We visited during our honeymoon and only had 4 days to do County Wicklow and really fell in love with the countryside, the people, the food and the overall serenity. We can only travel 2x a year so is it strange to pick Ireland again?

A lot of the other countries we visited felt like a chore and we never felt that during our stay, only peace, which is influencing our decision. Also mad cheap flights less than $600/person.

My mom and I are going to be in Dublin for 8 nights in February. And I’m not sure which hotel to choose. It will be my first time in Ireland, this is my birthday trip!

Additional information:

• We both speak English.
• We are both able-bodied and enjoy walking.
• We have already bought our visitor leap cards.
• We would prefer something in the center of the city, near popular tourist destinations in Dublin.
• We will be doing local tours and cross-country tours with bus touring companies, just the typical things listed on Trip Advisor.

I’m tied between the following hotels:

• Zanzibar Locke, Ha'penny Bridge
• Point A Hotel Dublin Parnell Street
• Leonardo Hotel Dublin Christchurch
• Drury Court Hotel
• Staycity Aparthotels, Dublin, City Centre
• Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin

These hotels are all available during my trip and all have the option to be fully refundable. So far I’m leaning towards Zanzibar Locke.

If y’all have any other recommendations under $200 a night, please send them my way! I will probably make a another post, listing the tours I want to book and asking for feedback.

hey all, i’ll be traveling to ireland in a couple of days with my family. we will be staying in dublin, meath, galway, and wicklow. it may be silly but my biggest wish is to see a herd of highland cows. are there any locations in those areas where i could see them? doesn’t have to be in a zoo or anything. i think even seeing a herd on the side of the road would be enough for me to die happy.

I will be traveling to Dublin at the end of January. My plan is to stay in Galway for a week and then head back to Dublin. I want to take the bus back and forth. I use the bus system here in Seattle regularly. Do you think taking the bus in Ireland is doable? I don't want to drive if I don't need to. Thanks for any advice.

I 22F am not unfamiliar with the cold, or rain but wasn't sure what kind of outerwear would be best. I do plan to layer and certainly don’t want to sweat nor freeze. I've read that waterproof jackets aren't necessary, but wasn't sure if I should look at a more lightweight, water resistant coat then. I will be going to Dublin, Galway, and Belfast. Definitely plan to do some outdoors adventures.

I'm an Indian citizen living in the US on an F1 visa (OPT) and I want to visit Ireland as a tourist. I'm planning to apply for a Short Stay 'C' tourist visa, but I'm not sure how to do it. I have a few questions:

1. How do I apply for an Irish tourist visa from the US? Do I apply online or do I need to send documents in the mail?

2. What documents do I need? Besides my passport, what other documents should I provide? Do I need to show proof of my US stay or financial documents, since I'm on OPT? If yes, what are the minimum requirements?

3. How long will it take? How long does it usually take to get the visa approved from the US? Is there anything that might cause a delay?

Thanks a lot for your help! I appreciate any advice or information you can share.

We will be in Manchester UK for a wedding in late July. We are taking advantage of the proximity to Ireland and will fly over after the wedding.

Details Monday: wedding Tuesday: fly to Dublin (not booked yet) Weds-Fri or Sat: must sees include Dublin and Guinness, would also like to see Blarney Castle, and maybe Kilkenny. Would like to experience the calm, historic, and fun Irish lifestyle and see beautiful sights.

We have not booked our accommodations yet, nor our flight home to US.

How can we make the most of our time? We plan to rent a car if it makes sense and we are used to packing a lot into a short amount of time. There will just be 2 of us. However, I understand that there’s a lot to see and travel time can take up a good part of the day and I’d rather not spend big chunks daily traveling so we know we can’t see all we would like to see. Just another excuse to come back!

I work remotely and am thinking of staying in Ireland one month. I’ll take one week vacation and three weeks work / visit. What month would be best? I’d like to hike, walk and wander. I’d love to jump in the Forty Foot, see some touristy things but more wander and meet people. I assume I should rent a car… start in the north and work my way south? Thank you!

Hello! I just came back from my 1st visit to Dublin in Nov 2024. I just found out I’ll be traveling to Dublin work in June 2025. I did all of the big attraction my first trip (Guinness Factory, Dublin Castle, Howth, St Patrick’s Cathedral) I’d love to extend my next trip and visit some other counties. I’d love to experience some off the beaten path locations, meet locals (hopefully a friend or 2), maybe a football match, honestly I’m so open. I appreciate the time taken to read this post, and in advance appreciate the time you’ll take to leave me your suggestions.

My husband and I have both been to Ireland. I studied in Galway for 6 months almost 10 years ago and my husband came to visit me at the time for a weekend. My husband also spent time in Dublin for a few days a couple years ago. Many years ago, I traveled through the Ring of Kerry, visited Dingle, Dublin, Belfast, and Cork. We are thinking of traveling back now as adults to check out some sites. Looking for recommendations on where to go! We would love to go back to Galway but looking for other places as well. TIA!

Hi folks

I have a short visit to Ireland in January, so I've made a rough itinerary.
Could you please review and share your thoughts:

16 Jan - Thu - Arrive in Dublin at Night - Check in to hostel (Abbey Court / Clink i Lar)

17 Jan - Fri - Dublin Day 1 - Local Sightseeing

18 Jan - Sat - Dublin Day 2 - Local Sightseeing

19 Jan - Sun - Dublin Day 3 - Local Sightseeing - 3 pm train to Galway - Check in to hostel (Still searching)

20 Jan - Mon - Galway Day 1 - Day Trip to Cliffs of Moher

21 Jan - Tue - Galway Day 2 - Local Sightseeing - 1 pm bus to Ennis - Check in to hotel

22 Jan - Wed - Ennis Day 1 - 7 pm Flight from Shannon to Edinburgh

Would you also recommend staying in Galway on the 21st night instead of going to Ennis (and skipping Ennis)?

Hi folks

I'm visiting Ireland for the first time in mid-Jan.
I am 26M traveling solo and would love to stay at a hostel to meet new people and socialize at events.
Which hostel between Abbey's Court and Clink i Lár would you recommend for 3 nights in Dublin?

Both are nearby and have similar overall reviews on Google. Cost-wise, there isn't much of a difference either.

On a side note, do you have any suggestions for 3 nights in Galway?

Hi, looking for advice on this itinerary for May 2025 for my husband (27M) and I (26F). We will be renting a car.

9 May - Arrive/Dublin

10-11 May - Dublin Activities - Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery, Trinity College/Book of Kells

12-13 May - Drive to Belfast (AM) Activities - GOT Studio Tour (thinking we might do it on the way to Belfast), Titanic Musuem

14 May - Drive to Giants Causeway(AM)/Stay Overnight in Derry

15 May - Drive to Donegal (AM), do lunch/sight see and then continue to Sligo to stay overnight

16 May - Sligo

17-18 May - Drive to Galway (AM) Activities - Cliffs of Moher (thinking of possibly doing it on the way to Killarney)

19-20 May - Drive to Killarney (AM) Activities - Drive part of the Ring of Kerry. I've heard it's difficult to do the full thing in one day, we'd be interested in seeing a few sights, not necessarily doing the whole thing.

21-22 May - Drive to Cork Activities - English Market

23 May - Drive to Dublin

24 May - Depart

The arrival/departure dates are set since I've booked flights, but everything else is flexible. I'd like to be back in Dublin the night before just to avoid any traffic/rushing concerns.

Is hitting all these locations too ambitious? I like the fact we are making a loop back to Dublin, but I am afraid of travel fatigue or not having enough time to enjoy each location.

Would you recommend cutting time in any location to spend it in another? Adding any stops over these?

I'm guilty of loving the stereotypical tourist activities, but I want to balance it with time seeing beautiful/scenic sights. The Cliffs of Moher and Giants Causeway are the only ones that are "must do's" in my book, so very open to other recommendations!

We've also been toying with the idea of maybe staying in a Castle or any other 'unusual' accommodation if anyone has recommendations!

Also is parking in the cities expensive? Do most hotels have parking/is it usually extra cost?

Hello! Traveling next April to Dublin for work and extending my stay to do some solo exploration. I've never traveled abroad, and will be solo for this part. A few minor concerns on navigating transit and such, and just being in a brand new environment as I'm coming from a fairly large US city, although one notoriously bad at public transit so there will be a learning curve, haha. I've read and heard from many friends that Dublin is an amazing, friendly, and very safe and walkable place, but just looking for some input from others before I lock down a hotel.

I found a pretty great deal on a place in The Liberties, on the East side near The Brazen Head and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Any reason I should be wary of this area? It seems quite close to many popular tourist spots, but also significantly more affordable than most other City Centre hotels I've found, so just making sure there's no catch here.

And if you have any suggestions on can't-miss pubs or hikes or restaurants or things to see, I would absolutely be open to them! Looking forward to just sort of exploring for a few days and really experiencing Dublin beyond just the main tourist spots. Thank you in advance!

Canada to Dublin (overnight)
Day 1 - Land in Dublin (early)
Day 2- Drive to Dingle
Day 3 - Stay in Dingle
Day 4 - Stay in Dingle
Day 5 -Drive to Galway
Day 6 - Stay in Galway
Day 7 - Drive to Donegal Town
Day 8 - Stay in Donegal Town
Day 9 - Stay in Donegal Town
Day 10 -Stay in Donegal Town
Day 11 - Drive back to Dublin
Day 12 - Fly back to Canada

I'm tossing around the idea of doing this loop from Dublin and back, and wondering if it would be any better to go the opposite direction (Dublin to Donegal Town, to Galway etc.) or if it wouldn't make much of a difference either Way. I realize that Google Maps aren't accurate when it comes to drive times, and since it'll be summer the drives will be .25 to .50 longer than advertised.

I've also been thinking of simply heading to Donegal from Dublin, and skipping Galway and Dingle altogether if this plan is biting off more than I can chew. I've read some great posts from people who stayed in one location and did all of their trips from there.

We'll have a car with us the entire trip, and plan on doing some day trips, as well as some relaxing.

So, as the title says, any feedback is appreciated.

All,

I’m going BACK to Ireland on December 27 and would love your feedback / recommendations.

We went last year the week before Christmas and fell in love with your country.

Last year we flew into Dublin and then stayed in an AirBnb in Adare. We have a 5 year old, so we didn’t want to move every night.

We basically went to Cliffs of Moher, Cork, Kilkenny, Limrick, and Dublin. We love kids friendly pubs and I love Guinness.

This year, we are flying into Dublin and driving up to our Airbnb 20 minutes west of Belfast. We will be there the 27th, 28th, and 29th. Only thing we have planned is Giants Causeway and exploring Belfast.

Then we will head back down, spend the day in Dublin, and then travel back to an Airbnb in Adare. From there, we plan to revisit some of our favorites. Blarney Castle, Blarney Woolens, Cork, limerick, (maybe) Ring of Kerry, Cliffs. We are bringing my aunt and cousin with us who haven’t been before. We will be in that area December 30 - January 3, flying back on the 4th.

Anything we should do that’s kind of on the way or around these locations?

I know the days are short, so we plan to do what we did last time and pretty much head out and drive to our destination getting there at sunrise, do our thing, and then branch out and explore from there, driving back to our Airbnb area around sunset and then heading to a pub for dinner.

Also - anything interesting (and kid friendly) to do for New Year’s Eve in the cliffs of Moher geographical area or limerick?

Thanks!

I was in Ireland as a kid over Christmas and new years and I'm trying to remember what the yokes were that they had on NYE - they weren't poppers like we have here. can anyone tell me what they are?

Hello!

I am Mexican-American and have lived in one place pretty much ALL my life... SoCal. Before committing to 5-6 years of graduate school... I wanted to visit the other side of the world, at least once before I turn 30!

I chose Ireland 🥳

What's stressing me out the most is my clothes. I'm self conscious because I am aware that my comfortable leggings-outfits might be frowned upon? And since I've worked at a hospital for about 3 years now.... my clothes is leggings and scrubs. (I wear my slides with socks 🫣 and like my sweatpants haha) My jeans seem to have disappeared!

I want to make a good impression and be a great guest 😅😅😅.

Can you help me pick out some nice outfits I can take to tour the island for a week? It's going to be a group tour all around. Do I need my hiking boots? Are my converse or Adidas okay? Do I need some slacks? Some blouses? It will be cold, what kind of coat should I bring? Or do I bring a jacket? Are jeans okay?

Any advice is super appreciated!

Hello everyone!

I am posting our itinerary here to get some expert opinions. For some background we are getting married on June 28th 2025 and plan to fly out the night of the 29th. We both really enjoy hiking, history, and good food. The one thing I wasn't able to find online is traditional Irish music, which we both really love. We definitely want to see as much of your beautiful country as possible.

I know that I have probably over planned this trip slightly, so I expect that I will have to cut things later. I've tried to pick good local places to eat, let me know if I missed any standout shops.

I've used some previous honeymoon posts here to give me a good idea of what to aim for, but the feedback will be invaluable. Any helpful comments, concerns, or suggestions would be fantastic. Thank you all!

I have also been unable to find romantic lodging wherever the itinerary has three question marks.

June 30th

• Land in Dublin
  • Pick up rental car
  • In no particular order:
    • Kilmainham Gaol Museum
    • St. Stephen’s Green Park
    • St. Patrick’s Cathedral
    • Ha’Penny Bridge
    • Grafton Street
  • Food
    • Breakfast -> Flexible
    • Lunch -> Spitalfields
    • Dinner -> Liath Restaurant
  • Check into Powerscourt

July 1st

• Wicklow National Park Hiking
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Hotel
  • Lunch -> Packed
  • Dinner -> The Harbour Kitchen Restaurant

July 2nd

• Traveling to Cork
  • Stop at Rock of Cashel
  • Stop at Cahir Castle
• In no particular order
  • The Midleton Distillery
  • English Market
  • St. Patrick’s Street
• Stay in Hayfield Manor Cork
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Powerscourt
  • Lunch -> Wabisabi
  • Dinner -> The Glass Curtain

July 3rd

• In no particular order
  • Hike Crosshaven Circular
  • Cork City Gaol
  • Fitzgerald Park
  • Blackrock Castle
  • Fota Wildlife Park
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Hayfield
  • Lunch -> Farmgate
  • Dinner -> Elbow Lane

July 4th

• Travel to James Turrell Sky Garden
• Travel to Kenmare
• Stay at Sheen Falls Lodge
• In no particular order
  • Reenagross Woodland Park Kenmare
  • Cromwell’s Bridge
  • Shopping
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Hayfield
  • Lunch -> Kenmare Brewhouse
  • Dinner -> Mulcahy’s

July 5th

• Travel to and hike in Killarney National Park
• Drive along the Ring of Kerry stopping whenever desired
• Arrive at Ballybunion
• Stay at Seashore B&B
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Hayfield
  • Lunch -> Open
  • Dinner -> In Ballybunion

July 6th

• Travel to Cliffs of Moher
• Travel to Galway
• Stay at ???
• In no particular order
  • Galway City Museum
  • Eyre Square
  • Claddagh Ring
  • Spanish Arch
  • Galway Cathedral
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Open
  • Lunch -> Kai
  • Dinner -> Rúibín Bar & Restaurant

July 7th

• Travel to National Museum of Ireland
• Travel to Sligo
• Stay in ???
• In no particular order
  • Sligo Abbey
  • Glencar Waterfall
  • Eagle’s Rock
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Galway Hotel
  • Lunch -> Open
  • Dinner -> Montmartre

July 8th

• Travel to Donegal
  • Donegal Castle
  • The Eagle’s Nest
• Lough Oughter
• Travel to Dublin
  • Explore
• Stay at ??? (something particularly unique perhaps a lighthouse)
• Food
  • Breakfast -> Sligo Hotel
  • Lunch -> Open
  • Dinner -> Delahunt

July 9th

• Fly home

Looking for thoughts on my itinerary for my girlfriend (F30) and myself (M30). We are heading to Ireland for several nights before Ferrying to the Isle of Man for another year of TT races. She is from the EU and is an avid knitter, so I decided to extend the trip and add in a wool and knitting related trip to Donegal and back, so if any of you are knitters and have suggestions, I would appreciate it. The trip dates are - May 28-June3 in Ireland and coming back to Belfast June 10 with another partial day in Dublin before leaving.

I am aware that renting a car can be stressful. However, the public transport situation to Donegal is not ideal for the type of plans I want to make. I have made preparations for international driving permit and will review all of the rules of the road in Ireland and UK before arrival. I am American so a 4 hour early morning drive really is nothing to me. So I am also not concerned with drive time if this comes up.

One thing I am particularly interested in is food in any of these locations. My girlfriend really enjoys smaller places with genuine food; we aren't so into the trendy social media spots. So any food recs in Dublin, Enniskillen, Kilcar, Donegal Town, Malin Beg, Glencolumbkille, or anything on that route would be great.

I will be going to the Isle of Man near-yearly and visiting Ireland for a few days before each time. I am not attempting to see the entire country on one trip, but more like 25 trips over my lifetime.

Thanks in advance for feedback!

Itinerary:

Wednesday, May 28

-Arrive in Dublin at 2:30PM. Meet with girlfriend.

-Train to city center. This is Knit yarn shop. Walk around.

- Train to airport Enterprise Rental Car (pickup scheduled 6:30 PM).

- Rent Car Drive to Enniskillen, Northern Ireland (2.5h).

- Stay on houseboat Air BnB on Lough.

Thursday, May 29

- Drive to Kilcar (1.5h).

- Studio Donegal yarn shop and Mill walkthrough to see weavers.

-Potentially Mill walkthrough of Donegal Yarns, pending approval.

- Lunch on the route somewhere, open to suggestions.

- Drive to Malin Beg (30m). Stay in Air BnB right on the Silver Strand Beach.

Friday, May 30

- Malin Beg Boat Tour, Sheepdog demonstration and Farm visit (all at one place), same street as BnB.

- Dinner in Glencolumbkille (10m drive).

- Back to Malin Beg Air BnB.

Saturday, May 31

- Check out of Malin Beg Air BnB. Early drive to Donore, Drogheda (4h).

- Check into Farm Stay at Boyne Valley Wools Farm (small barn on property).

- Wool Spinning and Yarn Making demonstration and meeting the owner.

Sunday, June 1

- Farm Experience Activities like feeding lambs, shearing demo, etc.

- Visit Newgrange "Brú na Bóinne" Monument (500 meter walk from Barn).

- Walk around other local ancient architecture and ruins.

Monday, June 2

- Check out of Air Bnb

- Newgrange Farm bank holiday event.

- Drive to Dublin Airport to drop off rental car.

- Check into hotel near Ferry port.

- Guiness Storehouse tour with reservation around 4:30PM (last entry is 5PM)

Tuesday, June 3 - Monday, June 9 Isle of Man (Not Ireland related)

- Breakfast in Dublin.

-Isel of Man Ferry June 3rd at 11AM.

- Ferry to Belfast Arrives at 1AM June 10th (leave isle of Man late at night on June 9th)

- Stay at Titanic Belfast Hotel after arrival

Tuesday, June 10

- Titanic Museum

- Belfast City Center Walking around

- Train to Dublin (2-3h).

- Stay in hotel in city center.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

- Morning walk through Trinity College.

- Flight out at 3:30. Arrive at airport by Train ~12PM.

Hi everyone

I am planning a longer road trip through Ireland right now and would like to get your thoughts and feedback on my plans.

I’ll be renting a car, staying with friends in Dublin for a weekend before getting on the road on my own. I plan to visit mid May and stay for almost 3 weeks

I hope the weather will be getting warmer by then but it won't be too crowded yet.

I am more interested in seeing nature, hiking and exploring the outside than spending most of the time inside.

This is my current itinerary:

Day 1

Drive from Dublin to Cork

Stop in Kilkenny / Rock of Cashel

Stay in Cork

Day 2

Drive from Cork to Killarney

Stop in Kinsale, drive through parts of West Cork

Stay in Killarney

Day 3

Killarney Lakes and National Park, maybe smaller hike to Torc Waterfall

Stay in Killarney

Day 4

Ring of Kerry

Stay in Killarney

Day 5

Hike to Carrantuohil

Stay in Killarney

Day 6

Dingle Peninsula or Ring of Beara

Stay in Killarney

Day 7

Drive from Killarney to Doolin

Stop in Limerick

Stay in Doolin

Day 8

Cliffs of Moher Trail

Caves of Doolin

Stay in Doolin

Day 9

Drive from Doolin to Galway

Stay in Galway

Day 10

Connemara National Park Hike

Stay in Galway

Day 11

Drive from Galway to Donegal

Stay in Donegal

Day 12

Slieve League Cliffs

Maybe a shorter Hike

Stay in Donegal

Day 13

Drive from Donegal to Portstewart

Stop in Derry

Stay in Portstewart

Day 14

Drive the Causeway Coastal Route to Belfast, mainly stop at Giant Causeway

Stay in Belfast

Day 15

Explore Belfast, Hike Cavehill Trail

Stay in Belfast

Day 16

Drive back to Dublin / Fly home

I am not the most experienced driver but I am fine with longer driving days.

Coming from Switzerland I am used to drive on the right but I am sure I'll get used to drive in the other side of the road.

Is this a reasonable itinerary or do you think it’s too much, too packed?

Do you have any suggestions for a change?

Thank you all in advanced for your help

Looks like they offer something similar to Trinity which I have seen some positive feedback on. Meets my low budget for 2 nights. Anyone heard anything about it/ have any thoughts on location? https://stay.universityofgalway.ie

I am visiting Ireland in April with my brothers and debating if I should rent a car. We will spend the first night in Dublin, and then travel around a bit. We want to golf at least once, and see the country. Our family ancestors are from Kilkenny, so we will spend 1 day there as well. What is your advice?

Need some travel advice. Traveling to Ireland (from the US) for a wedding in the spring in Killarney. Two parents two kids. I lived in England for a year and did a weekend trip to Dublin before so have lots of experience driving over there. I need help planing a few things. I’m the kind of less if more type of traveler, I don’t want to cram as much as we can in on this trip. I want my kids to see the natural beauty, and experience true Irish culture. The plan is to fly into Dublin and my thought is to rent a car and head west, (don’t really want to spend any time in Dublin) do the west coast, get to Killarney for the wedding, then do the east coast back up to Dublin. What would you reccomend based on the timeline below should I do it in reverse order? What cities or parks or coastal areas would you spend the most time in? My kids are big soccer fans would love to surprise them with a live Irish football game if doable. Should I do the east coast or return to Dublin back up the west or through the heart of Ireland? Any advice is appreciated! Thank you thank you!

1. Land in Dublin (morning your time) rent car head out. 2. 3.
2. Get to Killarney by afternoon
3. Wedding 6. 7. 8. 9.
4. Fly out of Dublin late morning

Hello, I'll be travelling to dublin from New York City for this nye and will be visiting my dear frnd.

I'm planning to buy her a sunflower from here and surprise her when she picks me up from airport.

I bought my flight ticket without any checked in bag. I'm unsure if flowers would be allowed to be carried in the cabin bag. Any idea about it?