Dingle Peninsula or Ring of Kerry, this is the question! :)

Ciao Dears
I'm Marina from Italy, I'm going to visit Ireland during the last week of April.
I'm planning a road trip with my husband and I've a big doubt about the choice between the tour of the Dingle Peninsula on one side and the Ring of Kerry on the other one. I've already been in Ireland but it's the first time for him and I want to plan an unforgettable trip!
You may say "why not both?".. because we have a very quick schedule and only 8 days.. here my plan:
day 1) Belfast City
day 2) causeway coastal route, evening in Derry
day 3) drive to Galway with stops along the route, afternoon and night in Galway
day 4) Cliffs of Moher and surroundings (Burren, Kinvara, Poulnabrone Dolmen)
day 5) Dingle Peninsula or Ring of Kerry
day 6) Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny
day 7) Dublin
day 8) Dublin and way back to home :(
What do you suggest between the two options? have you got other tips or "must see" places in the stops I've already identified?
Thanks everyone for your contribution, we are very excited about this trip.
have a nice day
Marina

Hi Marina and welcome to the Community. Your itinerary looks very good - you will be busy!
I have spoken to a contact, who is based in Killarney, regarding your main question and here is his reply - 
"This is really a very hard decision to make as both of the peninsulas are very beautiful, however I feel that the Dingle Peninsula should not be missed.
It is much smaller in size and less travelled than the Ring of Kerry. It has some of the most magnificent mountain panoramas, golden beaches, coastal views and lively towns and villages in Ireland.
Dingle Town is the main area of population on the peninsula and all roads lead from here to all the major visitor attractions. Much of the area is Irish Speaking and visitors have the opportunity to hear the language in it’s native form.
There are also many monuments that date from pre and early Christian Times like standing stones,churches, beehive huts, stone circles and ancient crosses. So there is a strong sense of an eventful past along with a most spectacular landscape with light and colour. An excellent website for the Dingle Peninsula is www.dingle-peninsula.ie"

I hope that this information will be useful when making your decision.

Ciao, Marina!

Christoph has already given you some great tips about Dingle Peninsula (thanks so much!).

Your itinerary looks great indeed and there's plenty of scenic spots where you can stop along the way. If you want to have a sneak peek and add them to your plan, please check these amazing coastal views around Ireland. 

Did you already book the places where to stay? Please let me know if you need any other suggestions to make a wonderful trip. If you prefer, talk to me in Italian.

A presto!

Francesco

Dears
thank you for the quick reply, Christoph your answer is very clear and helpful.
Now I can finalize my plan!
have a great day
Marina

@Francesco
non riesco a trovare il link per scriverti un messaggio privato.. anyway, sto finalizzando la prenotazione dei B&B e degli alberghi, mi piacerebbe provare una location alternativa, tipo un faro o un castello. hai suggerimenti?
grazie!

Ciao, Marina.

La Community di Turismo Irlandese è soltanto pubblica, in questo modo tutti possono beneficiare delle informazioni che vengono condivise. :)
Per quanto riguarda la prenotazione dei B&B e alberghi, ci sono diversi posti che potreste prendere in considerazione. Dove esattamente vi piacerebbe soggiornare? Sul nostro sito abbiamo una sezione dedicata alla ricerca degli alloggi verificati in Irlanda: i risultati variano in base alla destinazione che inserisci, la tipologia di sistemazione e inoltre puoi visualizzare gli alloggi sulla mappa cliccando il pulsante in alto a destra.
Per avere un'idea, dai un'occhiata a questi due articoli interessanti sulle location uniche dove dormire e sugli alloggi da favola che si trovano sparsi sull'isola di Smeraldo.

Spero di esserti stato d'aiuto e se hai bisogno di altro, mi trovi sempre qui. ;)

Buona serata!

Francesco

Oh, no!

I have to say I totally disagree with the recommendation of Dingle peninsula over Iveragh peninsula (known to many as the Ring of Kerry).  The Ring has a wilder coastline, and even though it does have glorious beaches (Rossbeigh, White Strand, Derrynane - named best family beach in Ireland by the Irish Times newspaper) the beaches are overshadowed by rocky cliffs and interesting ruins. 

There are many ring forts (g  , Cahergal, Lohar and more); standing stones (Eightercua); ancient abbeys (Ballinskelligs Abbey and Church Island abbey, both places the Skellig monks went to after they left Skellig Michael island).  The Kerry Cliffs are some of the most amazing in Ireland - I've brought 15-20 visitors there, and EVERY ONE says they like them better than the Cliffs of Moher.  

In addition to the Ring of Kerry many do a small add-on called Skellig Ring/Skellig Loop. You can see more, the big tour buses don't go that way (they all seem to rush the Ring of Kerry to get back to Killarney by dinner!).  

The walking is amazing, too. Cahersiveen; Glenbeigh; Waterville; Sneem - all these places have day-walks of an hour to six! where you can enjoy the scenary up close.  

If the wild beauty of Ireland is what you want to show your husband - Ring of Kerry is it!!

Susan
Waterville 

Hello Marina,

Your upcoming trip sounds certainly sounds action packed!  You mention visiting Belfast and the Causeway Coastal Route and I just want to share some suggestions of places to visit along the way.  

A good way to explore the area is by taking the well signposted Causeway Coastal Route (A2) heading North out of Belfast.  The first attraction you will come upon is Carrickfergus Castle built by the Normans over 800 years ago.  Travelling northwards you will come to the area known as the Glens of Antrim.  The Glens are beautiful green valleys surrounded by forested hills and edged by the Atlantic Ocean.  The scenery changes round each corner of the coastal road as you head for Ballycastle.

From there the route heads west going past attractions such as Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, The Giant's Causeway, Game of Thrones filming locations, The Bushmills Whiskey Distillery, Dunluce Castle and Mussenden Temple.  You can then continue west towards Derry/Londonderry.  The options are endless!

Should you require any further information Coleraine Visitor Information Centre will be happy to help - https://www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com/

I wish you a wonderful trip!

Alison