While Dublin is lovely, there’s more to Ireland than it’s biggest city. Luckily, Ireland is a smaller country and it only takes a few hours to get most places, depending on your mode of transportation. When reading this list, you’ll notice that Belfast in Northern Ireland is omitted, because I have an entire post dedicated to Belfast, and I figured repeating myself would just be silly. If you’re interested in visiting the birthplace of the Titanic and the capital city of Northern Ireland, you can get more information here.
Howth
Just outside Dublin, on the coast is the town of Howth. I think this was actually my favorite stop on my trip. This coastal hamlet has so much to offer to the regular tourists and the outdoor enthusiasts. For any seafood lover, you’ll be in heaven, because the entire West pier is lined with seafood restaurants serving up the latest catches! For the shopper, there are cute little gift shops and boutiques with wool goods and other cute Irish souvenirs. The one thing that I was most interested in however was the hiking trail, the Howth Cliff walk. This pathway is absolutely gorgeous and I would go back and do it again of I could! Giant cliffs, crashing waves, wildflowers, and quiet solitude, those are some of the things in store when taking this trail. There are a few different paths that make up the cliff walk, so you can decide if you want to go on a shorter or a longer hike. Even if you’re not a hiker, I think its worth your time to drive up to Howth Head to take in the expansive views. There’s even a lighthouse that makes the scenery just that much sweeter. Take in the Irish sea, this is a day trip you won’t soon forget.
Malahide
Malahide is a little town just north of Dublin and can be reached pretty easily by public transport. The main reason people visit Malahide is to see the castle, and its so worth it! Malahide castle is over 800 years old, much older than most structures we see in Europe. Tours of the castle are available and led by a very knowledgeable guide who takes you through each adaption of the estate and tells about the family who occupied it. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and during the 2025 season, standard tour tickets are only €17. Your ticket not only gets you entry into the castle, but also gives you access to the stunning grounds! These grounds go on forever, you could spend hours wandering around admiring the botanical gardens, the butterfly house and the fairy trail. You will also encounter the ruins of Malahide Abbey and cemetery, where the resident family is laid to rest. I love wandering around or relaxing in a lush garden setting like this, its so peaceful. Malahide will probably only take you half a day, so you can be back in Dublin in time to hit one of the pubs for dinner.
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is the cutest little medieval town! It’s just about a two hour train ride South West from Dublin center. Some of the most exciting things to see in Kilkenny are the castle, St. Canice’s Cathedral, and the Black Abbey. Let’s talk about the castle first, since that’s the biggest attraction. Consistent with most castles in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle is beautiful inside and out, and is extremely old. Like Malahide castle, this castle has also been standing for over 800 years. The castle offers both guided and self-guided tours, and both are very cheap. Kilkenny castle also has expansive grounds that span 50 acres. After a castle tour, the front garden is a lovely place to take a breather and maybe get a snack (the castle has a cafe) before continuing on with your day. After the castle, make your way to St. Canice’s Cathedral, or Kilkenny Cathedral. There has been a religious structure standing in this spot since the 6th century and has always had a big impact on the town. If you have any interest in seeing the inside, you can book a guided tour, or just a regular admission ticket. However, there is an additional option. This cathedral has a huge round tower, and if you’re brave, you can climb it to get a view of all of Kilkenny! I say ‘if you’re brave’ because this tower is 100ft (30m) tall and you have to climb 7 floors of ladders. Obviously this isn’t an activity for those who are afraid of heights (like me) or have limited mobility. If you’re up for seeing another cathedral, The Black Abbey is worth a visit. This gothic structure started out as a friary, then was seized and became a courthouse, then eventually turned back into a place of worship. Unfortunately, between the end of the courthouse era and the beginning of a new cathedral, the building was uncared for and sustained damages. Luckily today, we get to enjoy a restored Black Abbey. One of the reasons to see the Abbey is its beautiful stained glass rosary window. Or if you’re interested in the more spooky side of things, there is a collection of 13th century stone coffins outside that were found during restoration. After all of that, if you still have some time and energy left, you can take a lovely stroll through the main streets of Kilkenny. There are adorable shops and cafes, and of course they have their fair share of pubs. This side trip will most likely eat up your entire day, but its’ so worth it to get a glimpse of medieval Irish life.
The Cliffs & Galway
This is one of the biggest tourist attractions in all of Ireland, and for good reason, the Cliffs of Moher are gorgeous! Normally I would try to venture somewhere like this on my own, but not having my own transportation proved to be a problem, so I booked a bus tour instead. Usually big tours with lots of other people aren’t my thing, but I have nothing but great things to say about this tour! Our guide was excellent, he was informative and really funny! The cliffs are about 3 hours from Dublin, but on the way there, the guide points out attractions like little castles and you make a stop at the Barack Obama gas station (you’ll get the story behind that too). Once at the cliffs, you have a couple hours to roam around and explore, but be warned, it can be really cold and really muddy at the cliffs, so keep that in mind when you’re getting ready for the day. There is also a visitors center that features an interactive exhibition, which is a great way to spend some time if it starts to rain on you. If you’re interested in getting a souvenir to commemorate your visit to the cliffs, there is a main gift shop in the visitors center, and few other little shops right outside. After being enchanted by the cliffs, you make one more short stop at Blackhead (a special area of conservation) before heading to Galway. Galway, while cute, is extremely touristy. Things are expensive and its packed with people, but there are still cool things to see. For whoever is interested, the tour guide will take you on a little Galway walking tour and will point out all the significant spots. Galway is the last stop on this tour, and believe me, by this point you’ll be exhausted and very ready to head back to Dublin. There are quite a few Cliffs tours out there, but if you’d like to check out the one I went on, you can book tickets here on Viator.
Other Ideas
- Swords
- Wicklow Mountains
- Waterford
While I wasn’t able to make it to these sights, they were part of my itinerary. Unfortunately, sometimes trips just don’t go as planned. Some sights like Swords are pretty easy to get to on public transit, but others, like the Wicklow mountains, are much easier to get to by car, so that’s something to keep in mind when planning your trip. I’m sure you could go just about anywhere in Ireland and it would be beautiful, but with limited days on your vacation, you have to be picky. I hope you have a wonderful Irish getaway, and as always…
Happy travels!
Pursuit of Happy Travel 
Leave a comment