After our recent trip to the UK, I have perfected an Ireland Itinerary for you!
Ireland, so green, so quaint, so beautiful. Scenery to travel to the ends of the earth for with quaint cities and historic castles along the way. My husband and I enjoyed 4 lucky days in the land of the Irish. This is the itinerary we followed with a few modifications for what I wish we had done.
Usually, my blog is about traveling with kids. While I love traveling with my kids, it was certainly is nice to reconnect with my spouse without all the distractions on this trip. Not to mention it is much cheaper to travel by 2s! Everything we did on this trip could be done with kids, just plan extra time.
You could do this Ireland Itinerary forward or backward. It is a one-way trip from Dublin to Shannon Airport. If you are doing a round trip plan a few extra hours to drive back.
This Ireland Itinerary works if you are willing to rent a car and drive on the left side of the road. Please read all about driving on the “wrong” side of the road.
Ireland Itinerary Day 1: Dublin
Find a detailed Dublin Itinerary here.
Dublin Castle. I liked starting our day here because we got a guided tour including the history of Ireland.
Experience Viking and medieval at Dublina in the center of Christs Church Cathedral.
See the Book of Kells & Old Library Just down the street from the Castle is Trinity University. You can walk through the Temple Bar district and along the river on your way. See one of the 4 Gospels written in Latin from 800 AD.
Enjoy the peace and architecture of St. Patricks Cathedral
End the night with a little culture watching a River Dance show.
Ireland Itinerary Day 2: Dublin to Killarney
Drive through the scenic Wicklow Mountains, just south of Dublin.
Stop to see Guinness Lake. The overlook was a spectacular beauty, although the whole experience was overpowered by hurricane-force gusty winds.
Continue the scenic drive toward Glendalough valley. Walk through an early Christian settlement. Continue hiking through the woods around the lower and upper lakes.
If you have extra time, stop at Kilkenny Castle.
Stare in awe at the Rock of Cashel. The best view of this castle is from the road.
Kiss the Stone at Blarney Castle. If you arrive late in the day you won’t have to wait in line to kiss the stone! Lay on your back and lean out of the castle to kiss the infamous Blarney stone to have the gift of eloquence. Enjoy the huge area of beautiful gardens. Don’t inhale too deeply in the poison garden though! This could be the perfect relaxing place for a picnic dinner.
Spend the night in Killarney.
Ireland Itinerary Day 3: Killarney National Park and Dingle Peninsula
Find my detailed itinerary for Driving the Dingle Peninsula here.
Tour the Muckross House and Gardens. (Prince Charles was visiting when we arrived so we were unable to see this!)
Killarney National Park is beautiful. Hike toTorc Waterfall. 
Most people will start the Ring of Kerry from here. After doing some research, we opted for the Dingle Peninsula drive. We were definitely not disappointed, so I recommend this as well. However, I don’t think you can go wrong on the Ring of Kerry either!
Drive Down Inch Beach. The sand is hard and cars can drive right down the beach. In fact, I recommend it. Park where ever your heart desires, find some shells and dip your toes in the Atlantic.
Enjoy the colors and culture of Dingle. Cute shops, ships in the bay and Dingle the Dolphin swimming somewhere in the Harbor.
Driving the Dingle Peninsula– Full Dingle Itinerary. Stop everywhere your heart desires, but do not miss the hike to the westernmost point of Europe next to Coumenoole Beach. The view of the Ring of Kerry, the Blasket Islands, and the Dingle Peninsula was the absolute highlight of my Ireland trip!
Enjoy a night performance in Tralee at the National Folk Theater of Ireland.
Stay the night in Tralee or Limerick if you can make it that far.
Ireland Itinerary Day 4: Cliffs of Moher
Since today is an out-and-back trip, depending on the weather I would start at Bunratty Castle or go to the Cliffs of Moher first. Make sure you get the most visibility at the cliffs, so check the weather and plan accordingly.
The Cliffs of Moher is a sight not to be missed in Ireland. 6 miles of coastline that drops sharply to the ocean. We hiked along the cliffs for 3 miles and it was worth every step. The views never got old, although my fear of falling finally did wane after 2 hours..
The Village of Doolin is just north of the Cliffs of Moher. Small and quiet, it is the perfect place for a lunch break.
Burren National Park is such a stark contrast from the bright green scenery you have just left. It is only a small portion of the land, but its worth a drive-through, and even a short hike through this barren, stony land.
Bunratty Castle is just north of Limerick. The castle closes at 4 pm to get ready for a medieval feast. You can attend the castle and folk park earlier in the day or enjoy a feast in the castle later! Spend time in the gardens, looking at the medieval furniture collections and the accurately restored castle.
If you want one more night of dancing and music, head to The Lock Bar in Limerick for a delicious dinner.
Spend the Night in Limerick, Shannon or Ennis to take your flight home in the morning.
What to do if you are lucky enough to have more days in Ireland
If time permitted. Day 5 would be the city of Galway and Connemara National Park. Or maybe do the Ring of Kerry on day 3 and Dingle peninsula on Day 4. Travel Choices are always difficult!
Want more details about each day? Driving the Dingle Pennisula
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