# Road trips in Ireland

> 14 road trips and 44 hand-picked places in Ireland, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/ireland/

14 road trips and 44 hand-picked places in Ireland, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

## Road trips through Ireland

- [The Wild Atlantic Way: Clare to Kerry](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/wild-atlantic/): Sea cliffs, music pubs and the Slea Head loop. Drive on the left.
- [Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/ring-of-kerry/): Lakes, bogs and Atlantic headlands around the Iveragh peninsula.
- [Connemara: bogs, the Sky Road and Kylemore](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-connemara/): West from Galway through bogs and lakes to Roundstone and Clifden, the Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey and the fjord at Killary.
- [Ring of Beara and the Healy Pass](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-beara/): The quieter neighbour of the Ring of Kerry: a tunnel pass, fishing harbours, a cable car to Dursey and the zigzags of the Healy Pass.
- [Donegal: Slieve League to Fanad Head](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-donegal-highlands/): Some of Europe’s highest sea cliffs, Gaelic-speaking valleys, a mountain pass, Glenveagh National Park and the lighthouse at Fanad Head.
- [Sligo: Yeats Country and ancient tombs](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-sligo-yeats/): Megalithic tombs at Carrowmore, the cairn on Knocknarea, a waterfall from a Yeats poem and his grave below Benbulben.
- [Wicklow Mountains: the Military Road to Glendalough](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-wicklow-mountains/): The garden of Ireland just south of Dublin: a high waterfall, the bogs of the Sally Gap, Lough Tay and the monastic valley of Glendalough.
- [Boyne Valley: Tara, Trim and Newgrange](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-boyne-valley/): Five thousand years of Irish history within an hour of Dublin: the hill of the High Kings, a Norman castle, Newgrange and a carved high cross.
- [Waterford’s Copper Coast and the Comeraghs](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-copper-coast/): Viking Waterford, the coves and mine ruins of a UNESCO geopark, a mountain waterfall, Ardmore’s round tower and a castle on the Blackwater.
- [The Burren and Loop Head on the Wild Atlantic Way](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b15-burren-loop-head/): From Galway round the limestone Burren to Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher, then south to Kilkee and the lighthouse at Loop Head.
- [West Cork: Kinsale to Mizen Head](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b15-west-cork/): Harbour towns, stone circles and headlands of West Cork, from Kinsale and Baltimore to Ireland’s south-western tip at Mizen Head.
- [Mayo: Croagh Patrick, Achill Island and Céide Fields](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b15-mayo-achill/): The wild Mayo coast, from Doo Lough and Ireland’s holy mountain to Westport, Achill’s Keem Bay and the ancient fields at Céide.
- [Ireland’s Ancient East: Kilkenny, Jerpoint and the Rock of Cashel](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b15-kilkenny-cashel/): Medieval Ireland between Dublin and Cork: Kilkenny’s castle and lanes, Jerpoint Abbey, the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle.
- [Strangford Lough and the Mourne Mountains](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b15-mournes-strangford/): Down the Ards Peninsula, across Strangford Lough by ferry, then to Newcastle and the Mournes, finishing over the border in Carlingford.

## Places worth the detour in Ireland

- [Cliffs of Moher](https://camping-spirit.com/places/moher/): Cliffs rising 214 m above the Atlantic on the Wild Atlantic Way.
- [Skellig Ring](https://camping-spirit.com/places/skellig-ring/): A narrow loop off the Ring of Kerry with views of the Skellig islands. Boats to Skellig Michael leave from Portmagee.
- [Sky Road](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-sky-road/): A loop of about 11 km west of Clifden along a high ridge above the Atlantic islands. Stop at the upper viewpoint car park, especially at sunset.
- [Connemara National Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-connemara-np/): Bog, heath and mountains around the visitor centre at Letterfrack. The Diamond Hill loop is a rewarding climb of two to three hours.
- [Kylemore Abbey](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-kylemore-abbey/): A Victorian castle on a lake below wooded mountains, now home to Benedictine nuns, with a restored walled garden.
- [Healy Pass](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-healy-pass/): A road of tight zigzags over the Caha Mountains, begun as famine relief work in the 1840s, with views over both Bantry Bay and the Kenmare River.
- [Slieve League cliffs](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-slieve-league/): Some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe, rising about 600 m from the Atlantic. From the visitor centre, walk or take the shuttle up to the Bunglass viewpoint.
- [Glenveagh Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-glenveagh-castle/): A 19th-century castle and gardens on Lough Veagh in Glenveagh National Park. Park at the visitor centre and walk or take the shuttle bus along the lake.
- [Fanad Head lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-fanad-head/): A white lighthouse on the rocks between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay. The view from the road above is the classic photo.
- [Carrowmore](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-carrowmore/): One of Ireland’s largest megalithic cemeteries, with dozens of stone circles and passage tombs scattered across fields below Knocknarea.
- [Knocknarea](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-knocknarea/): A flat-topped hill crowned by a vast unopened cairn said to be the grave of Queen Maeve. The path up takes about 45 minutes.
- [Lough Tay](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-lough-tay/): A dark lake with a pale beach below steep slopes, on a private estate. The view from the roadside on the R759 is the one everyone photographs.
- [Glendalough](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-glendalough/): An early medieval monastic site with a round tower, set in a glacial valley with two lakes. Arrive early: the car parks fill on fine weekends.
- [Trim Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-trim-castle/): The largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, a massive keep inside curtain walls on the river Boyne.
- [Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-newgrange/): A passage tomb built around 3200 BC, older than Stonehenge, whose chamber is lit by the rising sun at the winter solstice. Visits start at the Brú na Bóinne visitor centre, by shuttle bus only.
- [Ardmore round tower](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-ardmore/): A 12th-century round tower and ruined cathedral above a seaside village linked to St Declan. A cliff walk of about 4 km starts nearby.
- [Poulnabrone Dolmen](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-poulnabrone/): A portal tomb more than 5,000 years old, standing on the bare limestone pavement of the Burren. It lies beside the R480 south of Ballyvaughan with a free car park; keep to the path around the stones.
- [Loop Head Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-loop-head/): The lighthouse at the tip of the Loop Head peninsula, with sea cliffs, a sea stack and dolphins often seen offshore. Tours up the tower run in summer; the road beyond Kilbaha is narrow but quiet.
- [Mizen Head Signal Station](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-mizen-head/): A former fog signal station on a rocky tip reached by a footbridge over a chasm, at Ireland’s most south-westerly point. The visitor centre charges entry; the road from Goleen is narrow in places.
- [Croagh Patrick](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-croagh-patrick/): Ireland’s holy mountain, 764 m high, climbed by thousands of pilgrims on the last Sunday of July. The rough path from the Murrisk car park takes three to four hours up and down; wear boots and start early.
- [Keem Bay](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-keem-bay/): A sheltered horseshoe beach at the western end of Achill Island, below the cliffs of Croaghaun. The final road from Dooagh is narrow and runs high above the sea, and the car park at the bottom is small.
- [Kilkenny Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-kilkenny-castle/): A Norman castle rebuilt as the Butler family’s stately home above the River Nore. The parkland is free and the restored rooms can be visited for a fee; park in the town car parks and walk.
- [Rock of Cashel](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-rock-of-cashel/): The seat of the kings of Munster, crowned by a round tower, a Romanesque chapel and a roofless Gothic cathedral. There is an entry fee; use the pay car park below the rock and walk up the short lane.
- [Slea Head Drive](https://camping-spirit.com/places/slea-head/): A loop around the Dingle peninsula past stone beehive huts, with views to the Blasket Islands. Drive it clockwise.
- [Dursey Sound](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-dursey-sound/): The tip of the Beara peninsula, where Ireland’s only cable car crosses a narrow sound to Dursey Island. It has had long closures for repairs, so check before you rely on it.
- [Glengesh Pass](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-glengesh-pass/): A glacial valley crossed by a road of hairpin bends between Glencolumbkille and Ardara. Stop at the viewpoint at the top.
- [Horn Head](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-horn-head/): A narrow loop road over a high headland north of Dunfanaghy, with sheer cliffs and seabirds. Not suited to large motorhomes.
- [Glencar Waterfall](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-glencar-waterfall/): A waterfall in a wooded glen beside Glencar Lough, celebrated in a poem by W. B. Yeats. It is a short walk from the car park and best after rain.
- [Drumcliff churchyard](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-drumcliff/): The grave of W. B. Yeats below the profile of Benbulben, with a carved high cross and a round tower stump nearby.
- [Powerscourt Waterfall](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-powerscourt-waterfall/): Ireland’s highest waterfall, about 120 m, in a wooded estate park. It has its own entrance several kilometres from Powerscourt House.
- [Sally Gap](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-sally-gap/): A lonely crossroads on the Military Road amid open blanket bog, the highest part of the drive through the Wicklow Mountains.
- [Hill of Tara](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-hill-of-tara/): The ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland, a grassy hill of earthworks with the standing stone of the Lia Fáil and views over the plains of Meath.
- [Monasterboice](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-monasterboice/): A small monastic site with a round tower and Muiredach’s High Cross, one of the finest carved crosses in Ireland. Free to visit.
- [Copper Coast Geopark](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-copper-coast-geopark/): A UNESCO geopark of coves, sea stacks and ruined 19th-century copper mine buildings along the R675. The visitor centre in Bunmahon explains the geology.
- [Mahon Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b6-mahon-falls/): A waterfall tumbling from a corrie in the Comeragh Mountains, about 20 minutes’ walk from the car park at the end of the road.
- [Dunguaire Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-dunguaire-castle/): A 16th-century tower house on a rock at the edge of Kinvara Bay, one of the most photographed castles on the west coast. Park in the lay-by on the N67 or walk the few minutes from the village.
- [Charles Fort](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-charles-fort/): A star-shaped fort from the late 17th century guarding Kinsale Harbour, run by the Office of Public Works. Drive or walk the coast road from Kinsale through Scilly; parking is limited for large vehicles.
- [Drombeg Stone Circle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-drombeg/): A stone circle, built of 17 stones of which 13 survive, on a terrace above the sea near Glandore, aligned on the midwinter sunset. Entry is free; the lane off the R597 is narrow and the car park small, so larger vans should take care.
- [Baltimore Beacon](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-baltimore-beacon/): A white-painted stone beacon on the cliffs at the entrance to Baltimore Harbour, with views over to Sherkin Island. It is a short drive or a 20-minute walk from the village; the last stretch of road is narrow.
- [Doo Lough Valley](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b15-doo-lough/): A dark lake between steep bare mountains on the R335, with a stone cross remembering the famine walkers of 1849. Pull-ins along the road serve for photos; the road is quiet but narrow.

## FAQs

**What are the best road trips in Ireland?**
Popular routes include The Wild Atlantic Way: Clare to Kerry, Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring, Connemara: bogs, the Sky Road and Kylemore and Ring of Beara and the Healy Pass. CampingSpirit has 14 trip guides that pass through Ireland, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map.

**Which places in Ireland are worth a detour?**
Our editors recommend Cliffs of Moher, Skellig Ring, Sky Road, Connemara National Park, Kylemore Abbey and Healy Pass.

**Do you need a vignette or pay tolls in Ireland?**
Tolls on some roads, bridges or tunnels. Drive on the left. Barrier-free toll on the M50 around Dublin. Rules and prices change. Check official sources before you travel.

**What is the motorway speed limit in Ireland?**
120 km/h on motorways for cars, unless signs show otherwise.

**Are there low-emission zones in Ireland?**
Few or none.