Ireland 6 day itinerary

Are you planning to see the Cliffs of Moher , just a few minutes from Doolin?

Oh yes, forgot to put that in but definitely plan on it while we're in The Burren.

Don't know how tired you will be when you arrive, we usually hit the ground running. If not too tired, suggest you stop at Newgrange on way out of Dublin, worth a visit. Not sure what time of year you are going, we went off season and had no problem with getting tickets. On way to Rock of Cashel, stop either in Kinsale or Cobh on the harbor for lunch. In Dublin, we felt highlight was Kilmainhaim Gaol, easy access by bus from center of town. Skip Guiness brewery, we thought it was boring. Enjoy trip.

Gail, I looked into Newgrange and it sounds fabulous. We too believe in keeping busy to fight jet lag. My concern is our plane lands at 8:30am. By the time we get out bags, locate the car rental, fill out paper work and get car, it may well be near noon. I notice Newgrange is completely in the wrong direction (north) from where we need to go (west). Allowing the extra drive time, the 2 hr tour, and the 3 hr. drive to Galway, we might be taking in more than we should. The same can be said about driving to Kinsale or Cobh which is very south of our destination of touring the Rock of Cashel. Or at least, I've been warned about the slow travel on Irelands roads. By the way, our trip is planned for middle of Sept. I truly appreciate your suggestions though and will look further into it. Anyone else out there with any input on this. Thank you Gail!

Linda, wish I could help you more but my son and I were out of airport in less than hour so maybe we were lucky and we did not have to wait for bags as we had carry on only. Anyway, Newgrange is only about 45 kilometers northwest of Dublin , we were there I think in May for this trip. We had no crowds either at Newgrange and we were able to meet friends for early dinner in Carrick on Shannon by five so maybe we were lucky. Anyway, long winded way of saying it is doable, something to consider. I wasnt impressed with Ennis, suggest you try to spend night in Doolin and see cliffs of moher in am on way to Dingle. Whatever you do, it is wonderful country and you will enjoy.

Gail, can you give me a little insight into these 2 towns? What do you like about Doolin and what don't you like about Ennis. Your recommendations are really appreciated. Thank you again!

None of us can remember what we didn't like about Ennis but do remember fondly Doolin. It is tiny, tiny town right by the water with about only three or four pubs, we went into two of them and had great trad music and good location to Lisdoonvarna and the cliffs. We stayed in B&B Seaview, private car park and good view, greeting in afternoon with sherry, scones. That was five years ago so things could have changed.

Just got back from Ireland last week, and drove through Ennis on the way to and from Doolin. Ennis is perfectly fine, though unremarkable. There's really nothing there to see, and it's inland. If you're already in Doolin, might as well stay the night there (though there are LOTS of Americans there). It's only an extra 30 minutes or so from Dingle, I think. I hope you do consider visiting Newgrange on your first day. You should be in your car by 10am at the latest, and the airport is 30 minutes north of Dublin, so you'll be probably halfway to Newgrange already! But I also understand it's important not to overdo it. You might just have to plan on going back!

We were in Ireland last December. To give you an idea of what we accomplished in one short winter day, we left Galway, stopped at Ailwee Cave, drove straight through the Burren, stopped for lunch in Doolin, drove to Cliffs of Moher (visited a bit but it was extremely foggy). Then we drove to the town of Spanish Point along the coast and stayed at the Armada Hotel, right on the Atlantic (as recommended from another post). Probably a lovely view - if it wasn't foggy!
The next day we drove an hour to the Kilmer-Tarbert ferry and then headed for Dingle via the town of Tralee. The Conor Pass route from Tralee to Dingle was incredibly beautiful, but it does require a confident driver. There is another route from Tralee to Dingle that doesn't go on the Conor Pass. We stayed two nights in Dingle – loved it. Bring your hiking boots or old sneakers if you feel adventurous. – we hiked up to Eask tower through the sheep fields!

I did your itinerary, but in reverse. Have you driven on the left side before? Don't underestimate how tired you will be after your flight, then the adjustment for driving. On the otherhand, the drive between Dublin and Galway is freeway-like most of the way. I would caution you to not try to fit too much into Day 1. If it were me, I would get to Galway and spend the time there. It looks like you plan to leave the next morning and if you go out of your way to make another stop you won't have much time there. Dingle was my favorite place and the sights you will see driving the peninsula are awesome. I'm glad you are giving it 2 nights. Have a great trip.

Stacy, you and others have told me to stay in Doolin instead of Ennis..so Doolin it is. We have definitely decided to visit Newgrange before heading to Galway. Good point that we will already be half way there leaving from the airport. A, Kathleen, did you take a tour of The Burren? I wonder if we will get as much out of the area if we drive thru on our own. Also, you convinced me to take the Conor Pass route. I'll probably be nervous but my driver will be fine. Don't want to miss such beauty. Andrea, what is it that you like about Galway? I read it's a fun city at night which is why we want to stay there the first night. But is there more to the city? I'm having a hard time tp find out what to expect. Thank you ladies for all your help!

Ours was a short trip and we only had one night in Galway. The old town area was fun to walk through. We arrived late in the afternoon and left after lunch the next day. I wish we had more time, but you make do with what you have. I'm glad we had the time we did.

Linda, we just returned from Ireland and did a similar trip, although in reverse. One thing to keep in mind about visiting Newgrange and Knowth is there may be a substantial wait for a tour time if you arrive late morning or after. Also, Muckross Castle just south of Killarney is well worth the short side trip; you could take it in as you drive from Dingle to Cashel. As far as the Conor pass, don't bother if it's raining-you won't see anything-take the N86 instead. Have a great time.

Ash, thanks so much for the great tips. I'm real disappointed though on reading your warning of a possible long wait for Newgrange. Do you think there'll be that many people in the middle of Sept? It will be a Monday, so hopefully that might keep the crowds down. I really had my heart set on seeing it but can't afford to spend the rest of the day there either.

Linda, we got to the Newgrange visitor centre about 10:45 and the earliest time available was 1:15. Luckily, we got an 11:30 slot for Knowth, so we saw it first and were back at the Centre in time for our Newgrange tour. It may be better in September, but don't count on it; we were there in the middle of May and the place was packed. Having said all that, the place is amazing and very worthwhile even if you have to wait. Try to see both sites if you can. Hint: when driving from Dublin to Newgrange on the M1, take exit 9 to Donore (instead of exit 10 to Slane) and follow the brown signs to the visitor centre-it's only 4km off the motorway that way-several km shorter than going through Slane. BTW, on your drive from Doolin to Dingle you can take the ferry from Killimer to Tarbert and save a lot of miles, plus avoiding Limerick traffic. Pick up Rick's Ireland book if you haven't done so already-he gives you all the details. Hope you have a great trip.

A group of six of us just finished a very similar trip/itinerary. We landed in Dublin, picked up our van at the airport and drove right to Galwaya very easy drive with all the new highways. Stayed onvernight in Galway. We were able to take a drive around parts of Connemara the next day and then drove to Doolin and stayed overnight there 2 nites. A plus-a day trip to Aran Islands from Doolin is a treat-most, if not all boats from Doolin pier go just to Inisheer (smallest and nearest of the 3 Arans.) Your B+B host knows all!! Next day we had a leisurely drive down the west Clare coast (taking in the Cliffs of Moher) and took a ferry from southern Clare (Kilimer) to Co Kerry, and it is a short hop from where you land to the beginning of Dingle Peninsula, this way would save you about 80 miles of driving/time which is the main advantage; Ennis is a great town which we know well, but we felt that on a trip of only 6 nites, it was better for us to do what we did!! Whatever you do, you will love it!! And here's to you for climbing Croagh PatrickI hope it will be a mystical experience!!

I forgot to mention: In Dublin, especially since you are there for a short time, I highly recommend that you orient yourself by doing a "Hop on Hop off" bus tour of city; a wonderful way to see all the major sites; we rode the whole route, and then picked some sites to actually visit. Busses run VERY frequently from about 9AM -5PM. Dublin is very walkable, too, but a spin on this bus route really gives you a sense of the whole place. You can purchase the tickets right on the bus, the driver gives you a pamphlet showing the route, and offers great commentary!! Cost is about 20 euros, as I recall. Oh, you do not want or need a car in Dublin; what we did was drop off the car at the airport the eve. that we arrived in Dublin and took a taxi to City Center. There is excellent bus service from Airport to City Center, also, but for six of us, a taxi was actually a little cheaper. We did the drive from Dingle to Dublin in one day, including a slight detour to take in Rock of Cashel. We were a little worried that all would make the day too long, but it was not bad at all, especially if you are going in the summer, when daylight lasts until 9PM or later!! We had two people to share the driving anda couple of us are veterans of travel in Ireland, so that helped, too. Two nights if Dublin is great, if you decide not to stay a night in Kilkenny---