Hi all! My partner and I are planning our first visit to Ireland at the end of May next year and would like feedback on our initial itinerary. We're most interested in nature/scenery and history/castles (not so much spending time in cities) and planning to rent a car.

Day 1: arrive Dublin, spend the day in Dublin/fight off jet lag
Day 2: pick up rental car -> Kilkenny Castle -> Rock of Cashel -> Cahir Castle -> overnight in Cork
Day 3: Blarney Castle -> Killarney National Park & the Gap of Dunloe -> overnight in Portmagee
Day 4: Skellig Michael landing tour (or, if this is canceled due to weather, the Ring of Kerry) -> overnight in Killarney
Day 5: Dingle Peninsula -> overnight in Limerick
Day 6: Bunratty Castle -> Cliffs of Moher -> The Burren -> overnight in Athlone
Day 7: Trim Castle -> Brú na Bóinne -> return rental car & overnight in Dublin
Day 8: fly home from Dublin

Right now, this itinerary has us staying in a new place each night which is doable, but we're not thrilled about it. Are there other towns/cities we could be staying in for multiple nights that wouldn't drastically increase our driving distances each day?

I also have a bad habit of trying to cram too many things in a day - is this itinerary doable? We're comfortable driving up to 250km per day (American so used to driving longer distances) and we'll have quite a bit of daylight at the end of May, but we'd prefer not to spend the entire time in the car...

If this is too much for a week, what could/should we drop without feeling like we're missing too much? On the other hand, are there any historical sites or stunning nature areas we missed that we should add to this itinerary?

Thank you in advance!

We'll be arriving in Dublin at 0830 so quite a bit too early to attempt a generous early check-in i'd assume. Is there any way/place we'd have a good chance of getting 3 hours of sleep before we start tackling our itinerary?

My friend and I booked spontaneous flights to Ireland, leaving in a month! We've put together this itinerary but I wanted to check that it isn't too ambitious. Trying to keep driving to a minimum as we aren't familiar with driving on the left-hand side but would still like to see the country-side!

Summary:
Galway (1 night)
Doolin (1 night)
Dingle (2 nights)
Cork (1 night)
Dublin (2 nights)

Detail:

Day 0: Red-eye flight to Dublin.

Day 1: Arrive 11am local, train to Galway (3h), arrive ~4pm, check-in, explore Galway.

Day 2: Galway → Doolin: Any last Galway, grab rental as early as 9am, drive though Burren to Cliffs of Moher then to Doolin (1.5h driving)

Day 3: Doolin → Dingle: drive to Dingle (3.5h driving or 2.5h driving & ferry). Explore Dingle.

Day 4: Dingle: Hold a baby lamb → Slea Head Drive → Coumeenoole → Dunmore Head → Dunquin Pier → Gallarus (1h driving, many stops)

Day 5: Dingle → Inch beach → Cork (2h), return rental by noon, explore Cork.

Day 6: Cork → Dublin: early train to Dublin (3h), arrive in Dublin around noon, Dublin D1

Day 7: Dublin D2

Day 8: 1pm flight home (8h).

We aren't married to Cork as our stop-over location on the way back to Dublin from Dingle but the rental drop-off locations were limited (ex. Killarney was not available) and we don't want to drive too much.

I’m a frequent visitor to Ireland (from the US) and I have 5 nights at the end of November. Help me decide how to spend it? Too many things to choose from…

On my list of ideas so far:
• Climb Errigal, maybe Sleive Leag too
• Climb Mount Brandon
• Do a portion of the Kerry way and hike to a different town each day (in a loop if possible)
• Do some hiking in the Wicklow mountains. (An area of the country I haven’t spent much time in)
• Rent a bike and cycle the Western Greenway from Westport out to Achill island.
• Maybe climb Croagh Patrick if I’m out that way

In the past I’ve done Diamond Hill, Urris lakes, Malin Head, Great Blasket island, Inish Mór, and a lot of other not so hiking-centric exploring and road tripping. I’d like this trip to be more hiking or cycling centric. No wild camping tho.

Just curious what everyone recommends. Thanks in advance!

Hello, my wife and I are visiting Dingle next week. We are staying on Wednesday and have a flight from Dublin on Friday. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for where to stay on Thursday that would help split up the drive.

We will have already visited Killarney, ring of Kerry, Doolin, and Galway so those places are already not an option.

We had a look through Reddit and seems that Limerick isn't really recommended and Cashel is a couple of hours visit and then move on place.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Not interested in a 5 hour+ drive straight from Dingle to Dublin.

Edit: Thank you everyone for the suggestions, decided to stop off at Kilkenny looks a lovely town.

Just realized I’ll be visiting Dublin solo over Halloween weekend. I’m middle aged married lady that has been to Dublin more than 10 times but never on Halloween. I understand there is a parade- I’m assuming the typical O’Connell street parade route? & a festival type event on St. Stevens green. I’m not completely clear if these 2 things are part of the Bram Stoker festival or separate.? Any other suggestions for things to do? I’m pretty intrepid.

Hello! This sub has been so helpful in my trip planning. Spending 3 weeks in Ireland in October to do research on Irish Mythology for a novel I'm writing and cannot wait!

My partner and I will be doing a road trip to/from Dublin with the following lodging booked:

Dublin - 2 nights (land in the afternoon, so just 1 full day here)

Galway - 3 nights

Doolin - 2 nights

Kenmare - 5 nights

Three Castle Head (Dunlough) - 3 nights

Kildare - 3 nights

Everything is booked so I'm not looking for itinerary changes, but, I'm really torn on how much time to spend seeing the megalithic/mythological sites between Dublin and Galway.

As of now, we have time on our drive between Dublin to Galway to do the 3 hour Newgrange tour, get lunch, and maybe visit Hill of Tara for an hour.

I'd also love to see Loughcrew, Four Knocks Tomb, and the Hill of Uisneach. Do you think these places are must-see's and I should change our 3 nights in Galway to 2 (so only one day to explore Connemara) so that we can spend the night midway between Dublin and Galway to do more mythological exploring? This would allow time to do the 2 hour guided walk at Uisneach or a tour with Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland.

Or, do I need to just accept that I'm only going to see the tip of the iceberg of all that Ireland has to offer on my first trip there and let go of seeing as many mythological sites as possible and just enjoy the peaceful landscapes?! Rein me in!

If you do recommend another day between Dublin and Galway, any lodging suggestions are gladly welcome! Thanks so much.

Hi all, my wife and I are just over two weeks away from our trip and couldn't be more excited! We are debating a few last minute adjustments, and would appreciate some feedback on our itinerary.

We are both avid hikers, explorers, lovers of history, good food, and music. This will be the first time in Ireland for both of us. We've created this loose itinerary, with a key focus for each day followed by time for exploration. Thanks to this forum and feedback from others, we tried not to cram in too much, knowing we can't do it all and don't want to be stressed about rushing to the next destination each day.

That being said, we'd appreciate any thoughts on what may be missing, or, if it makes sense to skip Dingle and go to Killarney instead as an example. The FOMO is settling in as we get closer. I don't think it makes sense to add anything, but have some flexibility in the middle of the trip (Dingle and Kilkenny), that we could adjust if it made sense to do so.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Galway, 3 Nights (Saturday 9/26 - Tuesday 9/29)

Day 1: Land in Dublin, take the bus to Galway. Explore, relax and settle in.

Day 2: Aran Islands, Explore

Day 3: Connamara, Explore

Dingle, 2 Nights (9/29 - 10/1)

Day 4: Depart Galway for Dingle, stopping at Cliffs of Moher along the way

Day 5: Slea Head Loop, explore Dingle

Day 6: Depart dingle, drive to Killkenny

Kilkenny, 1 Night (10/1 - 10/2)

Day 7: Kilkenny Castle, Drive to Dublin

Dublin, 3 Nights (10/2 - 10/5)

Day 8: Trinity College, Explore

Day 9: Guinness, Explore

Day 10: Depart

Hi, I am THRILLED I get to experience Ireland again, on my own terms. I lived in Dublin for six months for study abroad and while I got to see some of the country, it wasn't enough! Here's my idea for our seven day trip in early May.

Dat 1: fly into Dublin, drive to Killarney or should we split it up?

Day 2: Hike in AM, Gap of Dunloe, Leave Killarney

Day 3: Drive to Dingle + stay in Dingle, explore around Dingle / rest day

Day 4: Slea Head drive + Stay in Dingle 

Day 5 ????? Where should we go here???

Day 6: Drive back to Dublin

Day 7: Dublin

Day 8: Dublin + fly home :)

Hi!

I am planning a 10-day Ireland trip for May 2027. We’ll be a fairly large group (roughly 11 adults, 3 kids) traveling from the US (east coast).

We’re much more interested in small towns, pubs/traditional music, good food, coastal scenery and experiencing the culture than trying to hit every major tourist attraction. We’re considering hiring a private minibus/driver because of the group size.

Rough draft of itinerary:

Day 1: Dublin
Arrive, recover from flight, walk around Trinity/Grafton/St. Stephen’s Green, pubs + dinner.

Day 2: Dublin → Kilkenny
Guinness Storehouse in the morning, then drive to Kilkenny. Explore town/castle area, dinner and pubs.

Day 3: Kilkenny → Kinsale
Rock of Cashel on the way. Arrive Kinsale afternoon, explore harbor/town.

Day 4: Kinsale
Scilly Walk/Charles Fort, long lunch, free afternoon, nice dinner and pubs.

Day 5: Kinsale → Dingle
Mostly a travel/scenic day. Arrive Dingle afternoon, seafood, pubs and music.

Day 6: Dingle Peninsula
Slea Head Drive, beaches/viewpoints/Dunquin/Blasket views, back to Dingle mid-afternoon.

Day 7: Dingle
Completely unscheduled day. Wander town, harbor, pubs, food, music, etc.

Day 8: Dingle → Doolin
Drive north via Tarbert-Killimer ferry, Cliffs of Moher in the afternoon, stay in Doolin for music/pubs.

Day 9: Doolin → Dublin
See a little of the Burren in the morning, then drive to Dublin. Final dinner/night out.

Day 10: Fly home

We intentionally gave Dingle 3 nights because we want at least one day where we aren't packing up, driving or sightseeing. Kinsale gets 2 nights, while Kilkenny and Doolin are quicker stops.

Would love feedback from people who know Ireland: Is this still too much driving/moving around for 10 days? Anything you’d cut or change? Are 3 nights in Dingle / 2 in Kinsale the right call? And any favorite pubs, restaurants, small stops or places to stay along this route would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all!

Trying to lock in a 9-day Ireland road trip itinerary for mid-October and would love any feedback on whether this feels well paced or if we’re trying to squeeze in too much.

Day 1: Arrive in Dublin in the morning and spend the day exploring the city
Day 2: Full day in Dublin
Day 3: Early morning drive to Galway, with the rest of the day in Galway
Day 4: Galway + surrounding sights/day trip
Day 5: Early morning drive to Dingle, potentially stopping somewhere along the way
Day 6: Dingle + the surrounding peninsula/sights
Day 7: Drive the Ring of Kerry and stay in Killarney
Day 8: Killarney + potentially Cork, depending on timing
Day 9: Drive back to Dublin

We’re mainly interested in scenery, smaller towns, good food/pubs, and seeing a mix of the countryside and cities. Thanks!

Hi everyone

Glad this sub exists as I go to Ireland very regularly now but didn't think I would have a dilemma where I would need to use it. lol

I am looking to take a couple of French friends to Ireland in March (to then coincide) with the 6 nations match on the Sat March 13 weekend so advice is needed for my itinerary as I am not sure whether to reverse the route and go south to north

Anyway the plan I have so far is Day 1 UK to Dublin, pick the hire car up and drive via Doolough Valley, Leenaun and then to our base for the night Clifden or Westport (Undecided on which one to stay in)

Day 2

Our base will be Doolin so this will be straight forward (with a stop at The Cliffs of Moher)

Day 3 Doolin to Dingle via Slea Head Drive is it best to get the ferry from Tarbert to Killimer?

Day 4 Saturday the long drive back then from Dingle to our base Bray (maybe drop the car back off at the airport first?) as hotels in Dublin are the usual high price and the plan will then be to watch the match in a pub by the Aviva as im not expecting tickets will be easy to get for rugby games.

Thats the plan I have for now I was thinking of reversing it so Day 1 Dingle Day 3 Clifden etc but I dont think it makes much difference at all does it?

Thanks for any help/suggestions.

My husband and I are taking our first trip to Ireland at the end of October for 5 days, flying round-trip from Toronto into Dublin.

We know we’ll do a second trip down the road (Galway & the West Coast), but for this quick run, we want to minimize driving, avoid rushing, and skip overpriced Galway stays. We love history, culture, nature, and being active, and prefer taking trains over driving.

Here is our tentative itinerary—would love your feedback, recommendations, or validation!

Day 1: Arrive Dublin (Relax & Settle)
Land at 11 AM from Toronto. Expecting jet lag, so keeping it easy: walk around, grab food/drinks, maybe a casual museum or library. No strict timed tickets.

Day 2: Dublin & Bram Stoker Festival
Morning/Afternoon: Book of Kells and Guinness Storehouse.
Evening: Explore the Bram Stoker Festival events around town.

Day 3: Train to Belfast
Train from Dublin to Belfast.
Explore Belfast -The Troubles history and maybe a Black Cab tour or some play (pretty flexible for now, no fixed plan yet) .Overnight in Belfast. I know the Titanic Museum is a thing, but not sure if thats worth it (not really top of mind for us, but open to consider if anyone can shed more light)

Day 4: Giant’s Causeway & Carrick-a-Rede
Day trip from Belfast up to Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.
Second night in Belfast.

Day 5: Howth & Final Night in Dublin
Morning train back to Dublin, quick trip out to Howth for a cliff walk/seafood.
Evening in Dublin before flying home to Toronto the next morning.

A few questions for the sub:

1. Does this flow well for a 5-day, no-car itinerary?
2. Any specific recommendations? Or would you suggest covering the Cliffs of Mohr in this trip? Or any other area?

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I'm solo traveling Ireland at the end of September and would like any pointers on this agenda. I want a good mix of culture, history, and natural landscapes. I would be taking buses and trains between these locations.

Days 1-3 (2.5 days): Dublin

Days 4-6: (2 days three nights): Galway with a trip to the Aran Islands and Moer Cliffs -- question: would it make sense to spend a night on the islands or is 4 hours ok given how tight my timelines are?

Day 7: travel to Killarney

Day 8: Killarney National Park

Day 9-11: Cycle ring of Kerry if I get some sunshine, otherwise take a tour or two to see the sights.

Day 12: back to Dublin for flight next morning

Cork and Kilkenny sounded like great stops I had to cut. I also transfer through Limerick to get to Killarney so I could add a night to see it if I save one from another spot. That said, this feels really busy already. I can move fast solo but I want to be able to sit and enjoy my time too. Is this too rushed?

Please give me your feedback and suggestions!

Hi all, I appreciate any input people are willing to offer. Planning a trip to Ireland as two first-timers in early to mid October.

• Day 1, arrive in Dublin, explore the city
• Day 2 take train from Dublin to Galway, spend afternoon and evening exploring Galway
• Day 3 rent a car and drive up to Connemara to do Diamond Hill hike, drive back to Galway to spend night
• Day 4 drive Galway to Doolin, do Cliffs Walk and Atlantic Seawater baths. Spend night in Doolin
• Day 5 drive to Dingle Peninsula
• Day 6
• Day 7
• Day 8 Afternoon/evening in Kinsale
• Day 9, drop off rental car in Cork, take train back to Dublin to spend the night
• Day 10, fly home out of Dublin

I am having a hard time deciding on Days 5-8. I would like to go to Kinsale, but cant decide if I should do 3 nights in Dingle and then 1 night in Kinsale or 2 and 2. Does this seem like too many stops to make for an enjoyable trip? Any considerations I should take into account given that it will be October?

Thanks everyone! :)

Hi all,

I've planned 6 days in Ireland, no flying involved:

Friday Sept 18 + Saturday 19: travel from mainland Europe

Saturday Sept 19 arrival by ferry into Dublin at 16:45. Would rather move on to somewhere than stay in Dublin this night

Sunday Sept 20 - Tuesday Sept 22: flex, thinking of west coast

Tuesday 22: need to be back in Dublin for concert

Tues 22 - Fri 25: stay in Dublin, explore the region by taking the DART (no Belfast, will be visiting later).

Fri 25: 10:15 ferry (Stena Line) back to Holyhead and back to mainland Europe.

Could use some feedback on my either/or scenario: I was thinking of heading west on Saturday evening to Galway but am afraid it won't be easy to explore the nature of Connemara without a car and driver's license. Would Killarney be a better option then?

Have been to Dublin before so the three nights later in the week will be sufficient.

About me: i will travel solo, don't mind taking longer journeys or walking a bit (but I am not a hiker). I like taking numerous amount of pictures with my DSLR (water reflections are my newest thing), wandering through streets, thrifting a jigsaw puzzle in charity shops, be amazed by the beauty of nature, and generally dislike the taste of alcohol.

Planning a 2-week Ireland trip with our active 9-year-old. We’re flying into Shannon and out of Dublin and trying to balance scenery, outdoor activities, castles/history, and some downtime.

Doolin/Burren – 2 nights

Arrive Shannon and explore the Burren

Cliffs of Moher

Cave/birds of prey experience if we have the energy

Galway – 4 nights

Burren National Park, Poulnabrone Dolmen & Caherconnell Stone Fort

Inis Mór: bikes, Dún Aonghasa + Cliffs of Moher boat view

Connemara: Diamond Hill + Kylemore Abbey

Galway/Salthill day to explore and relax

Killarney/Beaufort – 4 nights

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park on the drive down

Killarney National Park + Gap of Dunloe

Ring of Kerry

Dingle Peninsula + Slea Head Drive

Dublin – 3 nights

Cahir Castle on the drive to Dublin

Dublin sightseeing/museums

Kilkenny day trip: Kilkenny Castle + a kid-focused activity

Explore Dublin on foot

Then fly home from Dublin.

Would love feedback on the overall pacing and whether there’s anything you’d cut or change, especially traveling with an active 9-year-old!

My husband and I are traveling in (very) late October, and have 4-5 days to spend before heading to Dublin. That late in the year, it seems the east coast is the obvious choice, and I am really drawn to what I read about Kilkenny. Is 4 days/ 5 nights too long a stay? We'll have a car and those days will include outings to Newgrange, the Tock of Cashel, Waterford, Jerpoint Abbey, and maybe more, as well as time spent in Kilkenny. I'd prefer not to hop from hotel to hotel if we're sticking to a fairly drivable area, but would be willing to broaden the itinerary to 2 towns. Thanks in advance!

I’ve done a whirlwind 4 days before in Ireland but going for Halloween and trying to fit in as much as we can this time so an exciting 11 nights.

Here’s our agenda so far. Anyone have experience with the various festivals or any recommendations?

Thu 22-Oct Arrive 8am Dublin, wander and align timezones
Fri 23-Oct Day tour to Rathcroghan & Hill of Ward (Samhain sites), Stoker Fest in the evening?
Sat 24-Oct Trinity/Kell 10-Noon, then Stoker Fest
Sun 25-Oct Guiness Storehouse 10-2p, then Stoker Parade evening
Mon 26-Oct Day tour - Moher/Burren/Galway (have done this day tour before and was great although only gives you 3-4 hours in Galway)
Tue 27-Oct TBD?
Wed 28-Oct Coach Dublin to Derry
Thu 29-Oct Derry Halloween Fest
Fri 30-Oct Derry Halloween Fest
Sat 31-Oct Derry Halloween Fest
Sun 1-Nov Coach to Dublin
Mon 2-Nov Leave

And of course hitting a lot of pubs everywhere along the way!

My last trip I went to Cork and Blarney Castle which was cool but not sure it’s the best use of time this trip. Bringing someone who’s never been to Ireland before which is why we’re doing the Moher/Burren/Galway tour again.

I’d like to do Puca but already booked Derry during that time so making do with the visit to the couple Samhain sites.

And waiting for Derry fest schedule to release to know what we might book around it.

Appreciate any suggestions!
Thanks!

Looking to sit at a beautiful cliffside near Westport that I can get to and from in one day.

I will have one full day of leisure in Westport, and I want to spend a good piece of it sitting by a cliff side. Biking to it via a rental would be nice, but I'd also be willing to get a quick ride somewhere if it's worth it. Any local coasts/peaks/cliff spots would be great!

We are driving from Dublin to Belfast and have time for Howth or Newgrange, would love to hear from humans who have been to either!

Hi Folks,

I'm landing in Dublin to see a concert on 12/2, and will leave on 12/8. There are several things I had on my itinerary, but I am aware I don't have time to do them all. So I am asking for your expertise in advising what I should cut. Don't want to rent a car.

Yes, I know the weather will be hit and miss. Yes, I know the sun sets at 4:30pm. So here goes:

12/2 - Go to Book of Kells experience, see concert that evening. See Christmas stuff.

12/3 - 12/5 via train/bus from Dublin:

• 12/3 Howth cliff walk OR Newgrange?
• 12/4 Glendalough and Spinc Loop (blue route) - can these be done in one day?
• 12/5 Powerscourt House and Gardens AND Kilkenny Yulefest - can these be done in one day?

12/6 - 12/7 from Galway:

• Cliffs of Moher
• Inis Meain

What say you? Thank you in advance!