Ireland is the home of beautiful beaches and breathtaking landscapes, deep history and traditions. It is also my home, and I recently had the opportunity to put together an Ireland road trip itinerary for my friend Jen and I, to show her my home country and to see it through her eyes.
This is the country that gave us Hallowe’en, Guinness, Riverdance, Shane McGowan, Katie Taylor and James Joyce. A country small in size, but mighty in its spirit and essence.
There is so much to see and do, and no amount of time could ever be too long, but we had just 6 days and nights to pack in as much as possible. This 6 day itinerary is a blend of popular must-sees and attractions, with a couple of less well known places that we picked together to build our perfect Ireland road trip itinerary.
Ireland Geopolitics
The island of Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign country and a member of the EU, and Northern Ireland, which is a part of the United Kingdom. The two share an open border and driving from one to the other is quite easy and seamless.
This Ireland road trip itinerary includes cities, sights and areas in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Day 1 – Belfast, Dunluce Castle and the Giant’s Causeway
Starting from Dublin airport where I collected Jen, we headed via the M1 towards Belfast city. As the second largest city in Ireland, there is obviously a lot to see and do, and so we had to choose what was most important to us to cover in a day.
Belfast City
As a huge Titanic fan, the Titanic Experience was top of Jen’s list, and this took her a couple of hours. For me, a black cab tour to see the murals and hear about the political history and the Troubles was a must-do.
Titanic Belfast is situated in the Titanic Quarter and is a short walk from the city centre. It is located in the very place where the legendary Titanic was designed, built and launched, and is an essential stop for any Titanic fan on a visit to Belfast.
We took our black cab tour with belfasttours.com, and I would highly recommend them to anybody who is planning to take a tour of the murals and wants to hear about the tumultuous political history behind them.
Our driver was knowledgable and passionate, and gave us plenty of time to ourselves to stroll and take photos, as well as giving us a full account of the history of the areas we were driving through.
If you have more time than we did in Belfast, here are some other sights in and around the city centre that are worth a visit:
- Belfast City Hall
- St. George’s Market
- St. Anne’s Cathedral
- CS Lewis Square
- Belfast Botanic Gardens
- Ulster Museum
- Crumlin Road Gaol Visitor Attraction and Conference Centre
- Grand Opera House
You can also consider booking a hop on hop off bus tour like this one from citytoursbelfast.com.
Dunluce Castle
Perched on a sheer cliff edge on the Causeway Coast, the ruins of Dunluce Castle are definitely worth a stop on the way from Belfast to the Giant’s Causeway. Because we visited late in the evening, the castle was unfortunately closed to visitors so it was just a quick photo stop for us.
You can read more about the history of Dunluce castle here. For up-to-date opening times and directions, click here.
Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway, on the coast of County Antrim, is made up of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns which were the result of a volcanic eruption. The existence of identical columns, formed by the same lava flow, at Fingal’s Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, gave birth to the legend that Fionn Mac Cumhaill built the Causeway so that he could meet the Scottish giant, Benandonner, for a fight.
This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United Kingdom, and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. If you want to avoid the crowds and see the Causeway without droves of tourists swarming everywhere, I advise going early in the morning just after sunrise, or late in the evening for sunset.
There is a visitor centre which charges a fee, but access to the Causeway itself is free. You can park at the top and walk down, or do like we did, and stay at the Causeway Hotel overnight so that you can take advantage of the hotel’s prime location in walking distance of the Causeway.
Night 1 – The Causeway Hotel
We chose to stay at the Causeway Hotel because of its convenient proximity to the Giant’s Causeway. We stayed on a busy Saturday night (on the June bank holiday weekend), and paid the same rate as we would have for a mid range city centre hotel.
The hotel itself was very comfortable, the staff were friendly and helpful, and there was an excellent breakfast included in our room rate. If you are interested in booking, click here to check prices for your dates.
Day 2 – Carrick-A-Rede, The Dark Hedges and Stairway to Heaven
On the morning of day 2, we rose early and headed down to to the Giant’s Causeway and had the place all to ourselves for about half an hour. After breakfast, we got on the road to the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge, about a 15 minute drive away.
Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge
Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge, near Ballintoy in County Antrim, is a wire rope and Douglas fir bridge that is suspended 30 metres above the rocks below, and links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. Although bridges between the mainland and the island were used by salmon fishermen in the past, due to there being such a small number of salmon left now, the current bridge is mainly a tourist attraction.
It is owned and maintained by the National Trust and is open all year round, subject to weather, and visitors may cross the bridge for a fee. I have enjoyed crossing the bridge on a previous visit, as did Jen when we visited on our road trip. However, I only advise crossing if you are comfortable with heights, and if the weather conditions are suitable.
The Dark Hedges
After Carrick-A-Rede, we headed to the Dark Hedges, an atmospheric avenue of beech trees along Bregagh Road in County Antrim, for a quick photo stop. The road became famous after it was used as a location in Game of Thrones, and has become a popular tourist attraction.
Stairway to Heaven, County Fermanagh
Our next stop on our Ireland road trip itinerary was the Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail, nicknamed the Stairway to Heaven because of the wooden staircase that forms the final part of the walk, and the breathtaking views that can be enjoyed form the top. This was roughly a 2 and a half hour drive from the Dark Hedges in County Antrim, and we arrived in the early afternoon.
The boardwalk itself is 1.6 km in length and consists of 450 steps. It is located at the end of a 6km gravel track, and the entire walk is said to take 2 hours to reach the top. Due to our time constraints and tight schedule, we drove as far as we could and parked in the last available car park before we began walking, so that we could be sure to have enough time to walk to the top.
We were blessed with beautiful weather and clear skies on the day, and the views from the viewing platform at the top of the 450 steps were absolutely worth the effort. I would consider the walk to be suitable for anyone with a reasonable fitness level. Just make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, dress for the weather conditions on the day, and bring plenty of drinking water with you.
As this walk passes through some fragile bog lands, it is very important to be respectful of the environment and stick to the designated walking paths, tracks and boardwalks.
Night 2 – Cappabhaile House, The Burren, County Clare
After we finished enjoying the panoramic views from the viewing platform at the top of the Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail, we started the almost 3 hour drive to Ballyvaughan in the beautiful Burren where we would stay overnight.
Our hope was to make it to Cappabhaile in time to check in, drop off our bags, and catch the sunset at the nearby Cliffs of Moher. Unfortunately, it became clear during the day that this just wasn’t doable, and we enjoyed a very beautiful sunset on the drive to Ballyvaughan instead.
Our room at Cappabhaile was spacious and beautifully furnished, with comfortable beds and a large seating area, as well as a bathroom complete with a bath tub. The room rate was very reasonable and included a full breakfast in the dining room the next morning.
As with all of the accommodations on our road trip, we chose Cappabhaile House because of its location. It is situated right in the heart of the Burren, and is only a 45 minute drive from the Cliffs of Moher, making it perfect not only for our itinerary, but also for any visit to see the sights of County Clare.
Click here to visit Booking.com for rates and bookings.
If you have more time to spend in County Clare, you might also like to see:
- Ailwee Cave
- Doolin Cave
- Father Ted’s House
- Bunratty Castle
Day 3 – The Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Killarney, and the Kerry Cliffs
Day 3 started bright and early with a trip to the Poulnabrone Dolmen for sunrise. I had seen some magnificent photos of sunrise at the dolmen, and was hoping that we would experience a similar spectacle ourselves.
Alas, we were not in luck on the morning, and sunrise was pretty much a non event. The Burren was still undeniably beautiful, with its stark, almost moon-like landscape. It is one of my favourite places in Ireland, somewhere I will visit over and over again, and I recommend that everyone should go see it for themselves.
Poulnabrone Dolmen
Poulnabrone is a large dolmen or portal tomb found on one of the highest and most desolate points in the Burren. It is the best known dolmen in Ireland and dates back to the Neolithic period, somewhere between 4200 BC and 2900 BC.
It is said that the remains of 33 children and adults were found when the site was excavated in 1986 and 1988, along with various stone and bone objects that would have been buried with them.
Cliffs of Moher
Before breakfast, we headed towards the Cliffs of Moher, with a plan to enjoy the views without any crowds, as we had done the previous morning at the Giant’s Causeway. The weather still wasn’t on our side, and although we did have the place virtually to ourselves, the views were less than spectacular thanks to misty skies and some light rain.
Killarney
After breakfast, we started the drive south towards Killarney, stopping in the pretty market town of Ennistymon for a stroll, some photos and lunch at a local cafe. We arrived in Killarney in the afternoon, and enjoyed some more leisure time with some shopping, a quick photo stop at Ross Castle, and dinner.
Because of lack of time, we didn’t have a chance to see the many amazing sights that Killarney has to offer. If you have more time in Killarney than we did, aim to spend a couple of nights there and see some of the following:
- Ross Castle
- Mucross House
- The Gap of Dunloe
- The Meeting of the Waters
- Killarney National Park
- Torc Waterfall
- St. Mary’s Cathedral
- Ladies View
Killarney is also home to a vibrant pub and bar culture, so try to allow time for a night out there if possible.
Kerry Cliffs
We finished our day watching the sunset near the Kerry Cliffs. The plan was to go to a particular viewpoint which I had visited before, but when we arrived there we discovered that the land is privately owned and it was closed to visitors.
We headed on up the hill and enjoyed a stunning sunset over the surrounding countryside instead.
Night 3 – Royal Valentia Hotel
We spent our third night in the Royal Valentia Hotel, which we chose because of its location close to the Kerry Cliffs and Portmagee. It was just a 15 minute drive from our sunset spot, and a 10 minute drive to the starting point for Jen’s Skellig Michael trip the next morning.
Our room was small but clean and comfortable and had everything we needed for our short stay. The staff were friendly and professional, and the views from outside the hotel were beautiful. The only negative that we experienced was that the walls seemed to be very thin and we could clearly hear the TV from another room down the hall, as well as hearing snoring from next door.
Click here to book the Royal Valentia Hotel on Booking.com.
Day 4 – Skellig Michael and Cobh
Day 4 began with Jen’s long-awaited and much anticipated tour to the famous Skellig Michael, just 8 miles off the coast of Portmagee in County Kerry.
Skellig Michael
The larger of the two Skellig islands off the coast of Portmagee in County Kerry, Skellig Michael (or Great Skellig as it is sometimes known), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site possibly best known internationally for its use as a filming location in the Star wars films, The Force Awakens and The last Jedi.
With an inhospitable landscape, Skellig Michael is home to a variety of species, including gannets, puffins, razorbills and grey seals, as well as a Gaelic monastery which can be accessed via steep stone steps.
Due to a commitment to preserve the island, spaces on the Skellig Micheal landing tours are very limited and are often booked out many months in advance. Jen was lucky enough to get a spot on the tour by joining a cancellation list, so I would advise booking well in advance to avoid missing out. Also, make sure to book the Landing Tour specifically, as this is the only tour which gives you access onto the actual island.
You can find more information and book a tour on the Skellig Islands official website.
Cobh
From Portmagee, we headed towards the town of Cobh in County Cork. Known as Queenstown from 1849 until 1920, this pretty town in Cork was actually the Titanic’s final port of call, and is now home to its own Titanic Experience tourist attraction.
With more of an emphasis on the people and personalities who lived and died on the Titanic (in comparison to Belfast Titanic Experience’s attention to the details of the actual building of the ship itself), Cobh’s Titanic Experience is an immersive activity suitable for both adults and children.
Also recommended for anyone who has time on their Ireland road trip itinerary is a visit to Spike Island. With a rich history of its own, the island has been home to a 7th century monastery, a 24 acre fortress, and the largest convict depot in the world in Victorian times.
We unfortunately couldn’t fit a visit to Spike Island into our schedule. Instead, we had a quick photo stop at the deck of cards houses with St. Colman’s Cathedral in the background, before heading towards Cork City to our Night 4 accommodation.
Night 4 – Hayfield Manor
Our fourth night was spent in the 5 Star Hayfield Manor Hotel in Cork City. With pristine grounds and extensive facilities, this was a rare experience for me as I generally prefer to stay at more low-key or budget style properties.
Although it was not somewhere I would choose to stay again, due purely to my own personal preferences, it was an interesting one-off, and we enjoyed exploring the impressive pool and leisure facilities, as well as indulging in a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Click here to see Hayfield Manor on Booking.com.
Day 5 – Curracloe Beach and Irish National Heritage Park
Day 5 saw us leaving County Cork and driving towards my home county of County Wexford. One of my main recommendations for Jen when we were planning our Ireland road trip itinerary was a stayover experience at the Irish National Heritage Park, and so this was where we would spend most of the evening of day 5, as well as a few hours on the morning of day 6.
Curracloe Beach
The drive from Hayfield Manor to the Irish National Heritage Park takes a little over 2 hours, and so we had time for me to show Jen Curracloe beach, one of the beautiful white sand beaches that Wexford is home to.
This stunning piece of coastline stretches from Raven Point to Ballyconigar, is safe for bathing, and has been used as a location in the Hollywood films saving Private Ryan and Brooklyn.
Night 5 – Irish National Heritage Park
Probably my favourite part of our entire Ireland road trip, we spent the evening of day 5, as well as that night, in the Irish National Heritage Park. Jen’s special interest for her own blog and Instagram is cool and unique stays, and having had the pleasure of staying at the park a number of years ago with a group of friends, I knew that this was one very unique stay that she would not want to miss.
Arriving in the late afternoon, we were shown around the park and given a brief overview of the various areas and the historical eras which they relate to. Our tight timeline and our detour to the beach meant that we did not make it to the park in time to join the last of the afternoon’s tours.
I would strongly recommend taking part in a tour if you have booked the stayover experience. It is included in the price and gives you a lot of information about the park itself, as well as the historical periods it showcases.
The park opened in 1987 and is located just outside of Wexford town on a 40-acre site with a variety of landscapes, including hillside, estuary, woodland, and river bank. The stayover experience gives you full and exclusive access to the park overnight and is a one in a kind accommodation that is not to be missed on any Ireland road trip itinerary.
I would have loved to have had the opportunity to show Jen more of my home county but time unfortunately didn’t allow it on this particular visit. Other places I recommend visiting in County Wexford include:
- Hook Lighthouse
- Vinegar Hill
- Dollar Bay beach
- Wells House and Gardens
- JFK Park
- Castle Museum, Enniscorthy
- Dunbrody Famine Ship
- Johnstown Castle
Day 6 – Guinness Storehouse and Dublin City
After checking out of our rustic lodgings at the Irish National Heritage Park on the morning of day 6, we made a quick visit to my home town of Enniscorthy for Jen to see where I lived and meet some of my family, before getting on the road to Dublin city. We had the Guinness Storehouse booked for the afternoon, so we went straight there to experience the history, heart and soul of Ireland’s most famous export.
Guinness Storehouse
Situated at St. James’s Gate in heart of Dublin city, the Guinness Storehouse was leased by Arthur Guinness in 1759 on a 9000 year lease, when he began brewing ale. Today, Guinness stout is sold in over 150 countries globally, and 10 million glasses are enjoyed every day around the world.
Spread across 7 floors and showcasing the history of Guinness, as well as offering numerous bars, dining and experiences, including Guinness tasting, the Guinness academy, and the Stoutie experience. the Storehouse is a tourist attraction that is well worth a visit as part of an Ireland road trip itinerary.
Click here for more information, and to book your visit to the Guinness Storehouse.
Dublin City
Dublin is a destination rich in history and culture, and worthy of dedicating several days to explore and experience everything the city has to offer. If you are like us and have only one day or a few hours to pack in as much as possible, here are some sights and landmarks which are all in and around the city centre and can be seen as part of a jam-packed walking tour.
- Christchurch Cathedral
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral
- Dublin Castle
- Trinity College
- O’ Connell Bridge
- The Spire
- The Ha’penny Bridge
- Temple Bar
- Molly Malone Statue
If you have more time in Dublin, you might also like to include:
- GAA Museum
- Phoenix Park
- National Leprechaun Museum
- Kilmainham Gaol
- Viking Splash
We finished off our final day with a traditional meal of Irish Stew for Jen, and a less traditional panini for me, both of which were delicious, in the very Irish O’ Neill’s Pub and Kitchen.
Night 6 – Hampton Hotel
We spent the final night of our Ireland road trip in the Hampton Hotel in Dublin city. Very reasonably priced compared to most of the city centre hotels we looked at, the Hampton also offered free parking and was just a 20 minute drive to the airport, which was perfect for Jen’s early flight the next morning.
With the sometimes quite unconventional decor in some of the public areas of the hotel, there were moments when we felt like we had slipped down the rabbit hole in Alice In Wonderland. The room itself was bright and large, and suited our needs perfectly for our last night.
Click here to book the Hampton Hotel on Booking.com.
I hope you enjoyed this Ireland road trip itinerary.
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