Ireland- 7 Days

Dublin is a big city for Ireland but not a big city when you compare it to a Toronto ( I am assuming this is where you live) or big american cities. It has so much to offer that I think you are selling yourself short by not doing any of it.

Hi Sharon! Thank you for the feedback. Depending where I end up before that I'll try to give myself some more time in Dublin!

You could drop tour of Ring of Kerry and just do Dingle and add the extra day to Dublin.

Galway is a fun city; I enjoyed Dublin more, though, including the music. I’m 58, so you may enjoy the pubs more in Galway; it is a college town. I spent several nights in both cities.

You might consider a day trip or tour to the Cliffs of Mohr while on your way to or from Galway. The walks along the Cliffs are spectacular.

Another option from Galway is to take a shuttle to the ferry to the Aran Island of Inishmore. Once there, you can find a local guide with a van and enjoy a tour of the island. The local guides are informative and fun. Mine has a van with the slogan “From Boats to Goats.” He used to work on a fishing boat; now he guides and makes goat cheese for sale. The tour is a good way to meet other people and see a different part of Ireland. It takes most of the day from Galway, but you get back in time to enjoy dinner and the night life of Galway.

Both the Ring of Kerry and Dingle are beautiful, with great views, so the tours are well worth it. If you want to spend less time driving and do something different, you could drop one tour (most would say Kerry), and spend the day closer to Killarney exploring the area by bike or by foot.

I hiked from Kate Kearney’s Cottage to the Gap of Dunloe, but you could rent a bike for this as well, and I hiked a bit in the Killarney National Park. I enjoyed hiking from Muckross House to the Meeting of the Waters, Dinis cottage, and "The Old Weir Bridge". There is a signposted path from Muckross House. I had a car to drive to trail heads, so I’m not sure about any public transportation, but the trail heads aren’t far from the town, so a cab might be possible.

Thank you for all of the suggestions of things to do in each city! That is very helpful. Do you think the 4 hour bus ride from Killarney to Galway is worth it or do you have any suggestions for places nearby Killarney that you enjoyed? I have 3 days with travel back to Dublin on the 3rd day if I don't do Galway :)

My group and I are flying in on June 1st, maybe we'll pass each other in the airport :-)

I just have to say, give Dublin a shot...like you, I was totally prepared to not like it because I was told that it was like every other big city...it's not! Even the super touristy parts (like Temple Bar) are crowded and a little more expensive, but we had a blast.

Galway is a cool town, we didn't get to see much of it on our last trip but it was one of my favorite places we stopped in. Definitely check out the Cliffs of Moher on your way there, if you can. It's another touristy spot, but there's a reason everyone goes there - it's beautiful!

Also, don't stress too much about seeing everything. There's never enough time! Just focus on a few places that are the most important to you. You'll have a great time no matter what!

I forgot to mention the Traditional Farms at Muckross House, which I enjoyed more than the estate.

Kenmare and Kinsale are nearby towns with interesting pubs for music and good scenery, but it may be difficult to get there by bus.

In Kinsale, I stayed at the Sea Gull House, whose owner also owns the Taps Tavern, a cool pub. I had a great conversation with several folks in The Spaniard Pub just outside of town and then ran into them later in a different pub, so it’s a friendly town.

The 4 hour bus ride from Killarney to Galway seems worth it to me. Galway is a fun city, with a different vibe than Dublin. I enjoyed walking the streets and sitting outside pubs/restaurants and watching people wander the streets. There's also a nice walk along the river. I’m glad I spent time in both Galway and Dublin, and there are lots of good options near Galway as I mentioned earlier.

I'm planning a similar trip. My method of getting to Killarney is to take a guided tour from Dublin to Cashel/Cork/Blarney Castle and then just hop off the bus and head to Killarney rather than riding it back to Dublin. It's more expensive and time consuming than a train but I want to see those places along the way.

I'm not doing the Ring of Kerry Tour because 10 hours in a slow moving bus packed with tourists sounds terrible, no matter how pretty some of the scenery is. I might do a Dingle Tour though as it is shorter and seems to have more stops.

It sounds like Galway is a place you would enjoy so I would leave it in. You might consider getting to Galway via the Cliffs of Moher. But that might require an overnight stay in Ennis or Limerick. Or you could just do a day trip there (on Bus 350) once you are in Galway. There don't seem to be that many "touristy" things to do in Galway City during the day anyway. Nightlife seems great however.