Our Ultimate 3-Day Road Trip Around Ireland: All You Need to Know
This article will discuss our recent trip to Ireland. Along with providing you with suggestions, advice, and recommendations when visiting Ireland! Check out our blog to read about our crazy three days of traveling around Ireland.
Intro: Arriving in Ireland
When visiting Ireland, you must rent a car and drive around the countryside! Ireland is home to some of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes I have ever seen.
Since the country does not yet have a well-established train system throughout the southern region, you must drive from spot to spot to see all the amazing sites.
While renting a car in a foreign country may seem daunting for most people. With the right amount preparation and common sense, just about anyone can embark on this journey.
Renting a Car in Ireland
The only experience either of us had with driving on the left side of the road prior to this trip was when I visited South Africa with my Aunt.
We were at the southernmost tip of Africa, and I was “gifted” the opportunity to drive a few miles in our stick-shift Toyota Corolla on the left side of the road. It did not go well.
We used Discover Cars to book our rental, and I insisted we get an automatic. Discover Cars is a site similar to Kayak, where it will shop around different rental car agencies for you and find you the best deal.
We paid 66.45 euro for a 3-day car rental and an additional 34.05 euro to add an additional driver. There were three different insurance packages you could choose from, we opted for the full coverage package.
Altogether the rental car was about 150 euro for the three days.
Ireland Road-trip
With limited PTO left on the calendar for 2023, we booked a long weekend trip to Ireland over Veterans Day. Being there for a long weekend, we had a jam-packed schedule for the three full days.
Flying out of Washington DC, we took an overnight flight and arrived at the Dublin Airport at 7 am the next day. Upon arrival and clearing customs, we went straight to pick up our rental car.
The check-in process went smoothly, and within 30 minutes of arriving in Ireland, I had the keys to a Honda CH-R in hand.
Day 1: Dublin to Cork
Our plan for Day 1 of our road trip was to travel from Dublin and stay in Cork for the night. Without stopping, the drive from Dublin to Cork is about 2 hours and 50 minutes.
After picking up the rental car, we were both eager to get on the road and find a breakfast spot outside Dublin.
Stop #1 Bray
We drove about 30 minutes south of Dublin and stopped in the town of Bray to eat. We ate at the Kitchen Cafe and ordered two traditional Irish Breakfast Sandwiches. The sandwich consisted of egg, bacon, ham, cheese, and white pudding.
Everything tasted so fresh, and the staff was very welcoming and full of personality. We paid around 17 EUR for two sandwiches and two coffees. It was a perfect first stop on our trip!
Irish Breakfast Sandwich Rating:
Josh – 9.2/10 Mason – 8.0/10
Following breakfast, we drove around Bray for about 30 minutes to explore the little town. Before we left Bray, we stopped at Lidl to get some road trip snacks and drinks.
I love stopping at grocery stores in other countries. Not only for the cultural experience but also as a great way to save money while traveling!
Stop #2 Dunmore East
Rather than going straight to Cork after our stop in Bray, we decided to drive through Waterford and see the cliffs in a small town called Dunmore East.
These cliffs are no comparison to the Cliffs of Moher. However, they still provide a gorgeous scenic view overlooking the water. Dunmore East is a quaint little town about 30 minutes southeast of Waterford.
This detour took about an hour and a half to 2 hours, but we considered it well worth the time!
It was about a 2-hour drive to Cork from Dunmore East. We drove mostly back roads. We were happy with this decision because we saw the gorgeous Irish countryside and small towns!
Stop #3 Cork
We stayed at Hotel Isaacs in Cork, which cost around 172 EUR a night. We also added on parking for 9 EUR for one night. After checking in we walked to a local grocery store to grab some wine and cheese to indulge in while playing cards prior to heading to dinner.
We ended our day at Gallagher’s Pub with dinner and drinks. We got to experience our first Irish fish and chips with an order of mash!
Gallagher’s Pub Rating:
Fish and Chips: Josh – 8.6/10 Mason – 8.9/10
Mash: Josh – 8.8/10 Mason – 9.0/10
Vibe: Josh – 9.5/10 Mason- 9.0/10
Along with our food, we tried an assortment of Irish Stouts, including Guinness, Murphy’s, and Beamish.
Irish Stout Ratings:
Guinness: Josh – 8.7/10 Mason – 8.5/10
Murphys: Josh 7.8/10 Mason – 7.7/10
Beamish: Josh 7.5/10 Mason – 7.2/10
We loved our night at Gallagher’s Pub and highly recommend stopping by for dinner or a drink if you are in Cork! The pub was very traditional, and our server was phenomenal! It is decorated all around and has a very cozy feel.
Day 2: Cork to Doolin
The goal of our second day in Ireland was to make it to the Cliffs of Moher with enough daylight left to hike around!
We woke up early in Cork and made our first stop of the day at The Blarney Castle. To be completely transparent, we did not do much research prior to our trip. Until we stopped, neither of us was familiar with the Blarney Castle or that it was famous for the Blarney Stone. While driving by, we saw a road sign for a castle and thought it would be cool to stop and look at it.
Stop #1 Blarney Castle
We arrived right when they opened and explored the ground for about two hours. Since we arrived when the castle opened, there were no lines, and we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves.
Blarney Castle dates back to the 15th century, with the current structure built by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the Lord of Muskerry, in 1446.
The castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens, including the Poison Garden, which features a collection of poisonous plants. The Rock Close, another part of the gardens, is a mystical area with interesting rock formations and structures.
The most famous feature of the castle is the Blarney Stone, also known as the Stone of Eloquence. Legend has it that kissing the stone endows the kisser with the ability to speak persuasively and eloquently. To kiss the stone, you must lean backward over a parapet at the top of the castle. We did not.
The castle was only about a 15-minute drive from Cork and cost 20 EUR per person.
After spending about 2 hours at the castle exploring the gardens, we jumped back in the car and started our drive to Doolin.
Doolin was about a 2 hour and 15-minute drive from Blarney, and along the way, we stopped at a gas station for snacks and drove through small towns such as Buttevant, Glanmore, and Charleville.
After stopping for food and exploring the small towns and countryside, we finally arrived in Doolin. It took us about three and a half hours to drive to Doolin from Blarney, including our stops.
Stop #2 Cliffs of Moher
Running short on daylight, we opted to go straight to the Cliffs of Moher when we arrived in Doolin. We wanted to make the most of our time there and arrived at the visitor’s center with about 2 hours of daylight left.
We purchased our tickets when we pulled into the parking lot, and it cost 7 EUR per person.
It was extremely windy when we arrived at the cliffs, and we were overwhelmed by tourists as soon as we entered the visitors center. We got a map from the center and went to explore the cliffs!
To start, we decided to go to the left of the visitor’s center and kept walking until we got away from the crowds. We quickly noticed that many people chose to stay near the visitor’s center, and once we walked for about 15 minutes, we were completely on our own!
We highly recommend venturing far away from the visitors center when visiting the Cliffs in order to get the most out of your experience.
We walked for about 45 minutes, and each view of the cliffs was better than the previous. As we continued to walk along the cliffs, the weather turned for the worse. We got stuck in a cold, windy rainstorm for about 15 minutes.
After getting rained on for about 15 minutes, we decided to turn back towards the visitor center and explore the lighthouse. We had about a 30 to 45-minute walk back to the center, and the weather improved drastically about halfway through our walk. The sun started to come out, and we even saw a rainbow over the Cliff of Moher!
By the time we got back to the visitors center, it was almost dark outside. We quickly ran to the lighthouse to check it out and then went to the car to warm up and head into Doolin.
Stop #3 Doolin
After a long day of driving and hiking around the Cliffs of Moher, we were both eager to warm up and get a good meal. On our way to our Airbnb, we decided to stop at Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin.
We walked in and were greeted by locals and a large fireplace cranking out the heat. We found a spot at the bar and ordered two Guinness’s and an order of their Guinness and Beef Stew.
If you find yourself in Doolin, you must stop into Gus O’connor’s Pub to try their Guinness and Beef Stew. The Guinness and Beef Stew was by far my favorite meal in Ireland, and the pub had a phenomenal vibe.
Gus O’connor’s Pub Rating:
Guinness and Beef Stew: Mason – 8.5/10, Josh – 8.0/10
Vibe: Josh – 9.5/10 Mason- 8.5/10
After filling our bellies with Stew, we went to our Airbnb. Our Airbnb was about a 2-3 minute drive from downtown Doolin, and it was on a farm!
It was a convenient location and a unique experience to stay on a farm in Ireland. I’ll link the stay below:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/643502027619592024?source_impression_id=p3_1706470587_ZDXHdMP6aVoYA4Gf
We took about an hour to rest and freshen ourselves up before heading back into Doolin to pub hop for the rest of the night.
Our first stop of the night was at McDermott’s Pub. My sister and Aunt went to McDermott’s when they visited Doolin and loved their experience. We, unfortunately, did not have the same experience. As we walked into the pub, it got so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, and the locals just stared at us. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences we have ever had while traveling, and we quickly left to find a new spot.
We must have gone to McDermott’s Pub on an off night. Everyone I have spoken to who has visited McDermott’s prior had a completely different experience than we did, so please don’t take this as us hating on them!
After our weird experience at McDermott’s, we went to Fitz’s Pub. As soon as we walked into Fitz’s Pub, the bartender greeted us, and they made room for us at the bar.
The pub was jam-packed with people, and there was a guitar player. We ordered two Irish Coffees and an order of Fish and Chips to start!
Rating:
Fish: Mason – 7.5/10, Josh – 7.3/10
Chips: Mason – 8.0/10, Josh – 8.0/10
Irish Coffee: Mason – 8.2/10, Josh – 8.0/10
Vibe: Josh – 9.5/10 Mason- 10.0/10
Once we finished eating, we saw a band set up, and the pub became more lively. Overall, we loved our experience so much at Fitz’s Pub that we decided to stay the whole night.
We ordered a couple rounds of Guinness, and right when we were getting ready to leave, a wedding party walked in to celebrate their big night. After staying about 30 minutes longer, we decided to head to our AirBnb and rest for our last full day in Ireland!
Day 3: Doolin to Dublin
On our last full day in Ireland, we woke up early on a farm just a few minutes outside Doolin. We packed up the car and took a few minutes to observe the cows and sheep prior to hitting the road.
The drive from Doolin to Dublin is about 3 hours, and we were eager to get there early since we had our Guinness Storehouse reservation at 4 pm.
Stop #1 Galway
Since we did not eat breakfast before we left, we decided to stop in Galway for breakfast. It was a little out of the way, but we wanted to check out Galway. We ate a mediocre breakfast and drove around the town briefly before getting on the road again.
Stop #2 Guinness Storehouse
When we arrived in Dublin, we quickly dropped the rental off at the airport and took an Uber to our hotel. Since we were running short on time, that was our quickest option, and it was relatively affordable!
We checked into our room and changed before heading to the Guinness Storehouse for a brewery tour and tasting!
When we booked our tour of the Guinness Storehouse, I was skeptical if it was worth it, and by the time we booked our tickets, the normal tour was sold out. We ended up with tickets for what they call “The Stoutie Experience,” which was 28 EUR per person.
The price includes admission to the Storehouse, a Guinness tasting experience, a Guinness Stoutie Beer, and a free beer of your choice at the Gravity Bar at the top of the Storehouse.
We learned a ton about Guinness while on our tour and had so much fun with the Stoutie experience. It adds another layer of fun and for only 8 EUR more than a regular ticket. It is well worth the price!
Following our tour of the Guinness Storehouse, we went to the city center to find a dinner spot.
We ended up eating at The Old Mill Restaurant, and it was a phenomenal experience!
Stop #3 The Old Mill Restaurant
The restaurant was full of character, and the wait staff made for a fun dining experience. Mason ordered her third serving of Fish and Chips in three days, while I opted for the Braised Lamb Shank.
Both entrees were very tasty, and we really enjoyed our time at The Old Mill Restaurant.
The Old Mill Restaurant Rating:
Fish: Mason – 8.5/10, Josh – 8.0/10
Chips: Mason – 8.0/10, Josh – 8.3/10
Braised Lamb Shank: Mason – 8.5/10, Josh – 8.0/10
Vibe: Mason – 9.0/10, Josh – 8.0/10
The fish and chips were crunchy and flavorful, while the chips were thickly sliced and cooked perfectly.
After dinner, we decided to go back to the hotel to relax before heading out to the Temple Bar to end our night in Dublin.
Stop #4 Temple Bar
To end our time in Ireland, we decided to go to the Temple Bar and get a few drinks. The bar was one of the most crowded places I have ever been. However, it had a great vibe.
They rotated bands throughout the night, and we had so much fun there that we stayed till 2 am. We somehow stayed at the bar for almost 5 hours, and by the time we were ready to leave we were already hungry again.
If you are ever in Dublin and looking for a fun spot to spend the night in Dublin, we highly recommend going to the Temple Bar. It is very touristy. However, we met some locals that go there, and while it may be a tourist bar, it is a great time and well worth checking out!
Stop #5 McDonald’s
One of my favorite parts of visiting other countries is going to McDonald’s and ordering unique items from that country’s menu. I am an avid McChicken fan, and even though they refuse to stop raising the prices, I still frequent McDonald’s often.
The McDonald’s was almost as crowded as the bar we were at, and each time someone’s order was ready, everyone cheered for the person as they walked up to the counter. We had to wait about 30-40 minutes for our food. However, it was worth the wait once we got it!
We ended up spending 19.60 EUR, and our McDonald’s order consisted of the following:
McDonald’s Rating
Big Mac: Mason – 8.5/10, Josh – 8.3/10
Nuggets: Mason – 7.7/10, Josh – 8.6/10
Triple Cheeseburger: Mason – n/a, Josh – 8.2/10
McChicken: Mason – n/a, Josh – 6.7/10
Bacon McChicken: Mason – n/a, Josh – 5.2/10
Oreo McFlurry: Mason – 9.0/10, Josh – 8.4/10
We brought our food to the hotel and grubbed on the McDonald’s while packing and getting ready to leave Ireland.
Conclusion: Leaving Ireland
We woke up early on our last day in Ireland and went to a cafe close to our hotel. We had a flight home leaving Ireland around 2 pm and decided to get breakfast and some souvenirs prior to heading to the airport.
We took the Dublin Express from a stop near our hotel to the Airport. It cost us 8 EUR per person.
The Dublin Express was quick and easy, and I would definitely recommend it when heading to and from the Airport in Dublin.
We booked our trip to Ireland at the very last minute and being completely honest, I did not know what to expect going into it. Both Mason and I had a very busy 2023, and the idea of just getting away and exploring a new country with no Itinerary sounded like a nice idea.
Ireland surpassed my expectations drastically, and I can not wait to go back and visit!
Be sure to check out our other blog posts detailing all of our trip to Ireland! While you’re there check out our photo gallery with all of our unposted shots we have taken on our trips.
Till next time – Josh 🙂
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