Ireland 10-Day Itinerary — The Perfect Trip (2026 Guide)
- Overview — what this itinerary covers
- Before you go — essentials
- Day 1 — Arrive Dublin
- Day 2 — Dublin
- Day 3 — Dublin to Killarney
- Day 4 — Killarney National Park and Gap of Dunloe
- Day 5 — Ring of Kerry
- Day 6 — Dingle Peninsula
- Day 7 — Kerry to Galway via Cliffs of Moher
- Day 8 — Galway city and Aran Islands
- Day 9 — Connemara
- Day 10 — Galway and depart
- Variations and alternatives
- Essential planning tips
- Frequently asked questions
The difference between a 7-day and a 10-day Ireland trip is significant. Three extra days sounds modest but in practice it transforms the experience — you get a full day in Killarney National Park that the 7-day itinerary has to skip, a day trip to the Aran Islands from Galway, and a full day in Connemara, one of Ireland’s most extraordinary landscapes. You also stop rushing.
The 7-day itinerary is excellent but it moves fast — every day is packed and there isn’t much slack for spontaneity. The 10-day version gives you room to linger. To spend an extra hour at a viewpoint because the light is right. To stay for one more pint because the session in the pub is too good to leave. That slack is where the best memories of an Ireland trip are made.
This itinerary follows the same essential route as the 7-day — Dublin, Kerry, Clare, Galway — but goes deeper into each place and adds Connemara and the Aran Islands. If you can possibly manage 10 days, take them.
Overview — What This Itinerary Covers
| Day | Location | Highlights | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Dublin | Arrive, city walk, first Irish pub | — |
| Day 2 | Dublin | Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol, Georgian Dublin | — |
| Day 3 | Dublin → Killarney | Pick up car, Rock of Cashel, arrive Kerry | 3.5 hours |
| Day 4 | Killarney | National Park, Gap of Dunloe, lakes | Local driving |
| Day 5 | Kerry | Ring of Kerry full day | 179km loop |
| Day 6 | Kerry | Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head Drive | 2 hours + stops |
| Day 7 | Kerry → Galway | Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, arrive Galway | 4 hours + stops |
| Day 8 | Galway | City morning, Aran Islands day trip | Ferry from Rossaveal |
| Day 9 | Connemara | Clifden, Sky Road, Connemara National Park | 80km west |
| Day 10 | Galway | City, Spanish Arch, Salthill, depart | — |
This itinerary works best flying into Dublin and out of Shannon or Knock — avoiding backtracking. If you must fly in and out of Dublin, add 2.5 hours of driving on Day 10 to return from Galway.
Before You Go — Essentials
Book Your Rental Car Early
A rental car is essential from Day 3 onwards — the Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands ferry port, and Connemara are all inaccessible without one. Book your car well in advance — Kerry and Galway in summer have very limited availability, particularly for automatics. Pick up the car on Day 3 morning in Dublin city centre rather than at the airport to avoid the location surcharge.
Book Accommodation in Advance
For July and August, book all accommodation before you travel — particularly Killarney (very busy in summer) and Galway (extremely busy during the Arts Festival and Races in late July). Compare and book accommodation along this route here. You’ll need two nights in Dublin, three nights in Kerry (Killarney or Dingle), and three nights in Galway.
Book the Aran Islands Ferry
The ferry to the Aran Islands from Rossaveal books out in advance in summer. Book your Aran Islands ferry ticket before you travel — Aran Island Ferries operates the main service from Rossaveal. The ferry takes approximately 40 minutes each way.
Day 1 — Arrive Dublin
Most transatlantic flights arrive into Dublin in the morning — which gives you most of a day to explore after getting to your hotel.
Getting from the Airport
The Aircoach bus runs from Dublin Airport to O’Connell Street every 15 minutes — €8 one way, 45 minutes to the city centre. It’s the easiest and most affordable option. Read our full Dublin Airport transport guide for all options.
Afternoon — Walk the City
Drop bags at the hotel and walk. Start at St Stephen’s Green, walk up Grafton Street, through Trinity College’s Front Square, down to the Liffey boardwalk, and along the south quays to Temple Bar and the Ha’penny Bridge. This 90-minute circuit gives you the bones of the city and helps calibrate the distances for tomorrow.
Evening — First Irish Pub
Kehoe’s on South Anne Street for your first pint of Guinness in Ireland. One of Dublin’s finest traditional pubs — Victorian interior, exceptional stout, genuine atmosphere. Don’t overthink the first evening. Have a good meal, have a pint, go to bed at a reasonable hour. You have ten days.
Stay: Dublin city centre. Compare central Dublin hotels here.
Day 2 — Dublin
A full day in Dublin. Get up early — the city is best before the crowds arrive at the main attractions.
Morning — Trinity College and the Book of Kells
Arrive at Trinity at opening time. The Book of Kells and Long Room are Ireland’s most extraordinary indoor experience — an 8th century illuminated manuscript of incomparable beauty housed in a magnificent library. Book tickets online in advance to avoid queues. Allow 1.5 hours.
Mid-Morning — National Museum of Ireland
Walk to the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street — free entry, world-class collection of Irish prehistoric and early Christian artefacts. The Tara Brooch, the Ardagh Chalice, and the bog bodies are unmissable. Allow one hour.
Afternoon — Kilmainham Gaol
Take the Luas or a taxi to Kilmainham. The gaol where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were executed is Dublin’s most moving historical experience — the guided tour tells the story of Irish independence through the people who fought for it. Book well in advance. Allow 2 hours.
Evening — The Dawson Lounge
Dublin’s smallest pub on Dawson Street — a tiny, characterful room with excellent Guinness and genuine atmosphere. Dinner in the South William Street or Drury Street area afterwards — Dublin’s best casual dining neighbourhood.
Stay: Dublin city centre — second night.
Day 3 — Dublin to Killarney
Today you leave Dublin and drive southwest to Kerry. This is the transition from the city to the wild — embrace it.
Morning — Pick Up the Car
Collect your rental car from a city centre office on Day 3 morning. If you haven’t booked yet, book your rental car here.
Midday Stop — Rock of Cashel
Take the M7 south and detour slightly to Cashel in County Tipperary — the Rock of Cashel is a dramatic medieval fortress rising suddenly from the Tipperary plain. The round tower, cathedral ruins, and Cormac’s Chapel are extraordinary. Allow 1 hour. Then continue southwest to Killarney.
Afternoon — Arrive Killarney
Arrive in Killarney mid-afternoon. Check in and walk into the national park immediately — Muckross Lake, Ross Castle on the lakeshore, and the ancient oak woodland are all within a short walk of the town. The afternoon light on the Killarney lakes is beautiful.
Evening — Killarney Town
Killarney has good restaurants and excellent pubs. An early night makes sense — tomorrow is a full day in the national park.
Stay: Killarney — three nights. Compare Killarney hotels here.
Day 4 — Killarney National Park and Gap of Dunloe
The 7-day itinerary doesn’t have time for this day — it’s one of the best things the extra days buy you. The Gap of Dunloe and the three-lakes boat trip is one of Kerry’s great full-day experiences.
Morning — Gap of Dunloe
Drive to Kate Kearney’s Cottage at the northern entrance to the Gap of Dunloe and hire a horse — or walk — through the Gap. An 11km glacial valley cutting through the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, with mountain streams, ancient bridges, and increasingly dramatic scenery as you go deeper. Allow 3–4 hours to walk the full Gap to the Upper Lake.
Afternoon — Three Lakes Boat Trip
At the southern end of the Gap, take a boat across the three Killarney lakes — the Upper Lake, Muckross Lake, and Lough Leane — back towards Killarney town. The 2-hour boat journey through the lake system, with the mountains reflected in the water and the ancient woodland on both shores, is one of the most beautiful experiences in Kerry.
Late Afternoon — Muckross Abbey
If energy allows, walk to Muckross Abbey — a 15th century Franciscan ruin with a 500-year-old yew tree growing in its cloister. One of Ireland’s most atmospheric ruins and a five-minute walk from the Muckross car park.
→ Read our full Killarney guide for more detail on everything in the national park.
Stay: Killarney — second night.
Day 5 — Ring of Kerry
One of the great days of any Ireland trip. Leave early, drive anticlockwise, and give it the full day it deserves.
Leave by 8.30am
Head out of Killarney towards Killorglin on the N70 and keep the coast on your left. The key stops are Cahersiveen for coffee, Waterville for the beach and Charlie Chaplin statue, Coomakista Pass for the finest viewpoint on the route (Skellig Islands visible on clear days), Derrynane Beach for a walk, Moll’s Gap on the return, and Ladies View over the Upper Lake.
→ Read the full Ring of Kerry driving guide for detailed stop-by-stop directions.
Stay: Killarney — third night, or Dingle if you want to position yourself for tomorrow.
Day 6 — Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula on Day 6 — wilder and less visited than the Ring of Kerry, with a stronger Irish language tradition and a landscape that stays with you.
Morning — Drive to Dingle
Leave Killarney after breakfast heading north to Castlemaine then west along the coast to Dingle town — 80km, 1.5 hours. Walk the harbour, have coffee, explore the colourful streets.
Afternoon — Slea Head Drive
Drive the Slea Head loop anticlockwise — Ventry, Slea Head, Dunquin, Ballyferriter, back to Dingle. Key stops: Fahan beehive huts, Slea Head viewpoint, Dunquin pier (Blasket Islands view), and Gallarus Oratory — an 8th century stone church in perfect condition.
→ Read the full Dingle Peninsula guide for detailed stop-by-stop directions.
Evening — Stay in Dingle
Stay the night in Dingle. The town after the day visitors leave is one of the best experiences in Kerry — music sessions in Dick Mack’s and the other traditional pubs, the harbour quiet, the streets genuinely local. Don’t miss it. Book accommodation in Dingle here.
Stay: Dingle town — one night.
Day 7 — Kerry to Galway via Cliffs of Moher
The longest driving day of the itinerary — but also one of the most spectacular. North through Kerry and Clare, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher, arriving in Galway in the evening.
Morning — Drive North
Leave Dingle after an early breakfast and drive north — through Tralee and Listowel towards Limerick and the Clare coast. Two hours of efficient motorway driving.
Afternoon — Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher live up to their reputation completely — 8km of sea cliffs at 214 metres, Atlantic crashing below, Aran Islands visible on clear days. Arrive before 2pm if possible as car parks fill in the afternoon. Walk the cliff path for at least a kilometre for the full perspective. Allow 2 hours.
Late Afternoon — The Burren
Drive north through the Burren — the extraordinary limestone landscape of County Clare. Take the R480 through Ballyvaughan and stop at Poulnabrone Dolmen, a 5,000-year-old portal tomb visible from the roadside. Allow 45 minutes.
Evening — Arrive Galway
Arrive Galway early evening. The Crane Bar on Sea Road for a traditional music session — one of the finest pubs in the west of Ireland.
Stay: Galway city centre — three nights. Compare Galway hotels here.
Day 8 — Galway City and Aran Islands
An early start today for the Aran Islands — one of the most extraordinary places in Ireland.
Morning — Drive to Rossaveal
Drive 30km west from Galway to Rossaveal pier for the morning ferry to Inis Mór — the largest of the three Aran Islands. The ferry takes 40 minutes. Book your ferry ticket in advance through Aran Island Ferries.
Inis Mór
Hire a bike at the pier immediately on arrival — the island is best explored by bicycle. The main destination is Dún Aonghasa — an Iron Age fort perched on a 90-metre cliff above the Atlantic, one of the most dramatic prehistoric monuments in Europe. The view from the cliff edge is extraordinary. Allow 4–5 hours on the island including cycling and the Dún Aonghasa visit.
Evening — Galway City
Return ferry to Rossaveal in the late afternoon, drive back to Galway. Evening in the city — the Spanish Arch area and the Latin Quarter are beautiful in the evening light. Dinner in one of Galway’s excellent restaurants and a nightcap in Naughton’s on Cross Street.
Stay: Galway city centre — second night.
Day 9 — Connemara
Connemara is one of the most atmospherically beautiful landscapes in Ireland — vast bog, dark lakes, the Twelve Bens mountain range, and an emptiness that feels genuinely remote despite being an hour from Galway city. Today you drive into it.
Morning — Drive West
Leave Galway on the N59 heading west through Oughterard and into the heart of Connemara. The landscape changes dramatically within 30 minutes of leaving the city — the lush green fields give way to open bogland, the mountains appear on the horizon, and the light takes on the extraordinary quality that has drawn painters to Connemara for centuries.
Clifden
Clifden is the capital of Connemara — a beautiful small town 80km west of Galway with colourful shopfronts, good cafés, and an excellent base for exploring the surrounding landscape. Have lunch here and explore the town.
The Sky Road
After lunch, drive the Sky Road — a 16km circuit around the Clifden peninsula with views across to the islands of the Atlantic coast. One of the finest short coastal drives in Ireland — the views from the highest point of the road looking back towards Clifden and out to the ocean are extraordinary.
Connemara National Park
On the return drive, stop at Connemara National Park near Letterfrack — 2,957 hectares of bog, heath, and mountain managed by the National Parks service. The Diamond Hill walk (2–3 hours) gives panoramic views across Connemara and the Atlantic. Even a short walk from the visitor centre into the bog gives a sense of the landscape’s scale and emptiness.
Evening — Return to Galway
Return to Galway in the early evening. Your last evening in Ireland — make it count. The Crane Bar for a session, Naughton’s for excellent Guinness, dinner in the Latin Quarter, a walk along the Spanish Arch in the evening light.
Stay: Galway city centre — third night.
Day 10 — Galway and Depart
Your last morning. Galway at its quietest and most beautiful.
Morning — The City
Walk from your hotel to the Spanish Arch. Along the Long Walk by the Corrib — the swans, the river, the sound of the city waking up. This is Galway at its finest. Have breakfast in one of the city’s cafés. Buy something at the Saturday market if your departure day is Saturday.
Salthill
Walk or drive 20 minutes to Salthill promenade. Walk the full length of the prom and kick the wall at the end — it’s tradition, and a genuinely fitting final act on an Ireland trip. Look back across Galway Bay to the Burren in Clare — the landscape you drove through three days ago.
Depart
Galway to Shannon Airport — 100km, about 1 hour. Galway to Dublin Airport — 220km, about 2.5 hours. Allow extra time in summer. Return your rental car with a full tank — fuel up near the airport rather than searching in Galway city.
Variations and Alternatives
Swap Connemara for Donegal
If you’ve already done Connemara on a previous trip, swap Days 8–9 for a drive north to Donegal — Ireland’s wildest and most dramatic county. Sliabh Liag, Malin Head, and the Donegal coast are extraordinary. This makes for a longer driving day but Donegal rewards those who make the effort.
Add the Beara Peninsula
Between Kerry and Clare, add a day on the Beara Peninsula — a Cork and Kerry peninsula that is less visited than the Ring of Kerry but equally spectacular. The Healy Pass mountain road across the Caha Mountains is one of Ireland’s great drives. This adds a day and requires a night in Kenmare or Castletownbere.
Base in Dingle Instead of Killarney
Dingle town makes an excellent alternative base to Killarney for the Kerry days — smaller, more characterful, and better positioned for the Slea Head Drive. The trade-off is slightly longer drives to the Ring of Kerry. Stay two nights in Dingle instead of three nights in Killarney for a different Kerry experience.
Flying into Shannon
Shannon Airport puts you directly into Clare — skip Dublin entirely and start on Day 3 of this itinerary. Spend your first two nights in Killarney, add an extra day in Galway or Connemara, and depart from Dublin or Shannon. This saves 3.5 hours of driving and gives you more time in the west.
Essential Planning Tips
Book accommodation before flights. For July and August, accommodation in Killarney and Galway fills out months before the dates. Sort your accommodation first — then buy flights around what’s available.
Book the Aran Islands ferry early. The morning ferry from Rossaveal to Inis Mór fills up in summer. Book through Aran Island Ferries as soon as your travel dates are confirmed.
Three nights in Galway is the minimum. Galway needs time — the city, the Aran Islands, and Connemara each deserve a full day. Don’t shortchange Galway to save a hotel night.
Allow more driving time than you think. Irish roads are slower than maps suggest. The N59 through Connemara in particular is a slow, winding road that looks shorter than it is. Budget 20–30% more time than Google Maps suggests for rural Kerry and Connemara driving.
Keep one afternoon completely free. The best moments of an Ireland trip are often unplanned — the unmarked beach you find down a side road, the pub session you stumble into, the view that makes you pull over and sit on a wall for an hour. Build slack into the itinerary and use it.
Best day of the itinerary: Day 4 — the Gap of Dunloe and three-lakes boat trip is the day that most surprises people who’ve never done it.
Most underrated stop: Connemara. Most people only see it from the car. Get out and walk into the bog. Stand in the silence. It’s one of the most profound landscapes in Europe.
Don’t rush: Dingle in the evening when the day visitors have gone. Stay the night. This is what Ireland feels like when it’s not performing for tourists.
The honest truth: Ten days in Ireland will be one of the best trips of your life. You will leave knowing you need to come back and do the other half.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ten days is enough to see the best of Ireland’s west coast — Dublin, Kerry, Clare, Galway, the Aran Islands, and Connemara — at a comfortable pace. It is not enough to see all of Ireland, which deserves at least two weeks if you want to add Donegal, Cork, Wicklow, and the north. Most visitors who do 10 days leave satisfied but planning a longer return trip.
The 10-day itinerary adds a full day in Killarney National Park (Gap of Dunloe and three-lakes boat trip), a day trip to the Aran Islands from Galway, and a full day in Connemara. It also has more slack — less rushing, more time to stop when something catches your eye. If you can manage 10 days rather than 7, take them. The three extra days make a significant difference to the quality of the experience.
Killarney is the most practical base — the best transport links, widest accommodation range, and central location for both the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula. Dingle town is the more characterful choice — smaller, more authentic, with better pubs and restaurants — but slightly less convenient for the Ring of Kerry. Staying two nights in Killarney and one in Dingle (as this itinerary does) gives you the best of both.
Yes — particularly in July and August. The morning ferry from Rossaveal fills up quickly and sold-out ferries mean a wasted day. Book through Aran Island Ferries as soon as your travel dates are confirmed. The ferry takes approximately 40 minutes each way and runs several times daily in summer.
No — a car is essential from Day 3 onwards. The Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Rossaveal ferry port, and Connemara are all inaccessible without one. Dublin for Days 1–2 is better without a car — collect the rental on Day 3 morning when you leave the city. Book your rental car here.
A realistic budget for two people for 10 days including flights, accommodation, rental car, food, and attractions is €4,000–7,000 depending on season and accommodation choices. July and August are significantly more expensive than May or September. Read our full Ireland cost breakdown for detailed figures.
Ready to plan your Ireland trip? Book your rental car early — availability in Kerry and Galway fills up fast in summer. And compare accommodation along this route here to lock in the best rates before they go.
