7 Days in Ireland

use my 7-day Ireland itinerary to help you plan your trip to this beautiful country! Ireland is amazing. Picture yourself cruising down a scenic road full of greenery everywhere you turn, with rolling hills and incredible cliffside ocean views.

TIP: 🚗 the best way to experience the country is to do a road trip. Having a car to drive yourself around and visit different towns is key!

Ireland is too big to see the whole country in 7 days, so for this itinerary I’m focusing on the southern area of the country.

Day 1:

📍Dublin ➡️ Galway

Galway

Assuming that you’re flying into Dublin (it’s the biggest airport) once you land, pick up your rental car, get some coffee, and drive 2 hours to the city of Galway.

- Brunch at Dela ($$)

Located in the cool “west end” area of Galway. Get some food and then explore the shops and sites along the main street here

- Check out the Latin Quarter

This is the most popular area of the city, with cobblestone streets, cute colorful buildings and live Irish music happening in the middle of the streets!

- Relax in the Park at Eyre Square

Also called John F Kennedy Memorial Park. This scenic park is located in the center of Galway

- Get a Drink at an Irish Pub

when in Ireland, right? Galway is a bustling college town, and there are plenty of fun bars and pubs to choose from. I recommend Front Door Bar for late night fun, or Monroe’s for a traditional Irish pub with live music.

Day 2: 📍 Galway + Connemara

Connemara National Park Visitor Centre

- Breakfast in Galway (I recommend Urban Grind in the West End)

Drive 1 hour north to 📍Connemara

- Kylemore Abbey

This iconic abbey overlooking a lake is a great photo-op from the outside.

- Diamond Hill Hike

Just 10 minutes from Kylemore Abbey, the Diamond Head hike takes you up along a ridgeline with incredible views of the bay and countryside.

Difficulty: Easy (about 1 hour to complete)

- Drive the Sky Road

12 miles loop road with epic views of the cliffs, mountains and ocean

Day 3: 📍Cliffs of Moher + Dingle

Cliffs of Moher

📍Cliffs of Moher

Located about 1.5 hours south of Galway. Plan to get there before 9am to bear the tour busses that bring crowds of people! It costs 10 Euros per adult to enter. Bring layers as it can get windy up there! Plan to spend about 1-2 hours here walking around and soaking in the views.

📍Dingle

Dingle

Afterwards, drive about 3.5 hours south to the idyllic seaside town of Dingle.

- get dinner in town (I recommend The Fish Box for great seafood)

Day 4: 📍Slea Head Drive in Dingle

Slea Head Drive is a famous, scenic drive that starts and ends from the town of Dingle, meandering along the coastline. It would take about an hour to drive through without stopping, but of course you’ll want to take lots of scenic stops along the route. I would budget about 3 hours for this!

Day 5: 📍Killarney

Killarney

Drive an hour back up the peninsula from Dingle to the town of Killarney, which is the perfect balance of an Ireland destination that has both nature and nightlife.

- Brunch at Curious Cat Cafe

Great food, slightly hidden off a side street.

- Torc Mountain Hike

moderate difficulty, 4.4 miles

Located in Killarney National Park. Great views from the top!

- Muckross House & Gardens

Walking around the garden area outside is free and beautiful. If you’re interested to see what the inside of the ornate 19th century castle looks like, it costs 7 Euros to go inside.

- Ross Castle

built in the 15th century & used to be owned by an Irish Chieftain

- Dinner & Drinks in Town (I recommend The Laurels for traditional Irish food)

Day 6: 📍 Dublin

Dublin

To get from Killarney to Dublin, you can either drive 4 hours or take a cheap one-hour flight from Kerry Airport (15 minutes from Killarney)

- St Patrick’s Cathedral

founded in 1911, St Patrick’s Cathedral is one of the most iconic landmarks in Dublin. It costs 8 Euros to go inside, which I think is totally worth it!

- Guinness Storehouse

If you like beer, you need to stop here! Tickets cost 22 Euros for adults, which includes a free pint of Guinness at the rooftop bar at the end of the museum

- St Stephen’s Green

Escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a bit and take a stroll through this beautiful and serene park.

- Temple Bar

this is the most popular bar in Dublin, so there are lots of tourists there, but it’s still so much fun! There’s always live music.

Day 7: 📍 Dublin

- Ha’Penny Bridge

The most famous bridge in Dublin. Great photo-op!

- Trinity College

Oldest university in Ireland and the campus is beautiful! Located right in the heart of the city. This is where the famous “Book of Kells” is, which is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament.

- Brazen Head

The oldest pub in Dublin!

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