I was in Ireland for 10 days. Was that enough? Absolutely not! I would absolutely love to be here for three weeks. However, if you are having 10 days, I have a suggested itinerary, but you can easily fill it out like you want to. This itinerary is what I did, but you can do it like you want to. At some points I will give an alternative. 

Keep reading if you want to enjoy a lovely itinerary. 

10 days

Day 1: Arriving at Dublin - Athy (or Glendalough) 

After we arrived late in Dublin, we went to Athy, which is a nice local city. The drive is around 1 hour from Dublin. We just went to a lovely pub before heading to bed. A better alternative may be Glendalough, which has lovely nature and a cool castle. This is a one-hour drive from Dublin as well.

Day 2: To Killarney and part of the Ring of Kerry 

Drive to the west and head to Killarney, which is around a 2.5-hour drive. On the way you can stop at the gorgeous Dunamase Castle. When arriving close to Killarney, drive a bit of the Ring of Kerry and visit Muckross House, Torc Waterfall, and Ladies' View before driving the picturesque Gap of Dunloe. Afterwards, head to Killarney and visit some pubs in town.

Day 3: Ring of Kerry - Tralee

Today drive the rest of the Ring of Kerry. Although the beginning is the same (believe me, that is no disappointment) and has some stops in Sneem and at Derrynane Beach. Make sure you visit the Kerry Cliffs, which are truly special. Afterwards, drive to Tralee and have a relaxed stop. 

Day 4: Cliffs of Moher - Galway

Today drive to the north and head to Tarbert, where you will arrive in 40 minutes. Here you can take the ferry, and then you should drive further to Doolin in an hour. From Doolin, hike the 8 kilometres to the Cliffs of Moher. If this is not possible, hike back and drive to the cliffs. Both the hike and standing on the cliffs are very nice! Afterwards, drive to Galway in 1.5 hours and enjoy your evening.

Day 5: St Patrick's Day in Galway 

In our case it was March 17th when we were in Galway, and that means Saint Patrick's Day! We had a great time, as you can go full green, have some pints of Guinness and enjoy the atmosphere. Of course, if you are not here during these days, then I would add one day in the northwest of Ireland.

Day 6: Galway - Westport (Donegal as an alternative)

After a slow morning we went further and took the Wild Atlantic Way for a couple of hours, which is very scenic. On the way we had several stops at Kylemore Abbey and Connemara National Park. We had some dinner in Westport, which is a very cute town. Afterwards, we drove to a house in the middle of nowhere, which is very cool. Another option is to drive a bit faster towards Donegal, which is a very scenic area. Especially if Saint Patrick's Day is not during your stay, you can do day 6 as day 5 and then head to Donegal.

Day 7: Several hikes

On day 7 we had several hikes in the area. Start of with a hike up to one of the best views of Ireland by going up Croagh Patrick, which takes about 3-4 hours. Afterwards, drive to another easier hike like Brackloan Forest, which is a nice forest. Afterwards, drive to Clewbay to have a swim and a beer in the sun. Then head back to the house in the middle of nowhere. If you go to Donegal, head there after the hike on Croagh Patrick.

Day 8: To Dublin

Find another hike in the area and afterwards drive in three hours towards Dublin. On the way there make sure you have a stop in Mullaghmeen Forest, where you can have a wonderful hike for a couple of hours. Afterwards, drive the last hour towards Dublin and enjoy your time in the capital.

Day 9: Dublin

Today, enjoy your time in Dublin. The capital of Ireland may not have the most sights in the world, but it is a vibrant city, where everything is fun around you. However, it can be difficult to adjust to the big city life after being in nature, but it is also a nice thing to remember the lovely nature, while being in a pub with a beer.

Day 10: Depart

Enjoy the rest of the day in Dublin until the sad moment happens that you have to leave this great country. 

Add to the itinerary

Unfortunately, I was absolutely not long enough to be in Ireland. The country has so many highlights that you should spend here several weeks to discover way more. Some examples are Cork, Dingle, and Donegal, but there are way more to discover. It is also easily combinable with Northern Ireland. 

If you want to know more about Ireland, check out the following: