IRL Day 5 Ring of Kerry Tour
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RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 26-03-2025
Route Summary The routes take you past the most beautiful towns, villages, sights and wonders of nature.
All routes include waypoints for hotels, restaurants and POIs. The population is very friendly and hospitable, in every village there are several pubs and restaurants where you can enjoy the Irish cuisine.
Several (historical) sights are included in the routes and we try to avoid highways.
This itinerary covers the fifth day with a beautiful circular drive, known as the “Ring of Kerry”, with visits to beautiful sights.
This route has a 5 star rating.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
8h 56m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
202.75 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review It is a popular tourist route along the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula, so expect heavy traffic.
The Ring of Kerry is a beautiful route with many bends, hills, beautiful views and many historical sights. So there are also many points to stop. So prepare well and make a list of the points you want to visit and adjust the route with extra route points if necessary. The links in this review provide information to fill your tour with stops and interesting sights.
From the hotel in Killarney we drive to Cahersiveen, where you can visit “The Old Barracks”, an unusual building on a raised site near the bridge over the River Fertha. It is home to a permanent exhibition that tells the remarkable history of the building and the local area.
The building was built between 1870 and 1875 as a police station for the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Why such an imposing building?
Following the Fenian Rebellion of 1867, the authorities wanted to protect the transatlantic telegraph cable, a valuable piece of infrastructure that terminated on Valentia Island. This resulted in the design of a large military-style building and its construction on a site overlooking the bay and Valentia Island. Following extensive restoration initiated by the community in the 1990s, the building now houses an interactive exhibition over three floors and an escape room experience.
The next stop is at Renard Point where we took the ferry to Valentia Island. The ferry from April to October costs €5 for a single journey and takes about 5-10 minutes. On Valentia Island we visit the Skellig Visitor Center. It has been a famous landmark in Valentia for over 25 years and the surroundings are spectacular.
The Visitor Centre is dedicated to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Skellig Michael and brings the magic and mystery of these famous rocks to you through images, film presentation, models, exhibits, reconstructions and the sounds of seabirds and ship-to-shore communication by the lighthouse keeper.
We leave the island via the bridge to Portmagnee, where we enjoy a delicious lunch in one of the pubs or restaurants. Little Skellig and Skellig Michael, the islands where the last Star Wars film was filmed, can be visited by ferry from Portmagnee, a must for the die-hard Star Wars fans, but then plan an extra day and overnight stay in one of the hotels in Portmagnee.
After lunch we drove the “Skellig Ring”, this is without a doubt the most beautiful part of the Ring of Kerry. Along the route you have several points where you have a beautiful view of Little Skellig and Skellig Michael.
We continue our route to Ballingskellig Beach, worth stopping to take photos of the bay, the beach and Ballingskellig Castle (McCarthy Mór Castle), built in the 16th century by MacCarthy Mors to protect the town from pirates.
The route to Sneem runs along the rugged Irish coast with beautiful views over the mountains and the sea. Take your time to stop regularly to enjoy and take photos. After about 2 to 2½ hours of driving we arrive at Moll's Gap.
The mighty Moll's Gap in Killarney is a narrow mountain pass situated along the Ring of Kerry. The breathtaking views during the drive over the mountains make this a must. You have views of the MacGillycuddy's mountain range and is a popular tourist location.
The rocks at Moll's Gap are formed from Old Red Sandstone, small quartz grains that were deposited over 350 million years ago. Unlike most of the Old Red Sandstone around Killarney which is coloured red by iron oxide, the rocks at Moll's Gap are coloured green by chlorite.
Moll's Gap is named after Moll Kissane, who ran a shebeen (an unlicensed public house) in the 1820s while the road was being built. Breathtaking mountain views make this a must-see. Be sure to stop at Ladies View for photos. This is one of the most beautiful panoramas in Ireland. In Killarney, Ross Castle on Ross Island is the last attraction we visit on this beautiful trip.
We stay overnight in the same hotel in Killarny.
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Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Munster
About this region
Munster (Irish: an Mhumhain [ə ˈwuːnʲ] or Cúige Mumhan [ˌkuːɟə ˈmˠuːnˠ]) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (Irish: rí ruirech). Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has seen further sub-division of the historic counties.
Munster has no official function for local government purposes. For the purposes of the ISO, the province is listed as one of the provincial sub-divisions of the State (ISO 3166-2:IE) and coded as "IE-M". Geographically, Munster covers a total area of 24,675 km2 (9,527 sq mi) and has a population of 1,280,020, with the most populated city being Cork. Other significant urban centres in the province include Limerick and Waterford.
Read more on Wikipedia
Munster has no official function for local government purposes. For the purposes of the ISO, the province is listed as one of the provincial sub-divisions of the State (ISO 3166-2:IE) and coded as "IE-M". Geographically, Munster covers a total area of 24,675 km2 (9,527 sq mi) and has a population of 1,280,020, with the most populated city being Cork. Other significant urban centres in the province include Limerick and Waterford.
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Route Collections in this region Complete tour of Ireland
Ireland is a beautiful country to drive. This collection contains 10 connecting routes that take you past the most beautiful, cities, villages, sights and wonders of nature.
All routes include reviews, route points for hotels, restaurants and POI.
The Irish population is very friendly and hospitable, in every village there are several pubs and restaurants where you can enjoy Irish cuisine.
There are several (historical) sights included in the routes, here is a summary overview per route, in the reviews of the routes you will find more details.
IRL1; Belvedere House & Garden Parks, Charleville Castle and the Ruins of Clonmacnoise
IRL2; Sky Road, Connemara Natural Park and Kylemoore Abbey.
IRL3; The Burren, the peninsulas Lettermore, Tiermee and Teach Mor, Blackhead and the Cliffs of Moher.
IRL4; Bunratty Castle, Folk Park and King Johns Castle.
IRL5; Ring of Kerry and Skellig Ring, this is without a doubt the most beautiful part of the Ring of Kerry. With a beautiful view of Little Skellig and Skellig Michael, the islands where the latest Star Wars film was shot.
IRL6; Ring of Beare, Glenngariff Woods Nature Reserve and one of the most beautiful panoramas in Ireland: "Ladies View".
IRL7; Killarney National Park with Molls Gap, Ladies View, the Healy Pass and Priest's Leap (very narrow winding route with partly very bad road surface) and Mizen Head.
IRL8; Blarney Castle, Cahir Castle, Killkenny Castle and Saint Canice's Cathedral.
IRL9; Dunmore Caves, SS Dunbrody Irish Emigrants ship, the ruins of Dunbrody Abbey and Garden and Kilkenny Castle.
IRL10; the ruins of the Black Castle, The Altamont Gardens, Powerscourt Gardens and Waterfall and St. Patricks Cathedral.
The routes are mainly country roads, often with beautiful curves, but sometimes very narrow or of poor quality. Driving experience is required, partly because of driving on the left side of the road.
You drive through nature parks and pass such as the Healy Pass, Conner Pass, Priest's Leap and Molls Gap. Two beautiful routes are the famous Ring of Kerry (IRL5) and Ring of Beare (IRL6). These are long journeys with many beautiful things along the way, so staying overnight while on the road is highly recommended. It can also be very busy on these routes in the weekends.
The other two routes in this collection is The Wild Atlantic Way from North-South and from South to North. This route is a sensational journey past towering cliffs and lively villages and towns, past hidden beaches and beautiful bays. This route follows the West Coast and you do multiple places from the other routes. The review of the route contains more details and for even more information I refer to https://www.wildatlanticway.com/home
All routes in this collection are all beautiful and challenging and can be driven by car or motorcycle.
Have fun with these routes.
All routes include reviews, route points for hotels, restaurants and POI.
The Irish population is very friendly and hospitable, in every village there are several pubs and restaurants where you can enjoy Irish cuisine.
There are several (historical) sights included in the routes, here is a summary overview per route, in the reviews of the routes you will find more details.
IRL1; Belvedere House & Garden Parks, Charleville Castle and the Ruins of Clonmacnoise
IRL2; Sky Road, Connemara Natural Park and Kylemoore Abbey.
IRL3; The Burren, the peninsulas Lettermore, Tiermee and Teach Mor, Blackhead and the Cliffs of Moher.
IRL4; Bunratty Castle, Folk Park and King Johns Castle.
IRL5; Ring of Kerry and Skellig Ring, this is without a doubt the most beautiful part of the Ring of Kerry. With a beautiful view of Little Skellig and Skellig Michael, the islands where the latest Star Wars film was shot.
IRL6; Ring of Beare, Glenngariff Woods Nature Reserve and one of the most beautiful panoramas in Ireland: "Ladies View".
IRL7; Killarney National Park with Molls Gap, Ladies View, the Healy Pass and Priest's Leap (very narrow winding route with partly very bad road surface) and Mizen Head.
IRL8; Blarney Castle, Cahir Castle, Killkenny Castle and Saint Canice's Cathedral.
IRL9; Dunmore Caves, SS Dunbrody Irish Emigrants ship, the ruins of Dunbrody Abbey and Garden and Kilkenny Castle.
IRL10; the ruins of the Black Castle, The Altamont Gardens, Powerscourt Gardens and Waterfall and St. Patricks Cathedral.
The routes are mainly country roads, often with beautiful curves, but sometimes very narrow or of poor quality. Driving experience is required, partly because of driving on the left side of the road.
You drive through nature parks and pass such as the Healy Pass, Conner Pass, Priest's Leap and Molls Gap. Two beautiful routes are the famous Ring of Kerry (IRL5) and Ring of Beare (IRL6). These are long journeys with many beautiful things along the way, so staying overnight while on the road is highly recommended. It can also be very busy on these routes in the weekends.
The other two routes in this collection is The Wild Atlantic Way from North-South and from South to North. This route is a sensational journey past towering cliffs and lively villages and towns, past hidden beaches and beautiful bays. This route follows the West Coast and you do multiple places from the other routes. The review of the route contains more details and for even more information I refer to https://www.wildatlanticway.com/home
All routes in this collection are all beautiful and challenging and can be driven by car or motorcycle.
Have fun with these routes.
View Route Collection
7 Beautiful Routes Through Ireland
"7 beautiful routes through Ireland"
You may have seen one of these routes before. There are seven routes driven and created in 2024. The routes are part of a 7-day trip through Ireland. You drive through landscapes that are very diverse. Especially the roads along the coast are breathtaking.
The roads are from reasonable to good, but you also drive on roads that are less maintained and there can be some gravel on the roads here and there. Also, grass often grows in the middle of the roads, so caution is required.
These are generally beautiful routes through a beautiful country. The routes are connecting and go along the west coast. The route starts in Belfast and ends in Rosslare.
The collection contains the following routes:
Day 1 Belfast to Carrick on Shannon via Enniskillen Castle (265 Km)
Day 2 from Carrick on Shannon to Cleggan towards the Wild Atlantic Way (216 Km)
Day 3 from Cleggan to Shannon via The Cliffs of Moher (254 Km)
Day 4 from Shannon to Waterville via the Kerry Cliffs (304 Km)
Day 5 Waterville to Inchigeelagh via Dursey Island Cableway (256 Km)
Day 6 of Inchigeelagh via Mizen Head Tour (214 Km)
Day 7 Inchigeelagh to Rosslare via Hookhead Lighthouse (307 Km)
All routes have been checked and made equal for Tomtom, Garmin, open streetmaps and MyRoute-App Navigation. The routes follow the original route as it was made at the time.
Have fun driving one of these routes. Enjoy all the beauty that Ireland has to offer.
You may have seen one of these routes before. There are seven routes driven and created in 2024. The routes are part of a 7-day trip through Ireland. You drive through landscapes that are very diverse. Especially the roads along the coast are breathtaking.
The roads are from reasonable to good, but you also drive on roads that are less maintained and there can be some gravel on the roads here and there. Also, grass often grows in the middle of the roads, so caution is required.
These are generally beautiful routes through a beautiful country. The routes are connecting and go along the west coast. The route starts in Belfast and ends in Rosslare.
The collection contains the following routes:
Day 1 Belfast to Carrick on Shannon via Enniskillen Castle (265 Km)
Day 2 from Carrick on Shannon to Cleggan towards the Wild Atlantic Way (216 Km)
Day 3 from Cleggan to Shannon via The Cliffs of Moher (254 Km)
Day 4 from Shannon to Waterville via the Kerry Cliffs (304 Km)
Day 5 Waterville to Inchigeelagh via Dursey Island Cableway (256 Km)
Day 6 of Inchigeelagh via Mizen Head Tour (214 Km)
Day 7 Inchigeelagh to Rosslare via Hookhead Lighthouse (307 Km)
All routes have been checked and made equal for Tomtom, Garmin, open streetmaps and MyRoute-App Navigation. The routes follow the original route as it was made at the time.
Have fun driving one of these routes. Enjoy all the beauty that Ireland has to offer.
View Route Collection