The Ring of Kerry is one of my favorite parts of Ireland. My husband and I first did the Ring of Kerry drive during a road trip through Ireland. We loved it so much that we recreated our Ring of Kerry itinerary with our kids several years later. I’m sharing all our recommendations, including the best Ring of Kerry route, our specific one day Ring of Kerry itinerary, things to do on the Ring of Kerry (the must-see stops and attractions), and Ring of Kerry tips to help you have the best trip possible. I’ve got all of these details in today’s article, and if you want to see the reviews, tips, photos, and our drive playlist from the rest of our Ireland trip, click here to see our full Ireland road trip itinerary.
On our first trip, we began our Ring of Kerry driving route from our hotel in Killarney (Castlerosse Hotel and Golf Resort), which was right on the ring. See this article for reviews and photos of the hotel. On our second trip, we began our Ring of Kerry drive from Kenmare, where we stayed in a fabulous cottage in Kenmare (3 Bedroom Thatched Roof Cottage near Kenmare, photos below), perfect for our family of 4, though it can accommodate 6 guests. As such, I’ll share two high level itineraries for a Ring of Kerry drive, one starting in Killarney and another options starting in Kenmare, followed by details on our recommended Ring of Kerry stops. But first, I’ll share some important tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
How long to drive the Ring of Kerry
The first question many people ask is “how long to drive the Ring of Kerry?” Not including time at the stops, the route I am sharing for the Ring of Kerry drive is about 4 hours of drive time. If you don’t divert for some of our specific stops and just drive the itself, driving the Ring of Kerry will take about 3.5 hours.
Ring of Kerry Tips
As far as planning goes, I got some great advice at ringofkerry.com. You can also click here to download a free guidebook and map at theringofkerry.com, which is what we used when touring. From our own personal experience, we have a few tried-and-true Ring of Kerry tips that helped us get the most out of our one-day Ring of Kerry itinerary:
- Plan to have a nice full day to do this drive (some would argue that you need more than that to really explore the little towns along the way, and I agree, however if you were limited on time like we were, you can get a good sampling and drive the entire ring in a day).
- Don’t start super early in the morning, so that you avoid the morning tour traffic. Both times we started around 10:00 am and didn’t encounter any traffic despite going during a heavy travel months (August for our first trip and July for our second trip).
- Drive the ring counter-clockwise (or anti-clockwise, as they say in Ireland) to go against the major traffic. Not only will this be less traffic, you’ll also be driving on the edges of the cliffs less. Note that this is also the order of the stops I’ve listed in our Ring of Kerry route below.
- If you find yourself running out of time to see all of the Ring of Kerry highlights on this list, you can save a few of the stops between Killarney and Kenmare for the next morning. If you are staying in or near one of those towns, you can quickly get to Ross Castle, Killarney National Park (and Torc Waterfall), and Ladies View to spend some time without driving the full ring.
- Some of the roads are VERY narrow and many are winding. You may want to get acclimated to driving on the “other” side of the road and car before tackling this day of driving.
- ENJOY IT! Drink it in. This was one of my favorite parts of Ireland. It is magically beautiful! If you feel the need to linger somewhere, do it. If something isn’t your fancy, skip it. Make the adventure your own.
- While we have some restaurant recommendations below, don’t over plan where to have lunch or dinner, as you may find yourself rushing through your Ring of Kerry stops if you do. There are several quaint towns along the Ring of Kerry drive that have options for food; some with outstanding views! A few of the towns we’ve loved along the way which had great restaurants are Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Caherdaniel, and Kenmare, but there are several others as well.
- Car traffic gets lighter in the evening, but then you have to watch for wandering sheep in the road for a different kind of Irish road traffic. Stay alert, especially on the smaller country roads.
Ring of Kerry route from Killarney
As we’ve driven the ring more than once from different starting points, I am sharing a high-level list of our recommended Ring of Kerry stops starting from Killarney and Kenmare (below), followed by details on all of these Ring of Kerry highlights. First, here is the high-level Ring of Kerry route from Killarney:
- Gap of Dunloe (partial hike to the Wishing Bridge – you won’t have time to hike the full route during a one-day itinerary)
- Kells
- Ballycarbery Castle
- Kerry Cliffs
- Derrynane House
- Ladies View*
- Torc Waterfall and Killarney National Park*
- Ross Castle*
*As I said earlier in the article, if you find yourself running out of time to see all of the Ring of Kerry highlights on this list in a single day, I recommend saving a few of the stops between Killarney and Kenmare for the next morning. If you are staying in or near one of those towns, you can quickly get to Ross Castle, Killarney National Park (and Torc Waterfall), and Ladies View to spend some time without driving the full ring.
Ring of Kerry route from Kenmare
Here is our list of Ring of Kerry stops with a Ring of Kerry itinerary starting in Kenmare:
- Ladies View*
- Torc Waterfall and Killarney National Park*
- Ross Castle*
- Gap of Dunloe (partial hike to the Wishing Bridge – you won’t have time to hike the full route during a one-day itinerary)
- Kells
- Ballycarbery Castle
- Kerry Cliffs
- Derrynane House
*As stated earlier in the article, if you don’t feel you have time to see all of the Ring of Kerry highlights on this list in one day, you can save a few of the stops between Killarney and Kenmare for the next morning. If you are staying in or near one of those towns, you can quickly get to Ross Castle, Killarney National Park (and Torc Waterfall), and Ladies View to spend some time without driving the full ring.
Detailed Ring of Kerry itinerary (must-see Ring of Kerry stops)
Here are more details for the Ring of Kerry highlights we recommend when following this one day Ring of Kerry itinerary. These are ordered as if starting your Ring of Kerry drive from Killarney with a counter-clockwise Ring of Kerry route (per the first list above). If you start your route from a different point, you can just order your Ring of Kerry attractions according to wherever you start.
Gap of Dunloe and the Wishing Bridge
The Gap of Dunloe is one of the most scenic hikes in this part of Ireland. If you’re doing a Ring of Kerry itinerary in one day, you won’t have time to hike the full gap. However, you can hike the first part to the Wishing Bridge! To do this, park at Kate Kearney’s Cottage, which is the northern entrance to the Gap of Dunloe. There is ample free parking, public restrooms, a restaurant, and shops. From here you can hire a jaunting car (a horse-drawn buggy) through the Gap, or begin a walking hike. A 15-minute hike (walking briskly) on a paved road will lead you to the Wishing Bridge. From this point you can enjoy a gorgeous scenic view and make a wish from the bridge. Legend says that a wish made on this bridge is guaranteed to come true. I’ll let you know if that holds true or not.
Killorglin
A cute town and good place for a stop if you’re hungry. On our first Ring of Kerry drive we had lunch at Bunkers Bar and Restaurant, which had good home cooking. My husband had a delicious burger, and I enjoyed a great pint of Guinness and the chicken curry.
Glenbeigh
Another quaint town and a great place for a bite to eat is Glenbeigh. On our second time driving Ring of Kerry we stopped here for lunch at the Towers Hotel with my family. I enjoyed the daily special of beef roast with Yorkshire pudding (I can never resist a Yorkshire pudding) and my husband had the trout (pictured below).
Kells
Stop at one of the scenic overlook pull-offs near Kells for some beautiful beach views.
One of my favorite Ring of Kerry stops was exploring the ivy-covered ruins of 16th century Ballycarbery Castle in Cahersiveen. It is important to note that the castle is now on private property and can’t be accessed. When we visited in 2013 we were able to climb into it and explore, but when we visited again in 2022 we could only look at it from behind a fence at the nearby carpark. It’s still worth a see, in my opinion, and it’s quite close to another quaint town called Cahersiveen worth exploring for shopping or a bite to eat if you’re hungry at this point in on your Ring of Kerry driving route. Fun fact: This castle was referenced in the movie Leap Year, though it was set in a fictional location with a fictional history and not filmed on-site at the ruins of the real Ballycarbery Castle on the Ring of Kerry.
Kerry Cliffs is described as “Kerry’s Most Spectacular Cliffs” and is a Ring of Kerry must-see. Star Wars fans will be excited to learn that this is the closest landfall to the Skellig Islands with a view of Skellig Michael. Skellig Michael was used for filming in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi as Luke Skywalker’s hermitage.
Caherdaniel
Another good option for a bite to eat or a refreshing drink while driving the Ring of Kerry is at the Scarriff Inn in Caherdaniel on the western edge of the ring. I thought it was funny that the sign for the inn had its own disclaimer: “Ireland’s Best Known View (Fog Permitting).” That being said, I can attest to the beautiful views of Caherdaniel and the coast from the inn, making it a nice option if you’re looking for more Ring of Kerry things to do.
The grounds of Derrynane House in Caherdaniel are enchanting! I just about expected to see a fairy or leprechaun pop out from any direction. There is a long history in this part of the Ring of Kerry route. The house and grounds have been occupied since the 1650s after the family abandoned their prior seat at… wait for it… Ballycarbery Castle. However, the history dates back to times even more ancient. There is a standing stone (the Beg Ogham Stone) near the house that has been dated to 500-550 AD.
South side of the Ring of Kerry
The south side of the Ring of Kerry route is as beautiful as as ever, which gorgeous coastlines nearly the whole drive back towards Kenmare and Killarney.
Kenmare
The town of Kenmare is the home stretch of the Ring of Kerry route back towards Killarney. During both of our Ring of Kerry drive trips we had dinner at PF McCarthy’s, which has live music in the evenings and a beer garden in the back. Kenmare has many restaurant choices and convenience stores as well as cute boutiques for shopping.
Ladies View is one of the most famous scenic views in the area, making it a must-stop in your Ring of Kerry itinerary. The spot was named after a visit by Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, who were apparently enamored with the view. We can see why!
As I said towards the beginning of the article, if you find yourself running out of time to see all of the Ring of Kerry highlights on this list during a one day itinerary, you can save a few of the stops between Killarney and Kenmare for the next morning. If you are staying in or near one of those towns, you can quickly get to Ladies View, Ross Castle, and Killarney National Park (and Torc Waterfall) the next day without driving the full ring again. It is possible to squeeze them all in, but if you find yourself wanting to linger at any of the earlier stops, then save one, two, or three of these for the next day.
Torc Waterfall and Killarney National Park
Torc Waterfall is an easy and lovely hike accessible from a carpark off the side of the road on the Ring of Kerry route between Kenmare and Killarney. It can be difficult to get a parking spot, but once you do, the hike to see the falls is a quick one.
In Killarney you can check out this well-preserved castle and fortress.
I miss the Ring of Kerry already! If you visit and find this list of Ring of Kerry attractions and our Ring of Kerry itinerary helpful, let us know in the comments!
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Alice says
Looks like we took the same trek, I have many of the same pics. Went there in 2017, loved every second of our trip. Especially loved Ballycarbery Castle and the fact that you can climb all over it! We did a lot of tourist buying in Kenmare, my husband loved the many wooden street signs!
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
I want to go back and take my kids next time! The Ring of Kerry was amazing!