Help! First-timers Itinerary

You may or may not appreciate my reply. Most places tourists are pointed to by travel guides, in the Republic, are overrun with North American (including Canada) tourists. I liked Galway twenty years ago. I didn't go this trip but probably wouldn't have liked it at all.

I think an arrival day, two nights, and a full day in Dublin is good for getting your bearings. Bus into town is the best and most economical way. Ask your lodging which bus to take. See the sights that interest you. I'd suggest a guided walking tour. There are free options available at Isaac's hostel every morning. I signed up for a free walking tour with Sandeman's (tips asked for) and was happy with Kieran (think it was spelled Ciaran).

Look at the sight options on tripadvisor and decide which sights appeal to you. I'd recommend the Irish Whiskey museum (across the street from Trinity college). It was informative and entertaining. Tasting three whiskeys is included with a 20 euro tour (kind of pricey but alcohol is expensive in Ireland).

Temple Bar is full of crowded bars that could be in any city. They really aren't quaint pubs in the least and it's probably where people get pickpocketed. My favorite pub, in the area, was O'Neill's across the street from the Molly Malone statue. They have a sandwich bar that's a good choice for lunch and decent prices (my favorite was a Dubliner Cheese and Ham sandwich). Sadly the best traditional session I saw was in Dublin (O'Donaghue's Bar, in Merrion Row near St. Stephen's green).

If you're on a budget, I like the Archaeology museum (free). Downstairs is gold, weapons and people - dug out of the peat bogs. Upstairs is Vikings. Skip the Leprechaun museum. I went after hearing it wasn't as cheesy as it sounds - it was. The Dublinia museum is okay and includes seeing Christchurch (the oldest church in Dublin). The cat chasing the mouse mummies (found in an organ pipe) were bizarre.

After Dublin, you should try to be done with tourist traps. My take from my May trip is I'll never go to Dingle again and sorry I went this time. It was 100 percent tourist trap, music wasn't trad sessions (paid performers), pubs were more Temple bar style bars than quiet local hangouts, shops all sold only tourist kitsch, food and drinks were the most expensive I encountered anywhere in Ireland. I enjoyed seeing the oratories, every other "sight" on the peninsula was a recreated tourist stop that charged three to five euros each for non-sights. I liked Galway last time but I've heard enough bad to think it might now be just like Dingle.

My itinerary included Rock of Cashel and Clonmacnoise which were both decent sights (hard to get Clonmacnoise in on your route). I also went to Kilkenny (nice town but not as special as it's made out to be). Cahir castle is one of the better castle visits in Ireland. It's on the stretch beteween Kilkenny and Portmagee.

I intended to take a boat to Skellig Michael but dock maintenance, on the rock, precluded any landings. Too bad because the weather and seas were calm. I liked the Ring of Kerry much better than Dingle. The cliffs are a good visit (3 euro, not open for sunsets, skip Moher tourist trap and see these instead). I really liked the two ring forts near Cahersiveen (not far from Portmagee). Last trip I had driven the circle but didn't stay on the peninsula. I felt the Ring of Kerry was much better and way less touristy than Dingle.

I also enjoyed spending a night on Inismor. We rented bikes and rode from one end of the island to the other. Much of it is touristy, not so much if you stay a night. There are lots of sights to hike to that most tourists skip (Black fort, Wormhole, St. Brennan's church). The harder the hike, the more likely you'll be the only one there.

I enjoyed the sights on Antrim coast (Giant's causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, Bushmill's distillery, Dun Luce castle ruin). They're all within a few minutes of each other. Again on a budget you can see Giant's causeway free if you park off site (we parked just across the street). Carrick-a-Rede was 13 pounds to cross the bridge and walk maybe another 100 feet. We walked the mile or so to the bridge but didn't pay to cross.

Between Portmagee and Antrim, skip all the tourist traps and spend time in the Sligo and Donegal area. Our nicest accomodation and seafood dinner were in Roundstone. I'd suggest picking any small town in the northwest, avoiding any place you've heard of or heard recommended, to see what most people go to Ireland to see. Budget choices include a photo stop at Kylemore Abbey, Newmills Corn & Flax Mill and Grianan of Aileach (ring fort near Derry with an amazing view). I enjoy ancient sights. Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery was interesting to me (might not be for most). If you want to visit a stone circle, drive to Beltany Stone Circle. We spent a ton to do a hawk walk at Ashford Castle (150 euro for two) but it was a great once in a lifetime thing.

I really enjoyed the Titanic Museum in Belfast. If you're not done with castles (I don't think there are that many good castles in Ireland), Carrickfergus is a Norman castle close to Belfast that's in good shape. If you want to hike, there's an interesting guided hike on walkways over the ocean called "the Gobbins". We didn't have time so can't say how much it costs.

Just north of Dublin, Newgrange is maybe my top sight in Ireland (I'm a fan of ancient as well as the period before 1200 in Ireland). Newgrange is a passage tomb older than the Pyramids.

The itinerary looks good based on what you stated about your preferences.

Here are some suggestions based on my experiences in 2016.

For Day 2, even though I loved Kilkenny, stopping there would add about another hour of driving on a day that you’ll still be recovering from jet lag. Kinsale is a scenic, interesting town with good pubs and music. My B&B was near the French prison, and I overheard part of the Ghost Tour as it walked by, it sounded funny and informative. Great dinner at Fishy Fishy. I had a good conversation with locals at The Spaniard Pub and later bumped into the same people at another pub in town.

For Day 3, The Gap of Dunloe is scenic. I hiked up and back down from Kate Kearney’s Cottage, but others took the pony carts.

You’re also near the Muckross House Traditional Farms which are fascinating because they show a diversity of lifestyles. I enjoyed those even more than the Muckross House itself; you can walk around at your own pace and talk with the interpreters. The Muckross gardens have a number of pleasant walks and short hikes.

Nearby Torc Waterfall is worth a visit, as is the 2 ½ mile round trip hike to Dinis Cottage and the Old Weir Bridge which is at the “Meeting of the Waters” featured in a number of old prints.

https://www.theoutbound.com/ireland/hiking/walk-to-the-meeting-of-the-waters-and-old-weir-bridge-in-killarney-national-park

For Day 4: With an early start, you’ll have lots of time to explore the ROK. Once in Portmagee, nearby Valentia Island is worth a look with several beautiful hikes to cliffside views of the ocean, and a great museum about Skillig Michael right across the bridge.

For Day 6: In Dingle, I enjoyed a half day sea kayak trip in the bay with the group linked below. You can also take motorized boat tours of the bay.

https://www.irishadventures.net/

If you drive part of the Slea Head Drive, there are lots of short hikes to overlooks, including a great view of the Blasket Islands.

For Day 7, if the weather is good, Conor Pass is spectacular to drive on your way to the Cliffs.

For Day 10, entrance to Kilmainham Gaol is by guided tour only with timed tickets. You’ll need to book in advance online to guarantee entry.

In Dublin, the Temple Bar area is loud, so not the best place to stay. Despite the noise and crowds, there is good music, though. In one, the Trad music was upstairs and modern music on the first floor. I was wedged into a Hen party celebration waiting for the Trad music to start for about 15 minutes before I realized that I needed to go upstairs.

Regarding pubs, here’s a passage from an older post about Dublin pubs from Rick Steves Ireland Tour Guide Stephen McPhilemy:

“Like previous posts I also enjoy the music in Temple bar, the crowd will be 95% tourists, but the music will generally always be good quality. If you want a more authentic pub sing-along and to be surround by locals and Irish people, head to 'The Celt' on talbot street, Northside. 5 minutes walk from the Millennium spire (aka stiletto in the ghetto) on O'Connell street.”

All the best,

Raymond

Thank you @fcaraymond! I really appreciate all of the hiking ideas, routes to take, and options to get on the water! Appreciate the advice to skip Kilkenny as well. I think you’re right to assume that we’ll need some time to ease in to things!

Really appreciate the thoughts too, @Brad! i like the idea of not following a guidebook to a T and wandering through a town I’ve never heard of :)

Wasn’t sure how much we wanted to go North, but I think you’re starting to convince me! Good news is that I just got approved for a few more days vacation, so I think we might be able to make it work!

I’ve seen the hawk walk pop up in a few message boards. Surprises me every time, but maybe it’s just so foreign to me. What is the experience like?

And a question on travelling through these towns I’ve never heard of… is it easy enough to find a place to stay w/o calling ahead?

The best way to see what the Hawk Walk experience is like is to Google YouTube Ashford Castle Hawk Walk or Ashford Castle School of Falconry Hawk Walk. You will see many YouTube postings of people of various ages enjoying the Hawk Walk. First there is a short orientation for your small group of 1-3....the number you choose to book, learning about hawks, meeting hawks, etc. then you go out and learn to launch and land hawks (see the YouTube videos). Each participant has his/her own hawk.....a big thick glove is provided as well as hawk treats. At Ashford you walk down a wide walkway that is in the middle of a forested area, very peaceful experience.

Regarding Day 5, boating to Skellig Michael, climbing the stair path to the top, and boating back took the better part of the day, so it would be late afternoon before the Ring of Kerry drive would’ve been possible for me.

between Day 8 and 9, how are you getting from Galway to Belfast? If via rental car, that’s quite a drive!

We did the Hawk Walk last September, and if you do it, go for the slightly more expensive extended version, which includes time with their Eagle Owl, too.

I was originally thinking we would drive Galway to Belfast in one day @Cyn, but am now thinking it would make sense to stop in a small town along the way. How long of a drive do you think it would be if we didn't stop? And do you have any recommendations of a good place along the way? I'm curious if we would be able to find a place on the day, or if its best to book ahead.

And thanks for the tip on Skellig Michael / Ring of Kerry timing too!

After reading about how frequent the cancellations are, I think I was half expecting the boat not to go :)
Would you recommend any particular companies for that trip?

This seems way too rushed to me with too many one night stays. Galway to Belfast is 3:45 on Google Maps, add 25% to that. Driving into a big city with the expectation of then doing two activities is probably too ambitious. I encourage you to think this over a lot more carefully. Almost no one considers flying into Shannon and out of Dublin, but it's highly advisable. Car rentals with insurance are very expensive in Ireland (~$70 per day), you can take a bus directly to Galway from Shannon and save on the car rental. (I have traveled twice to Ireland with a rental car, in 2002 and 2016).

s9frey - we’ve taken 2 trips to Ireland, but each was for 3 weeks. First one, in 2011, was by bicycle, hugging the far left edge of the road, and visiting part of the west, from Galway down to Dingle and on to Portmagee and Skellig Michael. Our trip to Skellig Michael was with Des Lavelle’s company, but he was an older, very experienced sailor and diver, and he may have retired or ceased his operation, since he’s no longer recommended by Rick Steves, even though he was outstanding. Hopefully Des is still living! Make sure whomever you book allows enough time on the island to hike up and down, to explore, and appreciate the views and the birdlife. Back in 2011, there were no Star Wars followers making pilgrimages to Skellig Michael, but apparently that’s now making the island more in demand, so book early and hope for calm seas. I lucked out and had a great visit, although one woman on our boat got seasick and never felt good enough to explore the island once we arrived. Our trip also included a sail-by of Little Skellig, a bird sanctuary island.

On our second trip, last September, we rented a car. Enterprise had the best deal, and we landed in Dublin, caught a bus to Galway, then rented in Galway. We drove clockwise around the northern coast, thru Clifden, did the amazing Hawk Walk, up to Dunfanaghy, Londonderry, Bushmills, the Giant’s Causeway, the Gobbins walk near Belfast, then down to Trim, and finished up in Dublin. A small city kind-of between Galway and Belfast, Trim has plenty of attractions in and near it.

Unless Belfast is a major priority, with your time and other sites listed, I would suggest maybe not going all the way north to Belfast this trip, and using your 11 days for places farther south and west. If this is your one big chance to ever see Belfast, then that could make it a critical part of this trip, but, frankly, Belfast wasn’t our favorite part of last September’s trip. Places farther north, and places in the Republic of Ireland, were much more enjoyable. Are you up for driving a stick-shift on the left side of the road? It’s a challenge but it does give you freedom to go when and where you want.

It seems like you're rushing to me. Remember in Ireland driving is on the left and while its not difficult it does take some adjustment. I've done it a couple of times and I still give myself a couple of days to adjust to the jet lag/time change before I start driving. The roads are narrow and while the distances aren't large you're not driving on freeways or interstates like we're use to in the US. If all you want to do is check of a list of sites then your itinerary is fine.

Thanks for your input @vftravels and @keporter! This is exactly why I posted - I was afraid I had too many stops along the way. If we keep the trip to the south, which cities would you recommend staying for 2-3 nights? And are there stops you would recommend we cut completely?

There can be lots of driving in Ireland and, while the scenery is stunning, it can get exhausting. Lots of small, country roads and being on the other side makes for an additional challenge. Also, don’t discount the time it takes to check into and out of your accommodations (and find them). To me, that’s valuable travel time wasted on frustrating administrative tasks. I would stay at least two nights in each spot.