The Perfect Ireland Itinerary That Includes Ring Of Kerry: Where Sheep Have The Right Of Way

Mapping Your Ireland Itinerary That Includes Ring Of Kerry Without Losing Your Sanity

Planning an Ireland itinerary that includes Ring of Kerry requires strategic thinking worthy of a military campaign. The country may be relatively small – about the size of Indiana – but distances are deceptive when roads twist like Celtic knotwork and Google’s estimated arrival times prove to be wishful thinking rather than reality.

Days 1-2: Dublin—Your Irish Appetizer

Most international flights touch down in Dublin, making it the logical starting point for your Irish adventure. The capital deserves at least two days, though locals might argue a lifetime isn’t enough to properly appreciate its pubs. Begin at Trinity College with the Book of Kells – a 9th-century manuscript that survived Viking raids, religious persecution, and centuries of Irish weather (admission $18). The Long Room Library above it looks like what would happen if Harry Potter’s Hogwarts had a one-night stand with the Vatican Archives.

Skip the overpriced taxis from Dublin Airport ($35-40) and hop on the Airlink Express instead ($8) – it’s like riding with a local stand-up comedian, as Dublin bus drivers have elevated sarcasm to an art form. For accommodation, budget travelers can bunk at Abbey Court Hostel ($30/night), mid-rangers can enjoy the central Academy Plaza Hotel ($150/night), and those willing to splurge can experience The Merrion ($350+/night), where the doormen wear top hats with such dignity you’ll feel underdressed in anything less than formal wear.

Dublin’s Temple Bar area is to authentic Irish pub culture what Olive Garden is to authentic Italian cuisine – popular with tourists, puzzling to locals. For a genuine experience, venture slightly off the beaten path to The Long Hall or Kehoe’s, where the whiskey selection is broader than the doorways and the bar stools have accommodated the same patrons since the 1970s.

Day 3: The Journey Southwest

The 195-mile journey from Dublin to County Kerry takes approximately 4 hours if you drive like a local (i.e., with religious conviction that St. Patrick will protect you from oncoming traffic). Add another 2-3 hours for stops and photo opportunities that will inevitably seduce you along the way. The most compelling detour is the Rock of Cashel ($9 admission), a medieval religious complex atop a limestone outcrop that looks like a medieval theme park where they forgot to add the funnel cake stands.

Killarney makes the ideal base for exploring the Ring of Kerry, offering accommodations for every budget. Penny-pinchers can find dorm beds at Neptune’s Hostel ($25/night), mid-range travelers can enjoy the comfortable Killarney Plaza Hotel ($130/night), while luxury seekers should consider The Lake Hotel ($250/night), where the views across Lough Leane toward the mountains might convince you to extend your stay until retirement.

For dinner, prepare for portions that suggest Ireland is still compensating for the famine. At Bricín Restaurant, the boxty (potato pancake filled with various fillings) arrives on a plate the size of a hubcap for about $18. Meanwhile, Murphy’s Bar serves a seafood chowder ($12) thick enough to stand your spoon in, accompanied by brown bread that would make a satisfactory doorstop if you weren’t too busy devouring it.

Day 4: Killarney National Park—Where Rain Is Considered A Spa Treatment

Established in 1932 as Ireland’s first national park, the 26,000-acre Killarney National Park deserves a full day of exploration. Americans accustomed to the vast wilderness of Yellowstone might smirk at its modest size, but what it lacks in acreage it makes up for in concentrated beauty and historical density.

The Victorian-era Muckross House (guided tour $12) offers a glimpse into 19th-century aristocratic life, though the real stars are the gardens that showcase what happens when obsessive gardeners work with 80+ inches of annual rainfall. Nearby Torc Waterfall (free admission) cascades 80 feet through moss-covered rocks that appear to have been designed by the same team responsible for “Lord of the Rings” sets. For the best photographs, arrive before 9am when the only other visitors are equally dedicated photographers and confused deer.

Ladies View provides what locals modestly call “a grand outlook” (translation: jaw-dropping panorama) over the lakes and mountains. Named after Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting who swooned over the view during an 1861 royal visit, it now provides Instagram fodder even in a downpour. Speaking of weather, summer temperatures average 55-65°F with a 50% chance of rain on any given day. The Irish don’t see this as problematic – they view rain as nature’s exfoliation treatment and have developed a complex language with 50+ words to describe its intensity.

Days 5-6: Conquering The Ring Of Kerry—Counter-Clockwise Is The Only Way

The cardinal rule of driving the Ring of Kerry: always go counter-clockwise. Tour buses travel clockwise, and playing chicken with a motorcoach on roads barely wider than a shopping cart is an adventure best left to those with excellent insurance coverage and questionable self-preservation instincts. The full 111-mile loop requires a minimum of two days for proper appreciation, despite what ambitious guidebooks might suggest.

Begin in Killarney, heading west toward Killorglin (famous for its August “Puck Fair” where a wild mountain goat is crowned king for three days – a tradition predating the invention of entertainment). Continue to Cahersiveen to visit the unusual Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church, perhaps the only church in Ireland built as a memorial to a political figure, giving it the architectural equivalent of an identity crisis.

In Portmagee, boats depart for Skellig Michael ($95 per person), a remote island where 6th-century monks built a monastery at a 700-foot elevation, presumably to get away from people asking them for favors. These same dramatic rocks later hosted Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars sequels, creating the peculiar situation where some visitors now arrive more interested in fictional Jedi than actual history. Advance booking is essential, and trips are regularly canceled due to weather that would make the Millennium Falcon think twice.

Overnight in charming Waterville, where Charlie Chaplin vacationed regularly (commemorated by a seaside bronze statue that sometimes sports sunglasses, depending on local humor). The next day, continue through colorful Sneem, perfect for lunch at D. O’Shea’s Pub where seafood chowder and brown bread ($14) provide sufficient sustenance for the remaining journey. The final stretch through Molls Gap and Ladies View offers spectacular photo opportunities comparable to scenic overlooks in the Blue Ridge Mountains but with Atlantic views and a higher probability of fog.

Day 7: Dingle Peninsula—The Ring Of Kerry’s Quirky Cousin

While most Ireland itineraries that include Ring of Kerry stop there, the savvy traveler continues north to the Dingle Peninsula. Consider it the Ring of Kerry’s eccentric relative – less crowded, equally stunning, with a higher sheep-per-square-mile ratio. The 43-mile Slea Head Drive loops around the peninsula’s westernmost point, where the next parish west is technically in Boston.

Inch Beach stretches for three miles, offering the rare opportunity to swim in Ireland without immediate hypothermia (though locals will be wearing parkas while American visitors brave the 60°F water in swimwear). The 1,300-year-old Gallarus Oratory stands as a perfect example of dry-stone construction, shaped like an upturned boat and still completely waterproof – apparently ancient Irish builders understood rain better than modern housing developers.

The town of Dingle itself maintains 52 pubs despite a population of just 2,000, creating a mathematical impossibility that visitors needn’t question too closely. Stop at Murphy’s Ice Cream for their signature sea salt flavor ($5.50), handmade from the milk of Kerry cows who apparently lead lives of bovine luxury judging by the creaminess of the result. The locals consider 60°F “ice cream weather,” which explains why you’ll see people enjoying cones in conditions Americans would consider appropriate for hot chocolate.

Days 8-9: Extension Options—Because You’ve Come This Far

With the major scenic drives completed, several worthy extension options present themselves. Cork and Blarney Castle ($18 admission) beckon from the southeast, where kissing the famous stone allegedly grants eloquence but definitely grants exposure to whatever germs the previous thousand visitors left behind. The stone itself hangs precariously over a significant drop, requiring visitors to lie on their backs and bend backward while a castle employee holds their legs – a trust exercise that seems designed by medieval personal injury lawyers.

The spectacular Cliffs of Moher ($10 admission) rise dramatically on the west coast, comparable to California’s Big Sur cliffs but with more dramatic weather and fewer tech billionaires. Standing 700 feet above the Atlantic, they’re either breathtaking or terrifying, depending on your comfort with heights and sideways rain.

Galway City offers cultural immersion with its vibrant street performers and traditional music scene. For authentic sessions (not the tourist-oriented performances), visit The Crane Bar or Tig Cóilí after 9pm, when local musicians casually produce the kind of talent Americans would expect to pay Broadway prices for.

Practical Matters: Driving, Weather, And Other Irish Adventures

Driving in Ireland presents multiple challenges: the left side of the road, manual transmissions as the default rental option, and lanes so narrow they seem designed for medieval ox carts rather than modern vehicles. Comprehensive insurance coverage ($30/day) isn’t optional; it’s a mental health necessity. Irish drivers approach blind curves with a faith-based optimism that suggests they’ve either pre-arranged all their meetings with oncoming traffic or are on excellent terms with their makers.

Weather preparation requires strategy beyond checking forecasts. The Irish don’t trust weather predictions; they trust layers. Pack waterproof outer layers, mid-layers for insulation, and base layers for when the sun makes its brief, startling appearances. Umbrellas are amateur equipment – locals use raincoats with hoods, knowing that umbrellas will surrender to the wind faster than France to Germany in WWII.

While credit cards are widely accepted, rural pubs and smaller shops sometimes operate on a cash-only basis. ATM fees average $3-5 per transaction, so withdraw larger amounts less frequently. For mobile connectivity, international plans often prove more expensive than local SIM cards (approximately $20 for 10GB of data), available at airport kiosks and convenience stores throughout the country.

Safety concerns are minimal – Ireland boasts low crime rates, though the Ring of Kerry’s minimal guardrails and sheer drops present their own form of danger. The greatest risk is becoming so distracted by the views that you drive off a cliff, creating a spectacular but unfortunate end to your vacation.