Im visiting Ireland for the first time in mid April and will be flying into Dublin. I have 3 to 4 full days and was wondering if this itinerary was too much in such a short time?
Day 1: land in Dublin late at night. Check into hostel
Day 2: spend day exploring Dublin and adjusting to jet lag
Day 3: Hire a car and drive to rock of cashel, then drive to Kilkenny. Stay the night in Kilkenny
Day 4: Explore Kilkenny, then drive to Galway. Stay the night in Galway
Day 5: Drive to Dublin and fly out that night or the next morning.
If needed i could take out Galway and visit somewhere else near the eastern side of Ireland . I want to see the countryside but i dont want to see all of it from the car.
Any pit stop reccomendations? Or alternative cities to see instead of Galway that involve less driving? Is this plan too rushed?
Thank you
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3226 posts
Why the heck would you drive clear across the island to see Galway??? No, no, no. With such limited time, you could do Kilkenny or head north and see the passage tomb of Newgrange. Come back and see the western side of the island later.
Posted by
1366 posts
If I were you, I would skip Galway and head to County Wicklow. You’ll see mountains, waterfalls, hiking trails, gardens and monastic ruins all within a couple of hours south of Dublin.
As the previous poster noted, Newgrange and the Boyne Valley, which are north of Dublin, are also good choices. More history and mystery along with castles and ruins.
With less driving I think you’ll have a more enjoyable time.
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
853 posts
Stay in Dublin and do a couple of day trips from there (Newgrange, Glendalough, train to Belfast or Kilkenny). You will see a lot more by staying in Dublin as opposed to spending a lot of time( and expense) renting a car and trying to find your own way.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for your responses. Ive heard the western part of Ireland is beautiful but im sure theres still just as many beautiful things to see closer to the Dublin area.
Theres nothing in particular i needed to see or do in Galway, so with the cost of valuable time i will take that off my itinerary.
I will be spending the following week in London, so if I could avoid staying in a large city like Dublin for every night Id rather find a smaller town to stay in or see near that area. Does anyone have a favorite? All the reccomendations were very helpful, thank you!