This July, my family (husband & in-laws) and I will be taking our first trip to Ireland. I would appreciate any suggestions that anyone could provide on our itinerary. My husband and father in law love the outdoors while my mother in law and I would prefer to shop. We also love history. I would especially love info on where to stay (b&b, etc)and any suggestions on what to do or not to do. We'll be there for 21 days.Thanks,Mich

Day 1 Arrive Dublin
Day 2 & 3 Trinity College, StPatrick's,Nat'l Gallery, Merrian Square Powerscot house, garden, Castletown House, Glendalough
Day 4 Kilkeel(visit w/family) stop at New Grange
Day 5&6 Visit w/family & Mts. of Mourne
Day 7&8 Belfast; Ulster Folk & Transport Museum; Dunganon Tyronne Crystal, Linen Gree
Day 9 Drive along Giant's Causeway, Glens of Antrim and Dunluce Castle; overnight stay in Coleraine
Day 10 Glenveagh Nat'l Park; Bleek overnight in Adara
Day 11 Turlough Museum
Day 12 Galway
Day 13 Ferry to Ishnmare Island
Day 14 Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Day 15 Bunratty
Day 16 Dingle peninsula-stay in Tralee
Day 17 Ring of Kerry
Day 18 Cork
Day 19&20 Waterford
Day 21 Fly home

Hi michdphie,
wow--you're so lucky to have so much time in Ireland. You will have a great time. Having said that, I wonder if your itinerary might feel a little agressive when you settle in and get your first taste of the laid-back 'pub life' that is Ireland. Our most enjoyable times there were going to the local pub, listening to traditional music, and soaking up the culture (and we are history and shopping buffs as well!).

Therefore, I would suggest perhaps selecting a few towns to stay in a bit longer. Looking at your itinerary, I would consider spending only the afternoon in Waterford, rather than 2 days. I also don't think you need a full day in Bunratty--a few hours to see the castle is enough, in my opinion.

You'll then have 2-3 extra days, and I would consider using them to spend a bit more time in Cork or Galway--they are lively towns with lots to see (and good shopping), as well as a good place to decamp and relax for a little while. If you'd prefer to stay away from bigger towns, any extra time you spend in Kerry or Dingle is more than worth it--the views are spectacular, and the lifestyle relaxing. You won't get a shopping fix there, but the scenery more than makes up for it!

Regardless, I would plan for time to just strike up conversations with the Irish--they are incredibly friendly and great conversationalists (I should know--I am one!

Re activities, we loved the Literary Pub Crawl in Dublin--whether you imbibe or not, it is great fun and a fantastic way to learn more about the literary history of Dublin.

Also, not sure what your budget is, but a night in Ashford castle is the ultimate luxury!

good luck and have a great time!

I would not stay in Tralee, but rather in Dingle and you must do the RING OF DINGLE.

Hi,

I agree with the previous post about not trying to do quite so much on your trip. As a travel agent and someone who loves Ireland, I agree that it is wonderful to spend a few days in each town to get to know the Irish people; they are lovely.

Bunratty Castle is great, but a bit touristy - a good place to stop for an afternoon and definitely go to Kathleen's Irish Night at Bunratty in the evening for dinner and Irish music and dancing. The Cliffs of Moher and Galway are beautiful. Killarney and Kenmare are also beautiful and a good place to golf and use as a "jumping off" point for the Ring of Kerry. Definitely get to Blarney and the Blarney Woollen Mills is my FAVORITE place to shop (in Blarney, not Dublin). Be sure to take the behind-the-scenes tour at the Waterford Crystal Factory; it is amazing and those men are artists! The Irish National Stud Farm is fantastic, too. The golf in Ireland is excellent. You might want to look into staying in manor houses or small castles; Adare Manor, Dromoland Castle, Sheen Falls Lodge are more expensive, but so very Irish.

My favorite saying from the Irish people about the Irish people is "We don't care if you're rich or not; we don't care if you're famous or not; we just care if you're nice and that you're good 'craic' (fun)." I've always found that saying to be true.

Have a wonderful trip and please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions!

Best Regards,
Julia

You have an "If it's Tuesday, it must be Cork" kind of itinerary, and I'd agree with the others to give yourself more time to savor Ireland. Rather than packing up and moving to a new place every night, take a look at finding central locations where you can settle in for a few nights and do day trips from there. And, do stay in Dingle rather than in Tralee!

I agree, slow down. You can stay two nights in one place and still see much of the area. I also agree one day in Waterford is enough (not my favorite place). Blarney Woolen Mills in Blarney, I agree is a great place to shop. Wish we could be gone 21 days! Maybe when I retire!
Have fun!

THANKS A MILLION! We are definetly going to go over the itinerary again!!!

Does anyone know how I can sign up for the Literary Pub Crawl in Dublin that spicytuna mentioned?

michdphie
see http://www.dublinpubcrawl.com/ for more info on the literary pub crawl.

Our first trip to Ireland was last June...so in my humble first timer opinion (we visited many of the places you mentioned)...
I would take a day off of Dublin and Waterford and add a day to Dingle and Kenmare (to visit the Ring of Kerry...fyi was not impressed with the ring after seeing Dingle but we very much enjoyed Killarney National Park!).

I would also suggest staying in Ennis or Doolin for 2 days for cliffs, Bunratty, and Burren.

Kinsale might be a better choice than Cork for your stay in this area. Also, I enjoyed walking the gardens of Blarney Castle while my wife shopped at the woolen mills...sounds like this would be a good option for you.

your day 11, 12, and 13 could probably be combined with a stay either in Galway or just outside of Galway.


We included a lot of moving and activities in our itinerary (mixing 1 and 2 night stays) and enjoyed the pubs and music nightly. Our trip was 19 days, and we were worn out by the end...but we had many happy memories and had a fantastic experience (this is how we always travel).

but...

If I were planning our trip with my parents, having been there, I would slow down for their happiness and health. Driving is slow and exhausting and most of the sights require a lot of walking up and down on uneven footing.
Just something to consider.