u/Plane_Cellist7911

Hi! I need some help deciding between two itineraries for my Ireland trip because I keep changing my mind lol.

I’m traveling solo black female in my early 30s, and I’ll be in Ireland for 6 days from the end of October until the first week of November…. I have to end the trip in Belfast because I have a concert to go to, so that part is set in stone.

I’m really going to Ireland for the scenery. I love hiking, cliffs/coastlines, mountains, history, castles, museums, cute towns, etc. I definitely want to experience the countryside. I like cities too, but I don’t want to spend my whole trip in a city when I only have a few days.

These are the two plans I’ve narrowed it down to

OPTION 1: Dublin + day trips + Belfast
Day 1: Arrive in Dublin and explore. I want to do Kilmainham Gaol and some of the museums/history stuff while I’m there.
Day 2: Howth + Dalkey/Killiney. I wanted this to be my coastal/hiking day.
Day 3: Wicklow Mountains day trip. I was looking at tours that do Sally Gap, Lough Tay and Glendalough.
Day 4: Train from Dublin to Belfast.
Day 5: Carrick-a-Rede earlier in the day and The concert that night.
Day 6: Giant’s Causeway/Causeway Coast + Game of Thrones tour.
Nov 4: Leave to Dublin.
I like this option because it’s EASY.

BUT I keep looking at Dingle and Kerry and wondering if I’m going to regret going all the way to Ireland and not seeing that side of the country 😭

So then I came up with:
OPTION 2: Dingle + Killarney + Belfast
Day 1&2: Dingle, 2 nights.
I’d rent a car and spend a full day doing the Dingle Peninsula/Slea Head. I want to see Dunquin, Coumeenoole Beach, Blasket area, Gallarus, do some walking/hiking and basically just take my time seeing the coast.
Day 3&4 Killarney
I want to do Killarney National Park, Gap of Dunloe, Torc Waterfall, Muckross/Ross Castle and maybe part of the Ring of Kerry depending on how much time I actually have.
Then Belfast for the rest of the trip.

So I guess my actual questions are:

For someone who cares more about scenery/countryside/hiking than nightlife, would you choose the Dublin/Howth/Wicklow itinerary or Dingle/Killarney?

Or do I scratch this completely and do something different?

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