Hello everyone!

I decided to book a last minute trip to Ireland frim Monday-Friday (literally bought plan tickets 2 days ago lol) and am leaving today. I arrive around noon on Monday and am leaving Friday at noon. All I have planned so far is to take a bus to Galway when I land in Dublin and walk around the city until nighttime. Then do a tour Tuesday (also looking for recs) and then take a train back to Dublin Tuesday night. Other than that, nothing is planned other than ideas to go to the Guinness Storehouse and check out a few pubs.

I guess I’m looking for recs on what to do in my short time in Galway and your must do recs for my last 2 days in Dublin.

I’m 30f, solo traveler if that matters.

Thanks!

Na próxima semana de outubro vou com minha esposa para Dublin..
Vamos ficar no Academy Plaza Hotel..
Sabem me dizer se a região ao redor é segura?
Principalmente a noite, quando voltaremos para o Hotel

Hello, I'm going to be a part of a short study abroad program from 1 January to 16 January 2027. I haven't gotten the full schedule for classes, but I do know we'll have 2 full days off, but they will likely not be consecutive and probably mid-week. This has limited the options I've considered for things outside of Dublin. I do not want to drive for 3+ hours each way anywhere if I have to be back the same day. It will be my first time in Ireland, so I want to know if anyone has some suggestions on day trips that have a 1-2 hour drive or train ride from the city. I'm a person who likes history, museums, architecture, ruins, libraries, etc. I also thoroughly enjoy just walking around the shops in tiny towns. I'll also do overtly touristy things if given the chance.

So far my ideas are either:

• Kilkenny because I can get there by train and it has all the things mentioned above.
• Newgrange and Bru Na Boinne, but I'd have to know that there's other things to do out there since I'd probably have to rent a car.
• Game of Thrones Studio Tour, to get away from all the learning I'll be doing in classes for 15-days with barely a break in between.

Any suggestions of information about the above and potentially other places to look into as I start planning would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

My wife and I are planning about 3 weeks in Ireland, looking at around mid May to early June. We would greatly appreciate some feedback on our initial itinerary planning. We’re in our 30s and most interested in nature/scenery, history, castles, wildlife, birding, and light-to-moderate hiking. Any feedback and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Day 1-2: Dublin

Day 3-4: Dublin to Sligo, visit Newgrange on the way. While in Sligo: Benbulben, Gleniff Horseshoe, Mullaghmore and possibly Glencar.

Day 5-7: Sligo to Galway. While in Galway: Connemara and Inis Mór / Aran Islands.

Day 8: Galway to the Burren to Cliffs of Moher. Overnight in Doolin.

Day 9-11: Doolin to Dingle. While in Dingle: Dingle Peninsula, Slea Head

Day 12-13: Dingle to Kenmare. Explore Kenmare and possibly Beara Peninsula.

Day 14-15: Kenmare to Portmagee. On Day 15 try to do Skellig Michael landing tour, or eco tour if not.

Day 16-18: Portmagee to Killarney via the northern Ring of Kerry. Gap of Dunloe and Killarney National Park.

Day 19: Killarney to Rock of Cashel to Kilkenny.

Day 20: Kilkenny to Dublin.

Day 21: Fly home.

We haven't yet started booking, so we are flexible and can make changes.

Thank you

My husband and I are visiting Ireland (for the first time) in the spring and hitting Galway, Killarney, Cork, and Dublin. I don't want to drive the whole thing, but have been considering renting a car just to drive from Galway to Killarney. Thoughts? Will that be especially difficult? I was just hoping to have a little more freedom to make stops between those points.

Traveling to Dublin In January for a wedding. Staying 2 nights in the city then heading out to the wedding venue. First time in Dublin, where should we stay? The Mont, The Grafton or The Westbury? These are options where I can use credit card points to book.

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?

My wife and I are planning a trip to Ireland in December, and we will be there on Christmas Eve/Christmas. We are intending to stay somewhere in reasonable proximity to the Dublin Airport for those last few days, where we can hunker down, cook some meals, and just enjoy each other. We are currently debating between Skerries and Ashbourne (I know, totally different).

Ashbourne would be cheaper, quicker travel time to get to/from, and seems like there would be a little more activity on Christmas Eve. But we may prefer the vibe of a smaller town.

Skerries would be more expensive but we would have a nice ocean view and definitely has a cute quainter vibe that might be nice after intense travel. The town itself looks a bit smaller and quieter, and potentially nothing open on Christmas Eve?

Just curious if anyone can provide any insight or additional pro/cons to help us out with our decision.

We are two adults/friends traveling together for a fun getaway. We enjoy seeing a mix of nature and historical sights. We are here already and here’s our schedule so far:

Thursday Oct 1 - We arrived in Dublin yesterday AM and hit the ground running. Did a tour of the Gaol as we were able to secure same day tickets. Walked around the city seeing some of the famous churches and walking through the Trinity campus. Was sad to see Dublin Castle is closed until January. So we took the train out to Howth to walk the cliffs which was lovely.

Friday Oct 2 - We took it easy today with a leisurely breakfast in Temple Bar, saw the book of Kells, visited a speakeasy and had dinner at a pub.

Saturday Oct 3 - We pick up our car at 7 am at the airport and start driving to Belfast. We plan to stop at Tollymore Forest on the way and have 4pm tickets to the Titanic Experience.

Sunday Oct 4 - We are going to Giants Causeway.

Monday Oct 5 - open

Tuesday Oct 6 - open

Wednesday Oct 7 - drive back to Dublin for 3pm flight

We have no plan on where to stop to stay the night on Sunday or our route for Monday and Tuesday. We do want to visit Cliffs of Moher and Dingle but open to other suggestions. Should we stay in Galway? We aren’t interested in touring museums but wouldn’t mind visiting a castle if there is one recommended that we will pass.

Hive mind please help! We are 4 adults in our late 40s trying to decide where to spend the second to last night and final full day of our first trip to Éire. We will take the last ferry from Rossaveel 3 June to spend that evening and most of the following day on an Aran Island. Asking for your insights to guide us. Inisheer for the feel or Inishmore for the activity? Any and all advice welcome thank you.

I'm bringing a group of about 36 friends on a college mini-reunion to Ireland the second week of June 2027. We're planning an 8-day 7-night stay and booked a coach bus for transportation. The concept is to arrive at Shannon Airport and then travel to Kilkenny from where we will take day trips involving Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford, Wicklow and Clare. We'll be spending most of our evening in Kilkenny. Average age of the group is about 65 years old.

Appreciate any advice on enhancing the trip with things to see and do. Thanks in advance. 

Day 1: Arrive at Shannon Airport (or the day before to rest up). Depart and travel towards Kilkenny. Stop along the way to visit the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary. Break for lunch in Cashel. Upon arrival in Kilkenny, check into The Pembroke. Wander around town. Enjoy a group dinner at the hotel.  

Day 2: Kilkenny. Guided tour of Kilkenny Castle in the morning. Break for lunch. Walking tour of Kilkenny in the afternoon.  

Day 3: Wexford. Tour the Kennedy Homestead where JFK visited his family and ancestral home during his time in Ireland. Speak with an Irish member of the Kennedy clan. Lunch break. Visit the replica Dunbrody Famine Ship and the Irish Emigrant Experience. On the way back to Kilkenny, stop at the Ballykeefe Distillery for a tour by the actual owner / operator and a whiskey tasting. 

Day 4: Free Day. A free day to explore at one's own pace. Wander around Kilkenny. Take a day trip to Dublin or golf, kayak, shop, dine, pub crawl, etc. at your leisure.  

Day 5: Waterford. Tour Reginald's Tower and the Viking Triangle. Lunch break. Tour the House of Waterford Crystal (get to see “back stage” in the workshops).   

Day 6: Wicklow. Visit and hike Glendalough. Lunch break. Tour the Avoca Woolen Mills, Ireland's oldest working mill.   

Day 7: Depart Kilkenny. Travel to Clare. Tour Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Lunch break. Visit the magnificent Cliffs of Moher before checking into the Shannon Airport Hotel for a farewell group dinner.  

Day 8: Departure day. Sad face.        

I posted here yesterday with an itinerary (which I will include below) asking for feedback and have made a lot of adjustments based on what commenters shared. Let me know what yall think!

Tentatively arriving in Dublin Jan. 18 in the morning

NEW ITINERARY

1 Travel to Dublin
2 Dublin
3 Dublin to Cliffs of Moher (Stay in Doolin)
4 Doolin to Killarney National Forest (Stay in Killarney for remainder of trip)
5 Day trip to Dingle, back to Killarney for dinner and sleep
6 Torc Waterfall
7 Kerry to London

Original Itinerary:

1 Travel to Dublin
2 Dublin
3 Dublin to Galway to Cliffs of Moher
4 Galway to Killarney National Forest
5 Killarney National Forest to Cork
6 Cork to Waterford to Dublin
7 Dublin to London (stay for days 7-9)
9 London to Dublin
10 Dublin to Home

Hi all! My husband and I are going to Ireland for my 30th birthday at the end of March. I am looking for some feedback on my rough itinerary. I really tried not to pack too much in as that’s the most common piece of advice I see on this sub. The first few days are pretty busy because as the Cliffs of Moher and the Slea Head drive are our non-negotiables. I tried to slow it down after that though.

Day 1
Land in Dublin 10:15 AM
Check into hotel/explore Dublin
Keeping this day very loose in case we are tired. Flying in from Toronto.

Day 2
Pick up car from Dublin City Centre
Drive to Galway (take our time, hit any stops along the way)
Spend the rest of the day/night in Galway

Day 3
Early morning trip to Cliffs of Moher
Spend rest of day/night in Doolin

Day 4
Drive to Dingle
Spend the day/night in Dingle

Day 5
Slea Head Drive
Spend the rest of the day/night in Dingle

Day 6
Drive to Killarney, explore National Park/Gap of Dunloe
Possibly stay in nearby castle about 30 minutes from Killarney

Day 7
Partial Ring of Kerry?
Explore Killarney
Night 2 in castle

Day 8
Drive back to Dublin
Drop car off
Spend day in Dublin

Day 9
Full last day in Dublin

Day 10
Fly home!

Hi everyone,

Me and my family (4 of us total) are going to Ireland for 10 days in mid October. Here’s our current itinerary (It’s a work in progress- tips and recs are very much appreciated!). The only thing that isn’t flexible Dublin in first 2 days, and flying out of Dublin on the last day! My uncle has driven there a couple of times, so driving is not the concern :)

Day 0-Fly in to 🇮🇪
Day 1 & 2- Dublin, doing the “classic tourist-y” things
Day 3- Drive to Killarney, stop at the Blarney Stone, hang around Killarney and/or see parts of the Ring of Kerry
Day 4- Driving around Ring of Kerry, sightseeing
Day 5 & 6- Travel to Doolin and go on a boat tour there, Cliffs of Moher
Day 7- Galway (We found a cool castle airbnb, so this is a bit of an adventure day)
Day 8- Ballyshannon (We have family there so we are staying with them)
Day 9- Stopping in Gilford (Where some family was born, so we have to see) and then going to Belfast
Day 10- Fly back🇨🇦

Thanks in advance! If there’s anything we should cut back on in terms of time, anything to skip, etc, please lmk. It is a super packed schedule 😮‍💨

I'm so excited for my Ireland trip and wanted a realistic check of my itinerary in October :) I hear that Google Maps is useless for driving time, is there any way to estimate arrival times?

Day 1: We're arriving from Edinburgh to Dublin @ 10AM so jetlag shouldn't be much of an issue. We were planning to rent the car at the airport straight away and make our way to our first hotel stop, which is castle hotel in county Kilkenny. Depending on drive time and how we feel, we were thinking of spending some time in Kilkenny before checking in late afternoon.

Day 2: Rock of Cashel, evening in Cork

Day 3: Cobh/Cork

Day 4: Muckross Abbey, Dingle

Day 5: Slea head drive, Dingle

Day 5: Checking in to a castle hotel in county Clare for a more relaxed day, maybe we'll do falconry or something on site

Day 6: Cliffs of Moher and Doolin, was planning on sleeping in Galway

Day 7: Galway

Day 8: drive back from Galway to Dublin, not sure how long this should take or if it's realistic to spend an afternoon somewhere along the way back. I'd like to get to Dublin just in the evening.

Day 9 and 10: Dublin

Day 11: Flight back

Basically the plan is do 1 night Kilkenny, 2 nights in Cork, 2 nights in Dingle, 1 in a castle in county Clare, 2 nights in Galway, 3 nights Dublin. What do we think?

Hi, we are heading to Ireland for 8 nights in mid October. We were originally planning to do a full road trip around the country but now we're considering just simplifying to Dublin and Galway and doing day trips from there. Do you think we'd regret not seeing the southwest (Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Dingle, etc.)? Not sure if we'll get bored staying in those two spots. We're an early 30s couple with varied interests across culture, nature, sites, etc. I'm comfortable driving the narrow roads.

• Sat Oct 10: Land around noon → Dublin. Casual site-seeing and flight recovery
• Sun Oct 11: Dublin site-seeing
• Mon Oct 12: Dublin. Glendalough half-day or Malahide and Howth (not sure)
• Tue Oct 13: Drive Dublin → Galway late morning. Latin Quarter, Spanish Arch
• Wed Oct 14: Galway. Connemara day trip (Clifden, Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey, Killary Harbour)
• Thu Oct 15: Galway. Cliffs of Moher + Doolin + Burren day trip
• Fri Oct 16: Galway. Free day, Salthill Promenade. Weather buffer for either day trip
• Sat Oct 17: Galway Saturday market, drive to Dublin to sleep before flight
• Sun Oct 18: Fly home late morning flight

My sister (40f) and I (43f) are traveling to Ireland for both our first times, next May/June. I have put together our rough itinerary, and have edited it back quite a bit after reading a lot of advice given to others about packing too much into a trip.

I'm wondering if this pace seems reasonable, or if I should get my editing pencil back out?

We are not much interested in distilleries or drinking related tourist attractions, but are certainly interested in have some pints in local pubs. We are also hoping to catch some sort of local sporting event somewhere along this itinerary (Rugby, hurling/camogie, association football, or gaelic football).

6.5 hour flight from Boston, east coast, US

Day 1, Friday

Land 8:30, get through customs, pick up rental car and drive north to Drogheda

Explore town, grab an early dinner, go to bed early

Day 2, Saturday

Leisurely morning, check out around 9:30, attend yarn spinning workshop nearby, 10:00 - 14:00

After workshop depart for Downpatrick.

Explore town for the evening, visit St Patrick's Grave.

Day 3, Sunday

Drive to Killyleagh to explore where our great-grandfather was born. See where else the day takes us.

Back to Downpatrick for the night

Day 4, Monday

See anything else in Downpatrick/Killyleagh area we want before leaving.

Start drive to Ballyfarnon, Kilronan Castle.

Open to stops along the way.

Enniskillen for lunch?

Check into Kilronan Castle between 16:00 - 17:00. Explore grounds.

Dinner at the castle or pub nearby for dinner

Day 5, Tuesday

Up early and drive to Benbulbin for Forest Walk, goal is to start around 9am.

Depart for Westport.

Lunch in Westport

Finish drive to Galway

Explore Galway for the evening

Day 6&7 are interchangeable if needed. Tentatively hoping to catch a sporting event one of these nights.

Day 6, Wednesday

Take ferry to Inis Mor

Rent ebikes and explore island (or hire guided tour)

Ferry back will pass by Cliffs of Moher

Back to Galway ~ 18:00

More Galway exploring

Day 7, Thursday

Set out for Kylemore Abbey, Connemara Region, Sky Road loop.

Back to Galway for the night.

Day 8, Friday (This might be the most aggressive day)

Depart Galway for Doolin , drive through the Burren on the way

Explore Doolin for a bit

Drive to Kilkee for lunch

Take Shannon Ferry from Killimer to Tarbert

End in Dingle for the evening

Day 9, Saturday

Rent e-bikes (alternative drive) and do Slea Head Loop.

Later afternoon, early evening go on Dingle Sea Safari

Back to Dingle for the evening

Day 10, Sunday (this is also a contender for most aggressive day...)

Depart Dingle, final destination is Dublin

Stop at Rock of Cashel

Kilkenny for Lunch

Drop rental at Dublin airport by 16:00

Check into hotel and explore Dublin for the evening

Day 11, Monday

Explore Dublin. Hop on/hop off bus?

Day 12, Tuesday

Fly home

TIA!

**Update: after reading so much feedback about moving slower and getting familiar with a smaller area, we have officially blown up this itinerary and will now focus on only 3-4 locales for longer stays, rather than moving around so much. Now looking at staying somewhere around Belfast (but not in Belfast), then Donegal or Sligo, Galway, and then back to Dublin.

Ok, trying to take the advice of “less is more” I’ve updated my itinerary. I’m not sure if I want to do another night in Dingle?

Also, can we take the train from Dublin to Cork. Get a car in Cork and return it in Limerick. Then train back to Dublin? Is the train a good idea? I like the idea of seeing the country from the train instead of having to focus on the road.

In summary: fly in and out of Dublin. 2 nights in Cork, 4 nights in Killarney, 1 night in Dingle, 1 night in Adare

Day 1: Arrive Dublin 1pm Saturday. Check in to hotel and spend evening in Temple bar area.

Day 2: Sunday:
Trinity college.
Guiness experience
Then drive to Cork.
Check in to hotel and have dinner in Cork. Plan 2 nights in Cork.

Day 3: Monday: Day in Kinsale.
Kinsale mead
The Spaniard pub
Night in Cork

Day 4: Tuesday: Spend day in Cork.
English market.
Middleton distillery.
In afternoon drive to Killarney. Night in Killarney

Day 5: Wednesday: Ring of Kerry
Killarney National Park
Kenmare.
Stay night in Killarney

Day 6: Thursday: Ring of Kerry
Gap of Dunloe
Stay night in Killarney

Day 7: Friday: Ring of Kerry
Skellig ring
Kerry cliffs
Spend night in Killarney.

Day 8: Saturday:
Drive to dingle
Slea head drive
Stay night in dingle

Day 9: Sunday:
Half day in Dingle
Drive to Adare
Stay night in Adare

Day 10: Monday:
Drive back to Dublin.
Stay night close to Dublin airport for early morning flight.

Day 11: Flight early in morning.

This will be our first visit for husband and I. Both in our mid 30s, would love a balanced trip. We are big fans of natural scenery, history, and cultural experiences. Husband also appreciate some good pubs/distillery visits.

- October 21st: evening flight out of US
- October 22nd: morning arrival in Dublin, bus ride to Galway. Take it easy and explore Galway rest of day
- October 23rd: Sign up for a day excursion group tour: Cliff of Moher, Dunguaire Castle, Burren, Doolin. Dinner in Galway.
- October 24th: sign up for a day excursion group tour: Connemara, Kylemore Abbey. Dinner in Galway. Explore pubs/live music
- October 25th: train ride to Dublin. Trinity college tour, Book of Kells, Dublin explore day. Evening in temple bar
- October 26th: Guinness storehouse, kilmaham gaol, St Patrick’s cathedral
- October 27th: morning flight back to US

Would love to hear feedback around:
- should we consider rental car + self explore rather than group tours? I keep having second thoughts about maybe we should rent a car and do a proper roadtrip around dublin/galway, or potentially change my second city to Dublin/Killarney or Dunegel instead??
- this is our first visit to Ireland. Are we thinking about the right places? Having some hesitation around whether we should focus on Dingle/ring of Kerry as well but worry that might be too much.
-overall pace: comfortable for two adults? Are we missing anything?
- pub/distillery/restaurant recommendations in Galway/Dublin for evenings.

Hi everyone, traveling to Ireland from the US for 7 days, landing Nov 6th at 5AM and leaving on Nov 12th for Scotland! Here is what I was thinking for each of the days and would love any suggestions on our route and if we should cut anything out or add!

Nov 6 - Land in Dublin at 5AM, full day in Dublin
Nov 7- Drive to Killarney with rental car
Nov 8 - Torc waterfall and natural park
Nov 9 - Drive to dingle and do seaside boat tour
Nov 10 - Drive to Cliffs of Moher early morning, night in Galway
Nov 11 - Morning in Galway, drive to Dublin at night
Nov 12 - Leave from Dublin to Scotland at 6AM

Has anyone here done the drive from Westport to Dingle without spending a night somewhere in between? I know it’s long, but my SO would like to do the drive (they aren’t the driver…surprise). Just trying to gauge how manageable it is.

Was thinking of taking the Shannon ferry to avoid Limerick.

Would also love some thoughts on a potential stop along the way for a meal or to stretch our legs.

Looking for advice on a first location for a July trip. 3 adults and 2 kids (9/12). We are locked into Dingle for 5 nights as the second “half” of our trip, but are looking for advice for the first half.

We are flying into Shannon and were thinking about the first three nights being in Co. Clare, but we are struggling with the idea of a location feeling too small- Lahinch or Doolin.

The plan would be:
Day 1 - travel from airport, check into hotel, get acclimated and enjoy some food and music.
Day 2 - Inis Mor for the majority of the day.
Day 3 - Cliffs of Moher, Burren.
Day 4 - travel day to Dingle. We’d stop for a hawk walk at Dromoland Castle (3 of us) while the other two get fitted for hurleys to be shipped home).

We aren’t locked into this location, but it seems to make sense geographically with the Shannon flight and stay in Dingle. We’d spend a day on Inis Mor, then another day exploring the area. One of the adults is older, but doesn’t have mobility issues. They just aren’t going to be up for hiking all day.

We have been to Dingle before and loved it, which is why we are heading back there and have no concerns about filling out those 5 days. We aren’t the type that like to hop from hotel to hotel and aren’t “check the box” travelers.

We enjoy getting to know a place over seeing as much as possible. Two of us have also spent time in Galway, Killarney and Kinsale, but did not like them as much as Dingle. But this could have been due to timing (trip exhaustion, wrong time of the week/season, etc)

Looking for alternative ideas or reassurance that 3 nights in one of these locations won’t feel “boring” or isolated.