Travel around Cliffs of Moher

Our family went this past June. We flew into Shannon and out of Dublin. We decided to skip the Cliffs of Moher and do the Cliffs of Kerry! (Based on the comments from this forum!!!!) I don't have anything to compare, but the Cliffs of Kerry were absolutely amazing! And you could literally count how many people were there. We spent 2 week doing the southern portion and I would say that the Dingle and Ring of Kerry were the highlights. I hate we didn't spend more time there instead of Dublin at the end of our trip.

We stayed in Doolin in County Claire at Daly's B&B, a great spot when we went to the Cliff's of Moher . We also visited the Doolin Music House and the cliffs and did a driving tour around the area for a couple of days. It was really cool. But....if I had to choose between the two, and if the Cliffs of Moher are not an absolute, I would spend the time down in Dingle and over to Kenmare. Dingle is great, touring the peninsula is really cool and the town is really fun. From there you can do the Ring of Kerry but it might be easier to stay in Kenmare for that part of the trip. For me the Cliff's of Kerry were a more enjoyable visit, less developed equally awesome imo. We did not get to take the long hike along the Cliffs of Moher so that may have added to that part of the trip if the weather had cooperated. Im not sure if all 3 of you are hikers but the Kerry Cliffs are pretty easy to access. You might consider hiring a one day private tour of the Ring of Kerry, we really enjoyed the break from driving and the insider tour. From Kenmare we also did a great drive around the Beara Peninsula, a less crowded more remote "ring" drive. You wont go wrong either way, I loved Doolin and Dingle both! I agree with Darlinda, I would spend more time out west rather than in the city.

Honestly, unless you have some very specific reason to go to Cork (family ties, etc.), I'd skip it - it's really not a "first trip" kind of destination. Yes, I do think County Clare and The Burren are worthwhile. In general, the Western portion of Ireland is far more scenic and interesting than spending most of your time in cities like Cork and Dublin.

You could conceivably head straight from Shannon over to somewhere like Kinvara to base yourselves for a night or two. Kinvara is right on the edge of The Burren so you can drive around that area and also visit the Cliffs. If you prefer more of a city vibe, then stay in Galway.

The Cliffs of Moher are not worth the time traveling to them....losing out on other better areas. They are beautiful but probably the 6-7th best cliff site in Ireland. They are tourist overrun, clogged with tour buses with a tacky little strip mall in its base. The cliff walk away from the visitor center area is nice and less crowded. If you are looking for the wild, gorgeous wind swept cliffs of Irish movies and literature the Cliffs of Kerry are FAR better. In addition they are perfectly located to make it easy to see nearby incredible sights like Skellig Michael, the Skellig Ring, the Ring of Kerry, Dingle/Slea Head and the amazing sites near (not in) Killarney. You would see far more and better cliffs there. Perfect for a first time journey.
Also agree unless there is some family reason to go Cork is not the best of destinations for a first trip. There are wonders everywhere.....but Kerry - Dingle - the ROK have literally hundreds of fascinating things to see. We have spent months there and not exhausted it. So instead of driving/traveling away a lot of time....cut back on Dublin and skip Cork and Moher. See better cliffs, stay closer to more things and allow time for interacting with the warmest, funniest most engaging people we've ever come across.

Have a great trip.

In general, Ireland is a great place to visit smaller towns and enjoy the locals. They are friendly, talkative and interested in meeting visitors. A small town pub with traditional music is, IMO, the best "sight" of all in Ireland.

There is also beautiful scenery and historical sights to fill your time between evenings at the pub ;-)

Dublin is a little different. It's a big city. Like all big cities, there is more hustle and bustle. People are going their own way and busy making a living. The pubs aren't nearly as enjoyable but cities are where you find the museums and must see sights. I'd certainly visit Dublin, for sights, but you haven't visited Ireland until you visit some smaller towns.

Regarding your question, I'd choose Dingle over the Cliffs of Moher (and see the cliffs of Kerry while you're there).

Thank you everyone for your reply!