Please sign in to post.
Holiday Sale! Save 20% Storewide!

Help with late May itinerary planning

Posted by on

Hi all,

Interested in thoughts about our upcoming itinerary overall.

But, in particular, whether it's worth spending another day (tagged as ** swing day **) in Dingle for a Blasket islands excursion, or adding a different destination along the way:

  1. Portmagee overnight for a Skellig Michael day trip is one idea; bit of a detour for a really weather-dependent activity?
  2. Another is a detour on the way to Northern Ireland to visit Glenveagh; the drive seems doable, but it adds a one-night stay, which we're ok with if it's really worth it.

(arrive on the 13th)

  1. Tuesday, 5/14: Dublin; city sights (sleep in Dublin)
  2. Wednesday, 5/15: Dublin; city sights (sleep in Dublin)
  3. Thursday, 5/16: Get rental car from in-town location; visit Glendalough; Kilkenny (sleep in Kilkenny)
  4. Friday, 5/17: Drive to Rock of Cashel, then Kinsale/Cobh/Cork (sleep in Kinsale)
  5. Saturday, 5/18: Kinsale/Cobh/Cork (sleep in Kinsale)
  6. Sunday, 5/19: Kinsale/Cobh/Cork and drive to Kenmare in the evening (sleep in Kenmare)
  7. Monday, 5/20: Drive the Ring of Kerry (sleep in Dingle)
  8. Tuesday, 5/21: Drive the Dingle Peninsula (sleep in Dingle)
  9. ** swing day ** Wednesday, 5/22: Visit Blasket Island (weather permitting), Dingle town, or just relax a little (sleep in Dingle)
  10. Thursday, 5/23: Drive Cliffs of Moher, Burren (sleep in Galway)
  11. Friday, 5/24: Visit Aran islands and Galway (sleep in Galway)
  12. Saturday, 5/25: Drive through Connemara (sleep in Westport)
  13. Sunday, 5/26: Drive to Northern Ireland, visit Derry (sleep in Portrush)
  14. Monday, 5/27: Antrim coast; Portrush (sleep in Portrush)
  15. Tuesday, 5/28: Drive to Belfast; Belfast sights (sleep in Belfast)
  16. Wednesday, 5/29 Drive to Boyne Valley sights; Trim (sleep in Trim)

(drop off car at the airport and fly home on the 30th)

Thanks for any thoughts!

Posted by
6713 posts

This looks very doable and is close to the itinerary for the RS Best of Ireland tour, which I did two years ago. I would give either Belfast or Dublin your "swing day," but you may prefer rural sights to urban ones. Keep in mind that driving anywhere will take longer than you might expect.

Posted by
188 posts

In my opinion, I wouldn't do the both Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula - too similar and you could use that time for something else. We did Dingle, cute town. We stopped at the Muckross House and traditional farm in Killarney on our drive between Dingle and Kinsale. Lovely gardens and the best Shepherds Pie! I would add that extra day to Kilkenny. Right now you basically have it as a drive through and a one night stop. It's worth at least one whole day.

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.