Sample Itinerary · Ireland

Self Drive Tour of Ireland

Dublin · Kilkenny · Dingle · Galway

Duration
9 Days · 8 Nights
Accommodations
4-Star or Higher
Transport
Self-Drive · Rental Car
Best For
Independent Travelers · Road Trips

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This is a sample itinerary — for inspiration only. Every Juniper trip is designed from scratch around you. Many clients travel a very similar route — if this resonates, book a free consultation and a specialist will build something just like it (or better) specifically for your travel style, dates, and group.

1
Day One

Arrive in Ireland

Dublin

Welcome to Ireland. A private airport transfer brings you into the city — on arrival day, no driving — and your specialist has chosen a Dublin hotel close enough to the center to walk everywhere. Check in, drop the bags, and spend the afternoon shaking off the flight.

Options for the evening: a guided Irish food tour through the city’s best markets and neighborhoods, a visit to the Guinness Storehouse with its Gravity Bar skyline view, or simply finding a good pub and letting the night unfold. The more contained first day works best: tomorrow is the big sightseeing day, and you’re collecting the rental car after that.

Private airport transfer
Irish food tour option
Guinness Storehouse option

Overnight: Dublin

2
Day Two

Dublin Sightseeing

Dublin

A full day in Dublin on foot — the city is compact and rewards a slow lap. Morning: a private walking tour through the literary and Georgian heart of the capital. Trinity College and the Book of Kells, the Georgian squares of Merrion and Fitzwilliam, the Long Room library. Your specialist pre-books the Trinity slot so you walk straight in.

Afternoon is flexible. A River Liffey cruise gives a different perspective on the quays, or a walk through the Cathedral Quarter to St. Patrick’s and Christ Church covers most of the historic heart. Dinner somewhere your specialist has reserved — Dublin’s food scene has developed considerably in the last decade, and the right restaurant is a genuinely good introduction to what Irish cooking has become.

Private walking tour
Book of Kells & Trinity
River Liffey cruise option

Overnight: Dublin

3
Day Three

Dublin to Kilkenny via Powerscourt

Powerscourt · Kilkenny

The driving starts today — and the route is designed so the first hours behind the wheel are on motorway rather than city streets. After breakfast, a short taxi delivers you to your pre-arranged rental car pickup (the depot is on the city’s edge, not at the airport). Paperwork is quick, the car is automatic-transmission, and your specialist has already loaded the route into the in-app itinerary.

First stop, Powerscourt Estate — the Palladian manor set against the Wicklow Mountains, with formal gardens consistently ranked among the finest in Europe. Weather permitting, walk on to Powerscourt Waterfall, the highest in Ireland. From Powerscourt, the route crosses the Wicklow Mountains on the scenic road south to Kilkenny. Arrive in the Marble City in time for an evening walk through the old town.

Rental car pickup
Powerscourt Estate
Arrive Kilkenny

Overnight: Kilkenny

4
Day Four

A Day in the Marble City

Kilkenny

A full day in Kilkenny — Ireland’s medieval capital, known locally as the Marble City for its distinctive local limestone. The centerpiece is Kilkenny Castle: one of the country’s finest surviving Norman castles, set above the River Nore, with restored grounds that are genuinely beautiful. Your specialist pre-books a guided-entry timeslot — the castle is state-managed by the OPW and tours are run by their own historians, so booking ahead means walking straight in rather than queuing on the day.

Beyond the castle, the medieval streetscape is among Ireland’s most intact — the narrow lanes, the gothic St. Canice’s Cathedral (climb the 9th-century round tower if the day is clear), the Butter Slip, and the craft quarter that has developed around the old monastic grounds. A Medieval Mile self-guided walk, or an independent step-on guide your specialist can pre-arrange, brings it all together. Kilkenny is compact and entirely walkable, which is a welcome break from the wheel. The quality of the independent restaurants and pubs is excellent.

Kilkenny Castle & Medieval Mile
St. Canice’s & round tower
Medieval city walk

Overnight: Kilkenny

5
Day Five

Kilkenny to Dingle

Cashel · Blarney · Dingle

The longest drive of the trip — and the route is built to reward it. Heading west from Kilkenny, your specialist plots stops your car is going past anyway: the Rock of Cashel (a medieval fortress and cathedral complex rising from the Tipperary plain), Blarney Castle and Gardens (the famous medieval ruin with the Stone at the top), or the original Jameson Distillery in Midleton — pick one or two based on your pace.

From whichever lunch stop works, the road continues west into Kerry and eventually onto the Dingle Peninsula. The last stretch of road — over the mountain passes, with the Atlantic appearing ahead — is the scenic reward for the day. Check into your Dingle accommodation, drop the car, and find a pub for the first evening of session music and a slow Guinness.

Rock of Cashel option
Blarney Castle option
Arrive Dingle

Overnight: Dingle

6
Day Six

A Full Day on the Dingle Peninsula

Slea Head · Dingle

The first day where the car stays mostly parked or only does the famous short loop. Dingle is walkable, the peninsula is compact, and the Slea Head Drive is a slow 47-kilometre coastal circuit you take in an afternoon. Blasket Islands viewpoints, the ancient beehive huts scattered across the hillsides, the beach at Coumeenoole — the kind of Atlantic scenery that makes you pull over every few minutes.

Alternatives for the day: Dingle Distillery for a tour and tasting (whiskey plus their award-winning gin), a dolphin-watching excursion from the harbor, or a falconry experience on the peninsula. Dinner in Dingle town — the restaurants here are a genuine surprise for a harbor of this size — and a final traditional session in one of the pubs.

Slea Head Drive
Dingle Distillery tour
Harbour excursion option

Overnight: Dingle

7
Day Seven

Dingle to Galway via the Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher · Galway

An early start and a beautiful drive north — across Kerry and into Clare. Your specialist schedules a comfort break in Adare (the thatched-cottage village on the Limerick–Kerry road, worth a walk on the main street even if you don’t stop for lunch). From Adare, the road continues north to the Cliffs of Moher: 700 feet of limestone wall dropping sheer into the Atlantic for five miles.

Parking is pre-planned by your specialist — the main visitor-center lot fills by mid-morning in summer, and the quieter Doolin approach is the better bet if you’re arriving after 11. A 60-to-90-minute walk along the cliff path to O’Brien’s Tower is the right length. Continue north from the Cliffs through the Burren’s lunar limestone to Galway, Ireland’s most bohemian city. Check into your hotel and spend the evening in the Latin Quarter.

Adare comfort stop
Cliffs of Moher
Arrive Galway

Overnight: Galway

8
Day Eight

Galway & Connemara

Galway · Connemara

A full day, and the choice is yours. Option one stays in Galway: the Latin Quarter, the Spanish Arch, the Saturday market if the timing’s right, an afternoon walking the Long Walk along the harbor. The city is one of Ireland’s great slow-afternoon towns.

Option two heads north-west into Connemara — the Gaelic-speaking mountain and bog country that is, for many visitors, the most memorable region of the trip. Kylemore Abbey (the 19th-century neo-Gothic castle reflected in its mountain lake), Connemara National Park, the Sky Road from Clifden, the white-sand beach at Dog’s Bay. Either way, back to Galway for a final dinner and, almost certainly, a traditional session.

Latin Quarter Galway
Connemara day trip option
Kylemore Abbey

Overnight: Galway

9
Day Nine

Depart from Shannon

Shannon Airport

A short, civilized drive south this morning — about 90 minutes from Galway to Shannon Airport, mostly on motorway. Your specialist has routed the rental car drop-off so the depot is at the airport itself, not offsite, and the paperwork takes ten minutes. From there, straight through security and home.

Most people leave Ireland already thinking about when they’ll return — a week behind the wheel on Irish roads has a way of making the country feel yours. Your Juniper specialist remains reachable throughout departure day, and your in-app itinerary stays accessible for any last-minute questions. Safe travels home.

Rental car drop-off at Shannon
App support throughout

Love this itinerary? Make it yours.

This is a sample luxury custom route — a starting point, not a fixed package. Many clients travel something very close to this, customized for their travel style, pace, and dates. Book a free consultation and a specialist will build from here.

The Car
Automatic transmission is the default and specified at booking. Compact, mid-size, SUV, or a Mercedes-class upgrade — all available.
Accommodations
Boutique hotels, charming B&Bs, or castle-hotel upgrades for one or two key nights — chosen to fit your route and preferences.
Route & Pace
Add Kinsale, Connemara, or Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast. Swap in a private driver for one leg if you’d rather not tackle Kerry’s mountain passes yourself.

Book a Free Consultation



See All Ireland Itineraries

Activities on this itinerary

Your specialist pre-arranges the right luxury experiences based on your interests and travel style. These are the custom experience types available on this route — specific choices are made with you, not for you.

Powerscourt Estate & GardensCounty Wicklow

Kilkenny Castle & Medieval Mile Walking TourKilkenny

Historical Walking TourDublin

River Liffey CruiseDublin

Irish Food TourDublin

Guinness StorehouseDublin

Blarney Castle StopCounty Cork

Rock of Cashel StopCounty Tipperary

Dingle Distillery TourDingle

Dolphin & Whale WatchingDingle Harbour

Cliffs of Moher FerryCounty Clare

Kylemore Abbey Day TripConnemara

Activities are selected and pre-booked with your specialist based on your interests — not all activities are included in every trip version. Availability varies by season.

The people who will design your Ireland trip

You work directly with a specialist who knows Ireland deeply — not a call center or booking agent. Every consultation is with someone who has been there, stayed in those hotels, and knows the region inside out.

Ireland · Scotland · UK · Iceland

Taryn Harrison

25 years of experience designing Ireland trips, with over 85 visits to the island. CMSC certified and former Peace Corps volunteer. Our most tenured Ireland specialist, with obsessive local detail built into every itinerary.

25 Yrs
85+ Ireland Visits
CMSC

Book a Consultation




Italy · Switzerland · Portugal · Spain

Lexi Blade

Florence and Austria-based, Lexi brings on-the-ground expertise across Southern Europe’s most sought-after destinations. Every recommendation comes from personal experience.

Book a Consultation




Scotland · Ireland · UK

Audrey Gabrys

Having lived across six countries, Audrey brings a genuinely international perspective to every itinerary. She specializes in Scotland’s Highlands and islands and brings the same off-the-beaten-track instinct to Ireland and UK trips.

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About this itinerary

Is driving in Ireland difficult for visitors?


The two things to know: Ireland drives on the left, and the rural roads are narrower than what most American travelers are used to. Automatic-transmission cars are readily available (manual is the default in Europe, so your specialist specifies automatic at booking). First-day driving around Dublin is avoided in this itinerary — you collect the car on Day 3, heading south into the countryside rather than into city traffic. Motorways are excellent; local roads take an hour or two to settle into. Most first-time self-drive travelers feel genuinely comfortable by the end of Day 4.

How many days is the Self Drive Tour of Ireland?


The sample itinerary runs 9 days (8 nights). Juniper Tours designs every trip as a fully custom itinerary — shorter 6-7 day versions focus on one or two regions, and longer 12-14 day versions add Connemara, Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast, or deeper Kerry time. Your specialist builds the length around your travel dates.

Where do I pick up and return the rental car?


On this sample route, the rental car is collected on Day 3 in Dublin (your specialist pre-arranges the paperwork and drop-off location to avoid the first-day driving-into-city problem) and returned at Shannon Airport on Day 9. The route is built around this so that your final day is a short drop to Shannon rather than a long transfer back to Dublin. One-way rental fees are included in the trip cost.

Can I customise this Ireland self-drive itinerary?


Yes — this is a sample for inspiration. Every Juniper trip is designed from scratch. You can add regions (Connemara, Kinsale, the Causeway Coast), swap cities, extend stays, upgrade properties to castle hotels, or mix self-drive days with a private driver-guide for specific legs. Your specialist builds the actual itinerary around your group’s preferences during the free consultation.

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“Juniper helped us out of a huge jam on short notice. Truly an unbelievable once-in-a-lifetime experience — a wonderful, stress-free trip from start to finish. We would not hesitate to recommend them.”

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