When my daughter and I decided to travel to Ireland alone, we decided to stay in the heart of Dublin. A wide variety of day tours leave Dublin on any given day. The hard part was narrowing down what exactly we wanted to do with our six days in Ireland and the best places to visit in Ireland.
After all, there’s no guarantee we will be there again, so I felt the pull to do as much as we could while we were there. We went north and we went south and we explored Dublin in between.
Now, full disclosure–we aren’t drinkers–so this list will not include any pubs etc. It will include the places we explored and loved. If you are planning a trip to Ireland these are the places worth seeing, the best places to visit in Ireland.
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The Wild Atlantic Way
Travel the Wild Atlantic Way to see breathtakingly beautiful views of the coast. The rugged coastal scenery moved me even after living in a coastal state for most of my life. The Wild Atlantic Way is a winding route on Ireland’s Western coast that stretches for 1600 miles. The terrain is rugged, a constant mixture of the greenest grass you can imagine and rock.
We took a tour bus from Dublin. It was a long ride but beautiful. I would recommend driving or hiking this yourself over taking a tour bus. We were very restricted on time since we were part of a group and had a destination. If I go back to Ireland I would take this slower and make sure that I was able to spend ample time enjoying the beauty.
Along the Wild Atlantic Way, you will see the Burren– a mass of rocky limestone along the Wild Atlantic Way. It’s a mountain of rock that despite being rock is stunning and draws you in.
Cliffs of Moher
Maybe Ireland’s most beautiful landmark. That’s just my opinion but from the time I started researching Ireland for our trip, I knew I wanted to go here. This is one of the best places to visit in Ireland. Beautiful green cliffs against the dark blue of the ocean. It’s what a romantic’s dreams are made of.
This area is set up very nicely and very well maintained. There is a visitor center that you can walk through to learn more about the cliffs, as well as some little shops. As we climbed up the hill towards the cliffs there were several musicians playing traditional Irish music.
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You are able to walk along the cliffs and look out. The views from the top of the cliffs are magnificent. There are also some stairs and when you walk to the top you are able to see caves among the cliffs that might have been used by pirates or smugglers throughout history.
There is some fencing that goes part way along to keep people from getting too close to the edge, but it doesn’t obstruct the views. Apparently, it’s not uncommon to have someone disobey the warning signs and get too close and fall off the edge. A little common sense will keep you safely on the top.
Unfortunately, we only had an hour and a half here which was not nearly long enough. I would recommend at least a few hours and I myself would plan a half day for this if I was going to do it again. You do have to be able to walk uphill and have sure footing.
County Wicklow and the Wicklow Mountains
This was my favorite trip while in Ireland. It was….. magical. When most people think of Ireland an image of sheep and old stone walls pops into their head. This county is why. Its emerald rolling hills are covered in sheep that have no apparent boundary, and it’s truly beautiful.
Our tour stopped at the ruins of an old monastery, and while we were there we could walk through a trail in the woods to a lake. On the way here our Irish Guide told us stories of faeries that live in these woods. The beauty of the woods is so ethereal that it’s easy to see why generations have believed in magical inhabitants in the woods. This is truely one of the best places to visit in Ireland.
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The Wicklow Mountains
Kilkenny
Ireland is full of charming towns but we really enjoyed exploring this medieval town and learning some of its fascinating and funny stories. The town is quiet and quaint, and although it’s considered a “city” it certainly feels like a town.
The highlight of the day was visiting Kilkenny Castle. This large castle is beautiful to explore on the inside as well as outside. It’s a medeaval castle but it’s interior is mostly Victorian in style.
As it got later in the afternoon we noticed that most of the schoolchildren getting out of school came to meet on the green outside of the castle. Slowly it filled up until is was full of children, teens, and families playing or sitting and enjoying the fresh air together. It was a beautiful picture of how a community should function.
There was a tent outside of the castle where tea, cake, and ice cream could be purchased. It was a picturesque day and we enjoyed it immensely.
Howth
According to our tour guide, this is pronounced “Hote” with a long and very Irish “o”. My daughter still laughs at me when I try to pronounce it. This coastal town is a gem not to be missed.
From its sea views at the top, to its line of restaurants selling fish and chips to all hungry tourists along the pier, this is an absolutely lovely way to spend a day in Ireland. I’m told you can often see seals in the harbor although we did not see any the day we were there.
We found everything about this little picturesque town by the sea enchanting.
Best places to visit inside of Dublin
There are some nice places to visit inside of Dublin as well as out. Below are some of the places we toured that I really enjoyed and would recommend.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This Cathedral is just beautiful. It has a multitude of beautifully crafted stained glass windows. The architecture is stunning and you feel like you’ve gone back in time as you walk through its hallowed halls.
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Christ’s Church Cathedral. Originally built by Vikings over 1000 years ago, this medieval church is one of the oldest cathedrals in Ireland. It also has an actual crypt beneath it that you are able to visit. The cathedral and crypt have a lot of history and anyone who finds history interesting will enjoy a visit here.
Two of the most fascinating things in Christ’s Church Cathedral are the heart of St. Laurence O’Toole (yes, an actual heart) and a mummified cat and rat that apparently were playing a game of chase when they got stuck inside of the organ and passed on. They were preserved in a mummy-like state and now share a display in the crypt.
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Dublinia is a museum that teaches about the Medieval history of the Vikings who founded Dublin. It’s a rich history lesson compressed into an hour as you walk through its living history exhibits, visit a medieval tower, and travel back in time–metaphorically speaking.
Dublin Castle in the heart of Dublin is an expansive castle that was originally built in the 13th century. Despite it being a functioning government building today you are able to tour a section of the castle. It’s ornately decorated rooms are beautiful and it’s definitely worth a visit.
Trinity College and the Book of Kells
Trinity College has a beautiful campus you can stroll around at your leisure or book a tour with a friendly campus tour guide. We opted out of an actual tour and just walked the campus ourselves.
Although the campus at Trinity is lovely, the real reason for my visit was to see The Book of Kells. Trinity College has what is referred to as “the old library.” The Old Library has what is called the Long Room. In this room, over 200,000 old books are stored. If any of you love books as I do you will understand how excited I was to see this. Unfortunately, the Long Room is undergoing a massive renovation and they have removed most of the books from the shelves. Even so, it was interesting to visit and imagine what it would have been like had it been full.
The Book of Kells is the real draw to the Old Library. The Book of Kells contains four of the Gospels from the Christian Bible and was copied by Scottish and Irish monks around the year 800. It’s printed on calf skin vellum and is richly illustrated with color and design. It’s kept inside of a glass display case in a temperature-controlled room.
Best Places to Visit in Ireland
Ireland is full of charming small towns, historical castles and cathedrals, and breathtaking scenery. It’s the woods and mountains that I felt held the greatest allure and I think that renting a car and being able to spend unlimited time exploring would make a visit to Ireland all the better. We loved our time there and if you happen to be taking a trip I hope that you will check out some of these best places to visit in Ireland.
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