Bucket List Ireland - 16 Day Itinerary

Ireland had been at the top of my travel wish list for over 10 years.  We kept putting it off because we were waiting for the right time to travel with our son.  After years of delaying this trip, we finally came to the conclusion that we could go back and visit with him at a later date. It was finally time to plan our dream trip to Ireland - an epic road trip that spanned the entire country.

We allotted 16 days to explore Ireland.  Initially it seemed like enough time to see all of the items on our wish list, but we quickly realized this was impossible.  After all, how can you fit all of the amazingness of Ireland into 16 days? 

That being said, we managed to fit in a ton of amazing experiences!  Here is a breakdown of our itinerary – complete with our accommodation information.

Day 1: Dublin to Ferns
We arrived in Dublin early in the morning, after completing the Red-eye flight from New York City.  After picking up the rental car, we promptly left Dublin and headed towards Fern in County Wexford.  The drive was about 1.5 hours (82 miles).

We arrived to the area a little earlier than we were able to check into our Airbnb, so we grabbed a bite to eat at The Courtyard Bar & Restaurant.  The food was great…and the service was even better!  The staff was very friendly; we immediately felt at home here.  After lunch we headed to our Airbnb: Paradise Not Lost.   Our host and his pups greeted us upon our arrival.  The space was cozy and comfortable.  This would be our home base location for the next two nights.

We were both so tired that we immediately went to sleep.  We woke up briefly to eat and then continued to catch up on lost sleep.  We both usually have a difficult time sleeping on overnight flights, so we planned this rest time into our itinerary. 

Day 2: Ferns to Kilkenny
We took a day trip to Kilkenny.  The drive from our Airbnb was 1 hour (48 miles)  We arrived in town and immediately went for breakfast at The Fig Tree.  This was definitely a great place to start the day…and it was the beginning of my addiction to hot chocolate all throughout Ireland.  After breakfast, we visited Kilkenny Castle, The Black Abbey, Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Cathedral Church of St. Canice, Cakeface Patisserie, and Butterslip Lane.  We even had the chance to visit a Christmas Market.  Read More about our visit to Kilkenny here: Kilkenny - 1 Day Itinerary.

Day 3: Ferns to Waterford
We headed towards Waterford for the day.  The drive was 57 minutes (40 miles).  We parked down by the water and enjoyed some shops on our way to the House of Waterford Crystal.  We took the tour of their facility.  It was advertised as a self-guided tour, but there were employees at each different stage of the tour that explained the stages of the crystal making process.  You are able to see these master crafters up close and personal!   Check out our blog about Waterford!  Our Airbnb for the night was just outside of Waterford.: Waterford Greenway Accommodation.

Day 4: Waterford to Cobh
We woke up early to head towards Cobh (pronounced Cove).  The drive was 1 hour and 47 minutes (73 miles).  During this part of our trip, we experienced Winter Bomb Barra.  It seemed like a normal day of wind and rain for us (we do live in Alaska…lol), but this storm literally shut down the WHOLE country.  We had planned on visiting the Jameson Distillery on our way to Cobh, but when we arrived it was closed due to the weather.  We continued on to our Airbnb, which was completely adorable!  Here is a video…and the listing: The Dairy. This was our home base for the next two nights.  We headed into town but found that literally everything was closed…except a corner store where we were thankful enough to grab some pasta to cook for dinner.

Day 5 Cobh to Blarney Castle and Gardens
We started the day with breakfast at Cuppacity Cafe.  Then we walked across the street where we took the tour at the Titanic Museum (highly recommend!)  After the tour, we ventured to take some photos of the “Deck of Cards” houses.  Then it was off to the Jameson Distillery…which happened to be closed again due to work that was being done at the facility.  We did not want to waste anymore of our time, so we headed to the Blarney Castle and Blarney Woolen Mills.  The drive from Cobh to Blarney Castle is 41 minutes (19 miles). 

Day 6: Cobh to Beaufort
While we were in this area, we were going to visit Cork, but because of closures due to the storm, the timing for this leg of the trip was all screwed up.  Instead of heading into Cork, we continued to our next destination – The Ring of Kerry. We decided to take the scenic route and even went off course to follow signs for a Toy Soldier Factory (a great find). We visited the Muckross House, Torc Waterfall, and Muckross Abbey.  Then headed into Killarney for dinner before heading to our AIRBNB in Beaufort for the next two nights.  This house was the quintessential Irish cottage…and our host even had a fire started for us when we arrived that night. Today’s drive was 1 hour 48 minutes (75 miles). 

Day 7: Beaufort to Dingle
We woke up early and took a day trip to the Dingle Peninsula.  We did not have much planned for Dingle.  For us, it was about enjoying the drive, the beach views, and visiting some local businesses.  Read about our favorites here: DINGLE.  Our advice…definitely check out Inch Beach on your way to Dingle.  The waves are pretty awesome! The drive is about an hour to Dingle (36 miles). 

Day 8: Ring of Kerry to Limerick
We drove the Ring of Kerry on our way to our next destination.  On this drive, we explored the Gap of Dunloe, had a picnic near the sea, enjoyed the views along the Wild Atlantic Way…and then we went Sheep Herding with a family of farmers.  We booked this sheep herding experience through Airbnb.  This was one of the highlights of our trip! 

Our end destination for this day of travel was Limerick.  We stayed in this Airbnb: Bright, Peaceful room with Bathroom Ensuite. This was the only accommodation that was a private room.  All of our other accommodations were separate living spaces.  We opted for this room because we were only needed a place to sleep for the night before we were on the road again. Today’s driving was 4.5 hours (146 miles). 

Day 9: Limerick to Galway
We went into the City of Limerick to eat breakfast at Bakehouse 22.  We then visited Limerick Castle and the Cathedral.  And just like that, our time in Limerick was done!  We were on the move again…this time to Galway!  On our way to Galway, we visited the Cliffs of Moher.  On this particular day, there was another storm with strong winds, but we didn’t let that stop us!  It made for a unique experience.  For our stay in Galway, we opted for a stay at the Menlo Park Hotel.  Because we had a car, we stayed at this hotel just outside of the city and then took taxis into town.  Once we checked into the hotel, we went into the city for the Christmas Market.  Today’s drive was 2 hours 45 minutes (96 miles). 

Day 10: Galway and Tuam
We drove to Tuam and Ardskeamore to do some information searching for ancestors.  This drive was 40 minutes (20 miles). Then we headed back to town for a late lunch at Woozza (Best Pizza in Ireland) and Galway’s Legendary Walking Tour.  This walking tour was about the myths and legends of the area.  Our tour guide also took us to some places outside of the tourist area, where he recommended some local restaurants and pubs.  After the tour, we did enjoy some drinks at Taylor’s Bar!  Don’t miss this place…best cocktails ever! 

Day 11: Galway to Ballina
We left Galway for our next destination.  Our first stop on our road trip was the Spiddal Craft Village.  This is a great place to buy locally made items right from the artists in their studios!  We used this day to drive more of the Wild Atlantic Way and headed towards Kylemore Abbey and Castle.  This was definitely worth the trip!  Our final destination for this night was in Kathleen’s Cottage in Ballina, County Mayo.  This Airbnb was WAY out there…and not sure I would recommend the out of the way destination unless you were planning on visiting for a few days.  This leg of the trip was 3 hours 16 minutes (118 miles).

Day 12: Ballina to Lisburn
We back tracked a little so we could visit Downpatrick Head.  We ran out of daylight the day before…and this was something we definitely wanted to do.  This is a stunning landscape and should be seen if you can fit it into your trip! 

After visiting Downpatrick Head, we spent the day on the road heading towards Belfast, Northern Ireland.  We actually stayed in an Airbnb in Lisburn, which is on the outskirts of Belfast.  The hosts and location were amazing!  We arrived in the evening, so we just grabbed a bite to eat in town and then prepared for our next day of exploration.  This drive (including the back track to Downpatrick Head) was 4.5 hours (190 miles).

Day 13 Northern Ireland Coastal Road Trip
Our end destination for the day’s road trip was Giant’s Causeway, but on recommendation of our Airbnb host, we actually drove the coastal road (instead of the highway).  Ireland Coastal Road Trip? Yes, please! We love scenic drives, so this was exciting for us!  This drive did not disappoint!!!! 

Along the way to Giant’s Causeway, we had a picnic by the beach, travelled through Ballycastle, and explored Ballintoy Harbor.  We enjoyed the drive so much that it had already started to get dark when we arrived at the Causeway.  For the sake of time, we ended up doing the easy hike around the top of the cliffs.  Then we rushed off to see the Dark Hedges before we returned to Lisburn.  Today’s drive was 4 hours 16 minutes (157 miles).

Day 14: Belfast to Dublin
We left Lisburn and headed into Belfast to visit the Titanic Museum.  From here, we drove back to Dublin.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Dublin Airport.  It was a great hotel!  Rooms were a nice size and even included a couch (which was a bonus after long days of sightseeing).  The hotel also had a 24 hour Starbucks and a restaurant onsite.  This is where we stayed for the last 3 nights of our trip in Ireland.  The drive from Belfast to Dublin was 2 hours and 14 minutes (113 miles).

Day 15: Dublin
We woke up early and headed into Dublin City Center.  We parked our car in the most narrow (and scary) parking garage ever.  From here we jumped on the 1st stop of the Dublin Sightseeing Bus. This Hop on, Hop off bus is a GREAT way to see (and learn about) the city. We purchased the two-day City Pass, which was an exceptional value.  We saved money AND got to see a ton of stuff.  With our City Pass, we visited Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublinia Museum, Temple Bar District, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  Then we enjoyed a date night at the Shelbourne Greyhound Track (not included in the City Pass).

In our blog about Dublin, we offer a discount code to purchase your City Pass – get $20 off each pass!

Day 16: Dublin
We headed back into Dublin (parked in a larger, safer parking garage) and started the day at The Sweetest Thing, which is named the best hot chocolate in Dublin!  Then we were ready to start another full day of exploring!  We visited the Guinness Storehouse, Epic Museum, and the Teeling Distillery.  We managed to pack a ton of stuff into our two days in Dublin.  The City Pass helped us save money…and the bus that was included made getting around to these locations easy!

Read more about our time in Dublin – Maximize Your Time and Money in Dublin.

We definitely covered a lot of ground on our first trip to Ireland.  We knew we would not be able to squeeze it all in, but this was a great “sampler” for us to discover where we would like to visit again!  We are already looking forward to our next visit!

Please keep in mind that the drive times listed do not account for any stoppage time.  We wanted to give you a point of reference from each destination on our itinerary.

For us, it is impossible not to make stops, so our actual drive times were much longer. We ALWAYS opt to travel via car to explore places because we love to make stops when we see cool places and points of interest. Afterall, our motto is “ditch the highways and enjoy the byways…in travel and in life.”

Interested in learning more about our trip? Check out our podcast episodes all about Ireland!