Ireland is such a dream to road trip through! With it being on the smaller side- about the size of Maine, you can really cover a lot in 7 days. There's seriously nothing like driving through the Irish countryside of rolling hills, mountains, charming towns, and rugged coastlines. I'm so happy to FINALLY be sharing an amazing road trip Itinerary to give you inspiration for your Ireland trip!
By following this road trip, you will be able to also see many popular tourist spots you don't want to miss out on such as The Guinness Store House, The Library of Trinity College, The Blarney Castle, and The Cliffs of Moher. Also, note that we flew into Dublin airport and out of Shannon- this allows you to road trip from the east coast to the west coast.
Days 1-2 Dublin
Being the capital of Ireland, Dublin is such a beautiful city to visit, and I'm so happy to have spent 2 nights here. It was the perfect amount of time to really see everything we wanted to. We didn't rent a car but did use the bus to get around. If you purchase a Dublin pass this gives you access to a hop-on hop-off bus and multiple museums- we really did save money using this! We also got a free bus ride from the airport to our hotel with the Dublin Pass.
We stayed at the Harding Hotel, which was located at the center of historic old Dublin. We were able to easily walk to all the pubs around Temple Bar, which we loved. It was also attached to Darkey Kelly's- a pub that has an interesting story and history-I'll let you look it up on your own (it's not for the faint of heart!).
Attractions we visited in 2 days and highly recommend!
-Guinness Store House
-Take a tour and tasting at Teelings Whiskey
- Christ Church Cathedral
- Dublinia- a Viking museum
- Dublin Castle
-Library of Trinity College
-St. Patrick's Cathedral
Day 3- Cork
The morning of day 3 we had an early breakfast in Dublin and took a taxi to get our car rental. Be mindful when renting a car in Ireland- most are manuals. Automatics are available, but most car rental places do charge extra for them. We then drove through the beautiful Irish countryside to Cork. This took us about 2.5hrs from Dublin. After checking into our hotel, we decided to spend the day exploring Cobh- a quaint little town located on an island in Cork city's harbor. Cobh was also Titanic's last port of call in 1912. I loved how colorful this little town was, and the large St. Colmans Cathedral really is astounding to look at!
Day 4-5 Blarney Castle and 2 nights in Killarney
Blarney is right next to Cork, so when leaving in the morning, we made sure to stop at the Blarney Castle. When visiting Ireland you definitely don't want to miss this! The grounds and gardens at Blarney are so beautiful to walk and explore. Also, don't forget to kiss the Blarney stone to be gifted with the gift of gab! (yes, even with COVID restrictions, the Blarney stone is open again for kissing!).
After visiting Blarney, we drove to Killarney, which was one of my favorite places we stayed. It's such a charming town that sits on the shores of Lough Leane. We took a horse carriage ride through the Killarney National Park and to Ross castle. We finished the day at a local pub and then toured and tasted beer at the Killarney Brewery.
The next morning we headed out the drive the Ring of Kerry, which is a scenic drive around the Iveragh Penisula. The rugged and coastal landscapes along with charming rural seaside villages are truly mesmerizing.
Day 6-7 Cliffs of Moher and Galway
On the morning of day 6, we packed up the car to make the trip to Galway, which is about a 3hr drive. The Cliffs of Moher are on the way there, located in County Clare. It really is an incredible place to see and visit, and is some of the most breathtaking scenery in Ireland! We then spent some time driving along the Wild Atlantic Way into Galway and taking in all the views.
The last day in Ireland, we explored the Dunguaire Castle in Galway and hiked the 5 mile Diamond Hill Loop. When we were hiking, a rain cloud showed up when we reached the top with crazy wind gusts- always make sure to come prepared! It was so nice to get out of the car and get a hike outside! I highly recommend it!
Day 8
on the morning of day 8, we said our sad goodbyes and headed towards the Shannon Airport to go home to Cincinnati.
As always, before traveling or booking a trip please make sure to research COVID-19 restrictions.
Don't forget to save this trip for future reference. It really covers a lot of Ireland in just a week! Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!
Are you planning an Ireland trip in the future? If you've been to Ireland what places did you visit? Let me know in the comments!
Happy and safe travels! <3
-Britny
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