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Honeymooners visiting Ireland for the 1st time

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Hi everyone!

My wife and myself have decided to honeymoon in Ireland in 2025. I would love to get some tips as I plan our itinerary. We are planning to rent a car and drive to our destinations as from what I have read this gives you the most freedom to explore. I have driven in the UK before so I am familiar with the style of driving. My wife and myself love historical sites and museums and plan to make that one of the focal points of the trip. We also love nature and to do some mild walking/hiking and it seems that Ireland has many areas that are gorgeous to explore. Nightlife and drinking are not a top priority but we would obviously like to stop at pubs along the way to get the experience. While I do not mind driving, my wife does not want to spend the entirety of the time in the car.

The rough itinerary so far would look something like this. We will be flying into Dublin the morning of April 5th and heading back out on April 15th. The plan thus far is to make Dublin our base until the 8th, we will be staying at the Powerscourt from the 5th-8th, and then from there weave our way towards either Kenmare or Killarney to explore that area for a day or two. We have considered breaking the drive up from Dublin to the previous mentioned towns by staying for a night in Killkenny and exploring the town/area. From Kenmare or Killarney the plan was to drive to Galway and make that our base for the remainder of the trip until heading back to Dublin to fly out on the 15th.

I do not mind driving as I previously mentioned however I have thought this may be trying to do too much in one trip. Exploring old ruins/castles as well as museums and national parks are higher priority than exploring the cities but we'd obviously like to sprinkle some of that in as well. From other forums I have read, the Cliffs of Moher seem to be a must see while in Ireland but does this warrant having to stay in Galway? Are there any other sights to see in County Clare and on that same note towns that would be best to stay in to avoid having to stay in Galway? Would it be a better use of the time we have to not go to the cliffs and spend the rest of trip exploring the ring of kerry & dingle peninsula?

Any and all advice would be vastly appreciated!

Posted by
1544 posts

If I'm understanding your proposed itinerary properly you plan to arrive in Dublin on April 5th and immediately drive to Powerscourt for 3 nights. Powerscourt is about a 1 hour drive from the airport but not really Dublin. It's a lovely spot for a honeymoon but you won't be seeing any museums or city life. You will be close to Johnnie Fox's Pub which is a riot. Even the tourist oriented show is fun and the musicians head to the pub afterwards for more of an impromptu session. Powerscourt to Kenmare/Killarney is about 4 hours and you can break that up by stopping at the Rock of Cashel or Cahir Castle. Both are worth a visit but I would prioritize the Rock of Cashel. If you are willing to drive another few minutes you might consider staying at the Parknasilla Resort in Sneem. In some ways it will mimic Powerscourt but it is a lovely spot and they will spoil you. It is on the south side of the Ring of Kerry and will also provide easy access to the Beara Peninsula, if you so choose. If I were you I would choose either the Ring of Kerry or the Dingle Peninsula. I wouldn't try to do both with such a limited amount of time.

I haven't been to Galway in almost 35 years so won't comment. Nor will I comment on the Cliffs of Moher since the last time I was there no visitor center existed and you could literally dangle your legs off the cliff.

Posted by
5153 posts

Just a general comment. With the stress associated with most weddings, you will probably want (or need) down time to just relax and recover. So the only thing I will suggest is that you don't over plan. Leave some time to just go with the flow. Love long and prosper.

Posted by
2220 posts

The Beara Peninsula is lovely and a lot quieter to drive than either Ring of Kerry or Dingle and Slea Head. Kenmare is quieter and less touristy than Killarney. I'b base a stay here doing Beara, Killarney National Park and possibly Ring iof Kerry.

Then head to Galway. I love Connemara and actually much preferred it to Kerry. I must admit I do find the Cliffs of Moher very over rated and incredibly busy. However the Burren is wonderful and the limestone scenery quite unlike anything you will find elsewhere in Ireland. It is definitley worth a day to explore with an onvernight, on the way to Galway .

You also have the Arran Islands - have you thought about spending a night (or even 2) on one of them for a completely unique and special experience. Most people do them as a day trip either from Doolin or Galway. Spending the night lets you relax and enjoy their very special atmosphere.

When in Galway, at the very least drive to Roundstone with its tiny harbour and wonderful views and then do the Sky Road drive from Clifden. On a sunny day, this is probably one of the best short drives in the world.

On the way back to Dublin, don't miss the early Christian site of Clomnmacnoise with its ruined chapels, round towers and carved crosses.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you everyone for the great recommendations! We have pretty much got everything ready to go and uses a lot of the feedback to help plan our trip.

Posted by
30 posts

Congratulations!
Sheep farm near Killarney
Ferry to Inis Oirr or the others
Definitely visit Dingle
If you stay one night in Kilkenny- you can walk to the castle to tour- about 5-6 hotels close in
Kayaking at The Lake Hotel in Killarney-
We are headed there in a couple of weeks to celebrate 32 years of marriage- you are starting yours out grand with creating amazing memories!

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