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Ring of Kerry in one day or Killarney National Park and Muckross House in one day

Posted by (Lakewood, CO, United States) on

We are taking our first trip to Ireland in August and I'd love some feedback on two things. My husband and I are in our early 30s, active, and adventurous. We don't want a packed trip, but we would love to make the most out of what is probably our only visit to Ireland.

  1. We plan to stay in Dingle on the 17th and stay in Cahirciveen the 18th. I have set aside the full day of the 18th to drive the Ring of Kerry. Is this enough time? Any stops or little side trips you would recommend?

  2. I only planned Killarney National Park and Muckross House for the 19th. Again, is this a good amount of time and is there anything near by you would recommend to add into the day?

Thank you!

Posted by
1172 posts

1 day for the Ring of Kerry is enough. The day that we did the national park and Muckross house, we also went to Kissane farms see a sheep herding demonstration.

Posted by
337 posts

You can definitely do a full day at Muckross House and the National Park.
You can:
Tour the house (paid, guided tours only),
tour the gardens and grounds on your own (free),
Walk from Muckross House to Dinis Cottage at the other end of the lake, and back again (about 6 miles round trip, on flat ground).
Dinis Cottage has a little cafe for lunch or tea. Look for the signatures from the 1800s etched in the glass of the windows.
You can also get a ride in a small open boat in one (or both directions) if you don't want to walk the entire distance.
Visit Muckross Abbey ruins (free, and a short, picturesque walk from Muckross House).

Have fun!

Posted by
76 posts

The best sites on the ROK are the ones most people don't know about. Here are a few suggestions (most of these are places RS has never mentioned):
From Cahirciveen (Cahersiveen), I suggest stopping first at Balleycarbery Castle...fantastic and free. From there I would head through Portmagee to the Kerry Cliffs. Then it's through Waterville (big touristy place) to Sneem (another hot spot). Here's where I would go against the grain: after Sneem most people would go to Kenmare or through Molls Gap to Killarney. Because you're staying in Cahirciveen, from Sneem I would head up the Ballaghbeama Gap to the Ballaghisheen Pass which will take you right back to where you started. The driving time for all of this is about 3 hours, not counting stops.

For your second day, I would add the Gap of Dunloe after KNP and Muckross House. The Gap of Dunloe is spectacular, but the jaunty cart drivers can get ridiculously rude about driving through. I waited until they knock off for the day (about 4 or 430pm) and then drove through the gap without any problems - though you do have to be careful of hikers and cyclists.

Hope this helps.

Posted by
21 posts

Thank you all for your responses! So helpful and I was able to incorporate your suggestions into our itinerary!

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