20 best things to do in Ireland

They don’t call Ireland the Emerald Isle for nothing. From the otherworldly grey limestone pavement of the Burren, to Connemara’s gold-and purple-tinged mountains, the country’s landscapes are among the most breathtaking on earth. To help you start planning your trip to Ireland, and covering iconic sights and hidden gems, read on for our pick of the best things to do in Ireland. Well, 20 of them.

1. Walk on the wild side in Connemara

Comprising all of Galway to the west of the city, Connemara is a ravishingly diverse area of Ireland along Ireland’s Atlantic coast.

By which we mean mountains, lakes, little islands, winding roads, atmospheric bogs, and beaches that are great for walking and camping alongside, with some very pretty villages to base yourself in, too.

How to get there

From Dublin, take a train or bus to Galway City (2.5–3 hours), then rent a car or join a local tour to explore Connemara. Public transport is limited around these parts.

When to visit

May to September offer the best weather and long daylight hours — ideal for hiking, scenic drives, and enjoying the area’s lakes and coast. If you don’t mind it cooler (and, most likely, wetter), later spring and early fall are also beautiful and less crowded.

Want more weather context? Read up on the best time to visit Ireland.

2. Try horse-riding on the coast

Whether you're riding across open beaches or winding through green hills, horseriding is a brilliant way to explore some of the best places to visit in Ireland. 

From the wild landscapes of Connemara, and coastal trails near Kinsale, to forested paths of the Wicklow Mountains, and scenic routes around Killarney, there's no shortage of places to saddle up — whether you're a total beginner or up for a multi-day trek.

When to visit

As with pretty much every outdoor activity in Ireland, May to September is best to time to visit Ireland to go horse-riding.

Also note that many farms and companies offering such experiences are closed outside the peak season.

Keen to uncover a variety of experiences in Ireland? Make use of our guide to how to plan a trip to Ireland.

3. See the ancient Brú na Bóinne

Brú na Bóinne  (meaning "Palace of the Boyne") is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in County Meath, Ireland.

Home to some of Europe’s oldest and most impressive Neolithic monuments — including the famous Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth passage tombs — it was built over 5,000 years ago, predating the Egyptian pyramids, and celebrated for their megalithic art, astronomical alignment and engineering.

How to get there

From Dublin, drive one hour north via the M1 motorway toward Drogheda, and follow signs to Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre.

Alternatively, take a train or bus to Drogheda, then a taxi to the site (public connections from town are limited).

Also note that you can take guided day tours from Dublin.

When to visit

The best months to visit are from April to October, when the weather is milder. Also note that taking an early morning tour is better as it’ll be less crowded.

Alternatively, winter solstice (Dec 21) at Newgrange can be magical, when the rising sun lights the inner chamber. That said gaining access is isn’t guaranteed 

4. Enjoy Kinsale's culinary delights

Kinsale, south of Cork, enjoys a glorious setting at the head of a sheltered harbour around the mouth of the Bandon River. 

Two imposing forts and a fine tower-house remain as evidence of its former importance as a trading port, and Kinsale has built on its cosmopolitan links to become the culinary capital of the southwest.

How to get there

Kinsdale is located around 25 km from the city of Cork, and driving (30 minutes or so) is scenic and straightforward. Alternatively, buses from Cork take 45-60 minutes

Best time to visit

May to September is ideal for sunny weather, seaside walks, and outdoor dining, with September coming especially recommended for food lovers, thanks to the Kinsale Gourmet Festival.

5. Pilgrimage to the top of Skellig Michael

Located ooff the coast of County Kerry, the island of Skellig Michael is one of the most remarkable hermitages in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Located on top of an inhospitable, shark’s-tooth island, the monastery was somehow constructed in the late seventh or early eighth century.

This site is dedicated to St Michael, the patron saint of high places. The exposed, often choppy boat ride out, followed by seabirds from Puffin Island, a nature reserve at the edge of St Finan’s Bay, only adds to the sense of wild isolation.

Alongside being famous for its ancient monastic site, it served as a filming location for Star Wars.

How to get there

Base yourself in Portmagee, Ballinskelligs, or Caherdaniel — small coastal villages in southwest Ireland — and take a boat tour from Portmagee pier.

Best time to visit

June to August are best for more stable weather and calmer seas

6. See ancient manuscripts in Dublin

The Chester Beatty Library in Dublin preserves a dazzling collection of books, manuscripts, prints and objets d’art from around the world, and also happens to be one of the best things to do in Dublin for free.

Especially known for having one of the finest Islamic collections in existence, it houses some of the earliest manuscripts from the ninth and tenth centuries, and important biblical papyri, including the earliest surviving examples of Mark’s and Luke’s Gospels, St Paul’s Letters and the Book of Revelation. 

Elegantly displayed in high-tech galleries, the artefacts are used to tell the story of religious and artistic traditions across the world with great ingenuity.

Keen to linger longer in Dublin? Read up on where to stay in Dublin.

How to get there

The museum is just a short walk (5-10 minutes) from major landmarks like Dame Street, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College and Grafton Street.

If you’re visiting from further afield, use the bus and alight near Dame Street or Lord Edward Street, which are served by routes 13, 27, 40, 123 and 150.

When to visit

Anytime! Though it's a great indoor attraction for colder days.

7. Summit Croagh Patrick

Located in County Mayo, Croagh Patrick is a sacred mountain associated with St. Patrick, who's said to have fasted here for 40 days back in 441, also finding time to hurl all of Ireland’s snakes to their deaths over the precipice of Lugnanarrib just to the south of the summit.

It’s a stiff climb, but the fine views from the top makes it worth it. Intriguingly, it was also known as the pagan home of the mother goddess.

How to get there

The climb begins from the visitor centre in Murrisk, a village near Westport on the west coast.

To get to Westport from Dublin or Galway, take a train, or a seasonal bus.

When to visit

May to September are best for long daylight hours, milder weather, and clearer views. 

Winter months should be avoided due to poor trail conditions and high winds.

What to cover more of the country? Wise up on getting around Ireland, and take inspiration from our guide to the best road trips in Ireland.

8. Listen to live traditional Irish music

Ireland’s musical traditions remain essentially based on the age-old practice of passing down tunes and songs by oral transmission, from generation to generation and from friend to friend. 

Its core has become the pub session, where the richness of the musical tradition can be experienced first-hand.

How to get there

You'll want to discover the best pubs in Ireland for traditional music, then plan your journey.

When to visit

Anytime of year is perfect for this, though you might want to time your visit to coincide with a traditional music festival.

For example, Dublin’s Temple Bar TradFest takes place in late January, Ennis TradFest is held in mid-November and Wexford’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann — Ireland’s largest traditional music competition and festival — takes place in early to mid-August

9. See the rich interiors of Bantry House

Overlooking Bantry Bay in County Cork on Ireland’s stunning southwest coast, Bantry House and Garden is a historic stately home that’s known for its terraced Italian gardens, original art collections, and spectacular setting.

The house was built in the early eighteenth century and extended a hundred years later. A highlight is the dining room, which resembles an extravagant stage set — rich Chartres-blue walls, a marble colonnade and vast seventeenth-century sideboards carved with cherubs and classical scenes.

How to get there

When to visit

10. View the cliffs of Horn Head

Possibly the most breathtaking of County Donegal’s numerous rugged peninsulas, with plenty of exhilarating cliff-top walks. Horn Head is magnificent, an almost 200m rock face scored by ledges on which perch countless guillemots and gulls, and small numbers of puffins. 

The best view of the cliffs, sea stacks and caves is from the water, but the cliff road is vertiginous enough in places to give you a good look down the sheer sides.

11. Eat oysters in Galway Bay 

Sample the shellfish at numerous locations along Ireland’s coast or try your hand at an oyster-opening competition. Oysters can be enjoyed throughout Ireland, but Galway lays claim to the very best the country has to offer. These large, silky European flat oysters are some of the best in the world, having matured for about three years in anticipation of a season that runs from September until April.

Learn more about the Oysters of Galway Bay.

12. Spend a day at the races

Take a trip to one of Ireland’s many racing festivals, savour the banter, pick up some tips and have a flutter. Going to the races is a hugely popular and enjoyable day out in Ireland. 

The Irish Grand National, the largest event of horseracing season takes place at Fairyhouse, Co. Meath, on Easter Monday.

13. See the landscape of the Burren

A barren expanse of cracked limestone terraces, stretching towards the Atlantic and peppered with a multitude of fascinating megalithic remains. 

The Burren’s name derives from the Irish word boireann, meaning “stony place” – an apt description for this desolate plateau that occupies the county’s northwest. The starkness of the landscape, crisp white in sunlight, deep grey-brown in rainfall, has a primeval allure and remains utterly fascinating.

14. Witness the tranquil beauty of Glendalough

A deep glaciated valley in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough (“valley of the two lakes”) provides a delightfully atmospheric location for some of the best-preserved monastic sites in Ireland. The monastery at Glendalough was established in the sixth century by St Kevin (Caoimhín), who retreated to the valley to pray in solitude.

15. Uncover Irish history at Kilmainham Gaol

One of the best things to do in Ireland is to visit Kilmainham Goal — which holds an iconic position in the history of Ireland’s struggle for independence and came to symbolize both Irish political martyrdom and British oppression.

Opened in 1796, it became the place of incarceration for captured revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, who were also executed here. Even after the War of Independence, Republicans continued to be imprisoned here, though it closed in July 1924 after the release of its last inmate, Éamon de Valera – later to become Ireland’s Taoiseach and president.

16. See the treasures of Ór in the National Museum, Dublin

Lavish gold ornaments, preserved by the peat bogs since prehistoric times. The National Museum – Archaeology is a must-see for visitors to Dublin. Undoubtedly the stars of the show here are a stunning hoard of prehistoric gold and a thousand years’ worth of ornate ecclesiastical treasures, but the whole collection builds up a fascinating and accessible story of Irish archaeology and history.

The shop in the beautiful entrance rotunda sells a range of high-quality crafts inspired by works in the museum, and there’s a small café.

17. Visit the mountains and lakes of Killarney National Park 

The grandeur of lakes and mountains has been drawing visitors to Killarney for over three centuries.

Its lakeshores are covered with virgin forests of oak, yew and strawberry trees, so termed because of its red, but inedible, fruit. 

Among the park’s notable mammals are Ireland’s only wild herd of red deer, otter, pine marten, red squirrels and Irish hare, often seen on walks through the park's trails, which are largely accessible for all ages.

All that considered, exploring Killarney is one of the best things to do in Ireland with kids.

18. Find the Rock of Cashel

Rising high above the Golden Vale, the Rock features an entrancing group of early ecclesiastical remains. According to legend, the Rock of Cashel first rose to political prominence in the fourth or fifth century AD, when a major fortress was established by the descendants of Eógan Mór who went on to found a dynasty of kings-cum-bishops reigning over this part of Munster.

19. The Giant’s Causeway

Marvel at the eerie but entirely natural basalt formation of the Causeway. Ever since 1693, when the Royal Society first publicized it as one of the great wonders of the natural world, the Giant’s Causeway has been a major tourist attraction. A visit is one of the best things to do in Ireland.

20. Stroll Derry’s city walls

A visit to Derry is incomplete without a stroll around the ramparts of the only completely walled city in Ireland.

The medieval walls are one of the best-preserved defences in Europe. Spanning 1.6km in length and as high as a two-storey house in places, they are reinforced by bulwarks and bastions and a parapeted earth rampart as wide as any thoroughfare. Within their circuit, the original medieval street pattern has remained, with four gateways surviving from the original construction, albeit in a slightly revised form.

Ready to immerse yourself in the history of Ireland? Our tailor-made trip service makes travelling easy by taking care of the planning and booking. Our Castles and Cliffs in Ireland trip will take you from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher. Our trips are crafted by local travel experts and are completely customisable.

Despite the fact that it has often had to play second fiddle to its southern neighbour, there are also loads of interesting things to do in Northern Ireland.

This list could truly go on. There are countless fantastic things to do in Ireland. Ready to start planning your trip? Check out the Rough Guide to Ireland. Read more about the best time to go, the best places to visit and the best things to do in Ireland.

If you prefer to plan and book your trip to Ireland without any effort and hassle, use the expertise of our local travel experts to make sure your trip will be just like you dream it to be.