine, Dublin is so big that you can certainly traipse through the streets without encountering this park, but it's hard to imagine how! Definitely comparable to Central Park in NY, the President of Ireland resides here as well as the Ambassador to the U.S. There is ample space here for anything you'd want to do in a park, but certainly unique in its size and how close you can get to the deer that you can find in some spots! I can't describe the feeling of being in a space where there is more than a football field's length on each side of you with no more than a few people as far as the eye can see. read more

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Our second visit - we are on three week tour of Ireland The Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed public park in any capital city in Europe, at more than 700 hectares in area. It was created as a royal deer-hunting park in the 1660s and only opened to the public in 1747. The park is now home to Dublin Zoo and Áras an Uachtaráin - home to the President of Ireland. The Phoenix Park has been the location for a number of major events - from an international motor-racing event in 1929 to the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979, when more than a million people attended the celebrations. The park itself is exceptionally scenic. A large herd of fallow deer still calls it home. Enjoy the landscape from one of the many walks and cycle routes available to the public. read more

Phoenix Park - Parks Near Me

It is about a 20 minute bus ride to the park. When we first arrived, it started to rain a little bit but not too bad. Where we were at there was enough shelter under a large oak tree. We had to find our sense of direction and in the distance we could see that we had passed the Wellington Monument. We found that it was a partly cloudy day, it will quickly blow over. Always have a rain coat/jacket or umbrella with you. The Phoenix Park as a whole is huge, twice the size of Central Park, NYC! It had at least 2 working cricket fields, polo practice fields, a couple large ponds, and the city zoo! read more

Nice little park to walk around in. There was a small pond and monument, and it was very peaceful. Nothing particularly outstanding or stellar about it however, coming from as a tourist. read more

I visited this park on Dublin's city bike and in the beginning I thought I could have a tour of this park or at least cross it. I completely overestimated my energy and underestimated the size of the largest park in Europe... So eventually, I only had a tour of around 10% of this park on the south end, and it was such an enjoyable and beautiful ride. I couldn't believe that I was biking in a park in big city since it felt like biking in a mountain. After biking along a tranquil road like in the country side without seeing anybody else, I saw a huge, gorgeous and lavish mansion with big yard and grill fence. More strangely, I even couldn't find it on the Google Map. How come Google Map miss such a big mansion? Before being killed by my curiosity, I biked up to the front door. It's the residence of the U.S. Ambassador in Ireland! Meh, refund my tax please and I am sorry for your daily commute Ambassador. According to the U.S. gov, this mansion is a historic site built in 1776 but it's such a regret that nobody can visit. https://ie.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/policy-history/io/ read more

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This review is for walkers looking for wild deers. We started our amble towards Phoenix Park from the Spire. It takes about 1 hour and 10 mins of normal walking speed to get to the park entrance. We walked along the river, on the way you can see the Dublin City Center, and then eventually, the Guinness storehouse. While it is a scenic stroll along the river, the side walks are a bit narrow with lots of tourists (and their luggage in tow) and loud engines (& bus fumes) zooming through. Once in the perimeters of the park, the hunt for deer begins. Obviously they are hiding or in the far back end of the park. It is worth trekking through the trail paths that goes through trees. Luckily for me, we found 2 deer resting in trees, then another one standing. Play a bit of I spy and try to look for the distinct shape of their horns. They blend into the wooded areas quite well. The park itself is quite well maintained, vast amount of green interspersed with trees and there are a number of white benches for you to take a break. For people who dislike dogs, dogs are allowed to wander unleashed. Since its a park, bathrooms aren't quite readily available, but we found one in the walled garden. If you see it empty, go immediately. My urgency coincided with bus load of tourist. On the way back we decided to walk along the street where the trams go. It was much more pleasant with less crowd and wider sidewalk. On the way, there's also a free national museum of ireland (yay clean bathroom!). A return trip is about 25000 steps and about 3 hour of walking time plus any time you spend wandering looking for deers. Overall, deer sighting is always special, particularly in a city. But if you have been to Nara in Japan, keep your expectations low. read more

Phoenix Park - Parks Near Me

My favourite place in Dublin for cycling and outdoor activies in general, I've often spent most of the day up there. Steeped in history and as the largest enclosed pqrk in Europe there's no shortage of new areas to explore and history to learn about. Tididy maintained with police presence, it's a safe place to bring kids, walk your dog or run/stroll alone during the day. As for at night, well I wouldn't consider any park safe after dark. Could do with more public toilets and the introduction of drinking fountains. read more

Impressive. A bit of everything here. I was here to see the Pope's cross- but I'd like to have explored a lot more. It's a gorgeous huge park with lots of fascinating things to see. Also, do try the ice cream here. It's amazing. read more

Absolutely gorgeous green park, very large in size, the biggest park in Dublin. Lots of outdoor activities, picnic area, coffee shops, running, cycling and so on. The zoo is near this par as well. read more

Phoenix Park - Gorgeous park - Parks Near Me

Visited this place yesterday and it was amazing. It's one of the largest enclosed public parks in the capital city of Europe and its truly spectacular and beautiful. It's a full day visit so please make sure the weather is nice, sunny and you have your walking shoes on as it's a big stretch to walk and roam around the park. It's a long walking track but it's best to walk as you can explore the whole park, the monuments, and the Dublin zoo. read more

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Nice park to spend some time alone or with friends! Not much to do so bring your own fun, but it provides an abundance of solitude and tranquility Rent a bike and zip up and down the hills, explore the greens and check out the herds of deer! read more

This is the real heart of Dublin in my opinion. It's such a beautiful contrast to the city. Makes the perfect walk, drive or cycle on a sunny day. If you're a tourist, make it your business to rent a bike out at the park gates and have a cycle around, hopefully you will spot the herds of deer. Dublin Zoo, Áras an Uachtaráin (the President of Ireland's residence, Farmleigh and Garda Headquarters are just some attractions within the park. read more

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What an amazing huge open space to have in a city. You have the President of Ireland living here and the US Ambassador's Residence. Dublin Zoo, Farmleigh, lots of cycle paths, places to rent out bikes, monuments, history, beautiful scenery, roaming deer and other wildlife. I life so close to this place and cycle there every 2nd day. They have new Dublin Bike locations at the entrance which should be opening soon too. I think it might be the largest of it's kind in Europe and we are very lucky to have it! read more

This park was an absolute surprise. What a beautiful park. It is 1,750 acres! Twice the size of New York's Central Park Wow!! There is so much to see and do here. Love the wild deer that freely roam around. There are bike and walking trails. A lake. The Dublin Zoo is here and so much more. Beautifully landscaped throughout. You can easily spend the day. P.s. sorry for posting just the one photo....my battery ran dead! read more

Phoenix Park - Wellington Monument - Parks Near Me

Ok I hope anyone who reads this will get a good laugh out of this review. I actually didn't know there was a real Phoenix Park (I just thought it was a clever name for an Irish Pub/Hotel in DC). Well after arriving in Dublin and picking up or car that we had hired, my friend and I then had to try and figure our way out of Dublin proper. Oh and BTW this was well before GPS was an accessible feature to the masses. So we were relying on the good ol' fashioned map. Well, needless to say we got lost and ended up in this lovely park, drove around for a bit (still lost). And then hark I see a sign and it says Phoenix Park. My response was "oh my God this is a real place" When I make it back to Ireland preferably not in December I'll be able to spend a bit more time here strolling about the grounds. read more

Phoenix Park is the only park in Dublin that you can actually run through. You can run across Stephen's Green in about 2 minutes, so to get a good workout you'll have to criss-cross the shit out of that place. Plus it's really crowded, so you have to run around people all the time, and that gets annoying. Phoenix Park is very large and there are lots of paths and roads all through it. You don't have to run around in boring circles and can instead try out new routes all the time. As Cathal mentioned, this is also a great place to cycle without dealing with traffic in any way. There's always a lot of people out enjoying the park if there's good weather, and you will probably see at least one football or tag rugby game going on. Great place to bring a picnic and enjoy the sun too! read more

Phoenix Park - www.phoenixpark.ie - Parks Near Me

I absolutely love this place! Nicest park I've ever been to, biggest too. The upkeep is great, they have rangers around most of the time. It's got everything you could possibly want from a park; lakes, cycling track, football pitches, rugby pitches, deer, forests, hills, a shack that belongs to the president, decent size car park and well, a zoo! It's such a great way to spend a sunny day in Dublin but that's the problem unfortunately. Sunny days in Dublin are scarce so it's extremely disappointing. Hopefully we'll get more than just one day of summer this year! Take advantage while you can. read more

Phoenix Park - Parks Near Me

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I was about to write that Dubliners take the Phoenix Park for granted but reading all the fantastic reviews on Yelp maybe not ! As I have lived beside the park for so may years I have been spoiled by this amazing amenity and am always quick to convince people to visit it. It is impressive for its size alone as it is one of the largest in Europe and is bigger then all of the parks in London City put together. It's really not just a big park there is lots to do !! Each of the places on the list are reviewed as separate places 1) Farmleigh - Beautiful old house in fantastic gardens - great events all year from markets to drive in movies (check their web site) 2) Ashtown Castle - the visitor centre and old castle with beautiful walled vegetable garden and restaurant 3) The Zoo - really stepped up their game in 2014 & 2015 and is a massive improvement. If you haven't been for a few years it's worth a visit 4) The Deer - who doesn't love the deer ? FENTON !!!! There are about 450 fallow deer in the park in four colours. During the early summer the fawns are born - if you come across one in the long grass you have to be careful not to disturb it but notify the gamekeeper. They log each new born and keep a sample of their DNA for research and they will be named after you !! 5) Sport - there are on average 2,300 sporting events in the park every year. One of my favourite things to do at the weekend is to watch the polo or cricket matches. The polo ground is the oldest in Europe and the cricket ground is one of the oldest in the world. The park is really accessible with tons of parking and public transport running close to the gates. You can rent bikes at the main gate or explore on foot. read more

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I won't repeat all of the facts already stated about Dublin's vaunted park, I'll just add this: best place in Dublin bar none to cycle. Go in through the main entrance, just past Islandbridge, and turn right at the first roundabout. Once there, follow the green cycle track but only until you hit the next roundabout; at the second roundabout, abandon the cycle track and keep going straight, and continue straight at the next junction too. After that, all you have to do is follow your nose. Oh, and there's a right turn just after the next entrance to the park that you'll come to. Plain sailing after that. This is a lovely little course to cycle along: very little traffic, and such junctions that there are you have the right of way on. This route keeps closest to the perimeter of the park, so you get to see more of it. And along the route, you'll get to see most of the park's highlights: the old army hospital, the forty acre, the Papal Cross and the Wellington Memorial at the end. And along the Military Road section there's a couple of nice little bends to lean into. I measured out this route (very roughly) on Google Maps recently, and it clocks in at just under five and a half miles. The proper cycle track route, on the other hand, is only about four kilometres, and is always lousy with pedestrians. Plus, this route has more interesting scenery, and is used by most of the more serious cyclists. So, head down today and give it about five or six laps, really blow the cobwebs off. read more

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As a child I was awe struck at the sheer size and beauty of the Phoenix park. Not only this, but it also housed what I thought was the White House and Dublin motherf*&!in zoo! Now I'm a bit bigger, still think it's amazing, know that it's Aras an uachtar reoite and it still houses Dublin motherf*&!in zoo! It's also a great spot for a Winter's stroll. read more

I visit Ireland multiple times a year and always love coming to the Phoenix Park. Home to Dublin Zoo, the President of Ireland (Arás an Uachtaráin) and acre upon acre of gorgeous park space, it's a must see. The Phoenix Park also hosts lots of concerts during the year (Ed Sheeran this year, for example). It's free to enter (apart from the zoo) and you're guaranteed to have a good time, whether with your family or just a special someone. Go, you won't regret it! read more

Visited April 2015: "Phoenix Park: attractions, culture, history, and more" We were able to locate this place using our google maps. Not sure of where to park, so we didn't stay long due to not wanting a ticket when we returned. We spent some time admiring the monument. The day we arrived in Dublin, wasn't a day they were having a tour of the president's home (Áras an Uachtaráin). There are many historical buildings, flower gardens, playground, a castle, a walled garden, cafe, and more. It's about 1,800 acres of land, so plan your trip wisely, and check out their website before going: http://www.phoenixpark.ie/ read more

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I feel so lucky to have one of the best parts in Europe right on my door step. Whether you're a walker, runner or a cyclist there are many different paths that you can take and so much beautiful scenery to be soaked up, not to mention Farmleigh. I love to run so I find myself out in the park at least 4 times a week. For the most part, there are paths around the park in any area you might find yourself running or walking. I do have to admit the park isn't very condusive to running or walking at night. As the days are staying lighter later, the park will be packed with runners and walkers but a few times this winter I have tried to run mid-evening and it's relatively terrifying with the lack of light and areas where footpaths might be limited. The options in the park are endless as you can visit Farmleigh Estate, the zoo, the Papal Cross, Phoenix Park tea rooms, rugby clubs, meet up with a running club, your options are endless. read more

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Great for cycling! 10km track read more

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Phoenix Park is one of the largest parks in the world. It has gardens, grass , lakes and mature trees. It is used by people for a wide range of recreational pursuits and sporting activities e.g. motor racing, cycling, roller blading. The flower garden is 9 22 acres. Deers are found in the park, a zoo is near by too. The main Attractions in the Phoenix Park are: 1. Aras an Uachtaráin 2. Ashtown Castle and Phoenix Park Visitor Centre 3. Dublin Zoo 4.Wellington Monument 5.Sports Grounds 6.Phoenix Monument 7. Peoples Garden 8. Papal Cross 9. Magazine Fort 10. Farmleigh House Main gates never close, side gates are open from 7am-11pm. Admission: Free I had great fun in this park, where i did cycling around the park with a few friends. Its a nice park to go to in the summer. read more

Phoenix Park - Parks Near Me

Once the private hunting grounds of Duke Ormonde, this park has the remnants of deer that survived his expeditions as well as many beautiful sights to behold. It houses the president's estate (their version of the White House), the American ambassador's lodgings, a gorgeous zoo, monuments, and plenty of open space to run, walk, cycle, or explore. On sunny days, or when the air is just slightly moist, this is the perfect place for a stroll or a picnic. When I visited here I toured the zoo, admired the president's residence, walked along a trail, saw the monument created from Napolean's melted down canon balls, and enjoyed the sectioned off flowery landscaped area. I was lucky to spot some of the deer that many come to see. It was quite some fun and I so recommend it to anyone visiting Dublin. read more

Why am I dropping 2 stars? Well firstly let me wax lyrical about how much I enjoy running in this park - especially when an Irish winter is brewing. There is something that connects you with your tribal Celtic roots when you run/walk through the muddy trail that winds through the woods and the angry blustery wind is tossing you about - I love it, especially when the sky turns dark and the rain starts to bash against your face. Inspires the voices of revolution in my head. What I do not love is trying to run on the designated running/walking path when night falls. It's bloody dangerous and I do not have the stealth or vision of a cat. It also is riddled with puddles which resulted in me doing a lot of jumps and wet shoes equals wet socks - I hate wet socks. For my safety I decided to run back on the cycle lane as it's surface is an even surface rather than the dilapidated runners/walkers path. Also it is illuminated by a sequence of streetlights. But cyclists are mean yo! Seriously. I stayed on the grass verge, I ain't that big, the path is big yet several cyclists, you know who you are, purposely played chicken with me. Listen up cyclists - I respect lane laws but I challenge you to cycle nay walk on my lane - you will break something. So when it's dark out I will be using a sliver of your precious path - get over it or I will kick you next time. And that criticism also goes towards whoever maintains the park. Bikes have lights... And no I refuse to run with a miners helmet. read more

this park has so much going for it and i don't think the previous poster is right about it being not accessable to the city center. this is not a city center park, its a haven for deer and other wild animals in the middle of this city. if it was in the center it would have been eaten up by shopping centers and 10 story apartments a long time ago. i love going to this park, if i have the kids i can go to the zoo, the visitor center with its playground, mazes and coffee shop or if im on my own with the dogs i can go to many of the wide open spaces and have some quality time to myself. its great to even just sit and watch the deer wander by. if this park were in the center of the city it would be full to the brim with people and who wants that? after all thats what st stephens green is for. read more

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Rent a bike, visit the zoo, go searching for the herds of free roaming fallow deer, sit by the pond with a picnic, watch a cricket match, take a gander at the Aras where the president lives, visit the spot the Pope performed mass for our grannies, roll down hills, pop into the Farmleigh Farmers markets, rent a Segway, visit the Ordance Survey offices, take the kids to the playground, visit the flower gardens, have tea by the bandstand and explore the forest trails on scenic dog walks... The Phoenix Park is the biggest park in Europe and consists of over 1,750 acres. Entry is free and the park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. read more

Sometimes you just feel like letting go and relieve all your stress so what shall one do then? For me its really simple, get on my bike and speed though Phoenix Park while listening to my ipod on high volume and just let your thoughts run free. Phoenix Park is one of the best Parks in Dublin for running, cycling or just having a picnic with your friends in the sun. Another highlight is the outdoor yoga which is on every Saturday next to the bandstand just behind the tea rooms. Its easy accessible from town by walking or just take the bus/ luas out to Heuston Station and voilà the perfect outdoor experience just 10min from the city centre! read more

Free parking, Aches of trees and green fields for people to picnic and play games on. Deer wandering around, a zoo and monuments and buildings to look at. All in all a great place to walk/cycle and drive around hopefully in the sun.... Added to this a cricket pitch! Which for a English man is great! All in all one of the great City parks in the world. read more

I'm not quite sure what to say about Phoenix Park. It's a huge and lovely park, but it's main fault is being so out of the way for the casual visitor to the city. Really, anyone who doesn't live in west Dublin is pretty much out of luck unless they want to make the trek there. Still, once you get there, it's a huge and wonderful park. There's so much to do there that I never got to experience it all. Personally, I enjoyed climbing and siting on the Wellington Monument. Okay, do this: I know I said Phoenix Park was a bit out of the way, but here is a game my friend an I played to make the trip a bit more fun. It's called, "walk along the river and count how many bikes, strollers, and other random objects you can find." You have to start from the O'Connell Bridge. I think we ended up with something like 32 bikes. Seriously. That river has some weird stuff in it. read more

Exceptionally good park in Dublin. It's really large, one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe, I believe, and has plenty of activities for people of all ages. Dublin Zoo is located in the park, popular with the little ones, and bikes can be rented at one of the park gates making for a fun day out away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. For culture lovers, two historic buildings can be visited for free- the President's house, Áras an Úachtaráin; and Farmleigh House, used to accommodate visiting dignitaries such as the Queen. Both places make for excellent tours, and they are completely free! Of course, the park also involves vast swathes of green green grass, which can be enjoyed by anyone for ball games, picnics, or whatever else you fancy. It really is a tremendous amenity for the people of Dublin. read more

What a resource the Phoenix Park is to Dublin City. There's the zoo. There's deer. In the summer there's Skylarks singing high up in the sky. There's the Wellington Monument. The polo grounds. The tea rooms. I could go on, but it'd take a while. Then there's the vast amount of parkland to explore. Anyone and everyone can enjoy it. Walking, running, cycling, rollerblading. It's a free gym! It's just wonderful. Go there. read more

Summer in Ireland might only be a few days long, but at least Dublin has plenty of places to enjoy it. And Phoenix Park is as good a place as any to get your farmer's tan. It's also a great place to run, especially the weekend mornings. The sheer size of the place means you can go about you panting/wheezing at your own pace. There's nothing like watching the deer racing by to motivate you either. The only negative about the Park is that it is a little out-of-the-way. You can't really just wander over and doss about, unlike Stephens Green. read more

The main feature greeting me as I gaze out my bedroom window is the Phoenix Park. As was correctly pointed out in an earlier review, it is the largest enclosed urban park in Europe. I have been informed that Sutton Park in Birmingham is actually larger, but who cares! Anyway, what an amazing amenity to have so close to a major city centre. 1,760 acres (approx) of parkland for walking, jogging, cycling, picnicking, photography......... the list goes on. In fact, there are very few outdoor pursuits that the park cannot cater for. As a cyclist myself, I quite regularly take a spin around the perimeter of an evening. I would not be as fit as Cathal, hence no mention of five or six laps here, but is a very pleasant way to get twelve to fifteen kilometres under the belt. One negative note here is the presence of walkers (many listening to music) that use the cycle paths. It will only be a matter of time before one of them is seriously injured at the wrong end of a collision with a bicycle. I don't think that people realise the damage a push bike can do to a person if it hits them at 25 - 30 kmh. Indeed, many of the cyclists would be travelling considerably faster (the aforementioned speeds were for a vintage model such as myself). Most cyclists wear protection of some form so would probably come out of such a collision of the better side. So please folks, especially those of you walking with small children, use the pedestrian walkways and avoid the cycle paths. Aside from cycling, the park facilitates the pursuit of other interests, photography being one of them. The park allows ample opportunity to indulge the various facets of photography, whether you like landscapes, nature, reportage. Different times of the day can offer up a totally different looking park, I have certainly witnessed some absolutely stunning sunsets here. If you prefer, you can amble down Chesterfield Avenue of an evening and watch a game of cricket in progress, or go watch the model enthusiasts put their flying machines through their paces. Other than that, you can simply sit and watch the deer, rabbits, squirrels and hares go about their business, seemingly oblivious to your presence. If none of the aforementioned appeals, maybe the architecture of the many beautiful building within the park will garner your interest. Most notable of these is of course Áras an Uachtaráin, official residence of the President. Originally built by a park ranger named Nathaniel Clements in 1751, it was used by the British Viceroys up until 1922. It is open to the public every Saturday and well worth seeing. Aside from that, it is rather good having Mary as a neighbour, as she is very obliging if one is stuck for a cup of sugar or suchlike. To contradict an earlier submission, Áras is in the Dublin 8 postal district, not 10, but still the only even number used north of the Liffey. Other than Áras, there is the residence of the American Ambassador, the Ordinance Survey buildings, the old primary school and many lodges scattered around the park. The Phoenix Park is a fantastic amenity to have on our doorstep (literally in my case), something we should all rejoice in having. read more

The Phoenix park is a massive oasis that stretches from the city centre to the leafy suburbs of west Dublin. It is beautiful at any time of the year and full of wildlife, herds of deer included. If I had one gripe, it would be the cycle path. Clearly many cyclists don't use it and it's probably because the designated footpath is so far away from the road/lights and under trees as well as being in a state of disrepair. As a results, people are always walking on the cycle path. My other gripe is the lack of public toilets. Oh and one more gripe, the speed bumps are horrendously large and dangerous to cars. The visitor centre is worth a visit as is the zoo. Gripes aside, there are few cities in the world that can boast a similar amenity. read more

Ahhhh Pheonix Park. The home for my jet-lagged morning Dublin runs. By the time I make my way up the River Liffey from Temple Bar, my blood is flowing and I am ready to run. There are few places where you can go running and stumble across the President's home. Phoenix park is a wide open place, laced with paths and roads that go off in all directions. Watching the early morning sunrise cast silhouettes against the various memorials and statues is one of my favorite ways to greet the Dublin morning. I have heard rumours of ne'er do wells lurking in the pre-sunrise light, but have never had any issues in the park. This is a GREAT place to go running, or just spend some after work time de-stressing. read more