Ireland — 7 Nights on the Wild Atlantic Way

At a glance

Best shoulder-season window, the honest car verdict, and what this trip actually costs.

Season

Mid-May to mid-June, or September. Ireland's weather is a coin flip any month, but shoulder season gives you longer daylight (sunset past 9pm in May/June), thinner crowds at the Cliffs of Moher and Kylemore Abbey, and hotel rates 20–30% below July/August peak. Pack for four seasons in one day regardless.

Why this trip

Ireland rewards driving, not checklist sightseeing. This loop mixes one proper city (Dublin), the best coastal drama on the west coast (Moher, Connemara, Dingle), and a soft landing in a walkable castle town (Kilkenny) before the flight home — real variety in 7 nights without backtracking.

Car verdict: yes

You need a hire car for everything except Dublin. Trains connect Dublin–Galway well, but Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, the Dingle Peninsula, and the Ring of Kerry have no useful public transport between the actual viewpoints — tour coaches exist but lock you to their schedule and drive-through-window pace. Pick the car up in Dublin city (skip it for the first 2 nights, no need to pay for parking you won't use) and drop it at Dublin Airport on the way home.

Category	Estimate (2 people)	Notes
Flights (CPH↔DUB)	~€500	Direct, ~2h10m, shoulder season, 2 pax w/ bags
Hotels (7 nights)	~€1,370	3–4★ boutique, 1 room, breakfast usually included
Car + fuel + tolls	~€600	6 rental days, mid-size automatic, M50 + M8 tolls, diesel
Food (all meals)	~€900	Pub lunches + 2 standout dinners + everyday dinners
Activities & entries	~€150	Guinness Storehouse, Kylemore Abbey, Rock of Cashel, etc.
Total	~€3,520	≈ €1,760 per person

Getting there & around

Flights from Copenhagen, and why the hire car is worth it.

Flying CPH → Dublin

SAS, Ryanair, and Norwegian all fly nonstop Copenhagen–Dublin, ~2h10m. Ryanair runs daily and is cheapest if you book 3+ weeks out; SAS is daily too with more flexible fares and better baggage allowance included; Norwegian flies Mondays and Fridays only, useful if those match your dates. Aer Lingus does not currently fly this route direct. Budget €220–280pp round trip in shoulder season with a checked bag and seat selection — cheaper headline fares exist but rarely survive contact with luggage and a seat next to your partner.

The hire car

Pick up at Dublin Airport the morning you leave the city (day 3), drop off at Dublin Airport on day 8 before your flight. Book a mid-size automatic unless one of you is comfortable driving a manual on the left — most Irish rental fleets are stick-shift by default and automatics carry a real premium, but it's the one splurge worth making on unfamiliar roads. Expect €65–85/day all-in (car + CDW insurance + one extra driver) for a mid-range automatic, roughly €400–450 for the 6 rental days.

Driving notes: Ireland drives on the left — roundabouts go clockwise, and it takes about a day to stop reaching for the door handle on the wrong side. Rural roads (marked "R") are narrow and hedge-lined; slow down. Tolls are limited to a handful of motorways — the M50 around Dublin (€3.80, pay online by 8pm the next day via eFlow.ie, there are no barriers) and the M8 near Cashel (~€2.30). Most rental companies auto-bill tolls to your card plus a small admin fee, or offer a flat daily toll pass (~€10–15/day) — worth it if you're doing the Dublin–Cashel leg.

Day-by-day

Eight days, four bases, one loop.

Day 1

Arrival in Dublin

Base: Dublin

Morning

Fly SAS or Ryanair CPH→DUB (~2h10m). Bus or taxi into the city centre (~30–40 min); no car needed yet — Dublin is walkable.

Afternoon

Check in, then walk St Stephen's Green into Grafton Street for a first look, ending at Trinity College's front gate.

Evening

Temple Bar for the atmosphere (it's touristy but earns it once), then a proper pint and trad session a few streets over.

Lunch: Light one on arrival — a toastie at Brother Hubbard, Capel Street (€€)

Dinner: L. Mulligan Grocer, Stoneybatter — gastropub, wild Irish seafood chowder, black pudding arancini (€€)

Day 2

Dublin proper

Base: Dublin

Morning

Trinity College and the Book of Kells / Long Room library (book the first slot, 9:30am, to beat the tour groups).

Afternoon

Guinness Storehouse at St James's Gate — yes it's a bit Disneyland, but the Gravity Bar view over the city is worth the €30pp. Follow with a wander through Kilmainham Gaol's neighbourhood or the National Museum (archaeology wing, free).

Evening

Dinner reservation, then the Palace Bar on Fleet Street for a nightcap — a proper old Dublin pub with none of Temple Bar's noise.

Lunch: Pub grub at Gravediggers (John Kavanagh's), Glasnevin — coddle, since 1833 (€)

Dinner: Bastible, Portobello — seasonal set menu, book ahead (€€€)

Day 3

Dublin to Galway

Base: Galway

Morning

Collect the hire car at Dublin Airport, drive west on the M6 to Galway (~2h30, no stops needed — it's motorway, not scenic).

Afternoon

Drop bags, then explore Galway's Latin Quarter on foot: Shop Street's buskers, the Spanish Arch, and the Galway City Museum. Walk out to the Salthill promenade if the weather holds and "kick the wall" at Blackrock, local tradition.

Evening

Dinner in the Latin Quarter, then live trad music at Tigh Coili or Monroe's.

Lunch: On the road, or a sandwich at McCambridge's food hall on arrival (€)

Dinner: The Seafood Bar @ Kirwan's Lane, Galway city — award-winning, Galway Bay oysters and chowder (€€)

Drive: Dublin Airport → Galway, ~210km, ~2h30 via M6 (M50 toll on the way out of Dublin).

Day 4

Connemara loop

Base: Galway

Morning

Drive into Connemara via the N59 — bog, stone walls, and Connemara ponies. Stop at Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine abbey on its own lake beneath the Twelve Bens (€17pp, gardens included).

Afternoon

Continue to Clifden and the Sky Road, a headland loop with the best sea views in Connemara, then loop back via Oughterard along Lough Corrib.

Evening

Back into Galway city for dinner — or detour 25 minutes south to Kilcolgan for the region's most famous oyster pub.

Lunch: Foyle's Cafe or a picnic in Clifden, Connemara's main village (€)

Dinner: Moran's Oyster Cottage, Kilcolgan — thatched-roof classic on the water, Galway native oysters in season (€€)

Drive: Galway → Kylemore → Clifden → Galway loop, ~150km, ~3–4h with stops.

The Cliffs of Moher rising from the Atlantic

Day 5

Cliffs of Moher & the Burren, to Dingle

Base: Dingle

Morning

Drive south from Galway through the Burren's limestone karst (stop at Poulnabrone Dolmen, a 5,800-year-old portal tomb) to the Cliffs of Moher — arrive by 10am to get ahead of the coach tours. Walk the O'Brien's Tower path for the full 214m drop.

Afternoon

Take the Killimer–Tarbert car ferry across the Shannon Estuary (20 min crossing, runs hourly, cuts out a 1.5h inland detour via Limerick) and continue into the Dingle Peninsula.

Evening

Settle into Dingle town, a working fishing harbour with more pubs per capita than anywhere in Ireland.

Lunch: Vaughan's Anchor Inn, Liscannor, near the cliffs — seafood chowder (€)

Dinner: Doyle's Seafood Bar, Dingle — long-running, elegant, book ahead (€€€)

Drive: Galway → Cliffs of Moher (~1h20) → Killimer ferry (~40 min) → Dingle (~1h30). Total ~3h30 driving + ferry.

Map and coastal view of the Dingle Peninsula

Day 6

Slea Head Drive

Base: Dingle

Morning

Drive the Slea Head loop clockwise: Ventry Beach, the Iron Age Dunbeg promontory fort, and the beehive huts (clocháin) above the cliffs — Ireland's most westerly point, with Blasket Islands views on a clear day.

Afternoon

Stop at the Blasket Centre in Dunquin for the islands' story, then Coumeenoole Beach if the tide's right. Back into Dingle town for the afternoon — Fungie-era harbour walk and a browse of Dingle's craft shops.

Evening

Dingle's pub scene: Dick Mack's for a pint among the leather-and-boot-repair decor, then dinner.

Lunch: Murphy's Ice Cream + a sandwich from Fish Box, Dingle harbour (€)

Dinner: Out of the Blue, Dingle — seafood-only, daily catch, Michelin Guide-listed (€€€)

Drive: Slea Head loop from Dingle, ~50km, ~2–3h with stops.

Day 7

Ring of Kerry & Rock of Cashel, to Kilkenny

Base: Kilkenny

Morning

Long, scenic driving day — start early. From Dingle, drive to Kenmare via Castlemaine and Inch Beach, then join the Ring of Kerry at its most dramatic stretch: Moll's Gap and Ladies View, a viewpoint named for Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, over Killarney's lakes.

Afternoon

Detour into Killarney National Park for Torc Waterfall and Muckross House gardens, lunch in Killarney town, then east on the M8 to the Rock of Cashel — a cathedral-topped limestone outcrop visible for miles, one of Ireland's most striking ruins.

Evening

Finish the drive into Kilkenny, a compact medieval town built around its castle and river.

Lunch: Quinlan's Seafood, Killarney — fresh fish and chips (€)

Dinner: Zuni, Kilkenny — restaurant, bar and boutique hotel, classic Irish fare (€€)

Drive: Dingle → Kenmare (~1h30) → Killarney via Moll's Gap (~45 min) → Cashel via M8 (~1h50) → Kilkenny (~45 min). Long day, ~5h driving — leave by 9am.

The Rock of Cashel rising over the Tipperary plain

Day 8

Kilkenny to home

Base: Kilkenny → Dublin Airport

Morning

Walk Kilkenny Castle's grounds (open from 9am) and the Medieval Mile before checkout — this whole town is walkable in half a morning.

Afternoon

Drive to Dublin Airport (~1h30 via M9/M7, M50 toll near the airport), drop the hire car, fly home.

Evening

SAS or Ryanair DUB→CPH, ~2h10m — home for a late dinner.

Lunch: Café Sol or a quick bite on Kilkenny's High Street before the drive (€)

Drive: Kilkenny → Dublin Airport, ~130km, ~1h30 via M9/M7.

Where you sleep

Four bases, all boutique 3–4★, all walkable to dinner.

Dublin — 2 nights

The Wilder

A 4★ townhouse hotel a 5-minute walk from St Stephen's Green — quiet, design-forward, good breakfast. ~€200/night for 2. (Alt: The Alex, closer to Trinity and Grafton Street, similar price.)

Galway — 2 nights

The House Hotel

4★ boutique in the Latin Quarter, 3 minutes from the Spanish Arch and Shop Street — bold rooms, in-room coffee machines, everything walkable. ~€190/night for 2.

Dingle — 2 nights

Castlewood House

Dingle's newest boutique guesthouse, perched above Dingle Bay with sweeping harbour views, a 5-minute walk to town. ~€210/night for 2. (Alt: Heatons Guesthouse, similar setting, slightly lower price.)

Kilkenny — 1 night

Pembroke Kilkenny

4★, right on Patrick Street in the shadow of Kilkenny Castle — medieval-city location, award-winning breakfast. ~€175/night for 2.

Dinner highlights

The 6 meals worth planning your day around.

Bastible — Portobello, Dublin. Seasonal set menu, changes constantly.
Order: whatever's on the set menu that night — it's the point.

€€€ ~€105pp set menu

The Seafood Bar @ Kirwan's Lane — Galway city.
Order: Galway Bay oysters, seafood chowder.

€€ ~€40pp

Moran's Oyster Cottage — Kilcolgan, near Galway. Thatched pub on the water since the 1700s.
Order: Galway native oysters (Sept–Apr) and the award-winning chowder.

€€ ~€45pp

Doyle's Seafood Bar — Dingle. Long-time favourite, elegant, worth the booking.
Order: whatever's landed that day — ask the server.

€€€ ~€60pp

Out of the Blue — Dingle. Seafood-only policy, daily-changing menu, Michelin Guide-listed.
Order: whatever the boats landed that morning.

€€€ ~€65pp

Zuni — Kilkenny. Restaurant, bar and boutique hotel on Patrick Street.
Order: classic Irish fare, locally sourced — a relaxed final-night dinner.

€€ ~€40pp

Budget breakdown

Honest ballpark for two, mid-range comfortable tier.

Item	Detail	Cost (2 people)
Flights	CPH↔DUB direct, shoulder season, checked bags	€500
Hotels — Dublin	The Wilder, 2 nights @ ~€200	€400
Hotels — Galway	The House Hotel, 2 nights @ ~€190	€380
Hotels — Dingle	Castlewood House, 2 nights @ ~€210	€420
Hotels — Kilkenny	Pembroke, 1 night @ ~€175	€175
Car rental	6 days, mid-size automatic + CDW	€440
Fuel	~1,000km loop, diesel	€120
Tolls & parking	M50, M8, town parking	€45
Food — everyday	Lunches + casual dinners, 8 days	~€620
Food — standout dinners	Bastible + Out of the Blue splurges	~€280
Activities & entries	Guinness Storehouse, Kylemore Abbey, Cashel, museums	€150
Total		~€3,530

Practical notes

Currency: Euro (€). Cards work everywhere including small pubs; keep some cash for rural parking meters and the Killimer–Tarbert ferry.
Plug: Type G (same 3-pin as the UK), 230V — bring an adapter, Danish plugs don't fit.
Language: English everywhere; Irish (Gaelic) road signs appear alongside English, more so in the Dingle Peninsula's Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) villages — place names may only appear in Irish there, so know both Dingle/An Daingean and similar.
Safety/scam note: Ireland is very safe; the real risk is the roads — narrow, hedge-lined, and unforgiving of distraction. Watch for sheep and cyclists on rural R-roads, and don't rush the Slea Head Drive's single-track sections.
Packing tip: A proper rain shell beats an umbrella — Atlantic weather turns in minutes, especially on the Slea Head and Cliffs of Moher walks. Layers over a heavy coat; May/September afternoons can still hit 18°C between showers.