Itinerary for Southern Ireland
Introducing our itinerary for...
SOUTHERN IRELAND
[ROAD-TRIP EDITION]
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COUNTRY FACTS
Country: Ireland
Capital: Dublin
Language: Irish & English
Time Zone: GMT+1 or 8 hours ahead of Phoenix
Weather by season: Jan-Mar 40’s, Apr-June 40-50’s, July-Sept 50-60’s, Oct-Dec 40-50’s
Currency: Euro
Exchange Rate for the USD: $1.12 = 1Euro (updated November 2019)
International telephone dialing country code: 011-353-area code and number
Food they’re known for: Irish stew, Irish soda bread, Corned beef with cabbage
Drinks they’re known for: Guinness beer, Irish Cider, Jameson whiskey
Tipping Expectations: 10% restaurants; must ask for check; round up to the nearest Euro for taxis
Popular Shopping Goods: Irish Milk Chocolate, a Claddagh ring, wool knits
Common Shop Hours: Most shops open 9am-5/6pm; bars open til midnight
Travel Adapter Type: G
Taxi Information: Taxis/Limos can be booked thru FreeNow app
Hotel/Accommodation Recommendations in Southern Ireland
Book your hotel at Booking.com today!
Hotel Name | Address | Includes | Check In Time | Checkout Time | B-fast Included? |
Pearse St, Dublin, Ireland | Wifi External gym 8.5E/day | 3pm | 12pm | No it’s 15E and amazing | |
1 Ormonde St, Kilkenny, Ireland | Parking 7E @ Ormonde Street Car Park Wifi in lobby No gym/pool | 3pm | 12pm | Yes | |
Carrigrohane Rd, Victoria Cross, Cork, Ireland | Parking Wifi in room Big Gym/Pool | 3pm | 12pm | No it’s 17.50E | |
Henry St, Kenmare, Ireland | No parking Wifi everywhere No gym/pool | 1pm | 11am | Yes | |
Upper Main St, Dingle, Ireland | Free parking Wifi in room No gym/pool Do your own laundry Bike rentals on site Very friendly staff | 1pm | 11am | No it’s 6E | |
1 Fisher St, Doolin, Ireland | Free parking Wifi No gym/pool Very friendly staff | 3pm | 11am | Yes | |
Galway, Ireland | No parking onsite Parking garage behind at City Park 12E/nt Wifi in room No gym/pool Hyde restaurant on site is good | 3pm | 12pm | No it’s 12E | |
1 Amiens St, Dublin, Ireland | Wifi in room Has a gym 630pm free wine/snacks | 2pm | 12pm | No |
AIRBNB IN SOUTHERN IRELAND
If you are looking for a more affordable option, an apartment rental is the way to go. Using Airbnb you can rent an apartment anywhere in the city. You typically don’t get the amenities of a concierge, breakfast, gym, pool, etc so you can get your stay for less than half the price of a hotel. You’ll want to book far in advance to get a great place with good reviews. Be aware, Barcelona isn’t the most Airbnb-friendly city so make sure you have a way of constant communication with your host. Get $40 off your first booking here: BOOK AN AIRBNB
We stayed at the airbnb called “Flat Next to Train Station and Subway” by Ignacio and it was a wonderful stay!
Destination Dorworth is a participant in affiliate links for Booking.com and Airbnb. These links are of no extra cost to you, and simply go towards the costs of keeping our site running! Thanks in advance for your support.
TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATIONS IN IRELAND
As this is a roadtrip itinerary, you'll need a rental car. We decided to road trip because we don't like to be rushed for time and told how long we have in each place. With big tour bus tours, you often have only 1-2 hours at each stop, so if you're really enjoying a certain place, you can't stay longer. You also may get stuck with a group of people you don't enjoy being around. For those reasons, we decided to do our own road trip. We were hesitant as we've heard the roads are tricky to navigate. Yes, they're very narrow, but nothing scary or dangerous. We had no accidents or fender benders at all, so we felt completely safe and were so glad we toured independently. We got to do things on our own time, which meant taking the back roads instead of the highways to see more of the countryside.
We picked up a rental car at the Dublin Airport Hertz and it was a smooth process. This itinerary begins in Dublin as it's the cheapest airport to fly into. So find a rental car in Dublin somewhere.
Keep in mind that roads are narrow so get a smaller car if all your luggage can fit. The highways will be quicker from town to town. However, we recommend taking the back, smaller roads when possible during the road trip for more beautiful scenery.
The first day or two in Dublin, you could get by without a rental car and instead use Taxis.
BOOKING RECOMMENDATIONS IN IRELAND
In the itinerary charts below, you’ll notice we mention “book now” or “book later”. If it says “book now” you truly must book tickets now, months in advance, as it’s a popular thing to do that sells out at peak times. If we say “book later” or wait, you could book it just before leaving or you could even just show up to the location and buy tickets that same day.
Lastly, don't forget to get travel insurance. With such a large trip like this in which you have to pre-book a lot, it would be awful to miss the trip and not get refunded for everything.
TEN DAY SOUTHERN IRELAND
ROAD TRIP SCHEDULE
DAY 0 Fly to Dublin
DAY 1 Arrive in Dublin
DAY 2 Dublin
DAY 3 Road trip: Kilkenny
DAY 4 Road trip: Cobh, Kinsale, & Cork
DAY 5 Road trip: Killarney & Kenmare
DAY 6 Road trip: Ring of Kerry & Dingle
DAY 7 Road trip: Cliffs of Moher & Doolin
DAY 8 Road trip: Connemara & Galway
DAY 9 Road trip: Galway & Dublin
DAY 10 Fly Home
Trip Details by day for the Ireland Itinerary
[road trip edition]
DAY 1 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Arrive in Dublin and stay awake all day to adjust to their time zone
Taxi ride to the Trinity City Hotel
Go to ATM for money exchange (if needed)
Reserve the Book of Kells in Old Trinity Library
Reserve the Irish Whiskey Museum
Walk and shop along Grafton Street
Walk through St. Stephen’s Green park
Reserve The Bank for dinner
Temple Bar pub crawl
DAY 1 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Book of Kells | 830am-5pm Expect to spend ~1 hour here | Trinity Old Library | 13E | Booked the tour with audio guides to visit 3 areas: exhibit, Treasury, and Old Library Long Room (the best part) | See a 1,200 yr old Monk Manuscript 680 pages from the Dark Ages |
Irish Whiskey Museum | 1030am-6pm Expect to spend 1-2 hours here | 119 Grafton St | 20E | Book ahead of time | Consider the Classic Tour which includes 3 tastings at the end |
Grafton Street | - | Grafton St | - | - | Lively street with shops & flowers |
St. Stephen’s Green | - | - | - | - | Walk through the park, see the beautiful lakes, and relax on the benches |
Temple Bar Bars: a)Gogarty’s b)Palace Bar c)Porterhouse d) Jimmy Rabbits | a)2pm-1230am b)12pm-1130pm c)1130am-12am d)12pm-12am | a)58 Fleet St b)42 Middle Abbey St c)Parliament St d)87 Camden St. | - | - | Pub crawl and live music spots |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
The Hairy Lemon | 1130am-10pm | Irish Pub | 41 Lower Stephen St | $$ | Try the Dublin coddle stew |
The Duke | 1030am-1130pm | Irish Pub | 9 Duke St | $$ | Buffet; Try the Irish stew |
Queen of Tarts | 8am-7pm | Tearoom Cafe, Bfast, Pastries | 3 Cow’s Lane Dame St | $ | Try a tart or apple crumble; outdoor seating option |
Leo Burdock | Noon-1130pm | Original Take away Fish & Chips | 2 Werburgh St | $ | They have large splittable portions of fish & chips to-go only |
The Bank | 11am-1130pm | Irish Pub in old bank w/live piano | 20 College Green | $$$ | Good oysters/mussels and cool ambiance |
Grafton Street shopping
St Stephen's Green park
St Stephen's Green park
Book of Kells tour
DAY 2 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Breakfast at the hotel to start tours early
Reserve Kilmainham Gaol
Reserve Guinness Storehouse
Checkout St Patrick’s Cathedral
Reserve Jameson Distillery tour
Reserve The Brazen Head Dinner Show
DAY 2 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Kilmainham Gaol | 9am-6pm | Inchicore Rd | 8E | Arrive 15min early | A historic jail that was turned into a museum; amazing historical stories about Ireland |
Guinness Storehouse | 9:30am-5pm Takes ~1.5 hours | Market St | 46E/couple | Arrive 15-min early; 22-min walk away from Kilmainham above | 6th floor Gravity bar with pano views, 4th floor get certified to pour-your-own |
St Patrick’s Cathedral | 9:30am-5pm | 21-50 Patrick’s Close | 7E donation | Free tours at 10:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, 3pm, or 3:30pm | It’s the tallest/largest church in Ireland |
Jameson Distillery | 10am-6pm It’s a 40-min tour | Bow St | 20E | Do a pre-dinner tour It’s a 8min walk to dinner after | Includes a 40min interactive tour with shots |
The Brazen Head Dinner Show | 7-945pm dinner folk show | 20 Bridge St | 52E | Includes dinner and show; great bar to hangout at after | The oldest pub in Dublin story-telling dinner show |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
PHX Bistro | 11:30am-10pm | Italian bistro | 12 Ellis Quay | $$ | by Guinness |
Kilmainham Jain
DAY 3 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Breakfast
Pick-up rental car to embark on the road trip (stop for water/snacks)
Drive to Kilkenny
Drop off luggage at the Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel
Visit Kilkenny Castle
Reserve Smithwick’s Experience (if you enjoy beer)
Checkout St. Canice’s Cathedral & Tower
Pub crawl
DAY 3 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Kilkenny Castle | 930am-530pm Expect to spend 1 hour here | The Parade | 8E | WAIT for sale at the door | Do self tour or 45-min guided tour for same price |
St. Canice’s Cathedral & Tower | 9am-6pm Expect to spend 1 hour here | Coach Rd | 4E cathedral and 3E tower or 6E combo | WAIT and buy there | 13th century; the tower climb is worth it |
Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny | 10am-6pm | 44 Parliament St | 16Epp hour long tour and a pint after at their bar | Tickets are for any day or time BOOK | Tours last 45-min and run every hour; this is not a working brewery but tour spot |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
Tang Cafe | 730am-5pm | Brunch | 23c Dawson St, Dublin | $$ | Good breakfast |
Petronella | 12-3pm and 5-9pm | Irish | Buttership Ln | $$$ | Try the sticky toffee pudding |
Kyteler’s Inn | 1030am-1130pm with 6pm music | Irish | 27 St Kieran’s St | $$ | They have a covered beer garden; cool historic ambiance; witch hunted cellar; popular place |
Matt the Miller’s Tavern | 11am-12am 9pm music | Irish | 1 John St Lower | $$ | Try the fish chowder or bangers & mash |
Cafe La Coco | 8am-5pm | Cafe | 4 Patrick St | $ | Small place; lunch or snacks |
Pubs:
Pub | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
Cleere’s Bar & Theatre | M/W 9:30pm music | Irish Pub | 28 Parliament St | $ | - |
Bollard’s Pub | 10am-12am; T/Th/F 9pm music | Irish Pub | 31 Saint Krevon’s St | $ | - |
The Hole in the Wall | 7pm-1am | Ireland’ Smallest/oldest pub | 17 High St | $ | Owner Michael is friendly and sometimes does sing-alongs; tiny bar |
Brewery Corner | 1pm-1130pm | Local Craft Beers | 29 Parliament St | $ | - |
Kilkenny Castle
St Canice's Cathedral
DAY 4 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Breakfast at the hotel to start tours early
Drive to tour the Rock of Cashel
Consider stopping at Cobh or Kinsale (if you have time)
Drive to Cork and check-in to the Kingsley Hotel
Drinks at Mutton Lane Bar
DAY 4 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Rock of Cashel | 9am-7pm go early | St Patrick’s Rock of Cashel | 8E includes 45min tour; 4.50E parking | WAIT and book there | Very cold & windy up the top of the hill; incredible tour and architecture |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
Mutton Lane Bar | Mon-Thur 10:30am-11:30pm and Fri-Sat 10:30am-12:30am | Drinks only | 3 St Patrick’s St | $ | The original and oldest bar in Cork; very tiny but hidden and unique |
The Old Town Whiskey Bar at Bodega | 10am-12am | Pan-global restaurant and bar | 44-45 Cornmarket St | $$ | Great selection of whiskey and food |
Rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel
Mutton Lane bar
Mutton Lane Bar
Cork
DAY 5 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Get breakfast in Cork
On the way to Killarney, stop at the Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone (17min drive)
Drive to Killarney
Consider stopping at the Laurels Pub for lunch
Drive through Killarney National Park and stop at view points along the lake
Continue the drive to Kenmare to check-in to Foleys B&B
Kenmare stroll through town
DAY 5 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Blarney Castle & Stone | 9am-6pm | Blarney | 16Epp | Any day/time tix bought but the earlier the better before the line gets long | Kiss the stone first before the line gets long; stroll the gardens; can ask them to sanitize the stone first |
Killarney Nat’l Park | 8am-6pm | Killarney National Park | Free | - | 25,000 acres drive with gorgeous lake; watch out for deer |
Kenmare Town Stroll | - | - | - | - | Checkout the shops, restaurants, and pubs |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
Liberty Grill | 8am-9pm | Breakfast; Burgers | Cork | $$ | Usually a line |
Cronin’s restaurant | 1215pm-930pm | Irish | College St, Killarney | $$ | Shepherd's pie, roast beef, & chowder |
The Laurels Pub | 12:30pm - 11pm | Irish | Main St. Killarney Co. Kerry | $$ | Great food and drinks with cute decor |
The Horseshoe | 5pm-10pm | Irish specializing in steak/ribs | Main St, Kenmare | $$$ | Try the chowder or crab |
The Lime Tree | 630-930pm | Seafood | Shelbourne St, Kenmare | $$$$ 39-49Epp | Try the lamb |
Blarney Castle
Time to kiss the Blarney Stone
road trip views
Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park
DAY 6 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Breakfast at B&B
Ring of Kerry scenic drive
Drive to Dingle and check-in to Barr Inn
Consider Dingle bike/hike
Dingle town walk + pub crawl
DAY 6 DETAILS
[RING OF KERRY STOPS: clockwise from Kenmare]
Destination | 0km | Hours | Price | Tips |
Glacier Lake | 17.6km | - | - | Just drive by it |
Staigue Ring Fort | 40.4km | - | 1E at gate donation box | 2.5mi off the highway but gorgeous |
Carroll’s Cove | 43.5km | - | - | Beach & Beachside bar for drinks/lunch |
Skellig Ring Loop | After 65km | - | - | Drive thru it and stop at the Skellig Chocolate factory |
Best View in County Kerry sign | 80km | - | 4E at hut | Coastal views to drive by |
Dingle to do:
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Bike & Hike to Eask Tower | 9am-7pm | - | 2E hike; 15E regular bike; 20E hybrid; 40E electric bike rental w/ helmet & lock | Book with Paddy’s Bike Hire or Dingle Electric Bike Experience | 1hr hike for 360 degree views; could bike around town |
Town Walk | - | Dingle | - | - | See Pg 258-264; don’t miss Harry Clark stained windows 3E open 9-5, Fungie dolphin statue |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
Bridge Bar at The Moorings | 9am-11pm | Seafood & Pub | Portmagee | $$ | Try the chowder or mussels |
The Blue Zone | 5pm-1030pm | Pizza & Jazz | Dingle | $$ | Pizza |
Dingle Pub Crawl: (Live music 9:30pm most places so arrive early for seats)
Restaurant | Hours | Address |
O’Flaherty’s | 11am-1130pm | Bridge St |
John Benny’s | 8am-1130pm | Strand St |
Dick Mack’s | Not listed | Green St |
The Dingle Pub | 9am-1130pm | Main St |
O’Sullivan’s Court House Pub | 4pm-12am | The Mall |
Stage Ring Fort
DAY 7 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Breakfast
Consider the Dingle Peninsula Loop Drive or drive straight to the Cliffs
Cliffs of Moher
Aran Island Boat Tour
Drive the beach in Doolin
Check into Inn
DAY 7 MORNING DETAILS
[DINGLE LOOP STOPS: clockwise from Dingle]
Destination | 0km | Hours | Price | Tips |
Beehive Huts | 13.2km or 14.7km | 9am-7pm | 3E | They’re called “clochans” |
Slea Head | 16km | - | - | Pullover for views |
Blasket Views | 16.7km | - | - | Pullover for views |
Great Blasket Centre | 21.3km | 10am-6pm | 5E | History museum |
Clogher Head Pullout | 23.1km | - | - | See views of the Three Sisters & Sybil point; 15-min walk to the view point |
Gallarus Oratory | 33km | - | Free | Old church |
DAY 7 AFTERNOON DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Aran Island Boat Tour | 1hr trip total | Sails past Cliffs of Moher | 15Epp paid Bring voucher and coins for parking at pier | BOOK Arrive early for best seats on boat | Great views of cliffs from the water |
Cliffs of Moher | 9am-7:30pm Most people spend 1-2hrs | - | 6E | WAIT buy tickets when there | Incl. exhibit, movie, cliff walk; see O’Brien’s tower |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
My Boy Blue | 8:30am-5pm | Breakfast | Holyground, Dingle | $ | Small menu but good reviews; try the huevos rancheros |
Cliffs View Cafe or Puffins Nest | 9am-7pm | Cafes | Cliffs of Moher center | $ | Snacks & ice cream |
Ivy Cottage | 10am-6pm | Sandwiches/Burgers | Doolin (across from inn) | $$ | Good burgers, quiche, chowder. Sit outside in garden if nice. |
McGann’s Pub | 12pm-12am | Irish Pub | Doolin | $$ | Great fish & chips. Music starts after 9:30pm. |
Gus O’Connor’s | - | Irish Pub | Doolin (across from inn) | $$ | Live music with traditional music |
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Doolin beach
DAY 8 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Breakfast at Inn
Drive to Connemara National Park
Kylemore Abbey and eat lunch
Killary Sheep Farm (12min drive from Abbey)
Drive back to Galway (1hr 15min)
Check-in at Forster Court Hotel
Galway town walk & pub crawl
DAY 8 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Connemara National Park | 9am-530pm | near Letterfrack along N59 | free | - | Tea room there with snacks; walk/hike around |
Kylemore Abbey | 9am-430pm Need ~2 hours Under construction | Kylemore | 12.60E | WAIT to book | Monastery with Victorian walled gardens, church, walks; 20min history talks at 1pm. |
Killary Sheep Farm | - | Near the Park | 12E | BOOK ahead of time | Includes tour, see sheep dog demo, sheep shearing. Our favorite part of the trip! |
Galway Walk | - | - | free | - | Walk the shops and pubs |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
McDonagh’s | 12pm-11pm takeaway or 5-10pm sit down | Fish & Chips / Seafood | 22 Quay St, Galway | $ | Fast food |
Murphy’s | 12pm-8pm | Ice-cream | 12 High St | $ | Try Dingle sea salt or caramelized brown bread |
The Dough Bros | 12-9 | Pizza | Unit 1 Cathedral buildings Middle St, Galway | $$ | Try the ceasar or truffle wood fired pizza. Amazing pizza! Worth the wait. |
Pubs:
Restaurant | Hours | Address | Tips |
Tig Coili | 1030am-1130pm | 24 Mainguard St | Music 6 & 10 |
Monroe’s | 10pm-2am | 8 Upper Dominick St | Music nightly |
The Crane | - | 2 Sea Rd | Music 930 |
Taaffe’s | 10am-1130pm | 19 Shop St | Music 530 + 930 |
The Quays | 1030am-2am | 11 Quay St | Music 930 |
Kylemore Abbey
Kylemore Abbey Gardens
Kylemore Abbey Gardens
Killary Sheep Farm
Killary Sheep Farm
Killary Sheep Farm
DAY 9 AT A GLANCE
Plans:
Breakfast
Reserve Ashford Castle private falconry tour
Drive to Dublin (2hr 24min drive)
Dublin Castle
Return rental car
Check-in to hotel
Bull & Castle dinner
DAY 9 DETAILS
Destination | Hours | Address | Price | Booking | Tips |
Falconry Hawk Walk | - | Ashford Castle | 200E total for 4 people; price varies by group size | BOOK your private tour | Park in visitor car parking and walk thru castle grounds; arrive at least 20min early as it’s a long walk to the building |
Dublin Castle | 9:45am-5:15pm Expect to spend 1-2 hours | Dame St | 10E one hour guided tour or 7E self-tour | A 700-yr old castle where the tours run every half hour |
Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:
Restaurant | Hours | Type of Food | Address | Price | Tips |
The Bull and Castle | 12.30pm - 10.00pm | Steakhouse | 5-7 Lord Edward St, Dublin 2, D02 P634, Ireland | $$$ | Nicer restaurant with dim lighting and bar upstairs |
Ashford Castle School of Falconry
our road trip crew at Falconry school
We hope our Ireland road trip travel itinerary helped guide your travels
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