What To Do In Ireland For 7 Days: The Emerald Isle's Greatest Hits Tour

A Day-by-Day Blueprint of What To Do In Ireland For 7 Days

Crafting the perfect week in Ireland requires military precision, meteorological flexibility, and the liver capacity of a seasoned sailor—which is why planning a trip to Ireland with proper preparation makes all the difference. This 7-day blueprint delivers maximum sightseeing with minimal driving-on-the-left induced panic attacks, covering the essential things to do in Ireland for first-time visitors. Each day builds upon the last to create a crescendo of Irish experiences that peaks just before your credit card reaches its limit, encompassing the best things to do in Ireland according to experienced travelers.

Days 1-2: Dublin’s Literary Legacy and Liquid Education

Begin your Irish odyssey in Dublin, where literary giants and perfectly poured pints compete for attention. Trinity College’s Old Library houses the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript created around 800 AD that demonstrates monks had far steadier hands than today’s texting generation. For €18 ($19.50), join the million annual visitors attempting to peek at a medieval book most can’t actually read but everyone pretends to appreciate. The real showstopper is the Long Room library, which looks like Hogwarts’ less-famous but actually-real cousin.

No respectable what to do in Ireland for 7 days guide would skip the Guinness Storehouse. This seven-floor tribute to Ireland’s most famous export costs $26 and culminates in a perfect 119.5-second pour—a process treated with more reverence than most religious ceremonies. It’s essentially a brewery tour masquerading as a cultural institution, yet somehow manages to be genuinely educational. The 360° Gravity Bar views provide the perfect backdrop for the “I’m drinking Guinness in Ireland” photo that social media contractually requires.

Evening brings Dublin’s literary pub crawls (approximately $30), which follow in the footsteps of Joyce, Wilde, and Behan—authors whose genius appears directly proportional to their bar tabs. Local actors perform literary excerpts between pubs, creating the only literature class where drinking improves comprehension. For accommodations, choose between budget hostels ($25-40/night), mid-range guesthouses ($100-150/night), or luxury hotels like The Merrion ($350+/night), where bathroom size-to-price ratios defy mathematical logic.

Transport tip: Purchase a Leap Card (€40/$43 for a 7-day visitor card) for unlimited access to Dublin’s public transit. Visit major attractions before 10 AM or after 4 PM to avoid being trampled by tour groups moving with the synchronicity of a school of fish.

Day 3: Medieval Kilkenny and Rock of Cashel

Escape Dublin for Kilkenny’s medieval charm, where an 800-year-old castle ($16.25 admission) stands as proof that construction standards were significantly higher before the invention of planned obsolescence. The compact city center features cobblestone streets seemingly designed to destroy rolling suitcases and a craft beer scene anchored by the Smithwick’s Experience ($16.25), where visitors learn that pronouncing it “Smith-wicks” marks you as irredeemably American.

Afternoon brings the Rock of Cashel ($8.70), an ancient limestone outcrop topped with medieval buildings that predates most American structures by a cool millennium. This former seat of Irish kings looks like something Game of Thrones would reject for being “too unrealistically medieval.” The 12th-century chapel contains some of Ireland’s oldest frescoes, faded but still visible, like the tattoo your grandfather got during his Navy days.

Accommodation options in Kilkenny range from Butler House ($150/night) to hostels ($30/night). A word of caution: rooms above pubs come with a complimentary 2 AM sing-along soundtrack. Transportation between Dublin and Kilkenny takes 90 minutes by train (€15/$16.25) or 2 hours by bus (€10/$10.85)—both offering more legroom and punctuality than anything in American public transit’s wildest dreams.

Day 4: Cork and Blarney’s Curious Stone

Cork proudly identifies as Ireland’s “second city” and culinary capital, a place where food is discussed with the passionate intensity Americans reserve for sports teams. The English Market food hall (operating since 1788) offers a crash course in Irish specialties, from buttery Cork cheeses to drisheen (blood pudding that’s tastier than its description suggests). Local vendors display conversational skills inverse to the brevity of their queue—the longer you wait, the shorter their sentences.

Blarney Castle ($19.50) presents the day’s main event, where the famous stone awaits your awkwardly positioned kiss. Gaining “the gift of gab” requires a series of logistical gymnastics: lying on your back, grabbing iron railings, and arching backward over a substantial drop while a castle employee holds your midsection. All this to press your lips against a rock that’s been smooched by approximately 400,000 visitors annually since someone decided this was a good idea. The surrounding gardens, often overlooked, offer recovery space for germaphobes processing what just happened.

For those preferring astronomy to backbending stone-kissing, Blackrock Castle Observatory ($7) provides a less touristy alternative. Accommodation options in Cork include budget hostels ($30/night) and mid-range hotels like Hotel Isaacs ($120-150/night), strategically located near late-night kebab shops—an essential resource after investigating Cork’s vibrant pub scene.

Day 5: The Ring of Kerry’s Postcard Panoramas

The iconic 111-mile Ring of Kerry drive delivers the Ireland of daydreams, postcards, and calendar images, representing one of the best places to go in Ireland for scenic beauty. Drive counter-clockwise to avoid becoming trapped behind tour buses moving with glacier-like momentum. The route winds through villages with more syllables than residents, past sheep who regard tourists with expressions suggesting they’ve seen it all before.

Must-see locations include Ladies View (named after Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, who apparently had excellent taste in vistas), Moll’s Gap (offering views across three counties), and Killarney National Park (home to Ireland’s last remaining wild herd of red deer). The panoramas appear so perfectly composed that one suspects Ireland hired a landscape architect.

Weather reality check: Expect to experience all four seasons in a single afternoon, often simultaneously. The rain isn’t falling; it’s simply hovering in the air waiting for you to exit your car. Pack waterproof everything and embrace the meteorological roulette that gives the landscape its fifty shades of green.

Killarney offers accommodations ranging from hostels ($30-40/night) to mid-range BandBs ($100-150/night) to luxury lodges ($250+/night). For spectacular views without the tour bus crowds, seek out Ballaghbeama Gap—a lesser-known mountain pass where you can experience vertigo and isolation in glorious harmony.

Day 6: Galway and the Cliffs of Moher

Galway delivers street energy reminiscent of New Orleans but with more wool sweaters and fewer plastic beads. The city’s Latin Quarter vibrates with street performers, traditional music spilling from pubs, and a youthful energy fueled by the large university population. This is where traditional Ireland and contemporary Ireland negotiate their coexistence over pints and regional oysters.

The afternoon belongs to the Cliffs of Moher ($10.85), Ireland’s most recognizable natural landmark and selfie backdrop—an absolute must for any Ireland bucket list experience. These 700-foot sea cliffs host 1.5 million visitors annually, most arriving between 11 AM and 3 PM. Visit early morning or evening to experience their majesty without experiencing other tourists’ elbows. The visitor center is built into the hillside like a hobbit complex, demonstrating rare architectural restraint for a major attraction.

The drive from Kerry to Galway (approximately 3.5 hours) offers worthy detours including Bunratty Castle and the lunar-like landscape of the Burren—a vast limestone plateau where Arctic and Mediterranean plants improbably grow side by side. Galway accommodations range from hostels like Galway City Hostel ($30-40/night) to mid-range options like The Residence Hotel ($150-180/night) and luxury stays like The G Hotel ($250+/night).

For authentic traditional music, skip the performances that start suspiciously early for tourist consumption. Real sessions begin after 9:30 PM in pubs like The Crane Bar and Tig Cóilí, where the quality of musicianship correlates directly with how uncomfortable your seat is.

Day 7: Northern Excursion Options

Your final day presents two compelling alternatives for completing your what to do in Ireland for 7 days adventure: Belfast in Northern Ireland or the otherworldly landscapes of the Burren and Connemara.

The Belfast option delivers the impressive Titanic Museum (£19.50/$24), built on the site where the ill-fated ship was constructed. Black cab political tours ($20-30) provide riveting insights into The Troubles from drivers who lived through the conflict. The city’s Victorian architecture and rejuvenated food scene make it an unexpectedly engaging finale. Crossing into Northern Ireland requires no passport checks (thanks to the Good Friday Agreement) but does necessitate different currency (British pounds) and a brief moment of confusion when prices suddenly seem 15% cheaper until you factor in the exchange rate.

The Burren/Connemara alternative showcases Ireland’s most unique landscapes. The Burren’s limestone expanse resembles a giant’s stone jigsaw puzzle, while Connemara National Park (free admission) offers mountains, bogs, and heaths under ever-changing light. These landscapes compare favorably to American national parks but with added sheep and significantly fewer warning signs about bears.

Returning to Dublin Airport requires planning: from Belfast, it’s a 2-hour drive or 2.5-hour bus ride (£8/$10); from Connemara, allow 4 hours by car or 5-6 hours by public transportation. Before departure, utilize duty-free allowances (1 liter of spirits, 4 liters of wine, 200 cigarettes) and process VAT refunds for purchases over €75 ($81)—tedious paperwork that somehow feels worth it for that handwoven woolen blanket you convinced yourself was a practical souvenir.