Ireland - 3 nights in Kenmare
 

We’re going to have 3 nights in Kenmare – as part of a 2 weeks vacation in August. We will be coming from Castlegregory, so the drive to get to Kenmare is not too long (about 2 hrs on the aaroadwatch site). Is it feasible to plan seeing Killarney NP, Muckross House, Ross Castle, Gap of Dunloe that day?
Then we will spend the next 2 days exploring Beara peninsula.

Are we trying to do too much the day we’re driving to Kenmare? We would like to do the Gap of Dunloe tour, the boat tour, the horse drawn cart…how can we fit all this? Thanks

on our June trip, from Dingle, we got to Kate Kearney's cottage at 10am for our trip thru gap/lakes/to Ross Castle...then on to Kenmare. There is an alternate road from Killarny to Kenmare that is quicker than the scenic route thru park/past ladies view/moll's gap.

This takes most of the day and you will need to arrange for transportaion back to Kate Kearny's to your car...or book tour to/from Killarney.

You could visit Ross Castle and/or Muckross House and drive scenic route thru park on way to Kenmare.

Next day, do Gap of Dunloe.

then 3rd day explore Beara...from Kenmare we were able drive to get boat to Garnish Island, drive part of Beara Penisula...don't miss Healy pass! We had lunch in Ardgroom then back to Kenmare in time to walk around and shop and relax a bit before attending Mass at St. Mary's, then dinner/music at Foley's.

So to answer your question...yes...you would need atleast 2 days to do Killarny NP, Muckross House, Ross Castle, and Gap of Dunloe.

Note: you really need a perfect day for the gap because you will be outside all day, there is shelter/RR/cafeteria at Lord Brandon's after Gap while you wait for boat thru lakes to Ross Castle.

Chip,
Did you do the tour on your own or had an organized one? There seem to be quite a few web sites for different companies that organize this – any recommendation?

The problem with the tour is the departure time - 10am in Killarney. That’s not impossible, but not our vacation style – a little bit too early, considering the 1 ½ hr drive from Castlegregory.

We would like to do this on our own. Taking your advise, we will probably visit Ross Castle and Muckross House the first day (plus Torc waterfall and Ladies’s View), on the way to Kenmare then do the Gap the 2nd day. You say that “you will need to arrange for transportation back to Kate Kearny's to your car” – how do you do that? Does the ‘transportation’ mean the boat?

Is it possible to walk part f it and then take one of those horse-carts for the rest of it? Is there a central place where these can be hired? Thanks.

the trip from Kate Kearney's thru the gap (jaunting cart, walk, bike, or horseback)to Lord Brandon's where you can take a boat thru lakes to Ross Castle is a one way trip.

we prearranged the trip thru one of the Killarney tours(I believe it was Adventure tours/had vintage bus)...but met them at Kate Kearney's (they usually meet in Killarney) and we had a driver that picked us up at Ross Castle...can be part of the tour

You can always get a jaunting cart at Kate Kearney's Cottage...I am sure that you could arrange to take cart back from Lord Brandon's or hike back. If you arrange on your own...note that the cart drivers are pretty aggressive about getting your business. Do go all the way up to Kate Kearney's to the parking lot. There is a stand where you can hire the jaunting cart drivers. I would talk to them and get a chatty driver that can share history and stories of the gap.

There were jaunting cart drivers at Ross Castle and near Muckross House also...not sure what routes they take.

There are some steep parts of the ride that some of us had to get out and walk...my aunt and mother-in-law have health issues and road all of the way.

By Jaunting cart it took at least 2 hours to get to Lord Brandon's then another 2 hours or so on the boat to Ross Castle. We spent at least an hour at Lord Brandon's relaxing, having a snack and the best Irish coffee of the trip while we waited for the boatman.

You can also take trip in reverse...the boat from Ross Castle thru lakes to Lord Brandon's...a group did just that while we were there and then they were hiking the gap...again, you would need to find transportation back to your car if not on an organized tour.

This was one of the highlights of our trip.

I read some posts mentioning that they took the 2pm boat to Ross Castle. Do these boats run on a schedule? When is the last one?

I think we would like to park our car at KK’s cottage, rent a jaunting cart to Lord Brandon's, stop for lunch there, then take a boat to Ross Castle and then a bus/taxi back to our car. This is the entire loop, right?

You mentioned that the jaunting cart part took about 2 hrs, the boat another 2. Adding up another for lunch and another for safety, that’s about 6 hrs altogether. Is this a fair approximation?

Another option: park the car at Ross Castle and take the boat to Lord Brandon's – can we find/rent a car going ‘the other way around’? Can we get a bus/taxi then back to our car?

Considering that we’re based in Kenmare, which option makes more sense? Thanks.