r/irishtourism

Hi, I will be visiting Ireland next week and will be spending about a day and a half in Galway. While there I booked the ferry to Inis Mor that returns later that evening. The ferry leaves Galway around 9:30 and arrives on Inis Mor around 11, and then later the ferry leaves around 4:30 to get back to Galway around 6:30 after seeing the Cliffs of Moher. I was wondering if I’ll have enough time on the island to do this bike route:
- Ride from Kilronan to Dun Duchathair as soon as we get there
- Head back to Kilronan for lunch
- Bike to Dun Aonghasa taking the low road
- Go see Poll na bPeist
- Take the low road back and relax at Kilmurvey
- Return bikes in Kilronan and board the ferry around 4:30

My friend and I will be doing a roadtrip around Co Donegal for 2 and a half days, starting and ending in Derry. I think my current plan might be trying to fit too much in, so I would love advice on what to prioritize and what to cut out. Thank you in advance!!!

Day 1: Depart from Derry, end in Dunfanaghy
- Grianan of Aileach
- Fanad Head lighthouse
- Murderhole beach?
- Horn head?
- Overnight in Dunfanaghy

Day 2: Dunfanaghy to Ardara
- Falcarragh Beach
- Glenveagh Castle/Park
- Arranmore island (think this is adding too much - would you recommend skipping this completely?)
- Overnight in Ardara

Day 3:
- Was going to try to get to the Caves of Maghera, but I think that’s a bit too much
- Glengash Pass to Glencolmcille
- Glencolmcille Folk Village
- Sliabh Liag
- Drive back to Derry! (Wanting to get back by 7pm at the latest)

Is it a big mistake to not take on Inishowen? I just don’t see how we would be able to fit that in. Appreciate any and all advice :)

Hello all! My husband and I will be taking our first trip to Ireland in October, and I’d love some feedback on our itinerary before I book hotels. A couple notes, it’s just us traveling, we’re active, but not planning long hikes, love nature, good food, history, nice hotels.

Day 1- Arrive early to DUB from the US, take taxi or bus to train station, take train all the way to Killarney arriving by late afternoon. Stay overnight in town.

Day 2- Pick up rental car, explore gap of Dunloe, etc around Killarney. Drive to Dingle, check into 2nd hotel.

Day 3- Explore Dingle Peninsula, dive up to Spanish Point by early afternoon. Check into hotel #3. Do Cliffs of Moher that day, or the next.

Day 4- Cliffs, sightseeing, drive up to Galway by lunchtime (take ferry to avoid Limerick drive?). Lunch/shopping in Galway. Drive to Ballynahinch by check in time.

Day 5- Day around Connemara area sightseeing, 2nd night at Ballynahinch.

Day 6- Back to Galway, drop rental car. Take train to Dublin, check in. Explore town.

Day 7- Day in Dublin, 2nd night in hotel.

Day 8- Morning flight home.

Does that feel like a reasonable itinerary? My husband is concerned that it will involve too much jumping around, but I don’t want to regret staying put too much. I’d originally planned 2 nights in Dingle and 1 in Dublin, but my husband wanted to spend more time in Dublin, understandable!

A few notes- the first day is a Sunday so regional car rental counters are mostly closed. I’m also trying to avoid being stuck wandering around jet lagged with nowhere to rest the first day (Did that on a London trip last year and never again).

Thanks in advance for your help!

EDIT- The consensus seems to be that I’m being too ambitious 😅 The most logical stretch to cut would be Killarney/Dingle, but I would be sad to miss that part of the country…

The family and I will be leaving Limerick in the morning to head for Banbridge in the north. We’ll be going cross country as opposed to heading for Dublin then going north from there so if anyone has any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Anything goes Thanks folks

Hello All!

My GF and I are planning a Ireland trip mid-August. The trip will be 8 nights total: 3 nights in Dublin, then a rental car to the West Coast for 4 nights, then another night at Dublin airport, because we have a very early flight back.

I'm in the early stages of planning, so I'm looking for more things to do, and happy for changes. But my girlfriend is set on visiting Dingle, so I'm planning a full day exploring Dingle Peninsula at some point. We like basic sight seeing, cities, nature, music, food/pubs. We're not big into arts, museums. I'd like to do a short scenic hike at some point (<3 hours).

I'm currently torn between two plans:

Day	Travel	Activities
1	Dublin > Galway	Drive Attractions? > Explore Galway
2	Galway > Tralee/Camp/Dingle Area?	Cliffs of Moher > Talbert Ferry > Carrigafoyle Castle
3	Tralee/Camp/Dingle? > Killarney	Dingle Peninsula
4	Killarney > Cork	Explore Killarney > Muckross Abbey > Explore Cork
5	Cork > Dublin Airport	Drive Attractions?

Or

Day	Travel	Activities
1	Dublin > Limerick	Drive Attractions?
2	Limerick > Killarney	Dingle Peninsula
3	Killarney	Ring of Kerry > Kerry Cliffs
4	Killarney > Cork	Explore Killarney > Muckross Abbey > Explore Cork
5	Cork > Dublin Airport	Drive Attractions?

Which one would you recommend? Does it look like too much driving?

Thank you much for your help.

Hi everyone!

We're a couple (late 20s) visiting Ireland from Montreal during the first half of October 2026. It'll be my first trip and my partner's second. I've spent quite a bit of time reading previous posts on this subreddit and this itinerary is based on the advice I found here, but I'd love some feedback before I start booking accommodation.

We're renting a car and are looking for a relaxing road trip rather than trying to tick every tourist attraction off a list. We enjoy:

• traditional pubs and live music
• scenic drives and coastal landscapes
• wandering around towns and cities
• short walks and viewpoints (not serious hiking)

We're also very aware of Ireland's drink-driving laws, so we'll always plan ahead and have a designated driver who doesn't drink.

Here's our current itinerary:

• Oct 3–5: Dublin (3 nights)
• Oct 6: Kilkenny (1 night)
• Oct 7–8: Cork (2 nights)
• Oct 9: Dingle (1 night)
• Oct 10: Limerick (1 night)
• Oct 11: Galway (1 night)
• Oct 12: Sligo (1 night)
• Oct 13: Derry (1 night)
• Oct 14–15: Belfast (2 nights)
• Oct 16–17: Dublin (2 nights)
• Oct 18: Fly home

The longest driving day is about 2–2.5 hours before stops, and we actually enjoy taking our time on the road.

I'd really appreciate feedback on a few specific questions:

1. Does this itinerary feel rushed, or is it a reasonable pace for two weeks?
2. Are there any overnight stops that you'd combine or skip to spend more time elsewhere?
3. Is one night in Dingle, Limerick, Galway and Sligo enough if our goal is to get a feel for each place rather than see everything?
4. If you had to remove one stop to make the trip more relaxing, which one would it be and why?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Edit: Thank you for all your heads-ups. I’ve posted a revised itinerary in the comments that gives us more time to enjoy each place.

Hi everyone! My wife and I are currently planning an anniversary/late honeymoon road trip around Ireland and I’m looking for some help overcoming my decision paralysis. I’m looking for personal opinions and experiences regarding the specific questions posed at the end.

We’re coming in late October (Oct 23 - Nov 3) and driving pretty much the entire island, with the intent to attend the Halloween festival in Derry on Halloween.

Here’s the barebones itinerary, as I’m still working on it:

Oct 23 - Arrive in Dublin, get a car and immediately drive to Kilkenny for a night stay

Oct 24-25 - Cobh/Cork

Oct 25-26 - Anniversary stay in Tralee

Oct 26 - Backtrack to Kenmare to start Ring of Kerry

Oct 26 - 28 - Ring of Kerry (plus Dingle Peninsula?)

Oct 28 - 29 - Galway

Oct 30 - Arrive in Derry

Oct 31 - Halloween Festival

Nov 1 - Giant’s Causeway -> Belfast

Nov 2 - Back to Dublin

Nov 3 - Departure flight

I’m working on our itinerary and I’m starting to try to make some cuts so that we can actually slow down and enjoy the trip instead of trying to cram everything in. So I have 2 main decisions I am looking for opinions on. Looking for personal opinions/experience/antecdotes:

1. ⁠⁠Is the Dingle Peninsula a MUST SEE, or would it make sense to cut it from the itinerary all together if doing so would allow us 2 days to enjoy the Ring of Kerry and 2 nights in the Galway area (as opposed to trying to cram Dingle in between and only getting one day for Kerry and one day for Galway)?
2. ⁠⁠We’ll be getting a car in Dublin and immediately getting out of the city when we arrive to start the trip — so we won’t really see Dublin to start the trip. BUT we’ll have 2 days after the Halloween festival in Derry and the only thing we really want to see after that is Giant’s Causeway. So my question is, would it be better to do one of those nights in Belfast and one in Dublin — to cut down on being in the car so long and just to see Belfast — or should we just skip Belfast and get back to Dublin for the extra night so we have a full day in Dublin before flying out the next day?

Hi, 

I am traveling solo, coming from Dublin city center and departing from Shannan airport. I will have 2 partial travel days and 4 full days to visit the countryside.

I keep reading you can’t go wrong visiting any part of countryside, but somehow I am finding myself gravitating towards north/northwest Ireland. It seems like scenery may feel more dramatic and unique to what I’ve seen before. Also I’m going mid/late August and wondering if the southwest will feel very busy/touristy.

However, I am still feeling FOMO when I think about skipping the southwest. I wonder maybe all these tourists go to the southwest for a reason. The pictures of all the various regions online look so beautiful so me, so trying to choose by googling pictures of the regions hasn’t helped me.

ANYWAY my question is:

Is Sligo/Donegal/Connemara doable in my time frame? I’m not a lingerer but I also don’t want to feel frantic. According to AI it is doable. 

Tour is at 6. Guinness restaurants are closed at 6. Would love something right there walkable. Casual is better. Monday night.

I need help deciding! The only day we have available for Gap of Dunloe is 7/6 after 11:00AM so any tours are out. I planned to take a taxi from our hotel to Kate's Cottage. I'm trying to decide if we should attempt to get a jaunting car all the way to Lord Brandon's or if we should just walk as much as we want and then return to Kate's. We love to hike so 5 mi/8 km would be manageable.

If a jaunting car is even available around noon, would we have enough time to catch the last boat to Ross Castle? Are we missing out on an awesome part of the experience if we don't do the boat?

Is walking a better way to experience the gap anyway? My youngest loves checking out old structures.

How likely is it we could walk to Lord Brandon's and then catch a jaunting car ride back to Kate's? The full walk there is within our ability, but I think my children would mutiny if they had to walk back. Also, are taxis pretty easy to get at Kate's or should I book ahead of time?

Thanks so much! We're so excited and I just want to plan for as much as I can ahead of time so we can experience this beautiful area to the fullest!

I am going to Ireland in a few weeks and have a day to explore Killarney National Park. I am also training for an ultramarathon, so I thought this would be the perfect place to go for a long run.

I would love to know some of people's favorite trails in the area! I've seen some stunning ones on Google, but would love to hear from other runners what you liked best!

We’re a family from the Netherlands with young children. Halloween isn’t really celebrated where we live, but my oldest child (7 years) wants to celebrate Halloween. The USA would be a bit too far for us, and Ireland has always been on our travel list anyway, so we thought this would be the perfect excuse for a short family getaway.

At first, I found the Derry Festival, but hotels are already either almost fully booked or very expensive. We could sleep somewhere else, but I'm a little worried about getting around outside the city with young kids if taxis or public transport are limited. And with a car... parking might be a challenge I think and to be honest, we suck at driving on the left side.

We’re not looking for anything huge. Honestly, a bonfire, children dressed up in Halloween costumes, people who are handing out sweets would already be great. We're open to anywhere in Ireland or even another nearby European country.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a town, village, neighbourhood, or event that would be suitable for a family with young children?

Thanks in advance!

We are headed to Sliabh Liag next week and I am trying to figure out the parking situation. There seems to be a car park at the bottom and a smaller one at the top. I’ve looked at Google Maps and there are cars parked at both but the picture of the lower car park also shows a shut gate??? With a car driving behind it towards the smaller one at the top???

We’re (last minute!) planning our family’s first trip to Ireland in late September of this year. Two adults, two boys ages 8/11. Note, my kids are good travelers and have traveled abroad but realistically also have a lot of energy and not much patience for museums/slow paced tours. We’re flying round trip to/from Dublin. I have read the wiki and appreciate the info. Tentative itinerary below, all suggestions welcome! Especially if you think something is a must-do or not-do with kids.
A couple general questions…
I’d like to do a falconry experience, any suggestions that would fit well into our itinerary?
Are airbnbs popular in Ireland? We find having two rooms and a kitchen is helpful with the kids and saving money. It seems b&bs are popular - I’m open to suggestions of where to look for those also! We’re booking this all late so a lot of places are full. Thanks in advance!

Day 1 (Saturday) - Arrive AM in Dublin, take it easy, explore city, early dinner and bed
Day 2- get rental car, drive to Dingle, stop at Rock of Cashel along the way for exploring/energy spending, spend evening in Dingle
Day 3- Dingle peninsula, drive the Slea head loop
Day 4- another day in Dingle, maybe a wildlife boat ride? (Should we use this day differently? I want some down time for us and kids.)
Day 5- head to Killarney, Killarney National Park, Ross Castle?
Day 6- Ring of Kerry drive, evening in Killarney
Day 7- drive to Cliffs of Moher, then back to Dublin (is this too much driving for one day?)
Day 8- fly out of Dublin (11am flight)

I will have one full day (Sunday) to spend in Kilkenny. Coming from Dublin on the DART so I’m looking for suggestions for what to do while I’m there. Thinking I can probably stay 7-8 hours.

Trying to figure out the best way to carry wallet and items while exploring the city? I want to use a backpack, but unsure if theft is common or if I should keep my wallet in my front pocket or whatnot…

Hello, heading from Dublin Airport to Mountshannon, County Clare. Four kids after a redeye. The four year old has a tendency. Drive times look comparable, and I'm not worried about stops, scenery, anything other than if you had to place a bet, which route is less likely toinduce any vomiting: M7 or M6?

Hi all,

I'm 26M from New York taking a solo trip to Ireland in August for 8 days, mostly staying in hostels. Itinerary's built but would love feedback and recs, especially food. Interested in Irish history and a small hike or two if possible.

Day 1-3 (15th-17th): Dublin

• Booking Guinness Storehouse and plan on doing GPO Museum, Trinity College, and the Little Museum. Otherwise nothing planned except for pub crawls and meeting people. Red-eye arrival on day 1, so taking it easy that day.
• Train to Killarney afternoon of the 17th, so evening recs for Killarney appreciated.

Day 4 (18th): Ring of Kerry

• Renting a car, driving the Ring clockwise from Killarney. Maybe a stop at Killarney National Park. Sticking to wider/easier roads where I can.
• Overnight B&B in Portmagee. Good stops along the way would be great!

Day 5 (19th): Skellig Michael

• The landing cruise I booked has been a dream of mine, so fingers crossed it goes ahead. Backup plan is driving to Dingle if not. Back to Killarney that evening.

Day 6 (20th): Killarney -> Galway

• Bus to Galway, probably morning departure for more time there unless there's anything in Killarney worth staying a few extra hours for.

Day 7 (21st): Galway/Cliffs of Moher

• Nothing set for Galway besides pubs and music. Considering a Cliffs of Moher group tour, unless there's more in Galway worth checking out and the Ring will get me enough of my cliff fix.

Day 8 (22nd): Galway -> Dublin

• Train back to Dublin sometime this day, flying out the next morning.

Thanks in advance!

My partner and I, active 40 yo male and 29 yo female, are flying from Knoxville, TN to Dublin, Ireland from August 26th of 2026 for first half vacation and last half business for my partner. For that we have to be in Galway on Sunday night (or really Monday morning) through Tuesday afternoon. So our trip is from Aug 26th to Sept 2nd. Thinking €3,500-4,000 for two, not including flights. We would need automatic transmission, but would be comfortable driving on the left hand side of the road and are both cautious drivers and aware/courteous of other people/animals on the road. It would be just us two traveling. We have no dietary issues, anxiety around driving, or mobility issues.
We both enjoy drinking, with me enjoying cocktails more than beer, but my partner enjoys beer. We also like hiking/being active, playing games like uno in a pub, and going to local businesses for shopping for sweaters, art, and other fun local goods.
For ease, I included stars (*) near the bottom for summarized questions.

Day 1: Arrival to Dublin — easy first day beating jet lag. Window shopping and a stroll in the city centre, early dinner and drinks near

Day 2 — Trinity College (booking ahead), maybe Guinness Storehouse, brunch, wine and cheese, dinner, and a pub crawl all in the city centre.

Day 3 — Train to Howth (~30 min), cliff walk, seafood lunch in Howth village, return to Dublin to pick up rental car, drive to Kilkee Co. Clare (~3hrs), Kilkee Cliffs walk, either stay in Kilkee or push on to Doolin for dinner and live music.

Day 4 — Cliffs of Moher right when they open (avoiding 11am-4pm) at Hag’s Head, drive through The Burren, stop in Ballyvaughan and New Quay villages, Dunguaire Castle, check into Galway accommodation, dinner and live trad music in Galway city centre.

Day 5 — Connemara day trip: Kylemore Abbey, Sky Road, Clifden, maybe Connemara National Park hike if time. Back in Galway for dinner and late drinks in the city centre.

Day 6 — Galway Market, Galway Cathedral, coffee along the river, walk Nimmo’s Pier, Salthill Promenade to Blackrock Diving Tower, shop the West End, partner’s conference check-in, dinner and drinks in the city centre.

Day 7 — Partner’s conference so me solo, two options: ferry to Inis Mór, rent a bike on the island, Dún Aonghasa — OR slow day exploring Galway city centre, museum, and walking from the Spanish Arch to Salthill. Back with partner for dinner and drinks in the city centre.

Day 8 — Galway to Dublin via Athlone (~1hr), stop at a historic pub and Athlone Castle, continue to Dublin (~1.5hrs), return rental car, pint and dinner in the city centre.

Day 9 — Leave

*Is Day 3 realistic or should we cut Howth and head straight west?

* if one of those day options suck, should we replace it with one of the following 3, which fits best given our interests and current route?

1. Cork — culinary scene, Blarney Castle & Gardens (€23), live music
2. Ring of Kerry — Kerry Cliffs, Carrauntoohil Mountain
3. Dingle — pubs, local food scene,sea tour, hold a baby lamb (€6), Coumeenoole Beach, Dunquin Pier at sunset, Clogher Strand, Gap of Dunloe, shopping out west

*Is the Inis Mór ferry worth the solo day or better to stay in Galway?

Hi all, can you please review my travel itinerary for my upcoming trip to Ireland this August with my buddies (mid-20s). The only real concern I have with it is feeling too packed and I think that feeling comes with the Northern Ireland portion. I’ve put several hours of research into this and am curious about what you all think.

Thank you!!

Day 1 – Aug 14: Travel
Overnight flight to Ireland
Sleep / recover on arrival day

Day 2 – Aug 15: Shannon → Killarney (easy day)
Arrive at Shannon
Pick up rental car
Stop: Bunratty Castle
Optional quick stop: Limerick / King John’s Castle
Drive to Killarney
Chill pub night (light drinking, early night)

Day 3 – Aug 16: Ring of Kerry
Full day driving the Ring of Kerry
Stops:
Killarney National Park
Ladies View
Evening: relaxed drinks in Killarney (moderate night)

Day 4 – Aug 17: Killarney → Galway (scenic travel day)
Drive to Galway
Ferry via Shannon Ferry
Stop: Cliffs of Moher
Arrive Galway
Walk:
Spanish Arch
Tigh Neachtain
Chill night (rest for big night tomorrow)

Day 5 – Aug 18: Galway (BIG NIGHT #1)
Optional day trips (light version):
Connemara National Park
Kylemore Abbey
Afternoon recovery / nap
Night: BIG nightlife night in Galway
Latin Quarter pubs
Live music crawl

Day 6 – Aug 19: Galway → Belfast (travel + reset)
Late morning departure (10–11 AM)
Optional single stop ONLY:
Sean’s Bar OR
Clonmacnoise
Drive to Belfast
Check in
Explore city at night

Day 7 – Aug 20: North Coast (relaxed scenic day)
Drive Belfast → coast loop
Stops:
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Giant’s Causeway
Dunluce Castle
Optional stop: Bushmills for food/beer
Return to Belfast
Chill night

Day 8 – Aug 21: Belfast → Dublin
Drive to Dublin (~2 hours)
Check in
Afternoon:
Guinness Storehouse (book 2:30–5:00 PM slot)
Evening:
Drinking night hitting pubs

Day 9 – Aug 22: Dublin (final full day – calm)
Sleep in
Optional:
Trinity College Dublin
Walking city day (Grafton Street, St. Stephen’s Green)
Early dinner
Pack
Early night (VERY important for 6 AM flight)

Day 10 – Aug 23: Fly Home
6:00 AM flight
Leave hotel ~3:30–4:00 AM