The Irish Road Trip

The Irish Road Trip The Irish road trip guide. Designed to help you plan an Irish adventure that'll give birth to a million happy memories.
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One of Ireland’s most rugged road trip routes - the Ring of Beara 😍🚗Stretching for roughly 148km/92 miles, this route lo...
19/06/2026

One of Ireland’s most rugged road trip routes - the Ring of Beara 😍🚗

Stretching for roughly 148km/92 miles, this route loops around the Beara Peninsula through a landscape of mountain passes, quiet villages, dramatic coastline and roads that often feel beautifully remote 🗺️🌊

Although most of the peninsula sits within Cork, part of it spills into Kerry, too.

The route is best tackled clockwise, whether you’re driving or cycling, and it’s home to some of the most unspoiled scenery anywhere in Ireland.

Here's a guide to the route: https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/ring-of-beara/

Photos licensed via Shutterstock

Arguably Ireland’s most famous stretch of road 🇮🇪🏔️The Gap of Dunloe winds through a narrow mountain pass in Kerry betwe...
18/06/2026

Arguably Ireland’s most famous stretch of road 🇮🇪🏔️

The Gap of Dunloe winds through a narrow mountain pass in Kerry between the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the Purple Mountains 🌊

Shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago, the landscape here feels ancient - the kind of place where it’s easy to picture people crossing through with horses, carts and cattle centuries before modern roads existed.

Despite its popularity, the Gap still manages to feel raw, rugged and wonderfully untouched.

Photo licensed from Lisandro Luis Trarbach

One of the finest mini road trips on Ireland's West Coast 🇮🇪Tucked away in County Sligo, the Gleniff Horseshoe is one of...
18/06/2026

One of the finest mini road trips on Ireland's West Coast 🇮🇪

Tucked away in County Sligo, the Gleniff Horseshoe is one of the most spectacular drives (or walks) in Ireland. You’ll follow this narrow road beneath brooding cliffs, surrounded by the mighty Dartry Mountains ⛰

As you drive or walk, look high up on the cliffs and you’ll spot Diarmuid and Gráinne’s Cave, a place woven into a centuries-old tale of love and pursuit from Irish folklore.

🚗 The drive: 30 mins of pure magic
🥾 The walk: 9km loop/3 hours
📷 Licensed via Shutterstock
🗺 Full guide with map 👇👇

17/06/2026

Good evening from a wild and windy Sligo 🇮🇪🌬️🇮🇪

It's hard to beat a ramble along the sand when you have Benbulben as a backdrop!

Tucked deep into the Beara Peninsula, Gleninchaquin is one of those places that still feels wonderfully under the radar ...
17/06/2026

Tucked deep into the Beara Peninsula, Gleninchaquin is one of those places that still feels wonderfully under the radar 😯🏔️

A 140m waterfall crashes down through the valley here, feeding a chain of lakes beneath steep rock faces where sheep wander across the hillsides 🐑🌊

Part working farm and part family-run park, the valley is threaded with walking trails, little bridges, stone steps and quiet corners that feel a world away from the busier tourist routes.

Bring sturdy boots, a few euro in cash and leave yourself plenty of time to explore.

Photo licensed from Algirdas Gelazius

Could this be the most scenic pub in Ireland? 🤔🍺The Smugglers Creek Inn in Donegal is perched right beside the water wit...
16/06/2026

Could this be the most scenic pub in Ireland? 🤔🍺

The Smugglers Creek Inn in Donegal is perched right beside the water with views that are very hard to walk away from 😍🌊

Photos via The Smugglers Creek Inn

Few beaches in Ireland leave a lasting impression quite like Inch Beach on the Di**le Peninsula 😍🌊Stretching for around ...
16/06/2026

Few beaches in Ireland leave a lasting impression quite like Inch Beach on the Di**le Peninsula 😍🌊

Stretching for around 5km (3 miles), this long sand spit reaches out into Di**le Bay with mountain views in every direction 🏔️

Popular with surfers, walkers and anyone needing a break from the road, Inch is one of the standout stops along the peninsula 🏄🚗

From the beach, you’ll also have sweeping views across towards the Iveragh Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry.

Photo by Gareth Wray Photography via Tourism Ireland

15/06/2026

County Mayo’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ 🚶‍♂️⛪🏔️

These are the newish steps that have transformed the once scrambly final stretch of Croagh Patrick (764m/2,507ft) into a much smoother climb!

If you climbed 'the Reek' before they were added, you'll remember the tricky ascent/descent that you had to conquer at this section of the hike!

Footage by Big Style Media © Fáilte Ireland
Music: “Area 18” by Sascha Ende - CC BY 4.0

Looking for a hike for this weekend? Cuilcagh is well worth a bash 🚶🏔️🗺️Known as Ireland’s Stairway to Heaven, the Cuilc...
15/06/2026

Looking for a hike for this weekend? Cuilcagh is well worth a bash 🚶🏔️🗺️

Known as Ireland’s Stairway to Heaven, the Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail takes you across vast stretches of blanket bog before finishing with a long climb of roughly 450 steep steps to the viewpoint 🔭

📏 Distance: Around 11-12km depending on your starting point
⏱️ Time: Roughly 2-3.5 hours
⛰️ Difficulty: Moderate - exposed in places with a tough final climb
🅿️ Parking: Paid parking at the trailhead or a free car park around 1km away

Full guide and map below 👇👇👇

Photos by Gareth McCormack/garethmccormack via Tourism Ireland

One of the standout viewpoints along the Wild Atlantic Way 😍🌊Welcome to Minaun Heights on Achill Island - a place where ...
14/06/2026

One of the standout viewpoints along the Wild Atlantic Way 😍🌊

Welcome to Minaun Heights on Achill Island - a place where the road climbs high above the coastline before opening out to a huge 360° panorama 🏔️

From the top, you can look out over Keel Bay, the Minaun Cliffs, the White Cliffs of Ashleam, Keem Bay and, on a clear day, all the way towards Slievemore and Croaghaun.

🗺️ The drive up is part of the experience - a steep 2.9km climb along a narrow tarmac road from the Mweelin Road
🚗 There’s a car park at the summit, but take it handy on the bends heading up

Photo licensed from Anouck S

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