Ireland’s West Coast Road Trip with Kids
Let me save you some time – if you’re debating whether you want to travel to Ireland with kids, the answer should be yes. Ireland is an incredible country to explore with a family. Featuring some of the most incredible landscapes, the friendliest people and a truly beautiful culture, Ireland is a special place.
Personally, I think the West Coast is the highlight of it all. A west coast road trip with kids is the perfect way to explore Ireland.
Our family (3 kids aged 3, 5 & 7, 2 parents and 2 grandparents) decided on this one week itinerary to balance seeing as much of the west coast as we could without spending too much time in the car and allowing for time to truly explore each area. Take it and add on days, stops and locations as you see fit and as your group allows.
How to get there:
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Flights into Dublin are plentiful from the U.S. and Europe. We love to use Kayak to look for best flight prices and times.
From Dublin airport you’ll want to rent a car – remember that they drive on the left in Ireland, so be prepared if you come from a right-side-of-the-road country. We rented this 9 passenger van for our large group – a beast, but plenty of room for people and luggage if you need the size.
One-week Itinerary:
Day 1: Fly into Dublin and travel to first location
The drive from Dublin to the West Coast takes between 3-4 hours, depending on your first stop, so it’s a big first day of travel. But, waking up the next day in this beautiful area will make it well worth it. We also find that it’s a good fit for our kids to pack in as much of the travel on the first day, when they’re fresh, as we can. When they’re excited, the 3 hours in the car right after the flight goes a lot more smoothly.
Days 2-3: County Mayo
County Mayo seems to fly a little bit under the radar, but this was our logical first stop once we found an incredible house in the small town of Tourmakeady. Looking down at Lough Mask, surrounded by farming country, this was a lovely place for our kids. We always try to leave our first morning for exploring our immediate surroundings, be it a village or countryside. Choose a home that fits your family’s desires and use this as your jumping off point.
The Tourmakeady Waterfall hike was a perfect first day activity for us, especially with the beautiful colors of the trees in October. There are many other options for hiking in the area, especially around the lake.
Pair a long hike with a bite to eat at Maire Luke’s, a lovely establishment serving up Irish classics, and an exploration of one of the many abbeys in the area. We liked the Inishmaine Abbey ruins for a quick and easy explore.
The village of Cong is a great half day trip. It was the filming location for the classic John Wayne movie The Quiet Man so it was a must stop for my dad. There’s a great pub, Pat Cohan’s Gastro Pub, made famous by the movie, in village center that’s worthy of a stop.
After enjoying your Guinness, head to the Cong Abbey, checking out the ruins and then following the trails back into the forest to see the Monk’s fishing hut and walk for a bit in the beautiful woods.
Day 4: County Galway
Connemara National Park is the logical first stop on your way from Mayo to Galway. We actually did Connemara as a day trip while staying in County Mayo, just because we loved our house in Mayo so much, so keep in mind that you don’t HAVE to move accommodations every night. Sometimes with a family blend, it’s easier to go out in a radius and return to the same place for a few days before packing it all up and moving again.
Connemara is a gorgeous landscape with ample hiking and exploring opportunities. Our kids loved the Diamond Hill hike and spotting animals along the way. It’s good to go prepared with rain gear, as the weather in Ireland is incredibly dynamic and we got a lot of mist in Connemara.
After hiking, enjoy a picnic and play time on the beautiful Renvyle Beach, close by and gorgeous.
Kylemore Abbey offers a paid tour, or you can explore the grounds for free and skip the tour. Make sure to walk the grounds to discover some of the Abbey’s coolest features.
Galway is one of the more well-known towns on the west coast of Ireland and is absolutely worth a stop for the evening. Pubs and good feelings abound.
Day 5: County Clare
If you’re choosing only two locations for renting a place, I’d start north in County Mayo, then move to County Kerry, using the travel day to explore County Clare, the in-between county.
County Clare boasts some incredible nature and really special towns. You’ll have a full day on your hands, but you’ll love it.
The Cliffs of Moher are one of the most famous sites in Ireland, and you’ll feel that as soon as you approach the parking areas to view the cliffs. A part of the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark, there will be PEOPLE here, but honestly, some things are worth it. While it’s free to walk up and view the cliffs, if you’re parking in the car park and accessing the visitors center, there will be a fee.
It’s well worth it to walk the trail along the cliff up to the South view point. It’s a long trail and often WINDY at the cliff edge, so come prepared with jackets.
Burren Geopark & National Park is an other-worldly place of rocky landscape and cliffs facing the ocean. We spent a few hours just scampering over rocks and enjoying the views close to the ocean. If you want additional hiking, check information for the shuttle bus that connects the cliffs to the interior of the park on the National Park website.
Doolin was the perfect place to stop after our morning at the cliffs. Famous for the live music that frequents its pubs, it’s colorful and surrounded by beauty. Stop for a pint and that classic pub food that you know and love by now.
Days 6-7: Dingle Peninsula/County Kerry
Our second base was located on the Dingle Peninsula, which is a part of County Kerry. It’s a beautiful area with incredible beaches and more sheep and pastoral views than you can imagine.
Inch Beach should be your first morning stop if the weather agrees. Take in the amazing views and walk to your hearts content on this massive beach. Our kids were so happy here and would have stayed for hours.
Dingle town is a great place to go for lunch, shopping or reloading on supplies. We spent post lunch hours just wandering around the village – it’s adorable.
Driving the Connor Pass is a must do if you want to stare open mouthed out the window. It’s just a gorgeous natural landscape. Stop along the way and explore or simply let your kids sleep in the car while you make your way to the other side of the peninsula.
We stopped at the beach at Ballyquin for another kid-friendly explore with the most unique reddish-purple sand and rocks for climbing. We then did some hiking along the cliffs at Ballydavid.
Minard Castle & Beach is a great last stop for the day, with an easy walking trail and more beaches to explore. This one is covered in giant rocks, so we stopped and snacked and enjoyed the views. The best way to travel with kids.
A note about hiking in Ireland: trails abound, but it does not follow the “Right to Roam” laws that exist in England and other European countries. Trails abound, so leave lots of time for wandering a few if you come across them.
Day 8: County Kerry
Driving east and away from Dingle, you’ll find Killarney National Park. More gorgeous nature and hiking here, with waterfalls, manor homes, abbeys and horse and carriages. We did the Torc Waterfall hike, walked around the Muckross house, the Muckross Abbey ruins and, at our kids request, sprung for a carriage ride back. It was expensive, but our carriage driver was so friendly and shared so much history of the park with us, so it was worth it.
Next, stop in the town of Killarney. Murphy’s Ice Cream is calling your name and you must go. We loved the Irish coffee & Irish brown bread flavors.
From here, you can choose to drive more of the Ring of Kerry, a famous scenic route through County Kerry, or head back and enjoy a chiller evening in your local town/area. We had heard the Ring of Kerry has fairly heavy traffic, so we chose to head home and soak in an Irish evening in Dingle.
Day 9: Dublin
We didn’t save much time for Dublin on our road trip, really just stopping there for a half day and one night to be able to access the airport without much stress. I wasn’t sad about that, because the sacrifice for the wild areas of the west coast was worth it. We happily strolled around the city on our one day, checking out the waterfront areas, Trinity College and as much of the city as we could manage on foot with kids on the back end of a week-long trip.
My Dublin suggestion is just to get out and walk and take in as much of the city as you can. Check out the Trinity College Book of Kells Experience or choose the combo ticket that adds on the Castle of Dublin. If your crew is walked out or you’re short on time, try the Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. Wrap up your day with a toast at one of Dublin’s many pubs. The Brazen Head, is Dublin’s oldest pub, but if it’s crowded, just go for your local option and enjoy.
Ireland Essentials:
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The weather in Ireland is dynamic – rain comes and goes faster than you can imagine. Good rain gear is essential if you don’t want to be held back.
A good rain jacket is essential. Temperatures are pretty mild, so I suggest something light to mid-weight with layers underneath unless you’re visiting in winter. I’ve had multiple versions of this jacket, while I’ll choose this for my kids. Rain pants are a great idea: for kids, women, & men.
We love a good boot that can double for hiking (when it’s more casual) and for style (aka it looks good with jeans), so both of our families love these boots for: little kids, big kids, adult men & adult women. When you’re hiking with kids and/or grandparents, this is as much as you’ll need.
This backpack would be great for a day of hiking. We also love this one. Both are water resistant if you happen to catch a quick shower.
Looking for things to do near Ireland? Check out our travels to:
