Itinerary Help-Dublin and?

It’s going to depend a lot on how much time you will have. Dingle is a long way from Dublin. I really enjoyed Galway and the surrounding area, including a day trip to Inishmore. The history of how people were able to carve out an existence in such a bleak landscape is what makes it worth the visit. Also, consider flying in and out of Shannon if you can. If you aren’t really interested in Dublin, then skip it. Flying into Shannon will make getting to Dingle easier.

We took the 14 day Rick Steves' Ireland tour. We enjoyed it all, but like you we are from SoCal, so while Dingle was nice enough and our accommodations at Milltown House were fantastic; it didn't wow me. It was the countryside; all that green we don't get here that impressed me most. The buskers in Galway were amazing! Definitely visit Ashford Castle and experience the Hawk Walk, Cong County Clare, Burren and Cliffs of Moher, Connemara.

The Aran Irelands were on our tour. It was interesting, but bleak, which is what draws the tours; trying to imagine creating a life there.

We will have 5 nights/6 days (+ additional day in Dublin). We would have preferred flying into Shannon, but the flights/prices weren't great, so we opted for Dublin.

Thanks for the great advice. It sounds like we're still leaning towards the North instead of Dingle. We want to stay in one place and just do day trips to minimize the moving around. I love the green countryside, which is what always draws me to England & Scotland.

April,

All of the places you mentioned are well worth exploring and, with the exception of Dingle, are quite close to each other. I've only traveled around Ireland by bicycle, but others here frequently mention how long drive times can be. So keep that tidbit in mind.

For starters, I'd suggest flying into Shannon on the West Coast, especially since you're not a fan of large cities. Save Dublin for a future trip. That eliminates a cross-country drive and puts you right where you want to be - in the countryside and within easy reach of Ireland's most scenic regions, small towns and villages, the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking pockets), rugged cliffs, beaches and lots of trad in the pubs (mostly in the summer).

You could base yourself in Galway for quick access to everything, as well as the ferries to the Aran Islands from Rossaveel (23 miles west) or Doolin (43 miles southwest). The latter drive takes you through the Burren. The Arans may look bleak (because they are), yet for peace and quiet, history (c. 2,500 B. C. Dun Aengus on Inishmore) and seeing the simpler life the islanders live, a night on one would add to your experience. The ferry ride across Galway Bay is fun! Or switch up between Galway and Doolin, both of which have a good selection of B&Bs and pubs.

Westport is also nice for a night or two and it's home to Matt Malloy's Pub (of the Chieftains) for some finger-tapping trad. In Connemara, which in my experience is the prettiest region in the country (the Twelve Bens, the Maumturk Mountains, Killary Harbor in Leenane), drive the N59 loop with an overnight or two in lively Clifden at the western end.

Depending on how much in-country time you have, Dingle may be a stretch after visiting those places in counties Clare and Galway. I'm thinking a minimum of two, possibly three, weeks to get a good taste of each without rushing.

From Dingle Town and Dunquin you can hop the ferry to the Blasket Islands, uninhabited since 1953. In 2022, I took the one from Dingle on the Peig Sayers with Captain Billy and his sure-footed sea dog. On the island we also enjoyed an informative, hour-long presentation on its history and some of its memorable characters. Lots of remnants of old stone houses and outbuildings too, including the restored home of Peig Sayers.

Ireland may not have as many B&Bs as it did when I first went years ago (some 2,500), but each one I've ever stayed in was exceptionally warm, hospitable, clean and friendly. Those full Irish breakfasts are wonderful!

Keep in mind too to book directly with each B&B if you can so as to save on booking fees. That also eliminates third-party conversations if there's a problem. Also, sadly, the Internet had about done away with the complete flexibility we had on multiple trips to just show up and knock on a door or two to get a room. Today, everyone is reserving rooms many months in advance.

These ferry services will get you to the Arans:

https://www.aranislandferries.com/#indseo

https://doolinferry.com/

For ferries to Great Blasket Island:

https://www.greatblasketisland.net/ (Captain Billy)

https://blasketferry.ie/

https://www.blasketisland.com/

B&B resources:

https://bedandbreakfast.guide/ireland/

https://www.irish-homes.com/

Stick with your gut. Galway's a great choice! You can go there by bus from the airport (or by train from the city) and skip Dublin altogether. Pick up your car after you have visited Galway and the Aran Islands (if you choose that) or use a tour service for your day trips to Connemara and the Burren. An overnight in Clifden would give you more of the small-town vibe and isn't far from Galway. There is plenty to see in that area. You won't be disappointed. Watch Eugene Levy's Reluctant Traveler episode on Ireland, in which he and his daughter visited County Clare.

Just because Dingle is RS’s suggestion, doesn’t mean you have to go there...

I also much preferred the Burren and Galway up to Westport.

Using Galway or its surrounds as a base, you can cover all of these areas as day tours in the car. The Burren is amazing and scenically completely different to elsewhere in Ireland. Spend a day visiting there.

I’ve always found that County Galway knocks spots off Dingle and Killarney. It has everything from coastal scenery to mountains plus Loughs Corrib and mask. Spend a day exploring round the coast through Roundstone and up to Clifden (don’t miss the Sky Road Drive which on a sunny day must rank as one of the best short drives in the world) and up to Leenaun (think of a boat trip on Killarey Fjord).

Spend another day heading up to Louisburgh and Wesport.

The final day explore the area to the east of Loch Corrib heading up to Ashford Castle and Cong with its ruined abbey (do go and find the monk’s fishing station with the bell the monk’s could ring to let the cook know they had caught a fish...) Cong was also used to film ‘The Quiet Man’ starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara and there is a small museum with a replica of the cottage used in the film.

As far as the Aran Islands go - the scenery is limestone and will be similar to what you will see on the Burren (although the Aran Islands are possibly more stark and barren.) Follow your gut feeling here . There’s plenty to do and see without doing a trip there.

Travelling between Galway and Dublin - Athlone, Clonmacnoise (early Christian site with ruined chapels, round towers and carved crosses) and Athenry (medieval walled town with a ruined castle and priory are all good places to stop and break journey.

I would recommend a B&B in Galway, Petra House, if you end up staying in Galway. Classic B&B experience with great hosts and fantastic breakfast. We also had a nice stay at the Pipers Rest B&B in Doolin.
I liked the Dingle peninsula drive a lot, possibly more than the Ring of Kerry. The Blasket Island Center was fascinating (we didn’t take a trip to the island).
We also had a nice day on Inis Mor, taking the flight from near Galway. It was a great way to maximize time on a day trip to the island.

Galway would be a good base for most of what you're looking for. I think Aran is well worth a day from there. And Galway has good train service to/from Dublin. There are also buses directly between Dublin Airport and Galway, if you want to avoid Dublin altogether, or spend time there only at the start or end of your days in Ireland.

We were on an RS tour last July. The Dingle area is great, but the town itself was wall to wall American tourists, just like the main streets of Dublin.

Thank you everyone for that great advice! I appreciate you all. It seems like I'm on the right track to focus our attention on the Galway area. If anyone else has any other advice or recommendations, let me know.

It seemed from your post you’ve already booked flights into Dublin.I’m planning a few days in Dublin in May so have been researching day trips from there. There are lots of very interesting day tours you can take using Dublin as your base, including the Cliffs of Mohr, Galway and Dingle. We’ve booked a day trip that will take us through the Wicklow mountains and into Kilkenny for a few hours. If you don’t want to do a tour but instead plan to drive, you can look at the tour itineraries to see what interests you. I’d suggest planning a couple of days to three days to get to Galway along a southern route. There is much to see, depending on what interests you. I spent a week in Killarney in 2004, at the Lake Hotel on the shore of one of the Killarney lakes looking out at the Killarney National Park. It’s gorgeous! It’s actually a mile south of the main city near Muckross Abbey ruins and Muckross House. The nearby town of Kenmare is quite charming as well. These are the jumping off points for the Ring of Kerry. We also went up to Connemara and spent a couple of nights up there, not far from Kylemore Abbey, which is very interesting. From Killarney, Dingle is just an hour drive away. While Blarney Castle is on every tour’s list, I passed up the kiss of the Blarney Stone and instead walked through the gardens which were gorgeous! Nature trails, grotto, even a poison garden! Have a wonderful trip, whatever you decide.