The Emerald Isle with its lush green landscapes, dramatic coastline cliffs, and friendly locals is the perfect place for a road trip. We visited in June and put together a guide to help first-time visitors based on our experiences. This itinerary has a hiking bent to it, but there is plenty for every traveler to enjoy regardless of your interests.
Ireland Road Trip Map
Below is a map of our trip including points of interest, activities, and restaurants. It also includes an overview of the road trip route. Toggle the sidebar for details.
Key Information About Traveling in Ireland
Car Rental
Deciding which type of car to rent, from which company, with which type of insurance is fraught with decision points. Ultimately you should do your own research and what is most comfortable for you, but what we did was:
Automatic transmission: Given that in Ireland you drive on the left-hand side of the road, I wasn’t comfortable dealing with that AND driving a manual transmission, shifting with my right hand. You will pay more for this type of car.
Searching for a car: We found the best selection and pricing via Auto Europe. Our ultimate car provider was Thrifty.
Insurance: In Ireland this was SO confusing! In short, you will be given the option to purchase CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) which reduces the amount you’re liable to pay if your rental is damaged or stolen. If you do not take this, you’ll likely be asked to sign acknowledging you are responsible for the full value of the car. Most companies also offer Super CDW which reduces what you would pay to zero.
Again, both are optional and add a per day fee to the rental cost. We elected to pay for CDW only as our travel insurance included some rental car coverage.
Security deposit: If you don’t elect Super CDW, most car rental companies will place a security deposit hold on your credit card which can be as much as €3,000! In fact, our hold was €3,500. Make sure your card has enough of a limit to cover this added, temporary expense. You may also be asked to enter your PIN number for your credit card. Make sure to set your PIN, or know what it is, before leaving home. This was new to me as I have never had to use a pin with a credit card before.
Driving
Stating the obvious here, but in Ireland they do drive on the left side of the road. The highways are delightful with wide lanes and plenty of service areas to stop for food and gas. In fact, we had our best coffee in Ireland from a Lavazza at one of these service areas. Outside of the highways, the roads can be very narrow with no shoulders, which is nervewracking at times. They also have a TON of traffic circles, or roundabouts, so be prepared. You’ll get a lot of practice!
Tolls: Certain major highways in Ireland are toll roads. The M50, near Dublin, is barrier-free which means the toll will be automatically billed to your rental car via license plate. The other toll roads have booths, but you can easily pay by tapping your credit card.
Visiting Northern Ireland
There is no physical border separating Ireland from Northern Ireland. But, as you are in the UK the currency will switch from the EUR to GBP. Also be prepared for the speed limits to change from kph to mph, and distances to be in miles instead of kilometers. Most rental car companies will charge a one-time fee with your rental for travel to Northern Ireland. We paid €30 during our trip.
Day 1 | Dublin
As the largest city in Ireland, and its capital, there is a good chance your international flight will land in Dublin. If so, the first day is all about trying to stay awake and fight jet leg!
We opted to take a cab from the airport to our hotel and pick up our rental car after Dublin. This was definitely the right choice as traffic in Dublin was insane and parking was expensive. A car is not needed! We paid a little less than €20 each way for a cab to and from the airport.
Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour
Hop-on, hop-off bus tours are our go-to when we are visiting a city for the first time and incredibly tired after an overnight long haul flight. We recommend grabbing a seat on the open air-top. The colder the better, to help you stay awake!
There were several companies in Dublin, but we chose Big Bus Tours as they had a live commentator and tour guide. We were happy with the overview of Dublin we got by riding the bus. The entire ride, without getting off at any stops, lasted about an hour and a half.
We also used the bus again, later in the day, rather than paying for a taxi to get to and from Kilmainham Gaol. There is a stop right along the route within short walking distance of the historic site.
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
Located in Dublin’s Docklands along the River Liffey, this museum is designed to provide visitors with an interactive history of the Irish diaspora and an overview of the astounding rate of emigration to other countries. Our opinion is that this museum was just “okay”. We found a lot of the information to be about very specific individuals, many with seemingly scant ties to an Irish heritage. If we had the chance to re-do our itinerary, we would have left out this museum.
Need to Know
- Hours: Generally open daily from 10am-6:45pm, but check website for current hours.
- Tickets: Purchasing advance tickets online is recommended for the best price and to secure your preferred time slot. Online tickets were €21/adult when we visited.
- Pro Tip: Download the museum’s free app ahead of your visit and bring your own headphones. This will help you save €2 each to rent the audio guide, which we found helpful to navigate the museum.
- Our visit here on a self-guided visit using the audio guide lasted 1.5 hours.
Kilmainham Gaol Museum
Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison which opened in 1796 and held prisoners until 1924. While many were common criminals, notable political prisoners were held and executed on the grounds. The only way to visit is as part of a small, guided tour. We highly recommend taking part in the very informative and sobering tour.
Need to Know
- Hours: Generally open daily from 9:30am-5:15pm.
- Tickets: Purchasing advance tickets online is necessary. Access to Kilmainham Goal is by guided tour only and tickets sell FAST. In order to secure your tickets, book online exactly 28 days in advance of your visit when they are released. Tickets were €8/adult when we visited.
- Pro Tip: Tickets are released at midnight Ireland time, so if you’re on the East Coast of the U.S., log-in at 7pm on the dot the night before to snag a spot. Based on our experience, they sell out in mere seconds.
- Our visit here lasted 1.5 hours. The guided tour was one hour and and we wandered through the museum exhibits for 30 minutes prior.
Food & Drinks
Lunch: We had a delightful lunch at the Georgian bakery Ella’s Heaven Cafe & Bakery. We each had khachapuri, a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread. It was delicious!
Drinks: We ventured into the Temple Bar area and sat outside of The Auld Dubliner sipping pints while listening to traditional Irish music. It was great!
Dinner: Not very Irish, we know, but after our very first long day we wanted something easy and PI Temple Bar fit the bill. We had the Nduja (their signature pizza) and the Pork & Pineapple and they were SO amazing! The place is very small, but turns over quickly. We didn’t need to wait for a seat when we arrived at 6:30pm.
Where We Stayed | Dublin
We stayed at the Academy Plaza Hotel. This was the perfect location in the heart of Dublin city center, very close to O’Connell Street. We walked nearly every place we visited in the city and would stay here again.
Day 2 | Dublin
Book of Kells Experience & Trinity Trails Campus Tour
Dating back to 1592, Trinity College is home to a picturesque campus in the heart of Dublin. Our visit started with a tour led by a woman who was a former student in the 1970s. The tour was informative and provided a lot of information about the history of the college, the architecture of its buildings, and same rather famous students (think Oscar Wilde).
On our own, we then walked through an exhibit explaining the Book of Kells and saw the illuminated manuscript in person. We next visited the famous Long Room in the Old Library. It was a beautiful space, but visitors should note that due to the multi-year Old Library Redevelopment Project, most books have been removed from the shelves! It’s important conservation work that must be done to protect the books and library overall, but it is still slightly disappointing as a visitor.
Our final stop was the interactive exhibit on the Book of Kells which was fine, but the least interesting part of our visit.
Need to Know
- Hours: Tours are generally offered daily at times between 9:00am-5:00pm but there is variability.
- Tickets: Purchasing advance tickets online is recommended. We did a visit that included a guided tour of Trinity campus followed by entry to the Book of Kells, Old Library, and other exhibits. There is also an option to visit without the campus tour. Tickets were €33.50/adult for the Book of Kells Experience & Trinity Campus Tour when we visited.
- Pro Tip: Download the Book of Kells Experience audio guide ahead of time and bring headphones. Although the museum had wifi, it was of terrible quality and we couldn’t download the audio guide once on site.
- Our entire visit here lasted 2 hours, including the tour.
Guinness Storehouse
Learning to pour the perfect pint of Guinness was on our bucket list and this visit ended up being our favorite activity in Dublin.
We began with a self-guided interactive tour which took about an hour and had lots of fun photo opportunities. A tasting of a mini-Guinness was on offer.
We then stopped in to the Guinness Academy where we learned to pour the perfect pint, got a digital certificate certifying so, and then enjoyed the fruits of our labor in the bar.
Our last stop was at the Gravity Bar, where we enjoyed our second pint of the day, free for all visitors. The bar is wall-to-wall glass and offers fantastic views of the city. Be preared though, it’s also incredibly crowded! We couldn’t even get a seat here, but still enjoyed our time immensely.
Need to Know
- Hours: The Guinness Storehouse is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 9:30am-6pm, and Sunday 9:30am-5pm. Check their website for the most current hours.
- Tickets: Purchasing advance tickets online is recommended. You can book everything from a standard experience which includes a self-guided tour and a pint of Guinness, to a connoisseur experience which dives deeper into the history and includes more tastings. We did the Guinness Academy to learn how to pour the perfect pint! We found that afternoon tickets sold out very early and were more expensive than morning or midday.
- Our visit here lasted 3 hours total.
Food & A Show
Breakfast: Just around the corner from Trinity College we discovered Bread 41. They make specialty breads and pastries and it was packed, deservedly so. This was a great place for a coffee and a sweet, but be prepared to wait in line.
Dinner: Located in The Westbury hotel, WILDE serves traditional Irish food with a modern flair. We had reservations and were seated on their gorgeous terrace. The food and service were excellent and we’d highly recommend the restaurant to celebrate a special occasion with a fancy dinner. We toasted to kicking off our world travels!
Riverdance: If it’s playing while you’re in Dublin, go see this show! The dancing and the musicianship were phenomenal. We think you’ll be tapping your feet by the end, just like we were.
Day 3 | Belfast
After picking up our rental car at the Dublin airport, we made the 2-hour drive to Belfast. The drive is entirely along highways between the cities, making it a good warmup to driving on the left side of the road.
A History of Terror Walking Tour
There are many tours on offer in Belfast which take visitors through a history of The Troubles, a period of violent conflict in Northern Ireland. Black cab tours are popular, but we elected to do a walking tour instead. We were really happy with our choice. Our tour guide was a history teacher and had served as mediator between victims and perpetrators of violence during The Troubles. He had a unique perspective and presented the information in an unbiased manner. As a bonus, we learned a lot about Belfast, too.
If your tour meets anywhere near Belfast City Hall, be sure to take a peek inside. It’s a stunning building and there are also free public bathrooms and a water bottle fill station.
Need to Know
- Tours: The A History of Terror Walking Tour is offered daily at 10:30am and runs 2.5 hours in length.
- Tickets: We reserved our spots online with DC Tours ahead of our trip, but they did not seem to sell out. We paid £22/person.
- Parking: DC Tours provides a very helpful FAQ page on where to park. Based on their recommendations we parked at the Hi-Park in High Street which was a 5-min walk from the start of the tour at Belfast City Hall.
Titanic Belfast
Titanic Belfast is an interactive museum that walks visitors through the process of conceiving, building, and launching the Titanic on her maiden voyage.
We enjoyed learning about shipbuilding and the history of Belfast and its infrastructure to support such great feats. The 10 exhibits were fun and interactive, and there was even a ride. After exploring inside, we walked outside the museum to see the slip berth of Titanic, as well as the famous yellow Samson and Goliath cranes of Harland & Wolff.
Need to Know
- Hours: Hours vary almost every month so check their website for details. At a minimum, the museum is generally open 10am-5pm.
- Tickets: Purchasing advance tickets online is necessary. The standard admission ticket includes the Titanic Experience and SS Nomadic. Timed tickets for the Titanic Experience are available every 10 minutes. Tickets were £24.95/adult when we visited.
- Parking: We walked to the museum from the city center within 20 minutes, leaving our car parked in the garage near city hall.
- Our visit here lasted 2 hours.
Food
Lunch: We had paella from a stand inside St. George’s Market which was quite good. Note the market is only open Friday-Sunday, and when we visited on a Friday they closed at 2pm.
Dinner: We ate dinner at Jumon, a popular vegetarian Asian fusion restaurant in the Cathedral Quarter. Be sure to make a reservation. We loved everything from the cocktails to the small plates we shared. We can highly recommend the fried cauliflower, crispy tofu, chaat, spring rolls, and dumplings.
Where We Stayed | Belfast
We stayed at the Amica Guesthouse. While the room was small, it was adequate for two people and had free parking, so it met our needs for the night.
Day 4 | Causeway Coast
From Belfast, the Causeway Coast is about an 1 hour 15 minute drive, mostly on major highways until the very last bit.
Giant's Causeway
At the very trip of Northern Ireland, Giant’s Causeway is comprised of over 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns which jut out of the cliffs and into the sea. The result is stunning and Giant’s Causeway is an impressive place to explore. Your visit can be as easy as taking the shuttle bus from the Visitor Centre to the stone formations, to a more rigorous hike along the network of trails.
What We Did
We purchased the first tickets of the day online (for 9am) and were among the first to arrive in the parking lot. We picked up the included audio guide and leisurely walked down to the beach area, listening to information about the geology and some of the legends associated with Giant’s Causeway. After wandering around and taking our fill of pictures, we then connected the blue, red, and 3 miles of the yellow trail (about halfway to Dunseverick Castle). See a map from our hike below.
If you can, we highly recommend walking at least part of these trails. The crowds thin out away from the columns and you’re treated to stunning coastline views. This was our favorite part of the visit! Our loop hike took us back to the Visitor Centre where we returned out audio guides, used the restroom, and filled our water bottles.
Need to Know
- Hours: Hours vary seasonally so check their website for details.
- Tickets: Technically if you do not park at or enter the Visitor Centre, Giant’s Causeway is free. However, by pre-booking a ticket online you get reserved on-site parking, guided tours, use of the audio guide, and access to the Visitor Centre exhibits and amenities. These tickets were £15.50/adult when we visited on a Saturday in the summer. Rather than figure out the extra logistics of where to park, and to avoid a long walk, we found purchasing the tickets to be worthwhile.
- Our visit here lasted 4 hours.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Carrick-a-Rede is a rope bridge that connects the mainland to Carrick-a-Rede Island. Originally constructed and used by fishermen over 250 years ago, crossing the bridge 100 feet over the ocean is a unique experience. Don’t worry, it’s not the original bridge!
The bridge itself was a short, but fairly steep walk away from the car park. Once at the bridge, only a certain number of people could cross at a time, so there was a short wait. When it was our turn, we slowly made our way across the bridge, being sure to look at the ocean crashing beneath our feet. On the island, we saw the small fisherman’s cottage and tons of gulls and razorbill hawks nesting in the cliffs. It’s very small, so after soaking in the scenery we got in line to cross back and walked up the trail back to the car park. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure about including this in our itinerary originally, but I’m so glad I did. We had a really fun experience!
Need to Know
- Hours: Hours vary seasonally so check their website for details.
- Tickets: Purchasing advance tickets online is necessary. Tickets include the bridge crossing and on-site car parking. These tickets were £15.50/adult when we visited on a Saturday in the summer. If you do not wish to cross the bridge but just visit, they charge £10/car for parking only.
- Our visit here lasted 1.5 hours.
Dinner
Biddy’s O’Barnes: There were not a ton of choices in Donegal, but Biddy’s O’Barnes pub was right up the road from our lodge and ended up being a solid choice. Our fare of cheeseburgers and Guinness really hit the spot. They do take reservations online, which put us in a nice quiet spot in the pub.
Where We Stayed | Donegal
We stayed at the The Gap Lodge B&B. This was one of our favorite stays in all of Ireland. The owner was incredibly friendly, the room very comfortable, and the breakfast outstanding. A french press of coffee, bread basket, yogurt with fresh fruit, and Irish egg scramble kept us fueled for the day.
Donegal was about a 2-hour drive from the Causeway Coast and put us back in Ireland.
Day 5 | Slieve League Cliffs
Slieve League Cliffs are nearly 2,000 feet tall sea cliffs rising high above the Atlantic Ocean and Donegal Bay. They are nearly three times the height of the more famous Cliffs of Moher and way less crowded, making them the perfect place to spend the day.
We parked at the Visitor Center and set off to do a loop hike. Along the way we saw a lot of sheep, then our first glimpse of the cliffs which took our breath away. As we continued up the trail the views kept getting better and better.
There is a very narrow ridgeline section of the trail called One Man’s pass, although I affectionately nicknamed it Dead Man’s Pass. It was a bit scary at first, but we survived! Check out our POV video below.
We continued on to the highest point along the cliffs where we ate our lunch, then hiked down the other side of the cliffs down the Pilgrim’s Path, which was quite rocky and not terribly scenic.
The hike was 9.75 miles and took us just over 5 hours total, including stops. If we had the chance to do this again, and what we would recommend if you visit, is to do the hike as an out and back. The loop had a decent amount of road walking, especially at the beginning, which I timed at 40 minutes. Further, after you move away from the cliffs the path just isn’t that interesting and it was steep and rocky going down.
Park at the paid lower car park for the cliffs instead which was €15 for the day when we visited. Walk up the trail to the highest point, then back the same way. When you get to One Man’s Pass on the way down, take the bypass route which skirts the pass (we would not recommend going down the pass).
Need to Know
- Fees: No fee for trail use.
- Parking: Free to park at Visitor Center for the day. Cliffs are open 24/7, but Visitor Center building is open daily 9:30am-5pm. Alternative is to park at the lower car park near the cliffs for €15 for the day, or €5 for 2 hours. Pay at the automated machine.
Dinner
The Ivy Cottage: After a long drive we were famished when we finally arrived in Doolin. Although they don’t take reservations, thankfully we were able to get a seat right away at the Ivy Cottage and had a great meal. We had a curry and fresh fish, both of which were excellent.
Where We Stayed | Doolin
We stayed at the Coastal View House. While breakfast was not included, our room on the top floor was very spacious and there was a kettle with tea and coffee provided. It was just a short, 5-minute drive into town. We arrived fairly late, around 9pm, and there were instructions left at the door on how to access our room.
Doolin was about a 4-hour drive from the Slieve League Cliffs, making this a very long day.
Day 6 | Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle
Cliffs of Moher
We awoke to overcast skies and mist, but since we were only in the area one day, we had to make the most of it. We started to the south of the official Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center, walking along the coastal path and saw absolutely no one else. We also couldn’t see the cliffs because of the weather!
We pushed on, however, and 3 miles later arrived near the Visitor Center where we started seeing our first people. Within 15 minutes of arriving, the mist had blown out and we started to see the cliffs. Our advice is to take a chance because the weather changes very quickly in Ireland.
By this point it was around 10am and the crowds really started to arrive, so after walking around the area we headed back along the coastal path to our car.
Even though we didn’t have the best weather or views, we were still glad we visited the famous cliffs. Though if you only have time to visit one, we’d recommend Slieve League Cliffs over Cliffs of Moher. We would recommend doing the full walk along the costal trail. You’ll leave the crowds behind and it was fairly flat the whole time.
morning vs. afternoon
Need to Know
- Fees: Technically walking the path along the Cliffs of Moher is free. However, if you want to park at the Visitor Center and take advantage of their amenities, you must pay a fee per person ranging from €8-10, depending on the time of day. Pre-booking a spot online is recommended.
- Parking for what we did: We elected to start at the south end of the Cliffs hike, near Nags Head. We paid €5 to park for the day at a family-run lot, payable in cash at the on site honesty box. The lot is small (25-30 cars), so arrive early to secure a spot during the busy summer months. When we arrived at 8am, we were the first car in the lot. To find this parking spot, search for “Cliffs of Moher Liscannor Walk” on your map.
- Our visit lasted 3.5 hours.
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
Touted as the most complete castle in Ireland, we stopped at Bunratty on our way to Killarney as it was just a small detour.
We began our visit to the 15th Century castle and once inside were able to explore on our own and listen to live guides tell the history in certain rooms. We then walked through the Folk Park to see village shops, a butter-making demonstration, and historic homes and gardens. This was a great first castle visit in Ireland and was different to the ones we would visit later in the trip.
Need to Know
- Hours: The Castle and Folk Park are generally open daily from 9am-5:30pm, but check their website for current hours.
- Tickets: While you can pre-book tickets online, we were able to walk right up the day of and easily purchase tickets. They were €17/adult when we visited.
- Parking: Free, in a large parking lot on site.
- Our visit lasted 2.5 hours, although you could easily spend a lot more time here.
Where We Stayed | Killarney
We stayed at an Airbnb in the town of Killarney for 4 nights. It was so nice to settle in to a place for a few nights in a row, cook our own meals, and have access to laundry. Killarney was a great place to base ourselves for day trips in the area.
Killarney is a 2.5- hour drive from the Cliffs of Moher, and 1.5 hours from Bunratty Castle.
Day 7 | Skellig Michael & the Ring of Kerry
Skellig Michael Day Trip
Skellig Michael is a monastic site dating back to the 6th Century. What makes it most unique is its location on an island made of twin-pinnacled crags rising steeply out of the Atlantic Ocean. It rose to prominence in popular culture as the filming location for scenes in Star Wars films Episodes VII and VIII.
Thanks to its location 8 miles off the coast and tight restrictions on the number of visitors, this is a day trip that requires advance planning. There are only 15 boats with licenses to land on Skellig Michael and each boat is allowed to carry 12 passengers, with a maximum of 180 visitors each day, so booking early is essential. We booked our landing tour 4 months in advance.
It is not uncommon for bad weather to cancel the day’s landing and we were directed to check-in online the day before for a predicted status. At that time, they were unsure the landing tour would proceed as scheduled, but thankfully when we checked in early (at 6am) the day of the tour, we had a green light!
We booked our tour through Casey’s Skellig Michael Tours and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. Our tour departed the Portmagee Marina at 8:30am sharp and we made a 50-minute ride off the coast, through fairly rough waters, towards the island. We first circled Little Skellig, a smaller version of its neighbor, Michael Skellig. Here we watched a colony of thousands of Gannets swooping around and fishing. It was an amazing site to see! We also saw a few seals lounging on the rocks below.
At this point, it was on to the main event, where our boat pulled up to Michael Skellig and one-by-one we timed our jump out of the boat and onto the dock with the swells. Once on land, we listened to a safety talk from the on-island staff and proceeded to climb the 600+ steps to the monastery. If you are here during puffin nesting season (roughly April to early August), you will stop approximately 500 times to take pictures of the adorable puffins and their pufflings.
At the monastery, we were given a history of the island and the hermit monks who built the beehive-shaped huts we stood beside. We had a total of 2.5 hours on the island to explore before we needed to head back to meet our boat.
This tour was one of our favorite things we did in all of Ireland, and really on our whole 6-week trip in Europe. We enthusiastically recommend booking a landing tour!
The Ring of Kerry
The Ring of Kerry is a 111-mile loop drive highlighting the best of Ireland’s scenery. Lush green mountains, coastal cliffs, lakes, and charming villages await drivers. As we had already driven half of the route to get from Killarney to Portmagee, after our tour we decided to drive back to Killarney doing the other half. The drive is spectacular and we mostly drove it straight through admiring the scenery from the car, only stopping at a few places. If there is time in your intinerary, you could easily make this drive into a whole day trip.
Day 8 | Killarney National Park
With bad weather in the forecast, we had to nix our plans to do nearby mountain hiking and instead spent the day in Killarney National Park. We parked our car in the free car park along Muckross Road and proceeded to walk and hike around the entire Muckross Lake, stopping at key scenic points along the way.
If we had the chance to re-do this plan, and what we recommend you do, is to rent bikes for the day and explore the same route. On foot we ended up walking a total of 11 miles, much of which was paved. This was hard on the feet, especially with hiking boots on, and in hindsight would have been better on a bike. Each of the scenic stops had bike racks, so you could easily leave a bike and do a bit of exploring on foot instead.
Some of the stops we would recommend along the way are:
- Meeting of the waters: Where the three lakes of Killarney meet.
- Old Weir Bridge: A beautiful twin arch bridge made of stone. It is a short walk over raised boardwalks to get here.
- Torc Waterfall: Over 70 feet high. Near this waterfall we did a hike marked as the “red” loop which provided nice views over the land below. It was very steep though!
- Muckross House and Abbey: A 19th Century Victorian mansion and 15th Century abbey.
Need to Know
- Fees: No fee for trail use.
- Parking: Free at the parking lot along Muckross Road. Search for “Muckross Jaunting Car Tours” on your map.
Day 9 | Dingle Peninsula
Driving along the scenic Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head Drive in particular feels like a more manageable cousin of the Ring of Kerry. The coastal views were just as dramatic and the loop was a bit smaller, allowing us to stop at points of interest more often throughout the day.
Mount Brandon Hike
We began our day with a hike, whose trailhead was just over an hour drive from Killarney. Mount Brandon is the highest mountain on the Dingle Peninsula and on clear days the summit provides views of the coast below and the Blasket Islands in the distance.
We did not have a clear day, and in fact the closer we got to the summit the worse the weather got. By the time we reached the summit it was full on pouring rain, freezing, and completely socked in. We can see why this would be a great hike on a clear day though, and the “Saints’ Road” trail we took passed by crosses representing the stations of the cross.
This 5.25-mile hike took us roughly 3 hours to complete.
Need to Know
- Fees: No fee for trail use.
- Parking: Free at the parking at the dirt lot next to the trailhead.
Slea Head Loop | Scenic Drive
Beginning and ending in the town of Dingle, Slea Head Drive is a one-way, 24-mile scenic drive that forms parts of the larger Wild Atlantic Way. The route is clearly labeled the entire way and has many places to stop, depending on what you are interested in. Note that many of places charge a small fee to enter.
Along the way, we stopped at:
- Famine cottages: Historic 19th Century homesite where a family lived during The Great Irish Famine. €3/per person to enter the grounds.
- Dunmore Head: Viewpoint of the coast and beach.
- Kruger’s Bar: Ireland’s most westerly bar, and a great place to stop for an Irish coffee to warm up on a cold and blustery day. We know from experience!
- Murphy’s Ice Cream: It’s true we were still chilled to the bone, but we couldn’t pass up cones of handmade, local ice cream in Dingle. We had their chocolate whiskey and Irish soda bread flavors. Yum!!
Day 10 | Rock of Cashel & Kilkenny Castle
Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel is a historic site dating back to the 5th Century when it was the Seat of the High Kings of Munster. Now the site houses buildings ranging from the 11th to the 15th Century. This was our favorite historic site visit in all of Ireland.
We purchased tickets upon arrival which included a guided tour and access to the interior of Cormac’s Chapel. Our tour covered the history and all the grounds of the Rock of Cashel and lasted about an hour. It was led by an employee of the Office of Public Works and was of a very high quality and informative. As we had purchased access to the interior of Cormac’s Chapel, we also visited inside for about 15 minutes. Cormac’s Chapel is an ornate structure in the Romanesque style, completed in the 12th Century. Inside we learned more about the architecture, fragments of remaining wall paintings, and the conservation work underway to preserve the building. We definitely think this is worth the add-on, so do it if you can.
Located just a 15-minute walk from the Rock of Cashel you can find Hore Abbey. It is Ireland’s last medieval Cistercian monastery and dates back to the 13th Century. Today you can walk through the ruins for free and this is a nice add-on to your time at the Rock of Cashel.
Need to Know
- Hours: Hours change seasonally, so be sure to check the website for current opening times. When we visited in the summer it was open 9am-4:45pm.
- Tickets: €8/adult plus an additional €3/adult to visit the interior of Cormac’s Chapel. Note these tickets are only available on a first-come, first-served basis as the number of people allowed inside the Chapel is limited per day. While you can buy tickets ahead of time online, we arrived just after 10am and were able to purchase both sets of tickets and join the next tour at 10:30am. Hore Abbey is free to visit.
- Parking: There is a paid car park located at the foot of the Rock of Cashel, but it was free the day we visited. Rock of Cashel is about a 2-hour drive from Killarney.
- Our visit here lasted about 2.5 hours, including the detour to Hore Abbey.
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle’s history dates back to the 13th Century, although today what you visit is largely a Victorian remodeling of the defensive castle. We took a 1-hour guided tour which helped provide us the highlights of the castle and the period rooms contained within the estate. We got to go in a few areas not open to those on tours, such as to see the original medieval foundations, which was a nice bonus.
Need to Know
- Hours: Hours change seasonally, so be sure to check the website for current opening times. The castle is open daily.
- Tickets: Tickets for self-guided visits and guided tours can be booked online ahead of time, but not more than 7 days in advance. We just showed up on a Friday afternoon and were able to get on the next guided tour which was €12/adult.
- Parking: There is limited street parking in Kilkenny, so we parked at the Ormonde Street Car Park which was just a short walk away from Kilkenny Castle and downtown Kilkenny as well.
Drinks & Dinner
Smithwick’s: Kilkenny is a charming town to wander and shop around. Before dinner, we stopped at Smithwick’s to enjoy a pint of the delicious red ale from the source. You do not have to go on a tour to have a pint, so this was a nice stop.
Petronella: We had a lovely dinner at Petronella which serves modern European food and is located is a very cool medieval setting. It’s a small space, so you’ll definitely want to make reservations ahead of time. We enjoyed the mussels appetizer, pan-fried hake, short rib with creamy colcannon, and a lemon meringue dessert.
Where We Stayed | Kilkenny
We stayed at the Twin Oaks Bed & Breakfast just outside of town. We found our room to be quite small, as was the parking area outside the B&B, but it met our needs for one night. As we needed to depart early the next morning, our hosts kindly left us scones with butter and jam to take with us the next morning which was very throughtful.
Day 11 | Wicklow Mountains National Park
Just south of Dublin lies Ireland’s largest national park, Wicklow Mountains National Park, a paradise of hiking trails and scenic views. There are many marked trails and we elected to link up three (white, red, and orange) to form an epic 13-mile loop.
The trail begins at the Glendalough Visitor Centre and short walk away brought us to St. Kevin’s monastic settlement where we explored the ruins for a bit. We continued along the Miners’ Road Trail passing the Lower and Upper Lakes before reaching an old mining site. From there, the trail was a steady climb past a waterfall surrounded by sheep, goats, and even deer. There were several bridge crossings and at the top, a series of boardwalks to keep your feet nice and dry over a boggy area.
The second part of the trail took us through more wide open pastures then down through a forest and along a gravel road to finish.
This hike was spectacular, long but not too difficult, and ended up being our favorite day in Ireland. It took us about 5.5 hours to complete. If you are looking for a shorter version of this hike with the best views, we’d recommend following the white route loop which is about 6 miles.
Need to Know
- Fees: No fee for trail use.
- Parking: We parked at the Glendalough Visitor Centre for €4. Get here early! When we arrived at 8am on a Saturday we were one of the first cars. By the time we got back they were turning cars away from the lot and we saw them parked several miles away! This park is incredibly popular. Note that when we arrived the bathrooms were locked. Separately, the Visitor Centre charges a fee per person to enter if you want to go inside and view exhibits. If unlocked, the bathrooms are free to use and outside of the main building.
- The trailhead is a 1.5-hour drive from Kilkenny.
Drinks & Dinner
Dalkey is a charming seaside village and its downtown was just a 15-minute walk from our hotel.
Drinks: We enjoyed pints of Guinness with the locals at Finnegan’s.
Dinner: We devoured mussels and fish tacos at Bubba’s Fish Market, which really hit the spot after a long day of hiking.
Where We Stayed | Dalkey
We stayed at the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel. Admittedly, with its castle-themed exterior it does feel a bit cheesy, but we had a nice one-night stay here. The staff was extremely friendly and gave helpful recommendations. In addition, our room was spacious and comfortable, there was free parking, and the Saturday night rate was much more affordable and reasonable than Dublin.
Dalkey was a 45-minute drive from Wicklow Mountains National Park and 30 minutes to the Dublin Airport the following morning for our flight.
We hope our experiences and what we learned during our time in Ireland help you plan your own road trip in this beautiful country!
