After dreaming of a trip to Ireland our whole lives, we were finally able to make it a reality. We planned, booked and set off on our epic Ireland road trip, which was everything we could have hoped for it to be. There have been many requests for a day-by-day itinerary of our trip, and we are here to finally share all the details with you. We packed a lot into our trip, so get ready to read all about the adventure we had while exploring Ireland for the first time.
Ireland Road Trip Overview
A quick reminder in case you forgot about the main stops on our Ireland road trip itinerary. We stayed in four different counties, but made a few other pit stops along the way. Here is the general outline of our 10-day Ireland road trip itinerary:
- Days 1-3: Dublin
- Days 3-6: Cork
- Days 6-8: Killarney
- Days 8-10: Galway
- Day 10: Dublin
As you can see, we started and ended in Dublin, bookending our road trip with Ireland’s most populous, bustling capitol city. Outside of our main stops, we also visited Waterford, Tipperary, Lismore, Blarney, Kinsale, Dingle, Liscannor, and Connemara. Ready to dive into the details? Let’s do it!
DAY 1
We arrived in Dublin in the early afternoon and knew that we wanted to hit the ground running. Our beautiful hotel, The Westbury, was located right in Dublin’s city centre so after a bit of freshening up, we hit the streets to begin our adventure. Full disclosure, we made it about ten yards before stopping into a pub for a first pint of Guinness. We hit some epic stops on our first day, making such a memorable start to our trip.
Whiskey Tasting at Jameson Distillery
After a round at the first pub we came across, Bruxelles, we headed on foot to the Jameson Distillery. We were initially hoping to book the Secret Whiskey Tasting, but when we couldn’t make that work, we landed on their signature Bow Street Experience. The Experience included a 45-minute fully guided tour explaining their history and whiskey making process, a comparative whiskey tasting, and a drink at their centrepiece bar. From what we heard, the main distillery in Cork is pretty epic, but we wanted to get the experience of being where John Jameson began it all. Overall, the tour was fun and informative (our guide was incredible!) and we highly recommend a visit.
Live Music at The Temple Bar
We knew that a first night in Ireland would not be complete without experiencing live music, so we decided to stop into Ireland’s most infamous pub, The Temple Bar. The pub was packed with people, not just because it’s so well known, but also because the quarterfinal match of the Rugby World Cup was on, and Ireland was playing! The live music was fabulous that night, and hearing the sweet sounds of traditional Irish tunes completely filled our hearts.
DAY 2
After a full night of much needed rest to shake off the long transatlantic flight, we were ready to tackle our first full day in Dublin. From exploring a noteworthy cathedral to a beautiful brunch (followed by many, many pints), our second day was so full of fun and excitement.
Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral
We happened to plan a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on a Sunday, so sitting in on a mass was in order. When in Rome…errr, Dublin…right? First, the interior and exterior beauty is unreal. We stuck around for a bit after the mass and explored the cathedral, learning about it’s history and soaking in all the intricacies of the architecture. A feast for the eyes, to say the least, and we loved checking off our first cathedral experience at the start of our trip.
Brunch at Wilde
After Sunday mass and a morning walking around Dublin, we got dolled up for a fabulous brunch at WILDE, a beautiful restaurant that was fortunately located inside our hotel, The Westbury. We had seen WILDE on so many lists of recommended restaurants in Dublin, and when we realized that it was right in our hotel, we knew that we needed to go. They easily catered to our vegan and gluten free diets, the food was delicious, the restaurant was beautiful, and the service was incredible.
Stouties at Guiness Storehouse
Our next stop was a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, and oh my, what a visit that was! The home of Ireland’s most iconic beer is an entire experience, and a must-visit if you are a fan of the black stuff. There are a bunch of different tours you can book, but we opted for the basic Guinness Storehouse Experience with an added on Stoutie (a selfie printed on a stout). The Experience was informative and fun, and there is a ton to see and do while you wander about the seven-story Storehouse. The views of Dublin from the Gravity Bar on the top floor are worth the hype.
Drinks at Vintage Cocktail Club
After many pints of Guinness (for Amanda), we walked around Dublin, stopping at The Brazen Head (Dublin’s Oldest Pub) for a snack and some drinks, then over to The Oliver St. John Gogarty for more drinks and some live music. Our final stop of the evening was Vintage Cocktail Club and we could not possibly recommend it any more highly. The speakeasy vibes were immaculate and the cocktails were top-notch. Just keep an eye out for the inconspicuous door marked VCC, it’s easy to miss.
DAY 3
On the third day of our Ireland road trip we woke up in Dublin, toured another of the city’s most notable attractions, then made our way down to Cork. We stopped at Waterford along the way before the final stretch of the drive to check into our next hotel for the trip.
Tours At Trinity College
What is a stay in Dublin without a visit to Trinity College, right? Created in 1592, Trinity College is steeped in history as Ireland’s oldest university and you can feel that as soon as you walk through the gates. Amongst the beautiful stone architecture, the campus is home to one of Ireland’s greatest cultural treasures, the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells, and one of the world’s most beautiful libraries, the Old Library. We toured both, taking in all the cultural and historical information of the Book of Kells exhibition and library experience, then walked about the campus to wrap up our Trinity College visit.
Ballinastoe Woods Walk (Missed)
We had every intention of stopping in Wicklow National Park on our way down the coast to Cork, but we unfortunately were not able to make it. If you have the time, make your way to the Ballinastoe Woods boardwalk for a beautiful afternoon walk through the woods. Then be sure to tell us all about what we missed.
Pit Stop At House Of Waterford
Both of us are huge fans of Waterford Crystal, so we knew that a stop at House of Waterford was a must. First, the city of Waterford is absolutely adorable and if we had the time, we probably would have spent more time there exploring what it has to offer. House of Waterford has tours available so you can dive into the crystal-making process, but we chose to just explore the showroom and have a drink at their bar. And yes, the wine at the bar is served in their beautiful stemware and totally elevates the experience of sipping on a simple glass of wine.
Evening At Hayfield Manor
We arrived at Hayfield Manor in the evening and were immediately blown away. The property is stunning, and they have created a serene sanctuary that feels so secluded from the close surrounding city. We were welcomed with a splash of Drombeg from West Cork Distillers while we checked in, which was such a nice touch. After settling in, we popped into the hotel’s Manor Bar for seasonal autumn cocktails before our dinner at one of their restaurants, Perrots Garden Bistro. We had the sweetest waitress at Perrots and the food was delightful.
DAY 4
The fourth day of our Ireland road trip featured a trip out to one of Ireland’s most visited attractions along with an evening spent exploring the city centre. We got our first real taste of the lush Irish countryside in Tipperary, which made us feel like we were truly in Ireland.
Explore Rock of Cashel
We began our day with a drive out to Tipperary, where we planned to visit Rock of Cashel. The medieval buildings of Rock of Cashel are truly remarkable to walk through, and we were in awe of the magnitude and intricate details of many of them. Embarrassingly and regrettably, we completely missed the opportunity to tour Cormac’s Chapel, tickets for which could only be purchased on site, and we didn’t see that while we are there. Adding it to the list for our next visit to Ireland.
Hike To Ballysaggartmore Towers
After our morning at Rock of Cashel, we headed South back towards Cork with a special stop at a bit of an off-the-beaten-path destination, Ballysaggartmore Towers. The walk to get to the towers was around 2km through beautiful woods that were reminiscent of fairytale lands, made even more magical with birdsong all around. We made sure to stop and read about the interesting history of Ballysaggartmore Towers and it’s owners. Exploring the peaceful grounds was so memorable, making this stop well worth the drive time.
Lunch at The English Market
Almost everyone we spoke to up until this point of our trip told us that we needed to visit the English Market during our stay in Cork. So we did! After our trip to Rock of Cashel and Ballysaggartmore Towers, we headed straight to the market to explore and have lunch. The English Market is Ireland’s oldest (and often considered best) covered food market, and it sure is iconic. The market is bustling with local, independent food vendors and it is home to Farmgate Cafe, where we had lunch. The Cafe proudly creates menus that are seasonal, sources its ingredients locally, and is uniquely set overlooking the market below.
Evening in Cork
We ended the day by taking a rainy stroll from our hotel to Cork’s city centre, exploring more of the local area. We were hoping to pop into Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral as we walked, but unfortunately the gates were closed, so we just marveled at the Gothic architecture from a distance. We made our way across the River Lee and down Oliver Plunkett Street to The Oliver Plunkett, a cute restaurant that houses The Frisky Whiskey Bar. After a few pints and whiskies, we headed down the street and rounded out the evening at J.J. Walsh Traditional Irish Pub and Conway’s Yard.
DAY 5
On day five of our Ireland road trip, we received the gift of gab (IYKYK) and had the best soup of our lives. We drove more of the country roads and wandered around a bright and beautiful city in the rain. We ended the day with a cozy evening back at the hotel, Hayfield Manor.
Kiss The Stone At Blarney Castle
We started our day early and drove out to Blarney Castle to kiss the infamous Blarney Stone and explore the beautiful castle grounds. We arrived at opening and it was raining quite a lot while we were there, causing the river levees to break, forcing them to close the castle to any additional visitors.
All those events led to us waiting a single minute (literally) to kiss the stone. For comparison, there were signs designating 90 minute wait times! A note for those with claustrophobia: the stairs leading up to the stone are extremely tight, narrow and steep. We lucked out with having no wait, not having to wait inside the small stairwell, but it may be an issue for some if the wait is long.
The castle grounds are quite large, and beautiful to walk around, so allow some extra time and don’t just kiss the stone and leave.
Lunch at Bullman Restaurant
After our morning at Blarney Castle, we drove to the town of Kinsale. Our first stop there was The Bulman Bar & Restaurant, which was a little bright orange gem that we found on many lists of Kinsale’s best restaurants. The Bulman is known for having impeccable seafood, as they are located just steps away from the Atlantic, but we both chose the soup of the day (pumpkin coconut) to warm us up on the cold, rainy day. Four letters: OMFG! So delicious! The atmosphere was delightful as well, making it a perfect stop for a visit to Kinsale.
Afternoon in Kinsale
Kinsale is such a cute little town, filled with brightly colored buildings and adorable little shops. We knew we wanted to take some time to explore it a bit, and we wound up walking the streets a bit and popping into a few stores. We shopped at Rain Natural Skincare, Enibas, Weavers of Ireland, Kinsale Crystal, Stone Mad Gallery, and a few others. We had reservations at The Black Pig, but we had to skip out on that highly recommended restaurant to make it back to Cork before the rain got worse.
Night Cap at Hayfield Manor
After an eventful trek back to Hayfield Manor, we got some dry, cozy clothes on and headed down to The Manor Bar. We popped open a bottle of wine that we purchased at the English Market and drank out of our Waterford Crystal glasses by the fireplace. When we took down that bottle, we headed over to the hotels newest addition, Bloom, a beautiful glass bar situated in their courtyard that serves up incredible cocktails. We finished the evening with a swim in the indoor pool and a soak in the hot tub under the stars.
DAY 6
The sixth day of our Ireland road trip began in Cork, then we traveled to our next main stop, Killarney. We thoroughly explored and enjoyed our first day in Killarney and quickly realized that it was one of our favorite cities to stay in.
Morning in Cobh
Our plan was to stop into Cobh, known for being the Titanic’s last port of call in 1912, but we unfortunately had to skip this stop because of the flooding in the area. If you have the opportunity to visit Cobh, check out the iconic Deck of Cards houses, overlooking the harbor and the beautiful St. Colman’s Cathedral. You can visit The Titanic Experience, too!
Afternoon Tea At Great Southern Killarney
We arrived at our hotel, Great Southern Killarney, and fell in love with it’s beauty both inside and out. It’s nestled right in the middle of the city but has a huge garden that makes you feel like you are in the countryside, secluded from the world. We reserved an afternoon tea, but instead of serving us in the typical dining location, they had everything set up for a private sitting in their incredible Sun Room. Everything in the room was yellow and a wall of windows overlooked the gardens. The kitchen curated entire selections of gluten free and vegan pastries for each of us. Absolutely magical.
Bike Through Killarney National Park
Next up was one of our favorite activities of our Ireland road trip: biking through Killarney National Park. If you plan on visiting Killarney, this is a must, and staying at the Great Southern Killarney makes it easy for you with their free bike rentals. We started at the hotel and after navigating a short stretch of city streets we were on a designated bike path. We stopped at Muckross Abbey to take in the ruins and the beautiful ancient yew tree. After leaving Muckross Abbey, we biked past Muckross House (a beautiful Victorian mansion) and alongside Muckross Lake on our way to Torc Waterfall. No description could do the beauty of the scenery justice.
Evening in Killarney
Our evening was spent walking around Killarney, popping in and out of a couple pubs for drinks as we wandered. First, we stopped into J.M. Reidy’s, a pub and sweet shop with a massive beer garden in the back. The building is rich in history and the whole place is filled with a million little chachkies to keep your eyes infinitely entertained. We found a cozy nook to take back some drinks, then made our way to the next stop, Paddy Sheehan’s. Located inside The Grand, this pub was the perfect place to grab a pint and finish the evening with traditional live Irish music.
DAY 7
Moving on to day seven of our Ireland road trip, we branched away from Killarney to explore some of the surrounding treasures. On this day we went on adventures spurred on by wild thoughts and longtime dreams, and wound up right back at a place we were the night before.
Morning Walk At Gap Of Dunloe
A popular “to do” when staying in Killarney is to visit the Gap of Dunloe, which we had added to our list pretty early on in our planning process. The narrow, windy road is set amongst incredible scenery and you can navigate through the mountain pass on foot, on a bike, or by hitching a ride on a horse-drawn jaunting car. We opted for a leisurely stroll and this was the location where Amanda went wild and ran barefoot in the rain in a big white dress.
Drive the Slea Head Loop
From Gap of Dunloe, we headed West to the Dingle Peninsula. We read a lot about driving the Ring of Kerry, but we we were more drawn to the Slea Head Loop for a few reasons. 1. We knew we wanted to visit Dingle. 2. Amanda needed to live out her dream of holding a baby lamb in Ireland. 3. The drive just looked incredible, with sights like Dunquin Pier overlooking the Blasket Islands.
Hold Baby Lambs & Beehive Huts
You didn’t think we would gloss over the baby lambs part, right? As we mentioned, this was a dream come true for Amanda. Along the Slea Head Drive you will come across a blue sign that reads “Hold A Baby Lamb” where you will go up a narrow driveway to a farmhouse where you will meet Aedan, who will point you in the direction of the lambs. We walked into their pen and the cute babies immediately flocked to us. We pet them, held them, and they tried to eat our clothes and shoes. It was the best 4 € we could ever spend.
Afternoon In Dingle
Dingle is such a picturesque, colorful coastal town that is nestled amongst rolling green oceanside hills. It is filled with adorable restaurants and shops, and it is the home city of one of Ireland’s most famous ice creams, Murphy’s Ice Cream. We stopped for a scoop after a delicious lunch at the adorable Ashes Bar and Restaurant. There is plenty to do and see in the town of Dingle, and we definitely wish we had more time to wander through it.
Another Evening in Killarney
After a very windy and rainy morning and afternoon, we made our way back to Killarney to enjoy more of the city. We quickly freshened up at the hotel, then walked back down to where we were the night before. We first stopped at Hilliard’s, a beautiful restaurant and cocktail bar where we enjoyed a fabulously bougee whiskey cocktail and the most incredible cauliflower wings. We were seated right next to the piano player, which was an added bonus. We then made our way back to The Grand for another few rounds at Paddy O’Sheehan’s and more live music before we turned in for the evening.
DAY 8
On the eighth day, we made our way to the next main stop on our Ireland road trip. We stopped along the way to visit Ireland’s most iconic attraction, where our minds were blown as a huge bucket list item was being checked off our lists. We settled into our epic hotel, then explored another incredible city.
Experience the Cliffs of Moher
We left Killarney in the early morning to arrive at Cliffs of Moher in the opening hours, stopping at an adorable cafe in Miltown Malbay called The Wooden Spoon. We walked out to the cliffs and were immediately taken aback by the immense beauty of the dramatic cliff sides. We walked south along the guided path for a few miles, then walked back to where we started and then north for a few more miles.
When you visit Cliffs of Moher, be sure to wear comfortable shoes and allow plenty of time to walk past the visitors center in both directions. You will want to see the Cliffs from both vantage points.
Afternoon in Doolin
After long walks along the Cliffs of Moher, we drove north towards our final destination of Galway. We were hoping to stop at The Ivy Cottage for lunch in Doolin, but they were unfortunately closed when we had arrived. We thought to stop anyway and explore Doolin a bit, but the roads were filled with tour busses and cars, so we decided to just pull over on a little country road and eat leftovers in the car instead. Glamorous, we know.
Evening in Galway
We arrived at our next hotel, Glenlo Abbey and (holy sh*t) could not believe that we were actually staying there. Beautiful, stunning, incredible: none of those words are enough to describe it. We settled in then drove into Galway to explore.
Galway’s Latin Quarter was alive and bustling when we arrived. There were street markets and seemingly infinite possibilities for restaurants, pubs and shops. Our first stop was Thomas Dillion’s, the original makers of the claddagh ring since 1750. We walked to Nimmos Pier to watch the sun set on The Long Walk, then walked back into the city for some evening fun. We had Galway Bay oysters at The Quays’ downstairs restaurant, Galway Girl, then popped upstairs for live music at the bar. A final plate of pasta was enjoyed at Trattoria Magnetti before heading back to the hotel.
Night Cap At Glenlo Abbey
Back at the hotel, we popped another bottle of wine from the English Market and drank it by the fireplace in our Waterford glasses, just as we had back at Hayfield Manor. We met a lovely gentleman who worked at Glenlo, and he opened the doors to the Abbey for us. From what he said, that was a rare treat and it was truly beautiful.
DAY 9
Day nine of our Ireland road trip was another of our most anticipated. We traveled to Connemara for yet another of Ireland’s most notable attractions, then drove back into Galway for pizza and a cathedral visit before spending the evening enjoying all that Glenlo Abbey has to offer.
Tour The Grounds of Kylemore Abbey
Driving into Connemara was like a dream with the vast open landscape speckled with all the sheep you could possibly imagine. Our initial view of Kylemore Abbey was along the road, prior to even entering the gates, and the beauty was unmistakeable. We allowed plenty of time here, which we definitely recommend, as there is a lot to see.
We toured the abbey itself, walked to the property’s Gothic church and mausoleum, made a wish at the Ironing Stone, then walked to and through the enchanting Victorian walled gardens. Don’t forget to stop at the Craft and Design Shop for some artisan goods made by the Benedictine Nuns of the Abbey.
Lunch at The Dough Bros
From Kylemore Abbey, we drove straight back to Galway for some pizza. Yes, pizza. Ireland’s best pizza, to be specific, and voted the 15th best pizzeria in the world. After eating at The Dough Bros, we have the opinion that no stay in Galway would be complete without eating their pizza. It’s a local favorite and while carrying our leftover pizza box we were stopped by literally every employee of our hotel saying “good choice” or “Dough Bros is the best”.
Silent Moment at Galway Cathedral
With bellies full of pizza, we made our way to Galway Cathedral. As the last major stone church built in Ireland, we knew that the Cathedral didn’t have any ancient, historical significance, but despite that, it proved to be one of the most beautiful that we had visited. The dramatic stonework inside amongst incredible stained glass, marble floors, beautiful paintings and a breathtakingly large mosaic tile representation of the crucifix were some of the most notable features. We had a seat in the pews and enjoyed a silent moment to reflect on our journey to that point.
Dinner at The Pullman Restaurant
From there we went back to our hotel, freshened up and got our fancy clothes on for a magical evening at the restaurant we looked most forward to visiting. We first walked all around the property, taking in its beauty, and then “boarded” Ireland’s most unique dining experience. The Pullman Restaurant at Glenlo Abbey is comprised of two original train carriages from the Orient Express. We dined in this historical setting and enjoyed the most spectacular food, company, and service of our entire trip here. If we ever get back to Galway, we will definitely plan to eat at Pullman again.
Another Night Cap At Glenlo Abbey
The night was still relatively young after dinner, so we decided to extend it at one of the hotel’s bars. We again met some lovely people, and enjoyed a couple glasses of wine as we chit-chatted with some Ireland natives to wrap up the evening.
DAY 10
The tenth and final day of our Ireland road trip was filled with just as much excitement as any other day. We had a wild oceanic morning adventure followed by a drive across the country back to Dublin. We hit a few final stops there, squeezing as much into our final moments in Ireland as possible.
Ocean Plunge at Blackrock Diving Tower
We woke up early and headed out to Salthill’s Blackrock Diving Tower so Amanda could wade in the wild waters of the Atlantic. It was raining, and the sea was quite choppy, so it took some motivation to strip down and get in, but she did it! If you are planning on doing an ocean plunge, this spot in Salthill is a local favorite to dip your toes (or your whole body) into the frigid sea.
Final Day in Dublin
Once we arrived in Dublin, we checked into our final hotel, the Dylan, and returned our rental car. We made our way back into the City Centre and hopped from place to place to end the trip. We started at Mulligan & Haines for a drink and a quick meal, walked across Ha’Penny Bridge, and settled into Merchant’s Arch, where we enjoyed a few drinks and some live music. Our final stop of the evening was Mary’s Bar and Hardware Shop, a quaint pub that also doubles as, you guessed it, a hardware shop.
Our first trip to Ireland was everything we could have imagined, filled with so much fun, adventure and memories to last a lifetime. As you could probably tell, we crammed quite a bit into our Ireland road trip. This type of itinerary may not be for the faint of heart, but we hope it could serve as a starting point of inspiration for you.
xoL&M
Over To You
Have you been on an Ireland road trip of your own? Where did you go? Thinking about planning an Ireland road trip? If so, was this itinerary helpful? What things on our list sparked your interest? If you have any questions for us, feel free to leave them in the comments below so we can help you plan your trip, and be sure to keep your eyes out for our upcoming Ireland travel guides!
