One Week Ireland Itinerary

Ireland has been on my bucket list for years and we were finally able to go this year! We spent one week exploring the island from Dublin to the Dingle Peninsula to Northern Ireland. Check out the Flyover for a brief overview of the itinerary and keep reading for a detailed description of how to spend one week in Ireland.

Day 1

Arrive in Dublin in the morning. Get early check-in at your accommodation if possible. If not you will have to find luggage storage until you can check in. 

Check out the hotels we’ve stayed in: 

https://www.booking.com/hotel/ie/towerhotelgroup.en.html?aid=7957877&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2

https://www.booking.com/hotel/ie/jurysinnparnellst.en.html?aid=7957877&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2

Start your day off at Trinity College and the famous Book of Kells. You will need to purchase a ticket with a timed entry. We booked our tickets the morning we arrived and were able to get the time we wanted. If you are going during a busier season, it may make sense to book earlier. Spend about an hour exploring the college and the library. 

Purchase tickets here: https://www.tcd.ie/visitors/book-of-kells/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnbmaBhD-ARIsAGTPcfUeZsB1b-A_RjT3iSWZHyN0R0uWT1I842q6APB3N9lV_ozCVcc4e8MaAhX5EALw_wcB

Next stop is St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Founded in 1192, it is now named the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. We purchased tickets to tour inside the cathedral, it was beautiful but I think OK to skip and just admire from the outside. On your way here, make sure you plan your route to walk by Christ Church Cathedral. You can buy tickets to walk through this cathedral as well. 

Time for lunch! I recommend checking out The Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin. Order your first Guinness in Ireland to go with your lunch! 

Now head over to the Jameson Distillery for a tasting. I recommend booking your experience a week or so ahead of time. We did the Old Jameson Distillery experience and everyone loved it! It’s a 40-minute tour, whiskey tasting, and you get a cocktail at the bar at the end. 

If you haven’t checked into your hotel yet, it’s probably time to do so now before dinner. You may even have time to get a nap in if you’re feeling extra jet-lagged. 

Porterhouse Temple Bar has live music and a good atmosphere for dinner. From there, explore the pubs, there are over 700 of them! 

Day 2

Sleep in and then head to Brother Hubbard for brunch. 

After brunch, the first stop of the day is Kilmainham Gaol Museum, a prison turned museum. Tickets tend to sell out so I recommend booking at least a week before your trip. From there, spend the afternoon exploring Dublin, there’s plenty of shopping and parks to walk through. 

The Guinness Storehouse is like the Disneyland of Dublin. Is it commercialized and touristy? Yes. Do you need to go? Probably. Book your tickets at least a few days ahead of time, they sell out. 

Roe and Co Distillery is a short walk from the storehouse. Book an experience or get a cocktail in their bar, they’re fantastic!

For dinner, I recommend Ryan’s of Parkgate Street. You can eat in the bar or the restaurant above the bar. If you want to sit in the restaurant, you’ll need reservations. If you want to eat in the bar, go early, they get full quick. 

After dinner, explore the pubs once again. The Cobblestone is popular among locals and was recommended by our taxi driver. They have live music that is usually just a collection of locals that get together to play. Similar to the Guinness Storehouse, you should probably stop by The Temple Bar for at least one drink!

Day 3

Take a tour of Northern Ireland on your last in Dublin. 

Check out the tour we did: https://www.viator.com/tours/Dublin/Northern-Ireland-Day-Trip-from-Dublin-Belfast-Black-Taxi-Tour-and-Giants-Causeway/d503-5300BLACKCAB?pid=P00074192&mcid=42383&medium=link

Day 4

Time to get out of Dublin and start your drive towards the west coast! Check out of your hotel and head to the airport to pick up your rental car. I found Dublin’s public transportation to be very unreliable, so I recommend taking a taxi. There are no Ubers or Lyfts in Ireland. Check with the front desk if you are in a hotel to see if they can schedule a taxi the night before for the morning. Keough’s has a good takeaway breakfast if you want pastries and coffee for the road. 

Schedule your rental car pickup for around 8 AM so you can be on the road by 9 AM. Begin the drive to Killarney where you will be staying the night. 

Your first stop will be the Rock of Cashel, you can buy tickets on-site. After walking through the castle, you can stop for a quick lunch at Grogan’s Café and Ice Cream Parlor. 

Continue towards Killarney. If the weather is nice, you can make a detour to see Ladies View and Moll’s Gap. When you get to Killarney, stop first at Killarney National Park. You can rent bikes and ride through the park along the Muckross Dinis Loop. You could also hike Muckross House to Torc Waterfall, a 3.9-mile loop. 

Check in to your accommodation before heading back out to explore the town of Killarney. The buildings are colorful and there’s plenty of shopping. For dinner, we went to The Shire and then went to the comedy show after. Murphy’s Bar and J M Reidy’s are also highly rated.

Day 5

Today you will drive the Dingle Peninsula. I have a blog post detailing where to stop with a google maps route included. 

Check out the blog post here: https://followthefischers.com/dingle-peninsula-drive/

Before you head towards the Dingle Peninsula, drive the Gap of Dunloe to start your morning. I recommend starting very early, around 6 AM so there aren’t any other cars on the road. The road through the gap is narrow and during the day is full of pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. 

After your drive around the Dingle Peninsula, start the drive to the Cliffs of Moher. Book your tickets for the cliffs a week or two ahead of time so you can get the time you want. I recommend booking the later entry (between 4-9 PM). Walk along the cliffs and when you’re done, drive to Doolin for dinner. Russell’s Fishshop is highly rated but was closed when we were there. We went to Gus O’Connor’s Pub instead. After dinner, walk to Doolin Ice Cream and try their 99 ice cream cone. The soft serve is better than any I’ve had in the United States. 

Finally, end your drive in Galway and stay the night. 

Day 6

Spend the day exploring Galway. Take a stroll on the 2 km long Salthill Promenade. Walk along Quay Lane through the Latin Quarter. Take it easy today, it’s been a long week! You will have a little over a 2-hour drive back to the Dublin airport, you can either book your flight for early tomorrow morning and drive to Dublin tonight to stay near the airport, or book an afternoon flight and spend one more evening in Galway.

Day 7

Travel day!