At a glanceTwelve days from Dublin to the west coast in four stops. Two nights in Dublin, three around Killarney's lakes and the Ring of Kerry, three slow nights in Dingle and three in County Clare for the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, with a castle night near Shannon Airport before you fly home. Best from May to September, with June the pick.
This 12 day Ireland honeymoon starts in Dublin and moves west, ending a short drive from Shannon Airport (SNN). Fly into Dublin (DUB), which has nonstops from many US cities. Fly home from Shannon, which has nonstops to Boston and New York and, like Dublin, US preclearance, so you clear US immigration before you board.
The four stops get wilder as you go. Dublin gives you Georgian squares, the Long Room at Trinity and a cliff walk at Howth. Killarney wraps a town around three lakes and a national park. The Dingle Peninsula is the slow stretch, three nights at the western edge of Europe where Irish is the everyday language. County Clare finishes with the Cliffs of Moher, the limestone Burren and a castle hotel 15 minutes from the airport.
You drive from Dublin onward, so rent a small automatic and share the wheel. Plan every day around the weather. A bright afternoon after a morning of mist is normal on the west coast, so keep the big outdoor plans flexible.
The route
- DublinIreland · 2 nights
- KillarneyIreland · 3 nights
- Dingle PeninsulaIreland · 3 nights
- County ClareIreland · 3 nights
- Best months
- May to September, with June the favorite
- Trip length
- 12 days
- Budget
- About $250–750 a night for two in guesthouses, boutique hotels and castle hotels (approximate)
Day by day
Days 1–2: Dublin
Most US flights land early in the morning, so ask your hotel about early check-in or a luggage hold. Take a gentle walk through St Stephen's Green and the Georgian doors of Merrion Square, nap, then claim a wooden snug in a Victorian pub for two slow-poured pints.
On day 2, go to Trinity College first thing for the Book of Kells and the Long Room, booking a timed ticket and checking what is on view during the library's conservation work. Then ride the DART train to Howth and walk the cliff path loop around the headland, with views to the Baily Lighthouse and seals in the harbor. Finish with seafood on the pier.
Spend the evening at a traditional music session or a show at the Abbey or the Gate Theatre. If you have energy left, book a celebration tasting menu for this night rather than the first, when jet lag tends to win. Avoid sleeping in Temple Bar, which is loud late.
Days 3–5: Killarney and the Ring of Kerry
Pick up your rental car on the morning you leave, since parking in central Dublin is costly. The drive to Killarney takes about three and a half to four hours, or ride the train from Dublin Heuston in a little over three hours and rent a car in Killarney. Stay on the lakes rather than in town.
On day 4, do the Gap of Dunloe. Walk, cycle or take a jaunting car seven miles through the pass from Kate Kearney's Cottage, past five small lakes and the Wishing Bridge. At Lord Brandon's Cottage, a small open boat carries you across all three lakes to Ross Castle. Book the combined boat and transfer ahead in summer.
On day 5, drive the Ring of Kerry, about 110 miles, starting very early or going clockwise from Kenmare to avoid the coaches. Stop at Derrynane beach and Waterville. On a wet day, swap it for a couples spa afternoon above the lakes. End at Ladies View around sunset for the romantic moment.
Days 6–8: The Dingle Peninsula
The drive from Killarney to Dingle takes about an hour. Stay in or next to Dingle town, so the restaurants and pubs are a walk away and neither of you has to be the designated driver. This is the slow stretch of the trip.
On day 7, drive or e-bike the Slea Head loop clockwise, about 30 miles past Ventry beach, the Iron Age Dunbeg Fort, stone beehive huts and the viewpoints over the Blasket Islands. Go early, before tour traffic builds. Stop at Gallarus Oratory, a dry-stone church that has stood for more than a thousand years without mortar.
On day 8, take the ferry from Dunquin to Great Blasket Island in season, checking the schedule the night before since crossings are canceled in rough seas. Walk among the roofless houses and picnic on the white strand while seals watch. In the evening, walk out to Clogher Head for sunset, then squeeze into a Main Street pub after 9:30 p.m., when the music usually starts.
Days 9–11: County Clare and the Burren
Drive north through Tralee to Tarbert and take the Killimer car ferry across the Shannon estuary, about 20 minutes, saving a long detour through Limerick. Doolin, Lahinch or Ballyvaughan are about an hour beyond. The whole day takes roughly three hours of driving.
On day 10, see the Cliffs of Moher at opening time or in the evening, when the platforms are quiet and the light is warm. Book admission online and stay on the marked paths, since edges are unfenced in places. Climb O'Brien's Tower for views toward the Aran Islands. In summer, a cliff cruise from Doolin shows their full height from the water, or the ferry to Inisheer lets you cycle stone-walled lanes to the Plassy shipwreck.
On day 11, drive the Burren coast road from Ballyvaughan through Fanore, stop at the Poulnabrone dolmen and visit Corcomroe Abbey at dusk. Move to Dromoland Castle for your final night, the splurge, with lakeside walks and dinner in the castle.
Day 12: Shannon and Home
Dromoland Castle is about 15 minutes from Shannon Airport, which makes the last morning easy. Take a walk around the estate lake before breakfast, then return the rental car at the airport. Allow time for US preclearance, which happens before you board and means you land at home as a domestic arrival.
If your flight is in the afternoon, use the morning for Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, a short drive from the airport, or a final coffee in Ennis, the county town, which has good cafés and pubs.
If your flight home leaves from Dublin instead, allow about two and a half to three hours to drive across the country, more in Dublin traffic. In that case, move the castle night to the end of Dublin, or choose a hotel near Dublin Airport for night 11 after an earlier start from Clare. Shannon is the easier finish, which is why this route is built around it.
Getting Between Stops
Dublin Airport to the center is about 30 minutes by taxi, with frequent express coaches. In Dublin, walk and use the DART coastal train for Howth and Dalkey.
Dublin to Killarney is about three and a half to four hours by car or a little over three hours by train to the town. Killarney to Dingle is about an hour. Dingle to County Clare is roughly three hours by road, including the 20 minute Tarbert to Killimer ferry. Clare to Shannon Airport takes 15 minutes to an hour, depending on your base.
Rent the smallest automatic you can, since roads on the Ring of Kerry, Slea Head and the Conor Pass are narrow. Drive Slea Head clockwise, as convention asks. Check before you book whether your credit card's rental car coverage applies in Ireland, because many cards exclude it and the counter cover can cost a lot. A one-way drop at Shannon usually adds a fee.
Where to Stay
In Dublin, The Shelbourne has overlooked St Stephen's Green since the 1820s and The Merrion fills a row of restored Georgian townhouses with a large art collection. The Westbury is central, just off Grafton Street.
In Killarney, The Europe Hotel & Resort sits on the shore of Lough Leane with balconies, mountain views and a large spa. Aghadoe Heights looks down over the lakes from a hill north of town. In Kenmare, the Park Hotel Kenmare and Sheen Falls Lodge are long-established luxury choices.
In Dingle, family-run guesthouses and B&Bs with harbor views are often the best value. The Dingle Skellig Hotel & Peninsula Spa faces Dingle Bay a short walk from the music pubs.
In Clare, Gregans Castle Hotel near Ballyvaughan is known for its food and views across Galway Bay. Doolin suits music lovers. Dromoland Castle is the county's best-known splurge, on a large estate with a lake and woodland walks.
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When to Go
May to September is the window. June is the pick: long days with light past 10 p.m., wildflowers on the Dingle headlands, puffins on the Cliffs of Moher and fewer visitors than midsummer. Late May is peak bloom for the Burren's gentians and orchids.
July and August are the warmest and busiest months. Ring of Kerry traffic backs up behind tour buses, Slea Head fills by midday and Cliffs of Moher coaches arrive by late morning. Avoid driving the Ring on the first Saturday in July, when the Ring of Kerry Cycle takes over the road.
September is excellent, with quieter roads, the sea around Dingle at its warmest and the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival in Clare. From November to March, days are short and stormy, Blasket ferries stop and some Dingle and Doolin businesses close, though castle hotels stay open year-round.
Budget and Booking
Plan on roughly $250–750 a night for two, from guesthouses in Dingle to lake-view resorts in Killarney and Dromoland Castle at the top. Dublin hotels are expensive by European standards, especially during concerts and big sports weekends. All prices are approximate.
Book early for summer. Dingle has limited rooms and fills from May to September. Reserve the Gap of Dunloe boat in advance in July and August and confirm the departure the day before, since boats can be canceled in high winds. Book Cliffs of Moher tickets online for a set time, which costs less than paying at the gate.
If you want the Skellig Michael landing tour from Portmagee on the Ring of Kerry, book months ahead. It runs only from late spring to early autumn, has a strict daily cap and is often canceled by the sea, so keep a backup day. Carry some cash for rural cafés and the Blasket ferry.
Weather, Roads and Packing
Rain comes in short showers year-round rather than constant downpours. Pack a light waterproof jacket, layers and waterproof shoes, since park paths in Killarney can be muddy even under a clear sky. Bring real hiking boots if you plan to climb Mount Brandon, where the summit is often in cloud.
On the cliffs, stay on marked paths. Gusts can be sudden at Moher and on the Dingle headlands. Parts of the Moher coastal walk have been closed on safety grounds, so check what is open first. In the Burren, look at the wildflowers but never pick them.
Drive slowly on narrow lanes, watch for cyclists and sheep and avoid long drives after an overnight flight. Pubs often start music late, so plan later dinners in Dingle and Doolin and book taxis ahead, since rural taxis are limited. Dress codes are relaxed, with a smarter outfit for castle dining rooms.
Make It Shorter or Longer
With nine days, skip Dublin and fly round trip to Shannon. Spend three nights each in County Clare, Dingle and Killarney, starting with Dromoland Castle on the first night to sleep off the flight.
With two weeks, add two nights in Connemara after Clare. Ballynahinch Castle Hotel sits on its own river in Connemara's lakes and bogs, about two and a half hours from Shannon. Or add Kinsale before Killarney, a harbor town near Cork known for its food.
With 16 days, add Donegal and the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland for a full Atlantic coast trip, then fly home from Belfast or Dublin.
Keep at least three nights in Dingle whatever you trim. The ferries, cliffs and beaches all depend on the weather. The peninsula only shows its slow side once you stop moving.
FAQPlanning this trip
Is 12 days enough for an Ireland honeymoon?
Yes, for Dublin and the southwest. Twelve days gives you two nights in Dublin and three each in Killarney, Dingle and Clare, with a castle night near Shannon. That pace leaves room for rain, which you will get. Adding Connemara or Donegal pushes the trip closer to two weeks.
Should we fly into Dublin or Shannon?
Both work. This route flies into Dublin and out of Shannon, so you never backtrack. Shannon has nonstops to Boston and New York, a quick drive from Dromoland Castle and US preclearance. An open-jaw ticket can cost about the same as a round trip, so compare fares before you book.
Do we need a car in Ireland?
Not in Dublin, but yes for the west. Buses and tours reach Killarney, Dingle and the Cliffs of Moher, but the best moments come on small roads at quiet times. Rent a small automatic, check whether your credit card covers rentals in Ireland and avoid driving straight after an overnight flight.
What is the most romantic stop on this route?
For many couples it is Dingle. The pace slows, the pubs play music late, the Blasket Islands sit on the horizon and sunsets at Clogher Head look straight out to the Atlantic. Dromoland Castle is the most romantic night. The Gap of Dunloe boat is the most romantic day.
Can we see the Cliffs of Moher without the crowds?
Yes. Arrive when the gates open or come in the evening, when tour coaches from Galway and Dublin have gone and the light is warm. Book admission online for a set time. A summer cliff cruise from Doolin also shows the cliffs from below, with puffins on the ledges from about April to July.
