The Emerald Isle is a beautiful and charming country with a lot to offer. If you're planning on visiting Dublin, you'll get a taste, but you're sure to miss some of Ireland's best sights. My mom and I spent a week driving around Ireland to take in all the country had to offer. Here's the best way to road trip around the country of Ireland.
Sample Itinerary for a Week-long Road Trip around Ireland
Day One: Explore Dublin
Dublin has some excellent attractions. From cathedrals to Trinity College Dublin, nice parks and the National Botanic Gardens, there are plenty reasons to plan a day or two for the capital city itself, and I would highly recommend a long walk around Dublin to see all the sights.
Day Two: Drive to Galway (2.5 hours), Explore Galway
Galway was definitely my unexpected favorite of the trip. It had great personality, lots to do, and I love getting lost in charming neighborhoods with meandering cobblestone streets. We got lucky with some nice weather and decided to seek out a cathedral popular among tourists. The Galway Cathedral is really quite beautiful. It's at the top of a hill and a little bit of a trek, but it was definitely worth it.
It was especially worth it because on the way back to downtown, we walked along the River Corrib on what is called the Soundwalk. This is a boardwalk/sidewalk that follows along the river. There are awesome views of the locks that were used when the river was traveled like a canal. There are great views of downtown thanks to the increased elevation. And you can take the Soundwalk all the way back down to the Docks to see the Spanish Arch, or you can peel off a bit early and wander into the Latin Quarter, which was super fun. All in all, Galway was definitely a great stop on our tour of Ireland, not to be missed!
Day Three: Drive to Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher, and Limerick (3.5 hrs total)
Galway is the closest city to Burren National Park and the Cliffs of Moher. Get a nice early start in the morning so you have time to do the full experience. I promise it was worth it! An hour drive down the coast from Galway will get you to the Aillwee Burren Experience, which provides a very cool Birds of Prey lecture and an equally exciting tour of Aillwee Cave.
From there, it's about a thirty minute drive to the Burren, which is a ridiculously cool and otherworldly landscape made from dissolving limestone and grass growing wherever it can. There's a thirty-minute loop drive, and you'll certainly want some time to get out and walk around on this wild land formation. Don't forget to look out for little critters of which there are many including stoat, mink, voles, rabbits, and more.
Drive about thirty minutes south from the Burren, and you'll end up at the Cliffs of Moher. There are two viewpoints (north and south) with plenty of parking lots available. There's a visitor's center with a few different restaurants, plenty of souvenir shops, bathrooms, and a learning center. You can walk along the cliff quite a way, but the best views are definitely from the second floor window of O'Brien's Tower.
From here, it's an hour-ish drive down to Limerick, Ireland. We truthfully didn't see much of Limerick after such a busy day, but there's a great shopping mall called Arthur's Quay and a cute park called Arthur's Quay Park right on the River Shannon in downtown Limerick.
Day Four: Drive to Killarney (1.5 hrs), Explore Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park is an awesome part of Ireland that I certainly recommend to any tourist coming to the Emerald Isle. On your way into Killarney, just north of downtown, be sure to check out the Falconry Kerry, where you see birds of prey, alpaca, and try out a beekeeping experience. Killarney also has a very charming downtown area with some excellent restaurants, fun entertainment, and nice hotels.
Killarney National Park is a sprawling section of Killarney with all sorts of interesting sights. The Killarney House and Gardens is an absolute hidden gem in downtown Killarney. You'd never guess it was on the other side of a concrete wall next to the main road, and from inside, you completely forget that you're in the middle of a bustling city. I also loved Torc Cascades, Ross Castle, and Muckross Abbey.
Day Five: Drive to Blarney Castle and Cork
Just over an hour southeast of Killarney is the world-famous Blarney Castle. Visiting this castle to see (and kiss) the Blarney Stone might not seem worth it to you, but I would definitely recommend it. If you don't want to wait two hours to kiss the Blarney Stone, at least take a walk around the gorgeous Blarney Gardens, which are super interesting. The Blarney Castle is also very well preserved while most others from its time have deteriorated into ruins and are no longer safe to enter. For these reasons, I think a trip to the Blarney Castle is well worth it.
A quick twenty-minute drive from Blarney will get you to Cork, Ireland. Have yourself a walk along the River Lee for great views of the buildings and a series of unique bridges. You could continue on and squeeze days five and six into one, but it's a lot to do if you also want to kiss the Blarney Stone. Depending on the line there, you might spend up to three hours total at Blarney Castle. So as to not rush, I would recommend staying the night here in Cork.
Day Six: Drive to Waterford and Return to Dublin
Drive two hours northeast of Cork to make your way to Waterford. The iconic and well-known Waterford Crystal factory is located here, and because the tour is 90 minutes, we regrettably didn't have time for it since we spent so long at Blarney Castle. (Hence why I am recommending a different itinerary.)
From Waterford, another two hours will get you back to Dublin. Because there is so much to see in Dublin, you may tack on another day or two dedicated to the capital. I'd recommend two days in Dublin bookending your trip. This gives you one day at the start of your trip to recover from jet lag and have a relaxing day in the city, instead of immediately getting on the road. It also gives you an extra day at the end of your trip: since the drive from Waterford is so long, you won't want to worry about missing your flight if there is traffic. Stay the night near the airport or close to Dublin, and enjoy a chill final morning in the city before your flight home.
Is it easy to rent a car in Ireland?
I rented a car through Auto Europe. I paid a little extra for the full insurance and still found the price very reasonable. I found the whole experience very easy, seamless booking, convenient transport from rental to airport, clean car, and no shady attempts to nickel-and-dime me after I returned the car.
Do you need an International Driver's License (IDL) to rent a car in Ireland?
I researched and made calls and pulled my hair out about the need for an international driver's license to rent a car in Ireland, and ultimately, I didn't have a problem at all. No one at the car rental agency asked for an international driver's license. I never got pulled over, so I can't say if a police officer would have requested to see one. My United States' driver's license was sufficient to rent a car in Ireland. That said, AAA does offer international licenses for $20 if you want to waste your money... I mean, be extra safe.