My Perfect 21 Day Ireland Itinerary
Day 1+2 Dublin
Let’s assume you’re flying into Dublin (customise it if you are flying into Shannon, Cork or Kerry Airport or send us an email) and are arriving late in the afternoon.
If you are like me (fellow high sensitive persons, where are you?), you’ll want to get used to the vibes of a new country, new city and new people around you. That’s why I personally love spending the first afternoon and evening exploring the area, going out for dinner and enjoying some live music in a pub - without any schedule or to-do-list.
Dublin is a great city with so much to see and do but it is a city after all. I think it is great for one or two days, but trust me - you’re going to love driving out into the countryside after that and finally getting to know the “real“ Ireland.
Back to Dublin for day 2 now though. If you’re a fan of seeing as much as you can, the Hop on Hop off buses are probably great for you to do a sightseeing tour of Dublin (you’ll see the bright green busses everywhere, book online to save some money). In case you love city trips and cities in general, extend your stay in Dublin to have more time to see everything. Or, if you’re only here for a few days, check out our blog post Our Perfect 3 Day Ireland Itinerary (coming soon!).
Start your morning right with a breakfast in one of Dublin’s amazing vegan places like Cornucopia Dublin. Then split your morning between the magnificent National Museum of Ireland and Trinity College. Make sure to book tickets in advance for the Book of Kells Exhibition, it’s really worth it. You’ll recognise the Long Room of the Old Library of Trinity College from instagram and I highly recommend to visit it. The main chamber of the Old Library is filled with 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books and is one of the most impressive libraries in the world. Being a book nerd, this is probably my favourite place in Dublin.
If there’s still time before lunch, do a tour of Dublin Castle and visit the Chester Beatty Library right next to it - a winner of the European Museum of the Year. Both Trinity College and Dublin Castle lie in the heard of the city, so there are many and lovely lunch options around. If you’re just getting a snack somewhere, maybe enjoy it in the beautiful St Stephen’s Green park. It’s right next to one the city’s main shopping streets, Grafton Street - it’s filled with gorgeous shops and places in case you’re more into that than history and exploring.
St Patrick’s Cathedral, around the corner from the Chester Beatty Library, is the largest church (not cathedral) in Ireland. For me, it isn’t a must see, but if you’re around and have some time on your hands, or if you’re a huge fan of churches - go!
No trip to Dublin would be complete without a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, so be sure to spend some hours here learning about Guinness, pull your own pints and enjoy the spectacular 360 panoramic views of the city from the Gravity Bar in the 7th floor. In case you don’t like Guinness (although I highly recommend it, especially because of the views from the 7th floor), maybe do a tour at the Jameson Distillery instead.
After that, say hi to the Molly Malone statue, explore the Temple Bar District and finish your night with a pint in one of the pubs. Grogans in William St is a great choice and one of Dublin’s most loved pubs.
Day 3 Kilkenny
Head south out of Dublin towards Kilkenny. Take it slow on your first day on the road if you aren’t used to driving on the left side of road. Powerscourt Estate is a country estate with beautiful house and gardens located in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains and it’s perfect for exploring. If you’re hungry, visit The Happy Pear in Greystones before heading deep into the Wicklow Mountains. After that, enjoy the views on your route through the Wicklow Mountains. There are more than enough amazing spots to pause en route, so be sure to have your camera ready.
Spend the afternoon and evening exploring Kilkenny, home to Ireland’s Medieval Mile which links Anglo-Norman Kilkenny Castle to St Canice’s Cathedral. Visit the Medieval Mile Musem situated in the St Mary’s Cathedral.
Kilkenny is also a very lively city, with many pubs and loads of live music and a great food culture.
Day 4 Rock of Cashel + Blarney Castle
Start your day with a visit to the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary.
Continue your road trip with a stop at Blarney Castle to secure the gift of the gab.
Spend the night in Cork.
Day 5 Cork + Kinsale + Cobh
Start the morning with a trip to Cork’s English Market, where you can have some breakfast and enjoy the lively vibes. Maybe pick up a picnic lunch as well for your day ahead. The food and fresh produce are amazing here. I recommend exploring Cobh and Kinsale, too.
Cobh is a beautiful town. Be sure to visit the Titanic Experience (the Titanic was certainly the most famous ship to pull out of Cobh). Take photos of the colourful and picturesque houses “The Deck of Cards“ and visit St Colman’s Cathedral. You can visit the Cobh Heritage Centre to learn more about the town’s history.
Kinsale is a historic port and very picturesque and lovely fishing town. Spend some time exploring the town and the colourful streets.
Day 6 Mizen Head Peninsula
Spend the day exploring the beautiful Mizen Head Peninsula, visiting Schull, Goleen, Barleycove Beach, Mizen Head Signal Station and Three Castle Head.
Then travel along the coast towards Bantry and spend the night there.
Day 7 Bantry + The Beara Peninsula
Bantry is one of my favourite towns and has so much to offer. Visit Bantry House and Gardens and explore the town itself. You’ll find plenty of places to eat and lovely little shops that cherish the arts and crafts West Cork is famous for. More about Bantry and what to do when in town in my blog post >> here <<.
Follow the road towards Glengarriff and then take the stunning trip over the Caha Mountains to Kenmare and spend the night there.
I highly recommend spending some more time on the Beara Peninsula, though. Explore Castletownbere on the Beara Peninsula, enjoy a late lunch at MacCarthy’s Bar there and enjoy the most beautiful views the peninsula has to offer before driving to Kenmare.
Day 8 Ring of Kerry + Skellig Michael
Kenmare is a great base for driving and exploring the Ring of Kerry. It’s a lively and lovely town and offers a great range of places to eat. Stop at Jam, a lovely café/bakery/deli with gluten-free options, and get some take away for your drive.
Now it’s time to enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Ring of Kerry, maybe stop at two or three villages whenever you feel like it. If you’re a fan of Star Wars or a fan of puffins or love exploring islands - take a boat trip to see Skellig Michael.
Spend the night in Killarney.
>> Read more about the Ring of Kerry in my blog post here <<
Day 9 Killarney National Park
Spend the morning exploring Killarney National Park with Torc Waterfall, Muckross House & Gardens and Ross Castle and spend the afternoon strolling around Killarney town. It’s another one of Ireland’s charming and lively cities.
Find out more about Killarney National Park and Killarney town in my Killarney blog post >> here <<.
Day 10 Dingle Peninsula
Spend the day exploring the beautiful Dingle Peninsula. You probably know we absolutely love it and as a child, I used to spend the summer holidays there. Stop in Dingle for lunch and the lovely shops before saying hi to Fungie’s statue and exploring the Slea Head Drive. If you’re interested, here’s more info about the Dingle Peninsula, The Slea Head Drive, Dingle Town and a trip along Conor Pass - Cloghane - Brandon Point. There are lovely B&Bs and hotels around Dingle, so I recommend spending the night there.
>> Read more about the Dingle Peninsula in my blog posts here <<
Day 11 Cliffs of Moher + Burren National Park
Next morning, follow the coastal roads through Kilkee, Doonbeg, Spanish Point and Lahinch until reaching the Cliffs of Moher. As I love boat trips, we usually take the car ferry operating between Tarbert and Killimer to cross the Shannon (it comes with a chance to see the famous Shannon dolphins). Book your tickets online to save some money.
Explore the spectacular Cliffs of Moher and then head for Doolin, home to some excellent traditional music and great places for lunch. Spend the afternoon exploring The Burren with its unique and beautiful landscape.
I recommend spending the night in Ennis, a lively and charming town, or in Galway.
>> Read more about the Cliffs of Moher and Doolin here <<
>> Read more about the Burren National Park here <<
Day 12 Galway + Connemara National Park
Spend the morning driving to Galway City (if you haven’t already spent the night there) and exploring the city. It’s a colourful, modern and beautiful city and I bet you’ll enjoy it here. I can highly recommend spending the afternoon exploring the beautiful Connemara National Park (featuring Clifden and the impressive Kylemore Abbey). Maybe spend your night in the lovely little town of Westport.
Day 13 Aran Islands
Spending the complete day on (one of) the Aran Islands will give you the chance to really take the peacefulness and nature in. Travel there from Rossaveal (Aran Island Ferries) or from Doolin (Doolin Ferries), if you’re still in the Burren. Cars cannot be taken to the islands but you can hire a bike. The Aran Islands are a cluster of the three islands Inishmore (Inis Mór), Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) and Inishdeer (Inis Oírr) with the largest being Inishmore. The coastal views are spectacular and you’ll get a scene of traditional Irish culture here. The islands are also famous for their knitwear.
Day 14 County Mayo
Next morning, head to Achill Island - the spectacular landscapes are a must if you’re around. Even though Ireland’s largest offshore island is linked to the mainland, Achill gives me the remote-island feeling I love. The beaches are beautiful (there are 5 Blue Flag beaches on the island) and the mountains and cliffs are spectacular. The Atlantic Drive through the coastal scenery of County Mayo and especially Achill Island is definitely a must-see.
Day 15 Sligo
Sligo has always been a county full of stories and legend. Think of mighty and beautiful Ben Bulben or Knocknarea, overlooking the county… after having spent some time there you’ll probably know why the landscape inspired the poetry of William Butler Yeats. He’s also one of the reasons why you should definitely visit the Sligo County Museum / Sligo Library when in Sligo.
Day 16 Donegal
Spend the day driving along the coast of Donegal, one of the least visited and most remote areas of Ireland. Have your camera ready as the scenery is just spectacular. Be sure to extend your time here if you love this kind of rugged beauty.
Spend the evening and night in Derry and be sure to visit the Derry Girls mural there.
Day 17 Causeway Coast
I recommend spending the day exploring North Antrim’s beautiful coastline. Stop at Portstewart Beach, visit Dunluce Castle or do a tour at the Old Bushmills Distillery. The highlight of your day is probably the magnificent Giant’s Causeway. If you love adventures, be sure to squeeze a trip to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in. We loved it!
Day 18 Belfast
Spend the morning strolling down St George’s Market, another lovely traditional Victorian market. It’s 100 years old and booming in recent years. I recall it being a weekend only market, so be sure to check that before you arrive.
My number one tip for Belfast is doing a Black Taxi Tour. These tours are a good craic, the drivers are fun and informative and it gets you on a very personal level.
Be sure to visit the Titanic centre. The Titanic was built in Belfast and the Titanic Belfast showcases how the ship was built and who the people were that faithfully boarded the ship, not knowing it was their last adventure. It’s one of the best centres we’ve been to so far. Enjoy your evening in Belfast, there are great places to eat and drink.
Day 19 Newgrange - Boyne Valley
On your last morning, leave Belfast and travel south to explore Newgrange and the Boyne Valley. It’s amazing to visit the cradle of the Irish civilisation with its ancient passage tombs and the Hill of Tara close by. Take your time here as the area is really amazing. Head back to Dublin in the afternoon and enjoy a good dinner and maybe some drinks on your last evening in Ireland.
You’ve probably noticed by now that Day 20 and 21 are missing - to be honest I just couldn’t decide where to add a second and third day. Dingle, Donegal, Achill Island, Causeway Coast … all of them deserve to be explored longer. So feel free to add these extra days wherever it feels right.
If 21 days isn’t the perfect match for you, be sure to check out our shorter itineraries for 3 days , 7 days and 10 days on the blog .
Are you a fan of unique airbnbs? Well I am and this is why I wrote a blog post about >> The 30 Most Unique Airbnbs in Ireland << .
Enjoy your road trip and let me know what you liked best!