A 10-Day Road Trip Across Ireland

Your first stop will be Dublin, as it has the most international flights available. I always take a red eye from the US and sleep as much as I can on the plane so that when I land I’m ready to explore! After checking into your hotel, you'll want to start your trip off with a guided walking tour. It will give you a good feel of the city to identify places you want to go back to.

After the tour, grab a quick lunch and see some sites on your own. My top recommendations:

• Guinness Storehouse - Get a tour or head straight to the rooftop bar for some tastings and the best view of Dublin.

• Jameson Distillery - Another Dublin staple. Take a tour, cocktail-making class or a tasting of Ireland’s most famous whiskey.

Wander up and down Grafton Street, where you can go shopping and, of course, listen to some of the most talented street performers. Some of the world’s most famous artists got their start playing on Grafton Street — Bono (U2), Damien Rice and Dermot Kennedy were all former buskers on Grafton!

After more exploration, head back to your hotel to freshen up for dinner. Here are some of my recommended Dublin restaurants:

• The Vintage Kitchen

• FIRE Steakhouse Restaurant & Bar

• Wilde Restaurant

After dinner, hit up some of the pubs in Temple Bar for some more live music and a pint.

Check out of your hotel and head over to Dublin Heuston Train Station to hop on a train across the country to Galway. It’s between 17 and 26 Euro and takes around two and a half hours. The train is comfortable and provides beautiful views of the Irish countryside.

Once in Galway, head over to check into your hotel. I recommend staying close to the city center so you only have short walks to the action. I recommend The Dean Galway, which has a prime location.

When in Ireland, I’m always one for a pub. I recommend stopping for some locally sourced food and a pint at The King’s Head. If you’re looking for an elevated take on traditional Irish food, I recommend Rúibín Bar & Restaurant.

After dinner, head out to the pubs. The Quay’s is my favorite, but you can’t go wrong with any of the bars in the Latin Quarter.

Day 3 is a day to learn more about Galway — wander the streets and explore!

Galway is home to Thomas Dillons, home of the Claddagh ring. You can find claddagh rings at any jeweler in Ireland, but Thomas Dillons are the original manufacturers of the rings from back in 1750. They also sell other beautiful gold jewelry. Don’t forget, if your heart is taken, the heart should face your heart; if your heart is open, the heart should face away from you.

There are other amazing shops to hop around to. Aran Sweater Market is a great place to purchase an authentic Aran sweater, which gets its name from the Aran Islands where it was created. They’re all 100 percent wool and crafted in Ireland.

Another option, depending on the time of year, is to take a ferry to the Aran Islands. A 15-minute walk from city center to the docks is where you’ll pick up your boat at 9:30 am. You’ll visit Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, and get a unique view of the Cliffs of Moher from the water. You'll arrive back to Galway at 6 pm. This tour operates from April to September.

Day 4 is for exploration outside of the city. The Spirit of Ireland tour company picks up guests on Merchants Road in Galway at 9:30 am every day.

You’ll travel along the Wild Atlantic Way with beautiful views of the rocky coast. You’ll stop at Dunguaire Castle, the Hazel Mountain Chocolate factory, Burren, Doolin Hotel for lunch and, finally, the main stop of the day, the Cliffs of Moher. You’ll have two hours to explore the cliffs. You return to Galway between 5 and 6 pm.

Check out of your hotel and pick up your rental car. There are a few car rental options in Galway, such as Budget, Enterprise and Europcar.

Drive north through Connemara National Park. You’ll drive for an hour and 20 minutes to Kylemore Abbey, starting on N59 then turning onto R344. This is one of the most beautiful drives you’ll ever take through the rolling hills and bogs of the Irish countryside. Be on the lookout for sheep wandering along the roads.

At Kylemore, you can explore the Victorian walled garden and the abbey. The Benedictine monastery sits alongside a lake with a mountain backdrop.

Once you leave Kylemore, you’ll hop back on N59 and drive about 45 minutes to Westport, where you’ll stay for the night.

Check into your hotel. Westport is a small town with a picturesque town center, with stone bridges and tree-lined streets along the banks of the Carrowbeg River.

There are a variety of restaurants to choose from. I went to the Porterhouse — it was a Wednesday night in mid-March and there was live music and an amazing vibe.

Check out of your hotel and hop in your car to head to Donegal with a few stops along the way.

Head east on N5 then north on N17 on your way to Sligo to see Benbulbin, a unique rock formation surrounded by beautiful countryside. It’ll take about an hour and a half from Westport.

After a little hike around Benbulbin, hop back in the car and drive about 50 minutes on N15 to Lough Eske Castle for afternoon tea. The castle, built in 1861, is a hotel and spa that offers tea in their beautiful dining room daily to the public.

After tea, head to your final destination, Fanad Head Lighthouse at the northern tip of County Donegal. It’s about an hour and a half drive north on N15 and N13.
Check into the lighthouse, the former lighthouse keeper’s quarters, where you’ll be staying for two nights.

Have the lighthouse keeper give you a tour of the light. Climb to the top for spectacular views of the northern Atlantic breaking along rocky cliffs.

Afterward, go to the Fanad Head visitor center for an amazing photo op of one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world.

Drive to Arryheerna Beach and walk along the shore. For lunch, stop at Lighthouse Tavern.

After lunch, head south to see the Great Pollet Sea Arch, a rock arch off the coast in the ocean. Park at the car park and follow the walking trail to the beach.

Head to the only other restaurant nearby, Fanad Lodge, for dinner. You’re off the beaten path so there are not a ton of food options, but you’ll be immersed in the local feel of the area.

Check out of the lighthouse, hop in the car and head towards Northern Ireland to the Dark Hedges. Without stopping, this drive will take about two hours and 20 minutes.

The Dark Hedges are a street lined with beech trees that were planted in the 18th century. Many famous TV shows and movies, such as "Game of Thrones" and "Transformers," have used them as a backdrop. They’re hauntingly beautiful and, while walking under them, you almost feel like you’re in another world.

There are many other sites to see near the Dark Hedges along the Wild Atlantic Way, such as Dunluce Castle, Old Bushmills Distillery and the National Trust - Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. All amazing sites to stop at on your way to Belfast!

After your day of exploring, head to your hotel in Belfast.

Once you check in, head out to one of the many amazing restaurants for dinner. My favorites are The Lantern Restaurant, Darcy’s and The Dirty Onion, and Yardbird, if you’re not looking for anything fancy but delicious food and a pint.

If you want another pub after dinner, the Duke of York was such a fun place with live music and awesome atmosphere.

Check out of your hotel and ask them to hold your bags.

I recommend the Belfast Political Tour to learn about The Troubles. I prefer the black taxi tour, as you can cover more ground. My tour guide did a great job of explaining the British/Irish conflict and providing a tour of the murals, key sites and peace walls.

Another notable site to see is the Titanic Belfast, where the Titanic was designed, built and docked.

After the tour, grab some lunch and hop back in the car to head back to Dublin, which is a little under a two-hour drive.

Drop off the rental car and check into your final Dublin hotel.

Grab some dinner and drinks.

Check out of your Dublin hotel and head to the airport to head home after your epic 10-day Irish adventure!