7-day itinerary
7 Days in Ireland
Dublin & the Wild Atlantic Way
Ireland's ancient castles, dramatic sea cliffs, and legendary pub culture make it one of Europe's most soul-stirring road trips. From Dublin's buzzing Georgian streets to the windswept headlands of Connemara, this seven-day adventure delivers folklore, fire-lit pubs, and scenery that genuinely takes your breath away.
Morning: Land at Dublin Airport, collect your hire car, and check into a guesthouse in the Portobello neighbourhood before stretching your legs along the Grand Canal.
Afternoon: Explore Trinity College's cobblestoned courtyards and queue early to see the illuminated Book of Kells before the afternoon crowds descend.
Evening: Head to Mulligan's on Poolbeg Street—one of Dublin's oldest pubs—for a perfectly poured Guinness and a plate of beef-and-Guinness stew.
Morning: Spend the morning at Kilmainham Gaol, where Irish revolutionary history comes alive in the prison's haunting execution yard.
Afternoon: Drive fifteen minutes south to the coastal village of Howth, hike the clifftop loop trail above the harbour, and eat impossibly fresh crab claws at a seafood shack on the pier.
Evening: Return to Dublin for live traditional music at The Cobblestone in Smithfield—arrive by 8 pm to secure a seat near the session musicians.
Morning: Drive two hours southwest to the Rock of Cashel, a dramatic 12th-century cathedral complex rising from the Tipperary plain—arrive before 10 am for near-empty ramparts.
Afternoon: Continue 45 minutes north to Kilkenny, stroll the Medieval Mile between the castle and St Canice's Cathedral, and climb the round tower for panoramic rooftop views.
Evening: Settle into Kilkenny for dinner at Campagne restaurant, then nurse a craft ale at Left Bank Bar on Parliament Street surrounded by exposed medieval walls.
Morning: Drive three hours west through County Clare, stopping at the eerie limestone plateau of the Burren, where 5,000-year-old Poulnabrone dolmen stands stark against the sky.
Afternoon: Arrive at the Cliffs of Moher in mid-afternoon when coach tours thin out, walk the northern trail toward Hag's Head for the most dramatic unobstructed views.
Evening: Check into a B&B in tiny Doolin village, eat chowder at Gus O'Connor's Pub, and listen to some of Ireland's finest traditional music sessions until midnight.
Morning: Drive 90 minutes north to Galway city, park near the docks, and wander the Latin Quarter's painted shop-fronts before catching the 11 am Aran Island Ferries crossing to Inis Mór.
Afternoon: Rent a bicycle at the Kilronan pier and pedal 8 km to Dún Aonghasa, an Iron Age cliff-top fort where a sheer 100-metre drop to the Atlantic will stop you mid-breath.
Evening: Return to Galway on the evening ferry, eat wood-fired pizza at Aniar Boutique Cookery School's casual sister restaurant Cava Bodega, then join the bar-crawl on Shop Street.
Morning: Drive 90 minutes northwest into Connemara, stop at Kylemore Abbey reflected perfectly in its lake, and explore the restored Victorian walled garden behind the castle.
Afternoon: Continue to the market town of Clifden and immediately drive the 12 km Sky Road loop above the coast—the views across Clifden Bay and the offshore islands rival anything in Europe.
Evening: Eat fresh Atlantic salmon at Mitchell's Seafood Restaurant in Clifden, then walk the town's one lively street sampling whiskey at Lowry's Bar before an early night.
Morning: Drive 90 minutes north to charming Westport, a Georgian planned town built around the Carrowbeg River, and climb as far as you like up Croagh Patrick for views across Clew Bay's 365 islands.
Afternoon: Enjoy a long farewell lunch of Clew Bay mussels at The Helm bar on the quay, then begin the 2.5-hour eastward drive back to Dublin airport via the N5 motorway.
Evening: Return the hire car, check in for your flight, and pick up a bottle of Teeling small-batch Irish whiskey at duty-free as the perfect edible memory of your Wild Atlantic road trip.
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