Photo by Gregory DALLEAU on Unsplash
The 6-day plan, rearranged for 5 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The oldest university in Ireland, founded in 1592, with cobbled squares and a Long Room library lined with old books. Go early, before the day groups arrive.
Go when Morning, before the day groups arrive.
Local tip The Long Room and the Book of Kells are the draw, and tickets are timed in busy months, so check ahead. The cobbled squares outside are free to walk and a good place to start.
A castle on the site of a Viking settlement, long the seat of English rule and now a place of state ceremony. Walk the courtyards and the gardens behind, which are quiet and free of traffic.
Go when Midday, between the college and the afternoon.
Local tip The gardens behind the castle are quiet and a good place to eat a picnic. Check ahead on state rooms, which close for official events.
Hearty soup with dark, nutty brown bread and butter, an everyday Irish lunch. Look for a small cafe near the castle.
Local tip Ask for the soup of the day, which is usually the freshest.
A grim prison from the 1790s where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and executed. The guided tour tells a hard but important chapter of the country's story. Book ahead.
Go when Afternoon, on a booked tour.
Local tip Tours are the only way in and fill up, so book before you travel. It is cold inside, so bring a layer even in summer.
A district of narrow cobbled lanes by the river, with pubs, small shops and live music. Lively and loud at night, and calmer on a weekday, so go for the atmosphere rather than a quiet drink.
Go when Early evening, before the weekend crowds (about 9:54 PM).
Local tip It is loud and busy on weekends and aimed at visitors. For a quieter pint with local people, walk a few streets away from the river.
Slow-cooked Irish stew of lamb and root vegetables, or beef and Guinness pie, in a warm pub. A classic first night.
Local tip Arrive before the evening music so you can still get a table.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
One of the largest walled city parks in Europe, with wide lawns, a herd of fallow deer and long straight avenues. A green start to the day, close to the road west.
Go when Morning, on the way out of the city.
Local tip The deer are often near the Furry Glen and the main avenue. Keep a respectful distance, and do not feed them.
A monastery founded in the sixth century on the bank of the River Shannon, with high crosses, round towers and ruined churches. A quiet pause in the middle of the drive across the island.
Go when Midday, as a break from the road.
Local tip Allow an hour or so to wander the crosses and ruins. Check ahead on opening and on the visitor center, and bring a layer for the wind off the river.
A fresh sandwich or a hot pie from a village shop, eaten at a picnic table by the river.
Local tip Small shops on the road close early, so buy lunch when you see one.
A remnant of Galway's medieval walls beside the River Corrib, where ships once unloaded. Sit on the grass nearby and watch the river meet the bay.
Go when Afternoon, as you arrive in the city.
Local tip The grass beside the arch is where students and locals sit when the sun is out. It is a gateway to the old quarter and the quays behind.
The seaside promenade on the edge of Galway, a long walk beside the bay. There is a local custom of touching the wall at the far end, and the sky over the bay is the draw at sunset.
Go when Evening, for the long light over the bay (about 9:54 PM).
Local tip Walk to the end of the promenade and touch the wall, as locals do. The wind off the bay can be sharp, so bring a layer.
Galway Bay is known for its oysters, eaten fresh with brown bread and a glass of stout, or a bowl of seafood chowder.
Local tip Oysters are best in the cooler months, so ask what is fresh.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A sixteenth century tower house on a rock beside the water at Kinvara. Small and photogenic, and a good stop for the view across the bay before the Burren.
Go when Morning, with the light on the bay.
Local tip A stop for a photograph and a short walk beside the water. Check ahead on whether the castle is open to enter.
A Gothic revival house on a lake, now a working abbey, with a walled garden and woods behind. The reflection in the water is the classic view, so allow time to walk beside the lake.
Go when Midday, with time to walk beside the lake.
Local tip The lake path gives the best view back at the abbey. Check ahead on opening for the garden and the abbey itself.
Connemara lamb, tender and mild, served with potatoes, a plain and filling lunch of the west.
Local tip Kitchens close in mid afternoon, so eat before the walk.
A mountain and bog park with short trails up Diamond Hill. A moderate climb gives a view of the lakes and the sea. Dress for wind and wet, and turn back if the cloud comes down.
Go when Afternoon, if the cloud is high.
Local tip Diamond Hill is a steady climb on a rough path. Wear waterproofs and shoes with grip, carry water and turn back if the weather closes in.
A high loop road west of Clifden, with a view over the Atlantic and the scatter of small islands. Stop at the pull-outs rather than the road, and look for the late light on the water.
Go when Evening, with the late light on the islands (about 9:54 PM).
Local tip The upper loop is narrow, so drive slowly and use the pull-outs. The view west over the Atlantic is the whole point.
Fish caught that day, such as haddock, cod or hake, with chips or potatoes, in a small harbor town.
Local tip In quiet months, check which kitchens are open.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The tip of a long, quiet peninsula in County Clare, where a white lighthouse stands with the sea on three sides. Wild, windy and seldom crowded. Keep back from the edges.
Go when Morning, with a long day ahead.
Local tip The road out is long and quiet, with the sea on both sides. Keep back from the cliff edges, and check ahead on whether the lighthouse is open to climb.
A Stone Age portal tomb on a bare plateau of limestone in the Burren, thousands of years old. Walk out across the rock, and watch your footing on the cracks.
Go when Midday, with a pause to walk the rock.
Local tip The limestone is cracked and uneven, so watch your feet. The tomb is fenced, and the rare flowers in the cracks should be left alone.
Farm cheese from the Burren, with bread, apples and chutney, eaten in the open on the limestone.
Local tip Pack out your rubbish and keep to the paths.
Sea cliffs rising high above the Atlantic along the coast of Clare. Keep to the paths and well back from the edge, because the ground can be wet, the wind strong and the drop sudden.
Go when Afternoon, or late, when the day crowds thin.
Local tip Stay behind the barriers and off the edge, because the wind can be strong and the ground wet. The cliffs can be hidden by cloud, so do not count on a view.
A small coastal village known for traditional Irish music. Listen to a session in a pub in the evening, when the visitors from the cliffs have gone.
Go when Evening, for the music.
Local tip Traditional sessions start informally and tend to run late. Listen quietly and ask before you record.
A creamy bowl of seafood chowder, with brown bread, in a pub where the session is about to start.
Local tip The chowder often runs out, so eat early.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The most westerly point of the Dingle Peninsula, where the road follows a cliff above the sea with the Blasket Islands in view. Go slowly, use the pull-outs and keep an eye out for walkers on the narrow road.
Go when Morning, when the road is quiet.
Local tip The road is narrow, with a drop on the sea side. Drive slowly, give way to coaches and walkers and stop only at the pull-outs.
A small stone chapel shaped like an upturned boat, built without mortar and standing for well over a thousand years. Small, quiet and worth a walk round it.
Go when Afternoon, with the light on the stone.
Local tip Step inside and notice how dry it stays, thanks to the tight stonework. It is small and often busy with groups, so go late in the day.
Crisp battered fish and chips in paper, eaten with a view of the surf if there is a stand open.
Local tip Out of season, bring a sandwich as well.
A small, colorful harbor town at the end of the Dingle Peninsula, with a working fishing quay and shops painted in bright shades. Walk the waterfront as the boats come in.
Go when Evening, as the boats come in (about 9:54 PM).
Local tip A small town that fills in summer, so linger on the quay early or late. Dingle is a Gaeltacht area, where Irish is widely spoken.
A high mountain road over the peninsula with a view down to bays on both sides. It is narrow, so check the weather first, because cloud can hide the view and the drop is steep.
Go when Evening, on a clear day (about 9:54 PM).
Local tip A high road, narrow and with a steep drop. If the cloud is down, there is nothing to see, so skip it and enjoy the town instead.
Mussels, crab claws or fresh fish from the quay, eaten in a small dining room above the harbor.
Local tip Small towns fill up quickly in summer, so book ahead.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, May to September are the most comfortable months for walking around Dublin. This plan is built for early June, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Dublin, planned for early June. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 6.6 to 183.0 kilometers between its stops, and 413.1 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
7 days in Cornwall, beaches and harbours for the familyAbout 400 km away
4 days in Manchester and LiverpoolAbout 420 km away
5 days in the CotswoldsAbout 490 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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