A Beginner’s Guide to the Best Places in Ireland to See
Ireland is a BEAUTIFUL country, with many famous landmarks, bars, and people to meet. There is no other place on Earth, where you can just walk into a pub and leave with becoming friends with everyone. They claim, “we’re not friendly, we’re just nosey,” but honestly, I feel it’s because they’re just friendly. When I was in Ireland, I really had a good time and would easily go back in a heart beat.
When I was in college, I got to intern abroad in Ireland the summer of my junior year. After seeing Ireland first hand, I truly believe it is one of the prettiest, untamed, and friendliest places in the world. Personally, I think the best months to travel to Ireland are June, July, and August. It’s quite cold and rainy most of the time, however, in the summer, there will be GORGEOUS days, and the sun doesn’t set until 9:30-10pm.
In this article you will read about the best places in Ireland to visit, the best places to stay, the best places to drink, the best places in Ireland to see, best places for families, the most beautiful places in Ireland, and much more!
This post is all about the best Places in Ireland.
Best Places in Ireland:
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1. The Cliffs of Moher and the Guinness Storehouse
The Cliffs of Mohers and the Guinness Storehouse are probably the most visited places in Ireland. But the Cliffs of Mohers truly deserve it (and Guinness of course). They really are beautiful and some of the best places in Ireland to visit. From Dublin the cliffs are about a 3 hour drive. But no worries, there are plenty of day trips you can take from Dublin to the cliffs, which I highly recommend taking. My friends and I booked with Paddywagon Tours and had a great time.
2. The Wicklow Mountains
Now, the Wicklow Mountains are truly a spectacular site. Also, Guinness Lake is located here as well! My friends and I REALLY enjoyed our trip to the Wicklow Mountains. Again, you can book many different day trips from Dublin to Wicklow. Again, my friends and I went through Paddywagon Tours, and had a wonderful time (you can find other tours here). The Wicklow Mountains are about an hour away from Dublin, about 24 miles (38 kilometers) away. These mountains are definitely one of the most unique places to visit in Ireland, that most people forget to mention to visitors.
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3. Explore Dublin
Next, after you’ve conquered all your day trips, spend some time in the city of Dublin. I truly believe Dublin (here are places to stay) is the best place in Ireland to stay. However, if you want to party and just drink, you might want to consider staying in Galway for a night or two as well. Going back to Dublin, I really enjoyed my time there.
There is A LOT to do and MANY bars to drink at. Some of the best places in Ireland to see while in Dublin are Trinity college, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Phoenix Park, the Guinness Storehouse, and the Jameson Distillery. Some other great pubs to visit are Stag’s Head, Cassidy’s, Hairy Lemon, Cooper Face Jack’s, the Temple Bar area, all of Grafton Street or O’Connell Street, and Cloud 9 ice cream.
4. Go to Galway
Now, if you want to continue the party, like I said, stop by Galway, it really is like the Ed Sheeran music video! Quay Street is the street for you to visit, to get the party started and keep it going all night long. Also, the long walk, is where many variant colored houses are, also known as, the Galway harbor. Lastly, I suggest you see the Aran Islands, which you can get to from the Galway harbor.
5. Giant’s Causeway & Belfast
The next sight and city I recommend you traveling to is Giant’s Causeway and Belfast. Giant’s Causeway is located in northern Ireland, and is a massive location of intertwining basalt columns, formed by volcanic eruptions, thousands of years ago. Giant’s Causeway is about 3 hours from Dublin and 133 miles (214 km) away. And Belfast is about an hour south of the causeway, with many castles, cathedrals, and other fun sites to see. Like, the Wicklow Mountains and Cliffs of Moher, there are many day trips that travel from Dublin to the causeway and Belfast.
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6. Receive the Gift of Gab from the Blarney Stone
The next site to see, is the city of Cork, to kiss the Blarney Stone. Legend says that if you kiss the stone, you will be rewarded with the gift of gab, for a total of seven years. This is definitely a tourist trap, but I recommend doing it, because it’s fun. Also, the Blarney Castle is a magnificent site as well. Again, there are plenty of day trips to take from Dublin to Cork, which is about 2 and a half hours away (driving).
7. Relax in Connemara
Many locals travel to Connemara for vacation or holiday, because it is one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. Connemara is in western Ireland, along the coast, it has many coves, bays, mountains, and lakes. It is about 168 miles (270 km), away from Dublin (about a 3 hour drive). There are many day trips, buses, and trains that travel from Dublin to Connemara as well. The coast is really pretty to see.
8. Ride Bikes Around the Ring of Kerry
Also, the Ring of Kerry is a beautiful drive along the Iveragh Peninsula, located in southwest Ireland. It offers rocky coastlines, lush green countrysides, and scenic seaside towns. The whole path is 111 miles (179 km) and there are many trains, buses, and day trips you can take as well. A lot of people ride bikes along the path as well. The Ring of Kerry is about 4 and a half hours from Dublin.
9. Fly for CHEAP to another European City with Ryanair
Lastly, when I was in Ireland, my friends and I booked a couple of weekends in different countries. Ryanair offers pretty cheap flights, but you have to book them far enough in advance. That being said, if you book your flight in a couple months in advance, you can get tickets for like $42, it really is a great price. Some quick trips you can fly to are Edinburgh or Glasgow, Scotland, Barcelona, Spain, Paris, France, London, England, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
And that wraps up our beginner’s guide to Ireland. I really enjoyed my time in Ireland, and I hope this guide inspires you to take a trip there as well. Also, I hope this article helped you find places and things to do while in Ireland. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you travel to Ireland sometime soon!
