Things to do in Ring of Kerry
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Ring of Kerry
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months: green, everything open, Skellig boats running.
Warmest, busiest, priciest. Skellig landings sell out.
Quiet, autumn colour, the oyster season; good value.
Wet, seasonal closures, Skellig boats stopped; Killarney at Christmas excepted.
What's on
- Puck Fair August
The famous goat-crowning festival in Killarney.
- Killarney Festival of Music and Food June
The town's summer weekend.
- Rose of Tralee August
The festival in nearby Tralee.
Best things to do in Ring of Kerry
Ring of Kerry
The 179 km loop; drive clockwise from Killarney against the coaches.
Skellig Michael
The monastic island; book landing boats months ahead.
Muckross House
The manor and gardens; the grounds are the real draw.
Torc Waterfall
20-metre falls; best after rain, car park fills by midday.
Ross Castle
The tower house on the lake; guided tours only in season.
Ladies View
The great viewpoint over the Killarney lakes; a Ring-drive stop.
Kenmare
The food town; the Saturday market and the dinner base.
Derrynane House
O'Connell's house and the Blue Flag beach; the south-coast half-day.
Where to stay in Ring of Kerry
Killarney
a first trip
The hub: the park, the pubs, the Gap and Ross Castle minutes away.
Kenmare
food and quiet
The prettiest town and the dinner capital; smaller and calmer.
Think twice about
- Tralee for the Ring
The county town, not the Ring; the loop starts 30 minutes south.
- A different town every night
The Ring is a loop; two bases cover it, moving nightly wastes the driving.
- Cahersiveen or Waterville without a plan
Pleasant stops, but thin hotel and restaurant choice.
Best restaurants in Ring of Kerry
No 35
Kenmare's destination restaurant; the special-occasion dinner.
The Boathouse Bistro
Waterside seafood and grill at Dromquinna Manor.
Jacks' Coastguard Restaurant
The Cromane seafood shack; the locals' lunch.
Kitty O'Se's
Traditional pub, live sessions, the fire lit; the real night out.
Bricín
Boxty and Irish classics in a cosy room.
Quinlan and Cooke
Day-boat fish; the town's best fish dinner.
Outdoor things to do in Ring of Kerry
Gap of Dunloe
Walk, cycle or trap the mountain pass; go early.
Carrauntoohil
Ireland's highest via the Devil's Ladder; 6 to 7 hours.
Torc Mountain
The manageable Killarney hill walk; lake views from the top.
Kerry Way
The waymarked long trail; the Black Valley day is the wildest.
Derrynane Beach
Blue Flag beach and dune walk; swimmable in summer.
Best hotels in Ring of Kerry
The Ross Hotel
Boutique town-centre hotel; the style pick.
The Killarney Park
Family-run luxury by the park gates.
The Europe Hotel and Resort
Lakeside resort with spa; the splurge.
Great Southern Killarney
The grand railway hotel in the town centre.
Park Hotel Kenmare
The Relais and Châteaux house; the luxury pick.
Dromquinna Manor
The manor on the river with the Boathouse Bistro.
Is Ring of Kerry expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €60 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €150 a person |
| Splurge | €380 a person |
| No limits | €750 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Skellig Michael: months ahead
- Ross Castle: a few days ahead
- The Ross Hotel: weeks ahead
- The Killarney Park: weeks ahead
- The Europe Hotel and Resort: weeks ahead
- Great Southern Killarney: weeks ahead
- Park Hotel Kenmare: weeks ahead
- Dromquinna Manor: weeks ahead
- Skellig Michael landing boats: months ahead in summer.
- No 35 and the Boathouse Bistro: days to weeks ahead.
- Ross Castle tours and August accommodation: ahead.
Is Ring of Kerry safe?
- Narrow N70 with coaches; pull over. Unfenced sea cliffs. Skellig steps are steep; the crossing is rough. Emergency: 112 or 999.
Ring of Kerry travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Dinner-show 'traditional nights'; the pub sessions are the real thing.
- Coach-tour souvenir shops; buy at Kenmare's market.
- Driving the Ring anti-clockwise behind the coaches.
Getting around Ring of Kerry: public transport and more
- A car is essential; drive the Ring clockwise from Killarney.
- Without a car: Killarney works with tour pickups; Kenmare does not.
- Skellig boats are weather-dependent; build a spare day.
Who Ring of Kerry suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Ring of Kerry your trip
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