Latest Itinerary
 

We will be heading to Ireland for the first time in about a month. We have revised our itinerary several times. Here is the latest. I haven't written down all that we will do at each stop but just wanted to get an idea from others if this is a good route or if we should make some changes:
Day 1: arrive in Dublin, spend the day sightseeing as best we can coming off an overseas flight
Day 2: Bus tour to Belfast/Giants Causeway
Day 3: Get car and head for Galway, stop at Clonmacnoise, See some of Galway, Spend night there
Day 4: Galway, Connemara, spend night in Galway
Day 5: Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Stay in Doolin or Ennis or Dingle? * (We are considering driving straight to Dingle and staying the night there but are concerned about time and distance)
Day 6: Head to Dingle Peninsula, then back to Killarney, night in Killarney
Day 7: Ring of Kerry, spend night in Killarney
Day 8: Head back to Dublin, several stops along the way (Blarney Castle, Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle?)
Day 9: Flight home in the morning

Probably unique in not being a fan of Dingle, been there done that more than enough and whilst nice and picturesque nothing you cant find anywhere else around the west coast.. I usually say stay somewhere between/including Ennis/Lahinch and Adare/Listowel then tour round Dingle peninsula on the way to Killarney.

I might question a 16 hour round trip to see Belfast and the Causeway day 2,, you Could still be shaking the journey to Dublin.. rest up stay local?

Tony, your alive!!! I have been linking your maps for everyone.
http://www.viator.com/tours/Dublin/N...3-5300BLACKCAB
Is this your tour? 13 hours but you see a the highlights.

It's a bit too much work to start in Galway, see some of the good stuff on and near the Burren, and get to Dingle the same day.

That said, I disagree with Tony about Dingle: it's a bit special, especially the places to the west of the town. I'm just back from yet another visit there, and have found more good stuff that I hadn't experienced before. In my view, if you need to trim your programme, the Ring of Kerry is less rewarding than is the Dingle Peninsula.

"Ring of Kerry is less rewarding than is the Dingle Peninsula"----I'll second that.

IMO, the ROK and Killarney are crammed with traffic & a tour bus nightmare.
I'd take the Dingle Peninsula & Kenmare anyday. Actually our favorite part of 2 trips to Ireland.

That said, your itinerary is jam packed but may fit your way of travel. Ireland is a wonderful place. Enjoy all and we'll be watching for your TR.

Flpap, still alive not firing on all cylinders but getting there..

Nothing wrong with the Dingle Peninsula as a detour between Clare and mid Kerry,, Just wouldn't justify rushing some of the best of the west to get an I overnighted in Dingle badge..

If you want to see the best of the south west then perhaps overnight in Kenmare and have Beara as your scenic option.. http://www.bearatourism.com/ same surface area as the Dingle peninsula but without the gift shops and tour bus's.

Tony, the one-man campaign against Dingle has become tiresome. It's a place that a lot of people take great pleasure in visiting, and many do indeed overnight there, sometimes for more than one night.

Give it a rest.

Padraig,, you've not missed me? Dingle town has had free reign for at least 3 months...

Educate me.. why should someone on a fixed time scale be compelled to spend a night in one town at the expense of rushing to get there from somewhere else and/or rushing from there to fit other things into an already cramped day?

For the sake of open opinion lets say the town in question is not Dingle but Doolin, Kinsale or anywhere else.

Surely taking time to drive around the Dingle peninsula has advantages of rushing to get to Dingle town just to spend the night, then rush to get to the next town?

9 days is tight enough to plan logistically, fitting in everything is neigh on impossible anyway.. A little time for head over heart sometimes makes for a better experience.