The perfect 10-day travel itinerary to start exploring Ireland
It’s known as the Emerald Isle, so yes, Ireland is green. Yes, Irish people are friendly. And, yes, a little rain is always just around the corner in Ireland. However, Ireland is more than these ideas. Ireland is a treasure trove of diverse riches. The strong economy the nation enjoyed at the end of the 1990s and early 2000s brought settlers from around the world. These new Irish brought food, fashion, and culture native to Asia, continental Europe, and North America. Unlike other European nations, Ireland has welcomed the infusions, not rail against them.
It might be a small country but it has stunning landscapes, world-class museums, historic landmarks everywhere, hearty and eclectic cuisine, and amazing beer and whiskey culture. Your Ireland trip will definitely be a joyful experience!
The best destinations to visit in 2021 include:
- Cork for its well-preserved history and robust sea life found around 1,000 kilometers of coastline.
- Dublin for friendly urban adventures.
- Galway because this west coast town is Europe’s Culture Capital for 2020.
- Tullamore has amazing prehistoric treasures and a world-class whiskey distillery.
- Limerick is where grit and elegance meet. A cool street art scene fights for attention with a legendary castle, innovative cuisine, and a cathedral that is the oldest building in town and still in use today.
-
Cork
-
Dublin
-
Galway
Don’t forget to check out JoinMyTrip for unique trips happening in Ireland and around the world, to travel with like-minded travelers!
Here is our travel itinerary for your Ireland trip for ten days that will give you a taste of the different flavors of the country.
Best time to visit Ireland:
Spring and fall are the best times to visit Ireland. The weather is warm, not hot, April through June, September, and October but the tourists haven’t taken over the country… yet.
Ireland has three international airports. For the least hassle for your Ireland travel, you are going to begin and end your Ireland trip in Dublin.
Things to do in Ireland:
- Learn about ancient settlers, churches, and ruins.
- Experience whiskey and beer cultures.
- Visit diverse cultural offerings at Galway.
- Tour sites filmed in Game of Thrones.
10-Day Itinerary
Day 1
After landing in Ireland’s capital, you are going to immediately catch the CityLink bus, and two and a half hours later, you are pulling into Galway’s bus station. The Irish cherish the 80,000-person city for its bohemian, laidback attitude. The home of the Claddagh ring is now known as the City of Equals because of the smooth mix of cultures found within its walls.
Galway was born in 1232. A walk through the heart of the city brings you past medieval churches, castles, and city walls; most on cobblestone streets. Follow the invigorating walk with a hearty lunch at a restaurant in the medieval city center. To get to this area, you have to wander through Kirwans Lane, a renovated street originally constructed in the 16th century. A clever take on Irish fare won’t cost more than 15 euros. A 5-minute walk away you can learn about the ancient and contemporary history of the city, the county, and the sea at the free Galway City Museum.
Day 2
Head to Galway’s cool Westend neighborhood, where you can pick up vintage LPs, second-hand books, and locally-made fashion. The West End is blessed with excellent gastropubs, bistro, and Michelin-starred restaurants. The 430-year-old Bridge Mills houses businesses selling handicrafts and clothing, art galleries, and restaurants. Stay in the Westend for dinner. The nabe has Irish-Scandinavian fusion restaurants and lively gastropubs. A three-course meal shouldn’t cost you more than 27 euros. After dinner, skip along William Street to find a pub or two for live music and a pint for the evening.
Explore unique trips to Ireland with JoinMyTrip, and join the world’s biggest community of trustworthy travelers today! Share costs and memories while you just sit back and relax.
Day 3 & 4
This is a great year to visit because Galway is the European Capital of Culture for 2020. A program boasting almost 2,000 theater, music, poetry, film, visual arts, and sporting events takes over the city and the surrounding villages for a year. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, most of the events were postponed. For two days, you can take in several of the innovative events taking place in and around the city.
Day 5
After a hearty breakfast, hop a 98-minute train directly to Tullamore (12.49 euros). Located halfway between Dublin and Galway, Tullamore is a charming town surrounded by a wealth of beauty and history.
After dropping your bags at a downtown hotel and a quick lunch, your next activity is a few steps away and begins at 2 pm. At the end of the three-hour Ultimate Distillery Experience at Tullamore Dew, you will walk away with an in-depth understanding of the whiskey-making process and a sample of the whiskey blend you created. With the aid of the city’s free app, Exploring Tullamore, you can get some fresh air while taking a stroll through the center of this 13,000-person town at your own pace. Affordable and delicious dinners abound and close by in Tullamore, including Indian, Turkish and Italian cuisine.
Day 6
The next day starts early because you are going to explore the ancient landscapes. After breakfast at the hotel, catch the 1 bus to Lough Boora (the stop is not far from Tullamore Dew) at 9 am (10 euros for a return ticket). Lough Boora Discovery Park is a massive reserve composed of a sculpture park, wetlands, fishing sites, hiking trails, and Mesolithic sites. Thirty minutes after leaving Tullamore, you can walk through the park for free or rent a bike for 3 euros an hour. The Mesolithic route is about 10 kilometers long, so a bike is probably the best option.
Depending on your curiosity, you have two options. Make it a day at Lough Boora and take the 3:00 bus back to town. However, if you are interested in religious history, after lunch, take the 1 bus at 1 pm further into the countryside in order to discover the historic monastic site. This area sits in the ancient district of Fear Ceall, Gaelic for men of the woods or men of the churches. This region is famous for its monastic centers, including the one at Clonmacnoise. This 6th-century town sits on the banks of the Shannon River and is a must for amateur historians. The bus back to Tullamore departs at 5:15, so you will have plenty of time to see the churches, Pilgrim’s Way, tower, 600-plus gravesites, and other archeological sites.
Day 7
After a day of exploring, a slow morning will probably be in order. After breakfast at the hotel, head over to the train station. Hop a train for the 56-minute ride to Dublin (11.69 euros). Drop your bags and hit the streets. It’s time for a little culture. Contemporary and modern work from Irish and international artists fill the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane. Both institutions have free admission. For an alternative view on the last century of Dublin history, check out The Little Museum of Dublin. The required tour guides begin with an insight into Viking settlers, move into serious events, such as the Irish Revolution, and cover pop culture highlights, like U2 (15 euros).
Try dinner at a charming downtown cafe and follow that up with a visit to a cool cocktail bar in the area.
Are you ready to start leading your own trip and share your travel experiences with other like-minded travelers? Become a TripLeader and start leading your very own trip with JoinMyTrip!
Day 8
The next day is for trivial pursuits. Game of Thrones fans will love a tour of sites used in the global television hit, Game of Thrones. This three-stop tour combines walks and tours of locations that were used in several major storylines in the landmark television series. The bus stops at Tollymore Forest Park, Castle Ward Estate, and Inch Abbey. (65 euro).
-
Tollymore Forest Park
-
Castle Ward Estate
-
Guinness Brewery
Those who are not fans of the television show can learn the story of Ireland in a glass by visiting the Guinness Brewery. Learn about the founding, evolution, promotion, and brewing of the famous stout. At the end of the 90-minute tour, you enjoy a glass at the sky view bar that offers a panoramic perspective of the city. Try out a jig at The Irish Dance Party. From 3 to 5, you will learn Irish dance moves and watch a music and dance show.
Day 9
Today is all about shopping. Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane is blessed with sculpture, paintings, ceramics, furniture, children’s clothing, jewelry, and handbags (10 am-5 pm). After working up a hunger, move to Temple Bar Food Market (10 am -4:30 pm) where you can buy fresh foodstuffs or a prepared lunch. Ireland is more than sweaters. Shops in the Temple Bar neighborhood offer one-of-a-kind wares for fashion, house, and fun. The George Street Arcade is brimming with vintage stores, unique boutiques, and restaurants with a rainbow of cuisines.
With that out of the way, it’s time for some serious Irish history. Depending on your perspective, the English ruled Ireland for about 800 years (this is the popular view in Ireland) or 400 years. For insight into this colonial struggle, join an insightful walking tour that describes the actions and players in the fight for Irish liberation and stops at the General Post Office, the Four Courts, Liberty Hall, and other important locations in central Dublin. In addition to colonization, the Irish dealt with a devastating famine from 1845 to 1849. Through the examination of the Irish diaspora, EPIC, the Irish Immigration Museum explores the effects of these and other events.
For the last night in Ireland, you must get some traditional live Irish music. Skip the Temple Bar neighborhood. It is crowded and over-run. For music and dancing, go to one of the many neighborhood haunts where you hear live singing and you won’t be disappointed.
Day 10
-
Book of Kells
-
St. Stephen’s Greens
-
Trinity College
When touring a nation known for producing great writers (Yeats, Beckett, Joyce, Binchy, et. al), touring the hometown of many of them is a must. That’s why visits to Trinity College and the Book of Kells are musts. The Book of Kells is an elegantly-decorated, 9th-century manuscript of the four gospels in Latin. Because of renovations to the Old Library, this Irish treasure wasn’t on display from November 2019 until March 2020. To accommodate an increase of tourists, people can only view the artifact as a part of an official tour. (6 euros, campus tour only; 15 euros, campus tour, and The Book of Kells exhibition).
A 60-minute walking tour of the green heart of the city, St. Stephen’s Greens, starting at The Little Museum of Dublin is a good way to end your stay in the republic. A free self-guided tour using an app created by the city of Dublin takes you past natural and historical landmarks in the park.
This is your last taste of Ireland. Grab your luggage and take the 30-minute Airlink Express to Dublin Airport (6 euros).
No trips planned yet? Check out JoinMyTrip. Here you will find like-minded travel mates and many cool yet unique trips. Join already planned trips or lead your very own trip!
Check out our trip to Ireland…
Join TripLeader Dean, a local Irish guide in an 8 day guided hike tour.
Craving some more travel inspiration? Check out our other blogs:
- 10 Ways to Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in 2021
- Best Travel Destinations for Vegetarians
- Travel Podcast – Different Cultures (Episode 2)
- 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Traveling To Finland
- Must-See Places in Barcelona