Things to do in Killarney
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Killarney
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best shoulder season: rhododendrons in late April to May, full waterfalls and tours restarting.
Peak season: longest days and all boats running, but worst crowds and prices.
Best overall for most: crowds halve in September, deer rut and autumn colour in October.
Quietest, cheapest and darkest: many tours pause, January to early February is worst for a first visit.
What's on
- St Patrick's Festival, Killarney mid-March
Parade and town festival, book hotels early.
- Killarney Races May meeting 3 days, mid-May
Opens the racing season at the scenic Ross Road racecourse.
- Killarney Races July Festival 4 days, mid-July
Social highlight of the summer, including Best Dressed and Ladies Day on the Friday.
- August Festival racing 4 days, late August
Late August racing festival, hotels and dinners book out.
- Puck Fair 10-12 August
One of Ireland's oldest fairs, in Killorglin about 25 minutes away.
- Irish Poker Tour Killarney Festival around 15-18 Oct
Mid October festival at the Gleneagle with a large main event.
- Christmas in Killarney December
Christmas and New Year festivities in town during the quiet winter season.
Best things to do in Killarney
Killarney National Park
Ireland's first national park of lakes, oakwoods and the Reeks, starting right at the edge of town.
Muckross House
Victorian mansion on Muckross Lake with free gardens and the 1930s Traditional Farms next door.
Ross Castle
Late 15th century tower house on Lough Leane whose guided tour brings clan life vividly alive.
Innisfallen Island
Boat trip to a quiet island with a 7th century monastery ruin, deer and ancient holly trees.
Torc Waterfall
A 20 metre cascade in ancient woodland, best combined with the loop trails climbing above it.
Gap of Dunloe
Glacial pass walked or ridden by jaunting car, then a boat down the three lakes to Ross Castle.
Killarney House and Gardens
Free park visitor centre and restored gardens that orient everything else in the park.
St Mary's Cathedral
Free town centre cathedral included on the short historic walk from Killarney House.
Where to stay in Killarney
Town Centre
first trip, all-round base
Walk to pubs, restaurants, the park entrance and the station in five to ten minutes.
Muckross Road
park-focused stays, families with a car
Quieter hotel and B&B corridor with the park on one side and easier parking.
Aghadoe / Fossa
luxury, spa and honeymoon stays, golfers
Elevated lakeside resorts with the best hotel views in Kerry, but not walkable to town at night.
Beaufort / Gap side
Carrauntoohil climbers, Gap walkers, self-caterers
Village Kerry under the Reeks, very quiet and car essential, best as a second base.
Think twice about
- Far out the N22 (Tralee Road) / N72 industrial and retail edges
Roadside properties 2km or more from the centre with no car leave you taxiing everywhere and seeing none of the charm.
- Directly on Main Street / High Street frontage in peak season
Late bars, hen and stag groups and early tour bus loading make front rooms a bad base for light sleepers.
- Kenmare or Killorglin as a Killarney base
Lovely towns, but they add a 40 to 60 minute transfer to every park day if the park on foot is the priority.
Best restaurants in Killarney
The Lake Room
Modern Irish fine dining with the best dining room lake view in Killarney, book a sunset window table.
Yew Tree Restaurant
Acclaimed seasonal Kerry menus in a hushed park immersed five star dining room.
Rozzers Restaurant
Intimate chef driven fine dining outside the centre, the food lover splurge locals recommend.
Bricín Restaurant & Boxty House
Boxty with Kerry lamb above the craft shop, warm old world room where booking is essential.
Cronin's Restaurant
Family run since the 1950s with local lamb, salmon and beef, the safest dinner answer in town.
Treyvaud's
Family run modern Irish with a global streak, seafood chowder, sirloin and adventurous specials.
Quinlan's Seafood Bar
Kerry seafood family bar for fish chosen by the catch, battered or pan fried, queue before 6.30pm.
Murphy Brownes
Cosy small High Street dining room for sea bass, monkfish and four hour braised lamb shank.
Best bars in Killarney
O'Connor's Traditional Irish Pub
Century old buzzing pub with traditional music most nights and a strong local following.
Courtney's Bar
Bare wood Plunkett Street bar with locals at the counter and regular traditional sessions.
Jimmy Brien's
Small town centre pub prized in local guides for its Guinness and intimate session feel.
John M. Reidy's
Former 1870s sweet shop turned later, livelier pub, popular for music evenings in town.
Best coffee in Killarney
Café du Parc
Plaza cafe praised for brunch and casual daytime dining in the centre of town.
Lir Café
Chocolate shop cafe named for its ham and cheese toastie and as the best coffee break in the centre.
Petit Delice
High Street bakery for takeaway lunches to eat as a picnic in the National Park.
Outdoor things to do in Killarney
Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
Two championship parkland courses on Lough Leane, Killeen for the test and Mahony's Point for scenery.
Beaufort Golf Club
Mature estate parkland under Carrauntoohil, quieter, friendlier and cheaper than the big club.
Ross Golf Course
Relaxed 9 hole course inside the racecourse area, ideal for a casual mixed ability evening round.
Deerpark Pitch & Putt
18 hole pitch and putt for an easy hour outdoors with no dress code anxiety for families.
Tralee Golf Club
Arnold Palmer designed links at Barrow, a splurge day trip from Killarney in summer.
Dooks
Links day trip at Glenbeigh with views over the Reeks and Dingle Bay, named in golf round ups.
Ballybunion Golf Club
World ranked links about 75 minutes away, the great links splurge alongside a Killarney base.
Carrauntoohil
Ireland's highest mountain at 1,038m, a serious guided day best booked with Kerry Climbing.
Best hotels in Killarney
The Europe Hotel & Resort
Five star lakeside resort with vast spa, lake view pool, riding and several restaurants.
The Killarney Park
Town centre five star with old school service and gardens, the luxury pick without a car.
Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa
Penthouse level lake views, thermal suite spa and the Lake Room fine dining restaurant.
Muckross Park Hotel & Spa
Five star cloistered in park woodland beside Muckross, romantic and deliberately away from town pubs.
Great Southern Killarney
Grand 1854 railway hotel on six acres beside the station, the best train arrival stay in town.
The Ross
Stylish boutique hotel on the park edge of town with modern rooms and a good bar and restaurant.
Killarney Avenue Hotel
Large well run town hotel beside the park with pool, parking and family rooms.
Killarney Towers Hotel
Large well run town hotel with pool, parking and family rooms, better value in peak weeks.
Is Killarney expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €125 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €210 a person |
| Splurge | €400 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Muckross House: a few days ahead
- Ross Castle: a few days ahead
- Gap of Dunloe: a few days ahead
- Killarney Falconry: a few days ahead
- Killarney Golf & Fishing Club: weeks ahead
- Beaufort Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Tralee Golf Club: months ahead
- Dooks: weeks ahead
- Hotels sell out at sane prices 6 to 10 weeks ahead for June to August, race weeks and bank holidays.
- Book Carrauntoohil guides, Falconry, Skellig landings and Ballybunion or Tralee golf before Ring coach tours.
- Book Ross Castle and Muckross House interiors the day before at minimum and take the first tour.
- Book Bricin, Rozzers, the Lake Room, Treyvaud's and Cronin's 2 to 7 days ahead in summer.
Is Killarney safe?
- Low crime small town, safe walking in the centre at night in season with normal late pub rowdiness.
- Look right first if you come from a right hand traffic country, tour bus corners are tight.
- Mountain and lake weather is the real risk: Carrauntoohil, wet Torc steps and open boats in wind.
- Emergency number is 112 or 999, serious cases go to University Hospital Kerry in Tralee.
Killarney travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Town centre souvenir sprawl on Main Street at markup prices, skip plastic tat and buy Kerry produce and books.
- Driving the Gap of Dunloe at midday when jaunting cars, walkers and cars share a single track road.
- A big coach Ring tour in August, spend the day in a convoy instead of taking a small group tour.
- Paying for views that are free: Ladies View, Torc, Muckross Abbey, Killarney House and park trails.
Getting around Killarney: public transport and more
- Walk or cycle by default: town to the park is 5 to 10 minutes, Ross Castle about 25 minutes on foot.
- Killarney station is in the town centre beside the Great Southern, one of Ireland's most convenient arrivals.
- Hire a car only for the days you need it for the Ring, Kenmare or Dingle, and ask hotels about parking explicitly.
- Agree jaunting car route, duration and total price per car in euros before departure.
Who Killarney suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Killarney your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store