10 Days in Ireland

Highlights

• Cliffs of Moher — 214m sea cliffs stretching 8 km along the Atlantic. Visitor centre + cliff walk (€8/adult, under 12 free). Ireland''s #1 natural attraction. Go early morning or late afternoon to avoid tour bus crowds
• Aran Islands day trip — ferry to Inis Mór (€30/adult return, €15/child from Rossaveal, 40 min). Rent bikes on the island to ride to Dún Aonghasa cliff fort (€5/adult). Stone-walled fields, no cars, time-capsule Ireland
• The Burren — lunar karst limestone landscape, wildflowers growing through rock cracks, Poulnabrone dolmen (free). Aillwee Cave (€15/adult, €10/child) has stalactites and a birds of prey centre
• Galway city — Latin Quarter buskers, Shop Street pedestrian zone, Saturday market at St Nicholas'' Church, Galway Cathedral on the river
• Salthill promenade — 2 km seafront walk, tradition to kick the wall at the end. Salthill beach for brave swimmers (Atlantic water is 14-16°C in summer)
• Traditional music sessions — Tig Coili, Taaffes, or The Crane Bar have live trad sessions nightly from 6pm. Family-friendly early evening, musicians play 3 feet from your table

Local tips

• Visit the Cliffs of Moher at 8am (opens year-round, visitor centre from 9am) or after 5pm to miss the tour bus crush that peaks 10am-4pm. The south cliff walk beyond the visitor centre is quieter and has equally stunning views.
• Galway is Ireland''s most family-friendly city — the Latin Quarter has buskers, street food, and a genuine village feel despite being a university city. Book accommodation in Salthill for beach access + 10 min bus to town.
• Eat fish & chips at McDonagh''s (Quay Street) — it''s been the best chipper in Galway since 1902 and costs €12-15 for a massive portion. Dinner at Kai or Ard Bia for the best local food scene.

Highlights

• Slea Head Drive — one of the world''s great coastal drives, a 47 km loop around the tip of the Dingle Peninsula. Beehive huts, Blasket Islands views, dramatic cliff roads. Self-drive, free, 2-3h with stops
• Inch Beach — 5 km of golden sand, gentle waves, one of Ireland''s best family beaches. Free parking, surfing lessons available (€40/person for 2h group lesson)
• Dingle town — colourful harbour town, dolphin-watching boats (€16/adult, €8/child), Murphy''s ice cream (made with Irish milk and Dingle sea salt), craft shops and galleries
• Ring of Kerry scenic drive — 180 km loop from Killarney through coastal mountains, Ladies'' View, Moll''s Gap, Kenmare. Full day, self-drive (go anti-clockwise to avoid tour bus traffic)
• Killarney National Park — Ross Castle on the lake (€5/adult), Muckross House and Traditional Farms (€9/adult, €6/child), jaunting car rides through the park (€40-60/car, 4 seats)
• Gap of Dunloe — dramatic mountain pass, boat + jaunting car combo through the gap (€30/adult, €15/child). Or walk the 11 km pass for free

Local tips

• Drive the Ring of Kerry ANTI-CLOCKWISE — all tour buses go clockwise by convention. Going the opposite way means you''re facing the views, not following bus exhaust. Start from Killarney heading south via Kenmare.
• Dingle is the best base for 3 nights — it''s a proper town with restaurants, pubs, and a harbour, unlike isolated Ring of Kerry villages. Day-trip to the Ring of Kerry from here (1h to Killarney).
• Slea Head Drive in the late afternoon/evening light is magical — the cliffs turn gold, the Blasket Islands silhouette against the sunset. Save it for a clear evening rather than doing it in midday glare.

Highlights

• Blarney Castle — kiss the Blarney Stone for the ''gift of the gab'', wander the poison garden and Rock Close fairy glen (€18/adult, €8/child 8-14, free under 8). Book online to skip queues
• English Market, Cork — covered Victorian food market, fishmongers, artisan cheese, local bread. Budget €20-30 for a family lunch at the Farmgate Café upstairs
• Kinsale — Ireland''s ''gourmet capital'', colourful harbour town, Charles Fort star fortress (€5/adult, free under 12), fish restaurants and sailing boat views
• Fota Wildlife Park — drive-through and walk-through zoo near Cork, free-roaming monkeys, cheetah run (€18.50/adult, €13.50/child 3-15). Ireland''s best family wildlife experience
• Cobh — Titanic''s last port of call, Titanic Experience museum (€11/adult, €7/child), colourful cathedral town on Cork Harbour
• Spike Island — ''Ireland''s Alcatraz'', ferry from Cobh (€22/adult, €12/child), 1,300 years of history from monks to convicts

Local tips

• Blarney Castle gets extremely busy 10am-3pm — arrive at 9am opening or after 4pm. The castle grounds (Poison Garden, Rock Close, Fern Garden) are as good as the stone itself and most families spend 2-3 hours total.
• Kinsale is a half-day trip from Cork (30 min drive) — walk the harbour, eat seafood at Fishy Fishy, explore Charles Fort. It''s one of Ireland''s prettiest towns and a perfect final-day highlight.
• If flying out of Dublin, leave Cork by 7am for the 3h M8 motorway drive to Dublin Airport. If tight on time, fly out of Cork Airport (ORK) instead — it has connections to London, Amsterdam, and Paris for onward flights to Sydney.