Itinerary

Hello All,

We are from Canada and are planning a two week trip for June 2026.   Would love some input as to the feasibility of the itinerary I have created.  I have family in Belfast that I have never met so I would like to do the Republic of Ireland and also part of Northern Ireland.   However, I feel I may be trying to bite off too much.   Would appreciate your thoughts.   We are two 55 year olds who are entirely healthy and mobile.   We don't mind driving (my hubby drove from Toronto to Florida without stopping except for food and gas).   We love the idea of seeing the beauty of Ireland and visiting pubs and meeting people. 

Here's my plan. 

DAY 1   -    Arrive in Dublin around 10 am their time.   Pick up rental car and drive to Kilkenny (1.5 hrs).   Spend the day                        seeing Kilkenny and Rock of Cashel. 
                   Drive to Cork and spend Night 1 in Cork. 

DAY 2    -    Explore Cork and Cobh if there is time. 
                   Night 2 in Cork

DAY 3     -      Drive to Kinsale and explore Kinsale
                     Night 3 in Kinsale

DAY 4     -     Kinsale to Killarney National Park - spend the day in National Park
                     Drive 1.5 hrs to Dingle
                     Night 4 in Dingle

DAY 5      -     Explore Dingle  -  Town and Inch Beach
                      Drive 3 hrs to Doolin
                      Night 5 in Doolin

DAY 6      -      Doolin -  Cliffs of Moher  -   Boat tour to Aran Islands
                        Drive 1.5 hrs to Galway
                        Night 6 in Galway

DAY 7      -       Explore Galway
                        Night 7 in Galway

DAY 8      -       3 hr drive to Donegal
                         Explore Donegal and drive to Derry (1.5 hr)
                         Night 8 in Derry

DAY 9     -        Explore Derry and Giant's Causeway
                         1 hr drive to Belfast. 
                          Night 9 in Belfast

DAY 10   -         BELFAST
DAY 11    -        BELFAST

DAY 12    -        Drive 2 hours to Dublin 
                         Explore Dublin
                         Night 12 Dublin

Day 13     -       Dublin
                         Night 13 Dublin

Day 14     -      Fly home late afternoon.

Hi Rona,

That sounds like a well-planned trip! I like the idea that you take the time to be with your family towards the end of your holiday. Although they probably want to show you around, it might also give you some time to relax, be taken care of, and enjoy your time together.

Your itinerary seems doable. The driving per day seems spaced enough if you say your husband doesn't mind (and might even enjoy) driving. The only day I might personally change is the first one. I can imagine that two drives in one day after a long flight might not be ideal. On the other hand, if you want to get to Cork, Kilkenny is the perfect place to make a brief stop for a good lunch and some sightseeing before heading on.

It's smart that, instead of just one, you're planning to stay a couple of nights in different towns, so you won't be moving around every day. This also gives you the opportunity to arrive at some places early. For example, the Cliffs of Moher tend to be a bit quieter in the morning, and if you're already in Doolin, you can go straight there from your hotel.

If you need ideas for Dublin, I love this itinerary, which combines Dublin's city life with its calm coast. You can easily get to the coast by the DART, so no driving is necessary!

Lastly, just to make sure: to enter Northern Ireland, you will need an ETA. All other visa and passport requirements can be found here.

I hope this helps!

Noortje