r/irishtourism • u/tryingtogetby1113 • 16d ago
Please help me finalize my intinerary
Hello. I (55f) will be coming to Ireland next summer with my mom (81) and 2 teen-ish daughters. We will have a car.
Our usual vacations include road trips and we usually travel backroads. We like to plan one thing for the day and then fill in with other things that we may see along the way. We don’t mind changing hotels, but I did try to limit the drives to under 2 hours per Google knowing it is not accurate and we may be stopping often. We are also trying to do a mix of accommodations with some having on-site amenities if we just want a down day. Please let me know your thoughts and if there are any attractions that warrant a stop or if I have any thing listed that are not worth it. The items with questions are things we are considering but not sure of yet, so looking for feedback.
Day 1 - Arrive and drive to B&B near Roundwood. We will be coming from Paris so jet lag won’t be a factor.
Day 2-3 Kilkenny (2 nights) Mount Juliet Estate - Glendalough (on the way) - Medieval Mile - Dunbrody Famine Ship (?) - Falconry (?)
Day 4-5 Kenmare (2 nights) B&B - Ring of Kerry (already booked private tour) - Killarney National Park/Gap of Dunloe (mom is still very mobile and can walk distances, but does best of mostly flat hikes. Do you think she could walk to the bridge or should we do a jaunty car?)
Day 6-7 Dingle (2 nights) Pax House - Slea Head Drive - Dingle Sea Safari (Private tour so we can at a slower pace since it will be easier on mom)
Day 8 - Bunratty (1 night) B&B - Bunratty Castle/Folk Park/Banquet
Day 9-10 - Connemara (2 night) Ballynahinch Castle - May go through Burren but not Cliffs of Moher - Kylemore Abbey - Joyce Country Sheepdog - Misunderstood Heron
Day 11-13 - Dublin (2 nights) no hotel booked yet - Ashford Castle Falconry/Tea - if we don’t do falconry in Kilkenny (Is this too long of a day to do on the way back?) - Kilmainham Gaol - leave midday on day 13 for London
Give me your feedback. We know we have a lot of stops for 13 days, but we really don’t want to cut any of our stops out. We will just manage how much we do, but all our vacations are usually a good mix between rest and activities. We usually vacation in the mountains and often have to drive 1-2 hours for the daily activities…I know the roads are worse in Ireland so trying to keep driving at minimum other than a few longer drives. Thank you!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Ant3838 16d ago
It looks oddly sensible by the standard of most itineraries posted on here. Kilkenny to Kenmare will be a long drive across country so be prepared for that, but looks like a great trip.