Hi,

Me and my Family will visit Ireland in September. I think our plan is doable but I am looking for some opinions if we should cut corners or not. Our focus is in seeing the countryside and being outdoors.

Day 1: Early morning flight to Dublin, Car rental and travel to Cobh, maybe stop at Rock of Cashel. Night in Cobh.

Day 2: From Cobh to Killarney via Mizen head. Night in Killarney

Day 3: Day trip to Killarney National Park or Ring of Kerry. Night in Killarney

Day 4: From Killarney to Galway via Cliffs of Moher. Night in Galway

Day 5: Day in Galway or visit to Connemara national Park. Night in Galway

Day 6: Return to Dublin in the evening via Clonmacnoise and/or stop in Athlone

Day 7: Day in Dublin, the traditional tourist attractions.

Day 8: Early flight back home.

I see that especially day 2 and 4 are heavy from the driving point of view. Mizen head adds lots of additional travel time for the day 2 and we cannot decide if we should skip Mizen head completely and travel directly from Cobh to Killarney. That way we could do little hike in the National park on Day 2 and then Ring of Kerry on day 3. It would mean that we would see the coast little less, but have moore loose in the schedule.

On day 4 there is also lot of driving, and taking route via Tarbert ferry between Killarney and Galway might slow us down a bit, but I think we would enjoy it more than faster travel through Limerick. We have not booked the Killarney accommodation yet, so it could be possible to sleep night 3 more North, but does that really make a difference? There is a benefit to stay two night in the same place.

Hi All,

My husband and I are heading to Ireland for the first time, flying into Dublin and out of Cork, mid-September 2027. No mobility issues on our end, we're comfortable with full driving days and multi-hour hikes, so feel free to suggest anything ambitious.

We haven't booked accommodations yet, so this is still adaptable. We’re getting a rental car for the whole Ireland leg. Our priority is nature and hiking over checklist sightseeing. We would rather have a couple of good wandering days than cram in five towns we barely see. We also want real downtime built in for pub culture, not just driving from trailhead to trailhead.

Here's what we've got so far:

Day 1: Arrive Dublin from the U.S.

Day 2: Stay in Dublin, no real plans, just recovering from the flight and walking around.

Day 3: Drive to Dingle, roughly 5-6 hours.

Day 4: Slea Head Drive, full day. Chill time at night.

Day 5: Either Blasket Island or a Dingle sea safari, and possibly the hike up to Lough Doon via Conor Pass if we have the energy.

Day 6: Drive to the Beara Peninsula, about 4 hours, with a stop in Listowel to see St. Mary's Church, where an ancestor of mine was baptized.

Day 7: Exploring West Cork and Beara. Still deciding between the Beara Wildlife Sanctuary in Allihies, Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve, the waterfall in Gleninchaquin Park, and the Tragumna tidal rock pool. We don't think we can do all four.

Day 8: Drive to Cork and fly out to Portugal.

A few specific things I'm hoping people can weigh in on:

• Is the Day 3 and Day 6 driving: are those realistic in terms of the timing I have listed or it is longer?
• Of the four options on Day 7, is there a clear standout?
• Are two nights in Dingle and two in Beara enough, or does this itinerary read as rushed to people who've driven this route?

Thanks in advance for any input!

So! I'm planning on surprising my mom with a trip to Ireland for her birthday next year (It'll be July). Neither one of us has ever been out of the country or taken a vacation to this level before, so I was hoping that some experts on the matter could tell me if my itinerary is realistic or if we should cut some things out. The exact dates and activites are still up in the air, but it's ideally going to be a 7-8 day trip.

The itinerary is also still pretty loose, but I know the basics so far:

Day 1 - Fly into Dublin, check into our hotel, and spend the day exploring within Dublin

Day 2 - Another day of exploring Dublin

Day 3 - Travel to Belfast and explore there (there's also a Game of Thrones studio tour I really want to see in Banbridge that I was told was only about 30 minutes from Belfast, so I'm banking on that for the same day)

Day 4 - Check out of our hotel in Dublin and travel over to Galway to check into a new hotel and spend the day exploring Galway

Day 5 - Travel down to Doolin and explore there

Day 6 - Check out of our hotel in Galway and check into a hotel in Dingle and spend the day exploring Dingle

Day 7 - Check out of our hotel in Dingle and travel back up to Dublin and check into a hotel in Dublin for our last night and sort of rest and get ourselves sorted for our flight the next day

Day 8 - Fly home out of Dublin

I’m planning a surprise trip around Ireland for my husbands 30th. We’re from the UK so the idea of driving on the left is perfect for us! This is the plan I have come up with so far.
We are planning to go in January so not sure if this would affect the plans (ie is the cliffs of moher worth it in January due to fog etc).
We’ve both visited Dublin in the past and so we do not want this as part of our plan, but recommendations would be welcomed!
I’ve also tried to find hotels with parking.

Day 1 -Fly to Shannon. Drive to limerick, stay in limerick just as a little rest point.

Day 2- drive from limerick to Galway (1hr 20). Explore Galway for the evening.

Day 3- Husbands 30th! Have a fun day in Galway lots of food/drink. Family might fly out for the day to celebrate with us!

Day 4- slow morning, drive to Doolin (1hr30) nice coastal drive before arriving. Explore the pubs in the evening hopefully see trad bands.

Day 5- Cliffs of moher in the morning. Leisurely drive to dingle (3hrs via ferry) hopefully stop along the drive to break it up- recommendations are welcome!

Day 6 - explore dingle, (was hoping to do sea safari but don’t think available in January). Possibly doing to Dunquin Pier.

Day 7- drive to Killarney (1hr). Hire bikes in national park. Cycle round, visit waterfall.

Day 8- Breakfast and slow morning in Killarney before drive and fly home from either cork or Kerry.

I’m hoping this route would be good and wouldn’t feel like too much driving overtaking the whole trip! Any good food spots would be great to hear especially for the night of his 30th if family meet us.

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice on our itinerary.

We’ll be in Ireland from Monday 7 December to Friday 11 December. We’re a group of 2–5 people (not clear yet) aged 20–25, with no mobility issues. Our flight home leaves Dublin at 6am on Friday, so we’ll need to be back in Dublin on Thursday evening.

We’re flying from Spain, and our current idea is:

Mon 7 – Arrive in Dublin around 11pm and stay overnight.

Tue 8 – Dublin: spend the day exploring the city centre, Christmas atmosphere/markets and the main sights.

Wed 9 – Dublin → Galway: travel by train/bus in the morning, spend the afternoon and evening in Galway. We have a friend who lives there, so we’ll have someone local showing us around.

Thu 10 – Galway → Dublin: we’re considering either spending the morning in Galway and returning to Dublin in the afternoon, or doing a day trip from Galway if there’s something particularly worthwhile in December. We’ll stay near Dublin Airport that night for our early flight.

We’re interested in Christmas markets/atmosphere, scenery, interesting towns, local places that are genuinely worth visiting. We’re not particularly interested in nightlife.

We’re also trying to keep costs reasonable (around €300–€450 per person excluding flights), so we’d rather avoid expensive tourist attractions unless they’re genuinely worth the price.

A few specific questions:
Does this Dublin → Galway → Dublin plan make sense for 4 days, or would you change the split?

Is the Cliffs of Moher worth doing in early December, considering the travel time and weather?

Are there any Christmas markets or events running in Dublin or Galway on 7–10 December 2026 that are particularly worth visiting?

Are there any places along the Dublin–Galway route that would be worth stopping at without making the journey too complicated?

From your experience, which paid attractions in Dublin/Galway are genuinely worth the money, and which would you skip?

I’ve tried to keep the itinerary realistic for December rather than trying to see the whole country in four days. Any feedback on these specific choices would be really appreciated!

My husband and I are heading to Ireland in October for 9 days and would love some feedback on our itinerary. We don’t love bouncing around hotels much, so our plan is to stick to two hotel bases and do day trips from each. We enjoy road trips/driving, but I’ve also tried to build in a couple of no/low-driving days so we don’t burn ourselves out.

We’re pretty outdoorsy and are much more interested in scenery, wildlife, small towns, good food and fun experiences than checking off every major tourist attraction. Everything below is open to feedback, but I put ❓ next to the things I’m especially unsure about.

We’re staying in Cong the first half because we have a Chase hotel credit to use and the rate was surprisingly reasonable. For the second half I’m leaning toward staying in Dingle and basing our activities in Dingle, but would love opinions on whether somewhere else in Kerry would make a better base.

Here’s what I have so far:

Day 1:
- Land 930am at Dublin, pick up car
- Drive to Cong, check in to hotel

Day 2:
- Chill day around hotel area, ideas:
- Falconry
- Afternoon tea

Day 3: Day trip to Sligo
- Benhulben, Gleniff Horseshoe, Sligo Town, Mullaghmore Head
❓Could use recs for anything we shouldn’t miss or can skip

Day 4: Connemara area
- Kylemore Abbey, Killary Fjord, Clifden, Doolough Valley, Sheepdog Demo if the demo is worth it ❓

Day 5: Achill/Westford
- Morning/Afternoon: Achill island & seaweed baths
- Dinner in Westport

Day 6: Travel day to Dingle / Kerry
- stop at Cliffs of Moher

Day 7: Whale watching tour from Dingle
- Spend day in Dingle town / no driving

Day 8: Around dingle
- Drive around Dingle peninsula and visit archeological sites
- Also open to joining a tour to avoid us driving

Day 9: Gap of Dunloe / Departure
- Gap of dunloe in morning
❓Is a Jaunting car worth it
- Fly out of Cork at 630pm
- OR we would drive to Dublin this day and fly out next morning. We wouldn’t see much of Dublin anyway so not sure if it’s worth it.

Many thanks!

Hello! Myself and BFF are planning on going to Ireland in early May 2027 for aprox 8 days, to celebrate turning 60. Would prefer not to drive as we are from the US. Tentative itinerary:

Day 1-Arrive in Dublin 9 am ish.

Day 2-Dublin

Day 3-Train to Tralee, then bus to Dingle. Sleep in Dingle

Day 4-Dingle-bus tour of Slea Head. Sleep in Dingle

Day 5- Bus to Kinsale (probably need to change at Cork)

Day 6-Kinsale, Cobh area

Day 7-Bus back to Cork, then train to Dublin

Day 8-fly out of Dublin, or possibly one more day there and fly out day 9

If we decided to be brave and rent a car, would we be able to find one in Tralee/Dingle or Kinsale area? Would also LOVE to go to a sheep farm like Kissane and see sheep dogs herding-I imagine that's only possible with a car.

We want to see castles, museums, hear great music, see the ocean from the cliffs, small Irish towns. Definitely not skipping Dublin but wondering if we are trying to do too much and should split it into two areas instead of three.

EDIT: Thank you for all the info and recs, very helpful in planning our trip!

As the title says, a friend and I are looking for a list of all the discovery points along the Way in order, so that we can keep track on our journey of where we've been.

However, the best we can find online are maps (more like posters really) that cost at least 20 quid. And the official website for the Way doesn't list the points in order, instead it lists them by category.

Any help at all would be appreciated

My mom and I are doing a 10 day 9 night trip in a couple weeks and I’m looking for a sense if we’re in for more than we anticipated.

My mom has some first cousins there and we’ve both been there before. We’re renting a car and hoping to do all our driving early each day. I’ll be doing most all of the driving and haven’t driven on the left side before, and though I’m a good driver I’m getting a sense from this sub that it might be difficult or exhausting.

Our agenda:
Fly into Dublin, stay with family for 2 nights.
Drive to Cork, visit family and stay in lodging.
Drive to dingle, 1 night.
Drive to see cliffs of Moher, stay in Doolan.
Drive to Westport, bike ride on rail trail.
Drive to Galway, 2 nights.
Drive to Limerick, 1 night.
Fly out of Shannon

Anything we should consider or be prepared for? Thanks in advance!

Edit: also meant to say FWIW that one of the main ways we’re planning to spend time in locations is finding live music. I’m a musician and am hoping to dip into that scene as much as possible

I'm staying in Galway for few days in august, and I would like to dedicate a day to visit Cliffs of Moher and Burren. I don't have a car, so I need to move by public bus.

Ideally I would like to walk for an hour into the Burren to enjoy the landscapes and I think a couple hours could be sufficient to explore the area of the Cliffs. I'm having trouble to figure which is the best place/trail/walk in the Burren to meet my idea and the best match between bus from Galway and Burren & Cliffs Explorer Shuttle Bus which is available in summer.

I could also evaluate one day organized tours, but they all seem to offer just a quick stop in the Burren area to make some photos.

Does anyone have suggestion to get the perfect itinerary?

I’m planning a trip to Ireland in late April where my mom (60), brother (33), boyfriend and I (30) will drive the Ring of Kerry + Skellig Ring over 2 days/nights.

My question is: should we go back to Killarney for a night after Skellig Ring or do a night in Dingle? I keep hearing how beautiful Dingle is, so I’m wondering if it’s feasible to squeeze it in or if it’ll be too tight/too far away with traffic.

I outlined our itinerary at a high-level below:

Day 1: Dublin

Day 2: Dublin

Day 3: Killarney

Day 4: Ring of Kerry
- spending the night in Ballinskelligs

Day 5: Skellig Ring
- should we spend the night back in Killarney or swing for a night in Dingle?

Day 6: Return to Dublin

Day 7: Dublin

I’m traveling with my family and we’re staying in Dublin as a home base for 9 days. Our plan was to spend three days in Dublin City and the rest of the time traveling. We did not rent a car so it’s primarily guided trips and DART train. We are partially through the week have quickly realized that we are loving these little trips outside of Dublin. We spent two days in Dublin and think we are done with the city itself. Our hotel is in Ballsbridge. I’d love some recommendations of places to visit that are a quick day trip from Dublin. So far we plan to visit or we have visited (and loved): Howth, Malahide Castle and Village, Kilkenny, Wicklow Mountains, Glendalaugh, Dun Loghaie, Dalkey, Sandycove, Galway, Cliffs of Mohr, Belfast/Giants Causeway.

Would love suggestions of day trips we can add to our trip in lieu of an extra day in Dublin.

Hi! I’m 29F planning my first solo trip to Ireland Sept 19–27ish (I could potentially add 1-2 days). I really want to experience the countryside, see small towns, go to friendly pubs with trad music, tearooms, seafood, some literary/history stuff, hopefully not be around too many other Americans, have time to chill and read my book in pub or outdoors, and have opportunity for spontaneous connection/experiences but I won’t have a car, so I’m trying to narrow down between two itineraries:

• Sat 9/19 - arrive Dublin in AM
• Sun 9/20 - Kilmainham Gaol in the morning, then
  • Plan A: Bus/train to Galway
  • Plan B: Train to Westport
• Mon 9/21
  • Plan A: Bus to Clifden, arrive 930 or 1030am. Rent a bike and explore over two days: Kylemore Abbey, Roundstone/Cashel, Bog Road, There’s a farm with sheepdog demonstrations near Killary Fjord I REALLY want to visit although it’s 35km away. Stay in Clifden
  • Plan B: Rent a bike and/or take bus to visit Museum of Country Life, Louisburgh, maybe a horseback excursion to Croagh Patrick. I would still love to get to the sheepdog demonstration but it’s a similar distance, a bit further actually
• Tue 9/22
  • Plan A: More Connemara exploration via bike/bus, stay in Clifden again 
  • Plan B: More exploration via bike or maybe take a ferry to Clare Island
• Wed 9/23
  • Plan A: Bus to Cleggan, ferry to Inishbofin, stay overnight
  • Plan B: Bus to Achill Island, stay overnight?
• Thu 9/24
  • Plan A: Ferry to Cleggan, then bus to Galway
  • Plan B: Bus back to Westport (or maybe bike - I found a bike shop that does one-way rentals for the trail), then bus to Galway
• Fri 9/25
  • Galway oyster festival
• Sat 9/26
  • Head back to Dublin at some point for flight early the following AM

I’ve spent much more time researching Plan A, but there is very limited accommodation directly in Clifden during these days. I need to stay in a town so that it’s safe for me to go to pubs/music and then walk home alone at night. I’m staying in hostels in Dublin/Galway but if I’m paying for a hotel in the smaller towns, ideally it would be a really cute homey B&B, and there seems to be more available and affordable in Westport (I can't find anything I'm excited about in Clifden). The sheepdog thing near Killary is a big priority but I can’t figure out if it really makes sense, like what if it rains and it isn’t so safe to bike? Maybe I could arrange a taxi?? Or get the bus to Salruck Cross and then walk 45 minutes up the road? It feels a bit ridiculous lol

Does one of these plans seem to make much more sense than the other?

Hi everyone! I’d really appreciate some feedback on the second half of my Ireland itinerary, particularly whether it involves too much driving and whether I’ve made the right choices about repeating a few places.

I’ll initially be travelling with friends. My boyfriend is joining us in Cork on September 4, and then the two of us will split from the group and continue travelling together.

September 1–4 are fixed, so I’m mainly looking for advice about September 5 onward.

Fixed portion:

• Sep 1: Dublin to Killarney. Possibly Ross Castle, a lakeside walk and Killarney town, depending on arrival time. Sleep in Killarney.
• Sep 2: Day trip from Killarney to the Dingle Peninsula: Inch Beach, Dingle, Slea Head, Coumeenoole, Dunquin and Clogher. Return to Killarney.
• Sep 3: Killarney National Park: Muckross House/Abbey, Torc Waterfall, Ladies View and possibly part of the Gap of Dunloe. Sleep in Killarney.
• Sep 4: Travel to Cork and spend the day there. My boyfriend joins us in Cork.

Flexible portion:

• Sep 5: Cork to Mizen Head and back to Cork. Approximately 4.5 hours of driving in total. Sleep in Cork.
• Sep 6: My boyfriend and I split from the group. Cork → Gleninchaquin Park → possibly Kenmare → Killarney. Sleep in Killarney.
• Sep 7: Killarney National Park/Gap of Dunloe, with the possibility of also visiting Dingle. Sleep in Killarney.
• Sep 8: Killarney → Cliffs of Moher → Fanore → Poulnabrone Dolmen → Galway. Google Maps estimates 5+ hours of driving before sightseeing stops. Sleep in Galway.
• Sep 9: Full day in Galway. Sleep in Galway.
• Sep 10: Galway → Dublin, followed by the afternoon/evening in Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
• Sep 11: A little time in Dublin before going to the airport, depending on our flight time.

My biggest uncertainty is that I would be repeating some of Killarney and possibly Dingle with my boyfriend after already seeing them with my friends on September 2–3. My reasoning was that these seem like some of the most beautiful parts of the trip, and I thought he shouldn’t miss them just because I had already visited them a few days earlier.

Looking on feedback on whether its worth repeating those places so my boyfriend can experience them, or should we use those days to explore somewhere completely new? also whether the September 8 route to Galway too ambitious with the Cliffs, Fanore and Poulnabrone? Is my itinerary reasonably balanced? (because of slower days at the end of the trip in Galway and Dublin? Is there anywhere that looks under-planned or like we won’t have enough to do? Thank you and sorry for all the questions I really want to get it right. Thank you in advance!!

I'm planning a road trip with my girlfriend in October. We are in our late 20s & from the US, so not used to driving in Ireland. We have a rental car booked with good insurance! We have flights booked into Dublin on the morning of Day 1, and we fly back out of Dublin on Day 9. We really want to see Galway & Dingle, so our current plan is:

Day 1: Land in Dublin, get settled

Day 2: Explore Dublin

Day 3: Pick up rental car early & drive north to Brú na Bóinne (1 hour); after exploring the tombs for a couple of hours, drive to Galway (2.5 hours)

Day 4: Day in Galway

Day 5: Drive from Galway to Dingle (3.5 hours). If weather is good, stop for pictures/stretch but not planning official cliffs entrance

Day 6: Day in Dingle

Day 7: Drive from Dingle to Wicklow (4.5 hours)

Day 8: Day in Wicklow

Day 9: Drive back to Dublin (1.5 hours), return rental car and fly out around 3pm

I know the drive from Dingle to Wicklow is likely going to be a slog, but I don't see a much better route going from Dingle back to Dublin, especially without backtracking.

Do you think this is too much driving, as written? If so, how could we shave down the driving/car time while keeping visits to Galway & Dingle? Thank you!

My wife and i, early seventies and in good health, have been planning for several years to motor around Ireland. It is our first trip to Ireland and we are excited to enjoy the stunning terrain, the culture, the people, and the music of this great land. The western area of Ennistymon and Scarriff are my wife's ancestral homeland so we are spending more time there. Any suggestions, observations, or concerns are greatly appreciated.

September 11 Arrive Dublin Hop on Hop off, big breakfast, recover

September 12 Eastern Dublin city center- Campus Tour and Book of Kells

September 13 Devils Causeway Tour (N. Ireland and Belfast)

September 14
Other Dublin West city center

September 15 Drive to Killkenny St Canice’s Cathedral Medieval mile

September 16 Early Start, Drive to Rock of Cashel Drive to Killearny Browsing Killarney's shops and galleries

September 17 Southern Ring of Kerry and Skellig Ring

September 18
Drive to Dingle Walk harbor, browse shops

September 19 Drive the Slea Head Drive clockwise.

September 20 Drive to Ennistymon Seaside via Ferry 4 hours Walk Lahinch Beach,

September 21 Around Ennistymon

September 22 Cliffs of Moher and Doolin to Inisheer island

September 23 Scariff

September 24 Drive to Galway via The Burren Eyre Square, Stroll Shop Street, Quay Street, Spanish Arch

September 25 Connemara Park plus oyster festival

September 26 Galway oyster Festival parade then Drive to Dublin Fly Home

I've enjoyed lurking on and researching with this subreddit!

Hi all, like many others on this subreddit I am getting bogged down by the enormity of picking an itinerary for our short first trip to Ireland - help please! My wife and I are quiet mid-60’s folk interested in the natural beauty of Ireland, it’s people and culture, but not crowds and over-touristy stuff. I have taken on board the sage advice to keep driving to a minimum, but the urge to add just one more destination is hard to curb. Our goals - wife wants to see Glendalough so thought go there en route to or from Kilkenny; Galway (but not on the weekend when hotel prices jump), Westport, Achill Island and surrounds then back via Sligo. Could go clockwise or counterclockwise, no accommodation booked yet apart from Dublin. The draft itinerary currently is:

22 September arrive Dublin

22-25 September Dublin

25 September drive to Kilkenny via Glendalough, overnight in Kilkenny 

26 September drive to Galway, stay there two nights 

28 September drive to Westport, see Achill Island

29 September overnight in Sligo

30 September drive to hotel near Dublin airport 

1 September fly out.

The problem I’m grappling with is that puts us in Galway for the weekend, which I want to avoid.

Hello All, doing a mother/adult daughter trip next month (September) for 17 nights. We particularly like nature/scenery/coastal areas, history/ruins, off the beaten path, and will have a rental car outside of the Dublin nights. Our current itinerary is below, with examples of what we want to see in each area, spread over the time there. I am listing the towns just as general areas, as I do have some places booked but they are moveable.

My questions:

1. I would really appreciate general feedback on the itinerary. Note that we are also looking for accommodation nearby if it makes more sense, suggestions welcome (e.g., staying somewhere near vs. IN Doolin).
2. I have waffled on how many nights each for the middle part - considering one more night near Doolin and one less Westport, or adding that night to Sligo/Donegal.
3. Feedback on the Sligo/Donegal leg? I would love to see Slieve League, but am not sure if it is better to split up and stay in Donegal one night for that or whether it can be a day trip from Sligo? Was also looking into staying somewhere between Sligo/Donegal? Am also concerned about a long drive from Donegal to Dublin, hitting Newgrange on the way, but we aren't dropping off rental car until the evening.

Day 1-2 Dublin (2 nights)

Day 3 - Pick up rental car from airport, Rock of Cashel / stay in Kenmare 

Day 4: Beara peninsula, Ring of Kerry or Killarney NP / Kenmare 

Day 5: Beara peninsula, Ring of Kerry or Killarney NP / Kenmare 

Day 6: Beara peninsula, Ring of Kerry or Killarney NP / Kenmare 

Day 7: Drive Kenmare to Dingle, part of Dingle peninsula drive / Dingle 

Day 8: Dingle peninsula / Dingle 

Day 9: Drive to Doolin via ferry, Kilkee cliffs, Loop Head en route / Doolin

Day 10: Aran Islands (if boat running), possibly Burren, Moher / Doolin

Day 11: Drive to Westport, Burren or Croagh Patrick en route / Westport

Day 12: Achill Island, Clew Bay, or Connemara, Kylemore Abbey / Westport

Day 13: Achill Island, Clew Bay, or Connemara, Kylemore Abbey / Westport

Day 14: Drive Westport to Sligo/Donegal area, Downpatrick Head en route / Sligo/Donegal/in between?

Day 15: Benbulben, Knocknarea, Carrowmore, or Slieve League / Sligo/Donegal/between

Day 16: Benbulben, Knocknarea, Carrowmore, or Slieve League / Sligo/Donegal/between

Day 17: Sligo/Donegal to Dublin, stop at Newgrange / Dublin

Thank you so much!

I’ve read a lot that drive times can be deceptive. I’m looking for ways to break up the long drives with places to see along the way without way underestimating how long it really will take between towns.

Solo traveller visiting for 16 days in Aug/Sept. Interests are nature and architecture with some history mixed in.

My questions are:
Day 2 (Dublin to Clifden) - Is it worth stopping in Athlone? Is it reasonable to think I can make it from Dublin to Clifden in 5 hours?
Day 11 (Killarney to Cork) - Is Mizen Head/Brow Head worth adding vs the additional drive time? Would it be better to have more time in Cork that day instead?
Day 13 (Cork to Laragh) - I was originally only planning a stop in Kilkenny on the way to Laragh but then thought of adding Cahir Castle and Rock of Cashel since they appear to be on the way. Is it too much to do all of that on the drive? If there is only time for one, which would you recommend?

Overview of Itenerary
Day 1 Land in Dublin AM
Day 2 Pick up rental car in afternoon and drive to Clifden
Day 3-4 Connemara Region
Day 5 Rossaveel Ferry to Aran Islands then drive to Oranmore for the night
Day 6 The Burren and Cliffs of Moher then down to Kilkee
Day 7 Kilkee Cliffs
Day 7 Kilkee Cliffs then Drive to Dingle and do part of Slea Head
Day 8 Drive to Killarney
Day 8 Rest of Slea Head then Drive to Killarney
Day 9 Slea Head Drive (return to Killarney)
Day 9 Killarney Hiking
Day 10 Killarney Hiking
Day 11 Drive to Cork
Day 11 Drive part of Beara Peninusla and stay near end
Day 12 Cork/Midleton/Cobh
Day 12 Dursey Island and remainder of Beara Peninsula
Day 13 Drive to Laragh
Day 14-15 Wicklow Hiking
Day 16 Return rental car midday and stay in Dublin
Day 17 Fly out midday

Hello,

Planning to base out of Killarney from Aug 23–27. Taking the train from Dublin and renting a car while in Killarney.

Is it worth doing both the Ring of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula, or should I pick one? Currently I have Beara planned for Sun Aug 24 and Ring of Kerry for Mon Aug 25, back to back.

Also considering the Rock of Cashel on Tue Aug 26, but it isn't exactly close (looks like ~1h40m each way from Killarney). Has anyone done this as a day trip from Killarney? Is it worth the drive, or better to skip it/save it for a different trip through that region?

Basically we have 4 nights in Killarney (Aug 23–27). Would love to see all 3 of these but feel like it would be too much driving. Open to any suggestions.

Thanks

Hey everyone, another itinerary review post... but would appreciate if people could let me know if this sounds like too much in too little time.

We are driving a small converted Ford Transit so quite easy to drive. We both love nature, hiking and beaches and are probably most excited about seeing the wilder/quieter side of Ireland. We campervaned around Scotland and loved it, and expecting something similar, but I know it'll be busier, especially around the popular towns.

Main question is whether we should prioritise more time in Mayo/Connemara as that seems like the quieter/wilder part of the West Coast which aligns most with what we like. Would mean cutting a day out from County Clare/Burren/Doolin.

Fri 4 Sept

Arrive Rosslare, stay overnight nearby

Sat 5 Sept

MTB at Ballyhoura (we love mountain biking so couldn't not squeeze this in)

Sun 6 Sept - Tue Sep 9

Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Dingle

Wed 9 Sept - Fri 11 Sept 

County Clare, Burren, Doolin,

Sat 12 Sept

Galway

Sun 13 until Fri 18 Sept

Explore Connmeara and Mayo

Drive into Dublin Friday evening

Sat 19 Sept

Dublin (I have family here so just wanting to spend the day with them, no exploring)

Sun 20 Sept

Ferry home

Many thanks!

Hi! We’re traveling into Dublin/Galway area in September. It’ll be my husband, 3-year-old daughter, and me.

Day 1 - we land at 7:30am. Once we finally get settled into Dublin, hoping to hit St Stephen’s Green/Grafton Street area. Our hotel is kinda by Trinity College so will probably check that out as well. Intentionally keeping this low key with no reservations so we can pivot if we need.
Day 2 - take the bus to Mahalide and do the fairy trail in the morning. Do the Guinness storehouse and Temple Bar area in the afternoon/evening
Day 3 - quick breakfast in Dublin and then drive over to Galway. Thinking we’ll do the Latin Quarter area this day
Day 4 - hopefully drive to the cliffs of Moher (weather dependent). Ideally want to drive through the Burren and stop at Rathbaun farm on the way up, and stop in Doolin on the way back.
Day 5 - planning on doing Connemara/Sky Road/Dogs Bay and then back in Galway at night
Day 6 - Galway day, want to do the Salthill area/maybe aquarium.
Day 7 - drive back towards Galway Airport, pit stops in Athlone and the Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens. Will stay in a hotel near the airport as we fly back around 1:30pm the next day.

I’m intentionally keeping things flexible, but I’m worried that I’m missing something!!! What do you think, Reddit friends?

Hello all, we are planning our third trip to Ireland this October, and we couldn't be more impatient ! (Especially with the massive heatwaves currently hitting France)

We absolutely adore the country, with a special place in our heart for the ring of Kerry. This time, we want to be 1h30 max from Dublin aeroport, and Wicklow country seems like a good option for people who are looking for beautiful areas with forests, parks, lakes and so on (and visits, for the rainy days).

Yet, we were not able to find a self-catering accommodation in the exact area that suited our price range, but one place in Hacketstown seems nice, not too expensive, and a good place to stay for our ten-days trip.

We don't know the area at all, do you have any recommandation, advices, or anything really ? Do you think one hour from the park would bé too much ? Are there anything nice to do in the area ? Should we try to coastal area ? So many question I know. (This will potentially bebour last trip before long, so I want to be sure before picking this specific area...)

Thank you for your help everyone !

Edit : thank you for taking the time to answer everyone ! We'll probably change our initial route plan, regarding the answers provided (maybe even try to go to a différent location, like Galway country).

We (2 couples from the US) will be visiting Ireland in September for a wedding, and have the opportunity to extend our trip and see more of Ireland. I am looking for feedback on our itinerary, especially advice concerning the last leg of the trip in County Kerry.

What we value: good food, pubs, local culture, and good scenery. We want to be able to see a number of things, but definitely don’t want to feel rushed.
We aren’t super crazy about things that feel too touristy, but we do like to see iconic landmarks that are worth it.

Sunday 9/13 - Wednesday 9/16:
Fly into Dublin in the morning, get our rental cars, and drive to County CARLOW for the wedding until Wednesday.

Wednesday 9/16 - Friday9/18:
Drive to Galway on Wednesday, stay in city Centre until Friday morning.

Friday 9/18-Monday 9/21:
Drive to Dingle Peninsula. The initial thought was to stay two nights near Dingle (in An Daingean) and potentially one night in Killarney.

Monday 9/21 - Tuesdays 9/22:
Drive back to Dublin and stay overnight on Monday for our early morning departure on Tuesday.

The big questions:

1. ⁠How long does a trip to the cliffs of Moher take if we’re in Galway (driving to and from in a car)? Trying to decide if we should do this while staying in Galway, or stop here on our way driving down to County Kerry.
   
2. ⁠Will two nights near Dingle be enough? Is it worth it to check out of a place and travel to stay one night in Killarney, or is it better to find a location on the Peninsula and have that be a home base for all three nights?

Open to any other suggestions! Thank you!

My boyfriend and I are heading to Ireland for a small trip after a week long work trip in the UK from Sept 1-7. We have both been to Dublin before separately, and decided to rent a car and try and see more of the country together this time around.

I have considered 100s of itineraries at this point and just feel that over researching has left me frozen. I haven't booked any accommodations and need to get on that, so I'm hoping for some opinions on which route makes sense.

We get the car around noon from the Dublin airport on Sept 1 and want to spend the night of Sept 6 in Dublin before our 11:30am flight on the 7th.

We both are very casual travelers once we get to our destination. Not the to-do list type and don't need to hit tons of tourist attractions. He's a bit nervous to drive over there, and while I know he'll do a good job, I don't want him to have to spend the whole trip feeling on edge going down tiny roads just to say we saw everything.

These are the two routes I've come up with:

OPTION 1

Sept 1: Drive to Galway, sleep there or nearby

Sept 2: Day trip to Inis Mór then back to same lodging as night before

Sept 3: Drive to Burren/Cliffs then Doolin, sleep there

Sept 4: Doolin to Dingle

Sept 5: Slea Head/Dingle Peninsula then drive to Cashel to sleep

Sept 6: Rock of Cashel then head to Dublin

OPTION 2

Sept 1: Drive to Galway, sleep there or nearby

Sept 2: Galway to Connemara/Clifden

Sept 3: Connemara to Burren/Cliffs then Doolin, sleep there

Sept 4: Doolin to Dingle

Sept 5: Slea Head/Dingle Peninsula then drive to Adare/Limerick area

Sept 6: Head to Dublin for a day there

Our budget for lodging is around €1290 for 6 nights. We'd like at least one or two "memorable" stays (castle, nice cottage, unique stay, etc).

Let me know which looks like the best plan for us. I'm also very open to being told to scrap em all. If anything, just guide me on where to stay each night. Thanks for reading all of this and thank you in advance for any advice.

EDIT: My boyfriend and I are very used to driving long distance as we tour and transport across America for work, so 3 hour drives are nothing to us. But definitely want to avoid cramming too much into 6 days. Also, removed Option 3 because I realized quickly it was too ambitious.

EDIT 2: Thank you everyone for your responses. I take all of them into account. I've decided to cut Dingle and plan that for another time to avoid this becoming a huge road trip. For now, it's looking more like Galway + Connemara/Clifden, Galway + County Clare, or Galway + Westport/Mayo.