alliesun10

Hello!

I would love some suggestions on my itinerary to Ireland in July. This will be the first visit for both my husband and I. Here is my plan:

Day 1:
Land in Shannon at 10AM
Drive to Galway via Cliffs of Moher
Afternoon/Night in Galway

Day 2:
Ferry to Inishmore via Ros a'mhil
---> Suggestions for things to do on Inishmore? Maybe Biking?
Night in Galway

Day 3:
Drive to Dingle in the early morning
----> Anywhere we should stop along the way? The drive is already a bit of trek...
Afternoon/Night in Dingle

Day 4:
Leave Dingle and drive the Ring of Kerry
Overnight in Killarney

Day 5:
Drive to Dublin with stops at Blarney Castle and Rock of Cashel
----> Any of other stops that should be made? Again a bit of a trek...
Overnight in Dublin

Day 6 & 7:
Dublin

Day 8:
Homeward bound!

We want to make the most of our visit, but don't want to feel like we are moving around so much that we are missing some sort of experience. Any suggestions on activities or restaurants that you enjoy in these places would also be very appreciated.

Thank you all

SeeDee

Taking a bike around Inishmore is a great way to get around the island as vehicular traffic is very light and distances short.
Travelling Galway-Dingle via Limerick city gives you the option of exploring Bunratty Castle and the adjoining Folk Park en route. Having passed through Limerick, some like Adare village as stopping off point before the final leg of trip.

Padraig

I presume that you are arriving on a transatlantic flight. If I am right, then the idea of travelling immediately to Galway on a circuitous route is unwise.

I don't see a point in going to Dingle just to sleep there, which is all that your itinerary allows. And Dingle is a bad starting point for driving the RoK. You should either go to Killarney for two nights, or you should cut the RoK and spend a day exploring the Dingle Peninsula.

In my opinion, Blarney is not worth the effort you would be imposing on yourself in order to include it.

Biking on Inishmore is a good idea if you are fit - it's hilly. The alternative is to take a tour offered by one of the many minibus operators who operate from the pier.

CLBtravel

Just returned from my first and only trip to Ireland. Cliffs of Moher spectacular -- spent 2 hours there and wish it had been longer. Do walk the trails away from the main tourist point. Weather matters so much, too -- we had a warm, bright, sunny day for the Cliffs. Ring of Kerry day was overcast and I was a bit disappointed with it, especially considering the time it took. Enjoyed the afternoon & evening before in Kilkarney, walking in the national park, much more (perhaps because it was sunny). Visited the abbey ruins there, walked along a river, around a lake, and to Ross Castle.
Blarney Castle was a pleasant surprise -- wasn't expecting the extensive gardens there. Rainy though and so didn't enjoy the walking as much as would have otherwise. I agree though that less road time and more time enjoying your stops is best but hard to do on first trip, when each area in Ireland seems very different.
Enjoyed Galway and the river but liked Limerick even more (although Rick Steves leaves the entire city out of his guidebook). Our hotel was right on the river & an easy walk to St. John's Castle and the medieval area of the city.
Enjoyed Inishmore, too, but it took a chunk of time to get to it.
Ireland is beautiful; you will enjoy whatever you do.

alliesun10

Thanks for the feedback!

After reading more last night, we do plan on doing a self-guided bike tour of Inishmore. We are fairly active 29 year olds, so I'm sure we will be able to handle the physical aspect of it.

Also, I should have mentioned before we are coming from London. So no worries about jet lag/lack of sleep/or forgetting what side of the road we are on

As far as Blarney Castle, in my mind I had originally written it off as being too touristy, and imagined myself waiting in an hour line just to kiss a rock. But then friends convinced me that it was a must for a first trip to Ireland. If I had to choose between Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle - which one do people prefer?

I hesitated on my Dingle portion of the itinerary as well. My hope was that if we were up and out of Galway by 8:00 or 9:00, we could get to Dingle by 13:00 and have time to explore the village. If I chose to skip Dingle and go right to Killarney, are there places to explore and things to do there? From what I've read, it really just seemed like a town that was a stopping point for the RoK.

Padraig

You could get from Galway to Dingle by early afternoon, but that's making work for yourself: driving past things and places that might be worth a stop because you have a self-imposed schedule to keep. And Dingle is not an "explore the village" visit. It's the start and finish point of the Slea Head drive, a trip that is not that long in distance, but is so full of interesting places to stop that you should allow several hours for it. I think that you should either commit a full day to Dingle or to the RoK, and not try for both.

My personal preference is Dingle, but other people see things differently.

If you opt for the RoK, Killarney is the natural base.

The Rock of Cashel is, for most people, a relatively short visit (the most likely exceptions being those with an interest in medieval ecclesiastical buildings). Cahir Castle is not far away, and might be worth an hour.

Limerick is not generally regarded as a tourist centre. It has a couple of things worth visiting, including King John's Castle and the Hunt Museum. You could take it in on the route between Galway and either Dingle or Killarney. I also endorse SeeDee's suggestions of Bunratty and Adare. If you take those options, then you can forget the idea of arriving in Dingle early in the afternoon. But you could have interesting journey.

alliesun10

Thanks for all the great suggestions Padraig!

After some consideration, we decided to drop Dingle and do two nights in Killarney for a visit to the RoK. The walks that CLBtravel describes sounds like a great way to spend the extra time in Killarney.

On our way to Killarney from Galway, we will pop by Bunratty Castle & Adare. Then, Rock of Cashel on our way to Dublin from Killarney. Anything else of interest to stop at on the way to Dublin? That drive isn't on the coast, so I get the impression there may be a little less to see along the way because of that?

jaja

Cahir Castle is a good visit. And this time last year admission was free because it is undergoing renovation.

Also the famine ship Dunbrody in New Ross.

The Vee Drive between Lismore and Cahir has wonderful photo ops.

Glendalough and Powerscourt are wonderful.

Obviously you can't fit all these in so you will have to make some hard decisions! It's all good....it's Ireland!

Bette

The walk that CLBtravel describes sounds like the Gap of Dunloe walk. We did it last April on a crystal clear, warm day and it is indeed a marvelous way to spend a day. We used Dux O'Donahue and started at Kate Kearney's cottage and walked 7 miles thru the Gap to Lord Brandon's Cottage where we had lunch. Then we boarded a boat and traveled back to Killarney (Ross Castle) via the Lakes of Killarney.
https://gapofdunloetraditionalboattours.com/

We have been to Ireland 8 or 9 times and this is at the top of our list of best days.

mnag

In our 11 day trip to Ireland including N. Ireland the Dingle peninsula in my mind stands out as the most scenic area(we covered Killarney national park including gap of Dunloe, ring of Beara, Connemara, Achill island etc). I would compare/contrast the pics online. But as stated by others before it does require at least a couple of hours or more to cover once you get to Dingle.

http://www.travelfearlesslyblog.com/...gle-peninsula/

Bette

I agree that Dingle is very scenic. The town of Dingle makes a great base for the Dingle Peninsula. We usually devote about 3 nights to Dingle Town if visiting the Dingle Peninsula. I just don't think the OP has time.

alliesun10

Thank you again for all the great suggestions. We have settled on the RoK, since it is a place we haven't wanted to visit for awhile and will save Dingle for a return trip! I appreciate the suggestions for the drive to Dublin as well, and will be picking out our favorite castles to visit!

One more question, currently we decided to return our car at the Dublin airport to save the hassle of driving in Dublin proper (which I heard can be stressful). However, since we are approaching Dublin from the south, this is out of the way. I was just looking and Avis has a location near the Kilmainham Gaol. This might be more convenient and seems to be a bit west of the main attractions, so perhaps not as crazy of a driving situation? Does anyone have any experience or suggestions with this?

Padraig

Kilmainham as a drop-off point is certainly workable if you are good at navigating. From there you can take a bus into the city centre, or use a taxi to get to your accommodation.