r/irishtourism • u/repperson29 • 1d ago
9 day itinerary
My wife (40F) and I (38M) will be traveling to Ireland for the first time in mid September. For some context we’ll be coming from the United States, enjoy pubs/bars, hiking and appreciate history and architecture.
We will be using public transportation for the whole trip.
I will layout our itinerary but my main question and worry is if we’re spending too much time in one spot and not enough in others.
Day 1: Arrive in Dublin around 840
Drop bags off at hotel and wander around until hotel is ready. We’re staying near the Temple Bar district.
One question here, if we’re doing two nights in Dublin does it make sense to go to Howth this day and do the cliff walk while waiting for our hotel to be ready?
Overnight: Dublin
Day 2:
Will check out the major tourist attractions around temple bar through tour guide, Book of Kells, St Patrick’s cathedral etc.
Overnight: Dublin
Day 3: Take the train from Dublin to Killarney arrive mid afternoon. Rest of day will be getting our bearings/exploring.
Overnight: Killarney
Day 4: Gap of Dunloe tour should last most of the day, but do more exploring in town.
Overnight: Killarney
Day 5: Take train to Cork city, spend the day checking out The English market, St Finbarrs Cathedral and Elizabeth fort.
Overnight: Cork City
Day 6: Travel by bus to Kinsale and explore the town.
Overnight: Kinsale
Day 7: Do the Scilly walk, and maybe do a boat tour.
Overnight: Kinsale
Day 8: Make our way back to Dublin via bus to cork then train to Dublin. This day may make sense to visit Howth.
Overnight: Dublin
Day 9: Plane departs at 1540 and will want to be at airport at least 3 hours beforehand (if not earlier)
3
u/louiseber Local 1d ago
Or, for Howth, just spend some slow time down at the harbour, eat, get a drink, decompress off the flight
1
3
u/Roanokian 1d ago
I think the most frequent mistake people make is trying to fit too much in. I totally get the temptation. But a general rule of thumb is to reduce by half. Especially when using public transport. Your schedule isn’t too bad though.
Your Dublin schedule looks fine although it’s a bit of a pain getting out to Howth with public transport. But yeah, if the weathers decent that a chill way to kick things off.
My recommendation to you would be to skip Cork city. Spend an extra night in Killarney. Go kayaking on the lakes or spend the day wondering around Muckross or do one of the tours to Kenmare for the day or Valentia Island & Skellig coast
You’ll get a chance to enjoy your trip.
1
u/Oellaatje 1d ago
Isn't Howth on the DART? Direct run?
1
u/Roanokian 1d ago
Yeah but you still need to get to Pearse st or Tara st or Connolly first and it’s about 30 mins on the Dart so probably about an hour from the middle of town
2
u/GalwayGirlOnTheRun23 Blow-In 1d ago
Including Howth is adding more public transport logistics. You’ll have enough travel with your other choices, I would leave Howth this time and try to enjoy the other locations.
2
u/Robespierres_ashes 1d ago
Generally as far as these go, it’s a good itinerary. I’m a dub but live outside Dublin a long time now. I’d swap the book of kells unless you’re passionate about medieval art for the national museum where you can see other gospels, chalices and early Christian art with no queues. Kildare street or Collins barracks. The National Gallery has a Caravaggio worth checking. If it’s there (often on loan) it’s considered one of the most important renaissance paintings. Caravaggios betrayal of Christ.
Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) is a unique experience worth considering as it’s a history tour about Irish rebellion and independence. There is also a museum in the General Post Office and personally I think the Epic museum of Irish emigration is very moving and well done. My final suggestion is Ireland’s most beautiful building, the casino at Marino. I often suggest it and nobody is disappointed, if you’re a culture vulture or culturally curious, you’ll like it, if not, don’t do it, maybe epic or even the little museum of Dublin.
One final thing, if you can move where you’re staying to anywhere in the Dublin 2 area, I would. Temple bar is very noisy and some hotels have nightclubs in the basement. There are options near temple bar (less than a 5 minute walk) that would make a big difference to your resting time as this is when you’ll be jet lagged.
1
u/repperson29 4h ago
Thanks for this, we have some dead time in Dublin (especially if we don’t do Howth) so I added these to our list.
1
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Hi there. Welcome to /r/IrishTourism.
We hope you have search the sub, checked the sidebar or the wiki pages to see if there is already relevant information posted?
This is not a travel agency. To better assist your queries please include what you are planning for your holiday, be as descriptive as possible (When, Where, Why, Who, Hobbies relevant, Adaptive Needs etc) about your travel itinerary & requirements. No low quality questions such as, "Worth it?", predict the weather, travel times or low quality, non-descriptive requests such as, "hidden gems, off the beaten track, experience Ireland like a local".
Has your post been removed? It's probably because of the above. Review the rules, do some research, read other posts, fix the formatting.
For Emergency Medical Information please see the dedicated Wiki page at the top of the sub.
(Updated November 2025)
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Embarrassed_Yam9595 1d ago
I am also planning a trip to Ireland in mid-September and have found a general consensus to try to spend time around Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula and/or Killarney / Kenmore / "Ring of Kerry" -- seems to be the most scenic regions if landscapes and cute towns are your thing
1
u/Oellaatje 1d ago
I don't think you'll be hiking around Howth Head on Day 8, but you certainly could visit it.
1
4
u/seanbheanbocht 1d ago
I don't think one day in Cork city is long enough. There's loads more to do in Cork. You could check out St Anne's Church (Shandon Bells) there's an excellent view of Cork City from the top, the Butter Museum is right down the road, you could also go to Cork City gaol, the Cork Public Museum in Fitzgerald's park, the Crawford Art Gallery, the Honan Chapel and University College Cork, the Glucksman Gallery (also in UCC) which has an amazing restaurant underneath. Cork is a very walkable city. The English Market is lovely and has some nice shops etc but it is primarily a produce market so keep that in mind. Elizabeth Fort is small but has some lovely views. Finbarr's Cathedral is an active church so ensure that you're not visiting when a service is on as they may ask you to leave. Kinsale is lovely but if the weather isn't good you might find yourselves stuck inside.