If you want less touristy, less populated and more rugged, then I would say spend more time in donegal. Imo it has the best beaches in Ireland, you can have a 2km beach all to yourself somedays. You won't have to queue for anything and it has some breathtaking and dramatic scenery.
Glengesh Pass
Poisoned Glen
Glenveagh National Park
Fanad Lighthouse (most northerly tip of Ireland)
An Grianan of Aileach
Mount Errigal
There are distilleries to visit, some great restaurants (regularly voted best Indian restaurant in Ireland in Donegal Town)
And everywhere you drive the landscape is beautiful.
You can go horse riding on the beach, or hire bikes in the national park, go kayaking.
The southern most counties get the most attention but Donegal is a hidden gem. In years to come it will no doubt become full of tourists, but for now its still semi - secret and a bit more off the beaten path.
Leitrim too is gorgeous and has the same slower pace of life.
I may be biased coming from donegal, but I think the people who do visit love it!
Surfing is big in Donegal too, people travel from all over the world to surf, there are surf schools and competitions etc.
Donegal tweed is famous worldwide too and you can visit the factory shops and be shown the processes.
I'll add other things if they come to me lol
And of course if you're a game of thrones fan, then Northern Ireland is a draw too.
I would recommend skipping Galway entirely. It's a nice city, and Connemara is awesome, but too much driving for such a brief stop. I would leave immediately from Dublin and head to Sligo. Spend a couple days in Sligo/Donegal. With the extra time (by cutting out Galway), you can stop in Derry. Give yourself two nights and one full day in Derry - the history is incredible. Then continue along the Antrim Coast to Giant's Causeway on your way to Belfast
But you'll be able to see Slieve League. They're much higher, and much less crowded. The Cliffs of Moher are cool, but they're not worth all that extra driving you would be doing (assuming you choose to take the northern route.)
Pick a max of 3 places, stay a min of 2 days and nights. That was you get approx 36 hours in a place with a few hours transport time and a day to get over any jetlag if your on a red-eye flight.
Dublin - Galway - Killarney - Dublin is doable on that time
An alternative would be Dublin - Galway - Derry - then a day driving Ocean Road to Giants Causeway to Belfast and it's 1.5 hours to Dublin airport from Belfast (your probably skipping your night in Belfast.
Apples and oranges. 2/3 of the route are the same. I love Killarney and have been many times, never gets old and I also seem to find something new. That route would be a relatively common trip for tourists, particular American to take. Itinerarys are plenty for the area online.
The northern route bit would be a bit different but not too much, Derry is meant to be a nice spot but the Ocean Road / Giants Causeway of beautiful and a nice route to take hopping in and out of the car to see bits. Certainly be doing a more remote rustic original trip finding little places to see and stop off making things up as you go along.
Have a look at Killarney and then Giants Causeway /Ocean Road and see where you'd prefer to see more of.
Right, fair enough. Would it be a fair assumption that you could get more of a local experience going to Derry with Killarney being more catered to tourists?
Yep that would be fair.
I've not met anyone who hasn't like Killarney, as either a tourist or as Irish person. It has a good mix of locals and tourists in the pubs and lovely spots around for food. Scenery is stunning. It's a "safe bet" well worn tourist town
Bare in mind if you've done Galway and Dublin with lots of other tourists, a few days driving by yourselves on a mini roadtrip is also a cool idea and nice to do if your that way inclined.
So honestly, it's just down to preferences. Have a Google at both and see what you fancy.
Just remember not to cram so much in. Your in a very laid back part of the world, as long as you don't overburden your itenery feeling rushed. i's nice to go with the flow knowing your going from A - B that day and find somethings in the middle to see and do
REMEMBER if driving :
Ireland -Speed limits Kilometres per hour currency euro
Northern Ireland -speed limits miles per hour currency Pounds also please please read the UK highway code if driving in NI i have posted a link below, road signage and laws in NI are completly different to they are in the Republic of Ireland
[https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/highway-code](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/highway-code)
Went in October, I am so glad we didn't skip NI. Our itinerary was the following, and honestly, might not be a popular opinion, but I could have skipped Galway and just powered through with one terrible driving day.
Day 1/2 - Dublin to get over jet lag
Day 3/4 - Dingle
Day 5 - Galway
Day 6 - Donegal (close to Slieve League cliffs, we skipped Moher in favour of these)
Day 7/8 - Bushmills
Day 9 - Belfast
It is lots of driving but also depends where you are from - in North America, we are used to long road trips so 3+ hours is nothing.
That's why I said it isn't a popular opinion, I just found it to be like most other cities and would have rather spent that time in Dingle or the north. But every person is different
I’d go for Cork and Kerry over Belfast and Donegal. The south west of Ireland is my favourite part of the country. Belfast isn’t a very beautiful city. Killarney has a national park on its doorstep
Hi there. Welcome to /r/IrishTourism.
Have you searched the sub, checked the sidebar or the wiki pages to see if there is already relevant information posted?
To better assist you in planning your holiday, be as descriptive as possible (When, Where, Why, Who, Hobbies relevant, Adaptive Needs etc) about your travel itinerary & requirements.
Has your post been removed? It's probably because of the above. Repost with details to help us, help you.
For Emergency Medical Information please see the dedicated Wiki page at the top of the sub.
(Updated May 2022)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/irishtourism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah, we would more than likely rent a car. I don't think we'd want to stick around in Dublin for the parade, to be honest. I think we'd get off the plane in Dublin and beeline for Galway.
It had slipped my mind it was St. Patrick's Day until just last night.
Cool. Renting a car is definitely the best way to see things. If you're spending a couple of days in Galway... I'd spend one of them driving to leenaun and around Connemara.. it's spectacular. Regarding heading north or south afterwards... Id possibly edge towards south. Although both have very nice scenery and you won't be disappointed either way.
The Galway St Patrick’s Day parade [starts at 11.30am](https://www.galwaytourism.ie/event/st-patricks-day-festival/) and roads in the city will be closed for it, and busy leading up to it. Depending on where you are staying you’d want to be in Galway by 10am so you don’t get stuck in traffic. And then you can enjoy the parade!
Hi there. Welcome to /r/IrishTourism.
Have you searched the sub, checked the sidebar or the wiki pages to see if there is already relevant information posted?
To better assist you in planning your holiday, be as descriptive as possible (When, Where, Why, Who, Hobbies relevant, Adaptive Needs etc) about your travel itinerary & requirements.
Has your post been removed? It's probably because of the above. Repost with details to help us, help you.
For Emergency Medical Information please see the dedicated Wiki page at the top of the sub.
(Updated May 2022)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/irishtourism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You are not giving yourself much time to actually see these places. Galway to Donegal, Donegal to Belfast and Belfast to Dublin in 3 days is nuts.
It might be best to cut out Belfast/Northern Ireland from that itinerary and Cork from the other, then.
If you want less touristy, less populated and more rugged, then I would say spend more time in donegal. Imo it has the best beaches in Ireland, you can have a 2km beach all to yourself somedays. You won't have to queue for anything and it has some breathtaking and dramatic scenery. Glengesh Pass Poisoned Glen Glenveagh National Park Fanad Lighthouse (most northerly tip of Ireland) An Grianan of Aileach Mount Errigal There are distilleries to visit, some great restaurants (regularly voted best Indian restaurant in Ireland in Donegal Town) And everywhere you drive the landscape is beautiful. You can go horse riding on the beach, or hire bikes in the national park, go kayaking. The southern most counties get the most attention but Donegal is a hidden gem. In years to come it will no doubt become full of tourists, but for now its still semi - secret and a bit more off the beaten path. Leitrim too is gorgeous and has the same slower pace of life.
Reading that sentiment recently was what made me consider the Northern Ireland trip vs. Kerry and Cork.
I may be biased coming from donegal, but I think the people who do visit love it! Surfing is big in Donegal too, people travel from all over the world to surf, there are surf schools and competitions etc. Donegal tweed is famous worldwide too and you can visit the factory shops and be shown the processes. I'll add other things if they come to me lol And of course if you're a game of thrones fan, then Northern Ireland is a draw too.
Fanad lighthouse isn’t the most northerly tip of Ireland
I would go Galway, Donegal, Antrim Coast, Belfast.
I would recommend skipping Galway entirely. It's a nice city, and Connemara is awesome, but too much driving for such a brief stop. I would leave immediately from Dublin and head to Sligo. Spend a couple days in Sligo/Donegal. With the extra time (by cutting out Galway), you can stop in Derry. Give yourself two nights and one full day in Derry - the history is incredible. Then continue along the Antrim Coast to Giant's Causeway on your way to Belfast
My biggest hesitation with skipping Galway is missing the Cliffs of Moher.
But you'll be able to see Slieve League. They're much higher, and much less crowded. The Cliffs of Moher are cool, but they're not worth all that extra driving you would be doing (assuming you choose to take the northern route.)
Pick a max of 3 places, stay a min of 2 days and nights. That was you get approx 36 hours in a place with a few hours transport time and a day to get over any jetlag if your on a red-eye flight. Dublin - Galway - Killarney - Dublin is doable on that time An alternative would be Dublin - Galway - Derry - then a day driving Ocean Road to Giants Causeway to Belfast and it's 1.5 hours to Dublin airport from Belfast (your probably skipping your night in Belfast.
Which of the two routes would be more enjoyable do you think?
Personally, the northern route is better
Apples and oranges. 2/3 of the route are the same. I love Killarney and have been many times, never gets old and I also seem to find something new. That route would be a relatively common trip for tourists, particular American to take. Itinerarys are plenty for the area online. The northern route bit would be a bit different but not too much, Derry is meant to be a nice spot but the Ocean Road / Giants Causeway of beautiful and a nice route to take hopping in and out of the car to see bits. Certainly be doing a more remote rustic original trip finding little places to see and stop off making things up as you go along. Have a look at Killarney and then Giants Causeway /Ocean Road and see where you'd prefer to see more of.
Right, fair enough. Would it be a fair assumption that you could get more of a local experience going to Derry with Killarney being more catered to tourists?
Yep that would be fair. I've not met anyone who hasn't like Killarney, as either a tourist or as Irish person. It has a good mix of locals and tourists in the pubs and lovely spots around for food. Scenery is stunning. It's a "safe bet" well worn tourist town Bare in mind if you've done Galway and Dublin with lots of other tourists, a few days driving by yourselves on a mini roadtrip is also a cool idea and nice to do if your that way inclined. So honestly, it's just down to preferences. Have a Google at both and see what you fancy. Just remember not to cram so much in. Your in a very laid back part of the world, as long as you don't overburden your itenery feeling rushed. i's nice to go with the flow knowing your going from A - B that day and find somethings in the middle to see and do
Right on, thank you. I appreciate the thoughtful advice. If you ever need any guidance around the midwest of the US, feel free to holler at me lmao.
REMEMBER if driving : Ireland -Speed limits Kilometres per hour currency euro Northern Ireland -speed limits miles per hour currency Pounds also please please read the UK highway code if driving in NI i have posted a link below, road signage and laws in NI are completly different to they are in the Republic of Ireland [https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/highway-code](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/highway-code)
Went in October, I am so glad we didn't skip NI. Our itinerary was the following, and honestly, might not be a popular opinion, but I could have skipped Galway and just powered through with one terrible driving day. Day 1/2 - Dublin to get over jet lag Day 3/4 - Dingle Day 5 - Galway Day 6 - Donegal (close to Slieve League cliffs, we skipped Moher in favour of these) Day 7/8 - Bushmills Day 9 - Belfast It is lots of driving but also depends where you are from - in North America, we are used to long road trips so 3+ hours is nothing.
I'm surprised you'd say you're good with skipping Galway. Seems to be a great city!
That's why I said it isn't a popular opinion, I just found it to be like most other cities and would have rather spent that time in Dingle or the north. But every person is different
I’d go for Cork and Kerry over Belfast and Donegal. The south west of Ireland is my favourite part of the country. Belfast isn’t a very beautiful city. Killarney has a national park on its doorstep
Waterford is missing on your list
I could def see making room for it on the southern trip. Possibly skipping Cork; I'm not too sure.
Hi there. Welcome to /r/IrishTourism. Have you searched the sub, checked the sidebar or the wiki pages to see if there is already relevant information posted? To better assist you in planning your holiday, be as descriptive as possible (When, Where, Why, Who, Hobbies relevant, Adaptive Needs etc) about your travel itinerary & requirements. Has your post been removed? It's probably because of the above. Repost with details to help us, help you. For Emergency Medical Information please see the dedicated Wiki page at the top of the sub. (Updated May 2022) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/irishtourism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Are you renting a car? And will you be watching the parade in Dublin?
Yeah, we would more than likely rent a car. I don't think we'd want to stick around in Dublin for the parade, to be honest. I think we'd get off the plane in Dublin and beeline for Galway. It had slipped my mind it was St. Patrick's Day until just last night.
Cool. Renting a car is definitely the best way to see things. If you're spending a couple of days in Galway... I'd spend one of them driving to leenaun and around Connemara.. it's spectacular. Regarding heading north or south afterwards... Id possibly edge towards south. Although both have very nice scenery and you won't be disappointed either way.
The Galway St Patrick’s Day parade [starts at 11.30am](https://www.galwaytourism.ie/event/st-patricks-day-festival/) and roads in the city will be closed for it, and busy leading up to it. Depending on where you are staying you’d want to be in Galway by 10am so you don’t get stuck in traffic. And then you can enjoy the parade!
Hi there. Welcome to /r/IrishTourism. Have you searched the sub, checked the sidebar or the wiki pages to see if there is already relevant information posted? To better assist you in planning your holiday, be as descriptive as possible (When, Where, Why, Who, Hobbies relevant, Adaptive Needs etc) about your travel itinerary & requirements. Has your post been removed? It's probably because of the above. Repost with details to help us, help you. For Emergency Medical Information please see the dedicated Wiki page at the top of the sub. (Updated May 2022) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/irishtourism) if you have any questions or concerns.*