My husband and I are a fit and active couple in our 40s who will be travelling on our first trip to Ireland and Scotland in early September 2019. We enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities as well as the culture of cities where we enjoy art, food and drink. We are avid travelers who have traveled to Europe, Africa, Australia, and S. America. I have studied the posts of this forum for ideas on how to spend our 10 days in Ireland and believe I'm now at the point to ask for your help and input. We want a trip that includes time visiting cities and sights as well as biking, hiking or other outdoor pursuits. Here is what I have so far:
Day 1 Aug 30 Fly from Kansas City to Dublin
Day 2 Aug 31 Arrive in Dublin; Guinness Tour, rest in hotel, Literary Pub Crawl (Schoolhouse Hotel)
Day 3 Sept 1 Dublin, Bicycling tour of Dublin; walk around O'Connell, Grafton St, Temple Bar areas, Pub Music Crawl (Schoolhouse)
Day 4 Sept 2 Train to Belfast, Titanic tour, Black Cab Tour, dinner at The Crown, train back to Dublin (Schoolhouse)
Day 5 Sept 3 Rent car, drive to Cong, explore Connemarra (The Lodge at Ashford Castle)
Day 6 Sept 4 Long bike ride in Conemarra (The Lodge at Ashford Castle)
**Recommendation for a cycling tour?
Day 7 Sept 5 Drive to Doolin; see Cliffs, The Burren, ferry to Aran Island
** Can we fly out to one of the Aran Islands and ferry back?
** Do we have time to do this all in one day?
**Recommendations for where to stay in Doolin?
Day 8 Drive to Killarney; hike or bicycle in Killarney Nat'l Park (Muckross Park Hotel and Spa)
Day 9 Dingle -- Driving or bicycling tour on Dingle peninsula (Muckross Park Hotel & Spa)
**Any recommendations for tour companies for bicycling or other outdoor adventures in the Dingle area
Day 10 Fly from Shannon to Edinburgh
Please give me your input -- is this too much, what have I left out?

You may have figured this out already but I don't think there are flights from Doolin to the Aran Islands, there are only ferries. If you want to fly, that has to be done from near Galway. Also, I don't think you'll be able to see the cliffs of Moher, the Burren and the Aran Islands all in one day. From what I can tell, the Aran Islands is pretty much an all day trip from Doolin. That said, you can combine it with the cliffs by seeing the cliffs from the water from the ferry (there are combo tickets for this).

Honestly, I think you may be trying to fit in too much into the time you have. Maybe leave Belfast for another trip and add that day in elsewhere?

Kristina,
Thank you very much for the information about getting to the Aran Islands. I checked and you're right about the flights to the Aran Islands. They go out of Connemarra airport in Inverin. I agree that we can't see the Aran Islands, the Cliffs and The Burren in one day. It looks like we could take either a flight or ferry to an island, spend time there and see the Cliffs from the plane or ferry on the way back. We could not do The Burren that day. Did you visit The Burren? What did you think? How long did you spend there?

You may be right about trying to see too much, but I definitely want to go to Belfast. Alas, there is too much to see and do and not enough time!

You really don't have enough time for all that. Day 7 is impossible.

You seem to be emphasizing bike rides most places. Maybe in Kilarney Nat'l Park but otherwise bike riding is not that easy. The roads are very narrow and there is a lot of traffic. Do people bike -- sure. But the chance is pretty slim there will be decent weather on the specific day you are there are (or anywhere else for that matter). The Dingle for example - a heavy head wind off the Atlantic and/or sideways rain are more likely than a nice breeze or dry weather.

(Same issues apply to Scotland BTW - though Ireland will likely be wetter.)

Trigoddess- I haven't been yet, but am planning an 8 night trip for April. This is my current itinerary, maybe it will help:

Day 1 arrive afternoon, pick up car, night in Drogheda (to be near Newgrange the next morning)
Day 2 Newgrange in the morning, drive to Doolin, maybe stop in the Burren along the way. Perhaps Cliffs of Moher in late afternoon. Sleep Doolin.
Day 3 If weather permits, day trip via ferry to one of the Aran Islands. Sleep Doolin.
Day 4 Drive to Kilarney, sightseeing along the way. Sleep Kilarney.
Day 5 Ring of Kerry or area around Kilarney, sleep Kilarney
Day 6 Drive to Killkenny via Rock of Cashel, sleep Kilkenny
Day 7 Drive to Dublin, drop off car, sleep Dublin
Day 8 Dublin
Day 9, fly home.

Thank you, Kristina, for you trip plan
Janis,
Thank you for your thoughts. I agree with you and Kristina that Day 7 is impossible. You've certainly helped me get more realistic about that day. Here's what I think is possible: Drive from Cong to Doolin in the early morning. Take the 10am or 11am Doolin Ferry to Inis Oirr, spend time on the island and see the Cliffs from the ferry on the way back. Spend night in Doolin. What do you think?
When you say "You can't really do all that." Would you be kind enough to be more specific? (Other than Day 7, which I think I've altered appropriately.)
With respect to cycling, we actually only have Day 6 and 8 (possibly 9) for cycling. I greatly appreciate your thought about the weather. We are aware of the weather challenges and certainly will have back up plans for those days if the weather is miserable. We've done active adventure trips in New Zealand and the Andes in Peru. As with these adventures, we just need to have a plan and then be flexible, as one can't control the weather. There is actually quite a bit of great cycling in Ireland. In the last few weeks, I've done more research and found some great cycling websites. (I tried to post them here but the I guess I'm not allowed to do that until I have 5 posts). The routes are not on main thoroughfares but rather trails and side roads.

Hi trigoddess,

Days 1-4 of your trip look good. In Dublin, Trinity College is beautiful as well if you have a chance to walk the campus, see the Book of Kells. We just did Titanic and Black Cab tour in October - it was a great day.

General note, driving in Ireland always takes more time that you would expect. I like to add 30%-50% to whatever Google Maps says. So if it says something is an hour drive, plan for 1.5-2hrs. The roads aren’t what you are used to the US, you may want to (and should!) stop often to take in the vistas and take a few photos, and you never know what the weather will do. So keep this in mind when you plan some of these longer driving days.

For day 5, the grounds of Ashford Castle are stunning and we spent a couple of hours just walking these. Conemarra is big and beautiful and we spent the better part of a day exploring it by car. My point is that day 6 is really your full day to explore Conemarra, which I think is best done by car so you can see more of it. If you do decide to bike, look into the Sky Road Cycle Route.

Day 7, as others have said is impossible. Even cutting out the Aran Islands you have a full day. On our first trip to Ireland we drove Dingle - Cliffs - Burren - Galway in one very long day and I would NOT recommend trying to cover that much ground. I would say leave Ashford castle early, drive the burren, then head to the cliffs, then check-in to wherever you are staying in Doolin.

Day 8, Doolin to Killarney is a long drive. Be sure to take the ferry across the River Shannon to save you from having to loop around Limerick. We enjoyed hiking to Torc Waterfall very much.

Day 9, I highly recommend hiring a guide/car for the Slea Head Drive. Even by car, this is a full day. We used Dingle Slea Head Tours. They picked us up at our hotel at 9:30 AM and we didn’t get back until 4:30 or 5:00 (http://www.dinglesleaheadtours.com)

You would need to get on the road very early from Killarney to get to Dingle early in the AM to have time to really explore the area. This exact drive took us hours as we were driving it in a very bad storm that came out of nowhere, and this was July (drier than Sept).

Personally, if this were me, I would choose Killarney OR Dingle, too much to do both in two days and get much out of it.

Hope this helps! Be sure to leave plenty of time to just enjoy the people and pubs and find some good craic!

Tera,
Thank you very much for your response. This is exactly the kind of help I need. As I told Janis and Kristina, you all have helped me become much more realistic about Day 7. I think we can do the Aran Islands and see the Cliffs from the ferry OR visit The Burren and the Cliffs, but not all 3. So now I have a choice to make about that day.
With respect to Dingle and Killarney, thank you for your advice. I think we will stay around Killarney. We are a very athletic, outdoorsy couple and getting outdoors with some physical activity during our trips is essential for us.
I think the truly smart choice for us would be to choose either Connemara or Killarney so we can stay in one place longer. However, I can't bring myself to cut one out. We aren't likely to go back to Ireland any time soon after this trip (nothing against Ireland, just too many other places I still want to visit).
Would you mind sharing the itinerary from your trip(s) to Ireland with me?
BTW, I saw your post for help on Chile/Argentina. We are big fans of traveling to South America, having been to Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador including the Galapagos (3 trips to SA in all). I need to look up some details from our Chile/Argentina trip, but when I have time, I'll post a response to you on your thread.

Here is a quick summary of our two trips to Ireland. Happy to send more notes, details on anything you might be interested in. We missed the Aran Island and hope to go someday… I was reading your post to my husband and he loved your idea about seeing the cliffs from the ferry.

100% agree with your decision to cut Dingle in favor of Killarney based on your interests. Nothing against Dingle, we loved it, but something’s gotta go!It is so beautiful there, I don’t think you will be disappointed! Personally, Connemara has a close place in my heart. Would be a shame to miss it! Try to see either Connemara or the Burren - don’t cut both!

Ireland (Jul/Aug 2016)
Day 1: Travel
Day 2: Dublin — CANCELLED due to flight
Day 3: Kilkenny - Rerouted to London for the day / slept Dubin
Day 4: Kinsale (via Cashel)
Day 5: Kinsale
Day 6: Dingle via Killarney (Spent the afternoon in Killarney and would have loved more time here)
Day 7: Dingle (Slea Head Drive)
Day 8: Dingle (intended to do the Blasket Islands but weather didn't permit)
Day 9: Galway (via Cliffs of Moher & The Burren) - much too long of a day
Day 10: Galway
Day 11: Galway
Day 12: Westport (via Connemara)
Day 13: Westport (visiting family)
Day 14-18: Dun Laoghaire (seaside town 20 minutes outside Dublin) - for a conference.

Northern Ireland (Oct 2018)
Day 1: Drive to Belfast (via Monasterboice, Carlingford)
Day 2: Belfast - Titanic, Black Cab Tour
Day 3: Belfast to Bushmills (Causeway Coastal Route, Antrim Coast, Carrick-a-Rede Bridge)
Day 4: Bushmills to Derry (Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, city of Derry)
Day 5: Derry to Enniskillen/Finn Lough (Ulster Folk Museum)
Day 6: Finn Lough (Kayaking, hiking, spa)
Day 7: Dublin (highlights)

Would LOVE your input on our SA trip! Thanks in advance!!!

Tera

trigoddess,
If you want to fit in cycling somewhere in your trip you might consider doing it in Killarney. We did the Gap of Dunloe trip. We walked and took the boat back. You can also do it by bike. If you have good weather, it is a glorious day. We have been to Ireland several times and it is still one of our favorite memories.

https://gapofdunloetours.com/our-tours/

I wanted to update this thread with our final itinerary:

IRELAND
Day 1 Iceland Air --Fly from Kansas City to Dublin, depart 9:45pm.
Day 2 Arrive in Dublin approx. 1:50pm.
Guinness Tour at 4:00, rest in hotel, Pub Music Crawl 7:30pm. The Green Hotel.
Day 3 Dublin
Tour Kilmainham Gaol 10:30, Visit Chester Beatty Library, Walk around O'Connell St, Grafton St, Temple Bar areas; Literary Pub Music Crawl 7:30
Day 4 Rent car, drive to Cong,9:30 -12:30 (3- 3.5 hours)
Pat Cohan’s pub for lunch?Check in at Ashford Castle and explore grounds, 2:45pm Cruise on lake, dinner at 8pm at George V restaurant
Day 5 Cong
9:30-11am Private 90 minute hawk walk at Ashford Castle; explore Connemarra: Drive to Leename (fiord) and Kylemore Abbey. If time, rent bikes in Clifton and bike the 15k loop on Skye Road. Dinner Wilde’s at the Lodge at Ashford Castle 7:30pm
Day 6 Drive to Ballyvaughan (90 minute drive) 9:30-11am
Lunch at Burren Fine Food & Wine 11-12; Drive to Fanore Beach (30 min) and hike Caher Valley Loop (3.5 hours) 12:30-4pm, Drive to Doolin (30 min) 5pm; Dinner at a pub as per recommendation of Naill & Darra at The Sea View House
Day 7 Doolin
Walk to the Cliffs of Moher in the morning, explore the area, late afternoon cruise to Cliffs of Moher; Dinner at a pub as per recommendation of Naill and Darra at The Sea View House
Day 8 Drive to Killarney (3 to 3.5 hours)
Explore grounds at hotel, visit Muckross House and gardens, Muckross Abbey, Torc waterfall via bicycles from the hotel. If time, take a hike in the park; have a drink at Curious Cat wine bar; dinner at Celtic Whiskey Bar and Larder 7:30pm
Muckross Park Hotel and Spa
Day 9 Killarney
Bike or hike Gap of Dunloe ; Enjoy the spa at hotel, dinner at The Cellar at The Ross 7:15pm
Day 10 Drive to Shannon Airport and drop off car 2.5 hour drive; Fly from Shannon to EDI 10:55am-12:30pm

SCOTLAND
Lunch at Café Royal 2pm-ish; spend the afternoon strolling down to the Scottish Parliament Building via Charlton Hill, passed Palace of Holyrood House then climb up to Arthur’s seat; if time, on the way back, walk the Royal Mile; Dinner—The Scran & Scallie 7:45pm
The Glasshouse Hotel
Day 11 Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle morning (use Explorer Pass ticket); Leith Walk to Leith (port); Dinner—King’s Wark or Mother India
Day 12 Edinburgh
National Museum of Scotland--morning, Royal Botanical Garden-afternoon; Dinner – 83 Hanover
Day 13 Drive from Edinburgh to Abelour. Tour Stirling Castle on the way (1.5 hours). (Leave 8am, tour castle & eat lunch 9-1:00, arrive Abelour by 4:30-5pm.) (use Explorer Pass tix)
Drink at Craigllachie Inn- The Copper Dog 5pm ; Dinner at inn at 7pm
Cardhu Country House
Day 14 Abelour
Hike and sightsee in morning – tour The Cooperage; Whiskey & Chocolate Dufftown Walking Tour 4pm-7:30pm; Dinner Mash Tun pub 8:00pm
Day 15 Drive from Arbelour to Fort William (2.5 hours)
Afternoon hike; Dinner at castle: drinks & apps at 7:30, dinner at 8pm, Inverlochy Castle,
Day 16 Fort William
Hike in Glen Coe; Visit Ben Nevis Distillery (Open 10am -4pm); Dinner – Lime Tree or Crannog
Day 17 Oban
Drive from Fort William to Dunstaffnage Marina for Etive boat trip; Etive boat trip -- 10am-2pm
Oban Distillery (open 9:30am-5:00pm); Dinner—Etive 8pm
MacKays Inn
Day 18 Leisurely drive from Oban to Glasgow through Loch Lomand and Trossachs National Park (2.5-4.5 hours, including some sightseeing)
Explore Glasgow in evening; dinner at the Ox & Finch 7:30pm (10 min walk from hotel); 15 Glasgow B&B
Day 19 Morning in Glasgow
Leave for airport around 11am; Fly from Glasgow to Kansas City

Too many distelleries. Seen one you've seen them all pretty much. However if you are going and you are driving then ask for a plastic container to take you free sample away with you. Also Whisky without an e in Scotland. Whiskey with an e in Ireland.
I hope the weather is kind and you enjoy your trip.
Oh and don't be surprised if you don't make that pub crawl on your first day!

You arrive at 2 and plan to be at Guinness at 4? You need at least 2 hours at Guinness and the music in the restaurant is normally top notched. They have the best seafood chowder and brown bread there also. I would skip the music pub crawl and just walk to the Brazen Head after Guinness. The literary pub crawl is very good.
George V is at Ashford? Wow, my husband's cousin was a chef in the NYC restaurant. I love Pat Cohan's bar. Have the sticky toffee pudding.
Aberlour is my favourite scotch. Don't be upset if your whole timeline goes awry, you are on vacation and stuff happens. Enjoy.