What are the best things to do in Ireland?

Q: What are the best things to do in Ireland?

1. Visit pubs and listen to live music at a ‘session’ 2. Explore 18th-century Ireland on the Aran Islands 3. Experience Ireland’s best island hiking on Clare and Inishturk Islands 4. Visit the only handweaver of heritage Donegal tweed 5. Head beyond Dingle Peninsula to Great Blasket Island 6. Uncover a route less traveled along the Cliffs of Moher 7. See a different side to Sheep’s Head Peninsula 8. Discover the best hiking trails of Killarney National Park 9. Enjoy Ireland’s farm-to-table cuisine 10. Don’t miss the epic Causeway Coastal Trail at Giant’s Causeway 11. Learn about Northern Ireland at the Titanic Museum

BROWSE IRELAND TRIPS

IRELAND

Top 11 Things to Do in Ireland

From the Best Hikes to Geological Wonders

Ireland’s varied landscapes and well-preserved historical eras mean countless adventures of every kind—we’ve highlighted our favorite activities below! Our perfectly honed itineraries will reveal a side of the Emerald Isle that few travelers experience, whether it’s our secret routes or meeting with a master handweaver of Donegal tweed.

1Visit pubs and listen to live music at a ‘session’

If there’s one experience that truly captures the essence of Ireland, it’s taking in the scene at a traditional ‘public house,’ which for millennia has served as a place where communities gather. Much of the lively pub culture is still thriving, especially in the small port town of Dingle, Ireland’s de facto traditional arts and music hub. Our Spirit of Ireland trip ends in this merry hub, where we’ll have an experience few visitors get: a ‘session,’ or intimate show, with the area’s most acclaimed artists, at our favorite pub. There’s nothing quite like capping off a day of hiking at a cozy pub, a pint of Guinness in hand, as a spirited ‘session’ unfolds.

Trip to Book: Spirit of Ireland

2Explore 18th-century Ireland on the Aran Islands

To explore the Aran Islands is to be transported to the Ireland of the late 1800s, when Irish was the predominant language and homesteaders here created their agricultural pastures by mixing seaweed and sand from Galway Bay. We’ll see this old way of life up close, as we hike along majestic sea cliffs where Aran Islanders still fish; through labyrinthine, stone-walled fields and rolling pastures; and to Dún Aonghusa, a magnificent Stone Age fort that has been called the Acropolis of the Celtic world.

Trip to Book: Treasures of Ireland’s West Coast

3Experience Ireland’s best island hiking on Clare and Inishturk Islands

One of Ireland’s best-kept secrets, Clare Island is as regaled for its cultural heritage as it is for its spectacular beauty. This mountainous island was once the domain of the 16th-century “Pirate Queen” named Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O’Malley), who sailed to London to face down Queen Elizabeth I—and prevailed! Today, it’s home to some of the finest island hiking imaginable. On our walk here, we’ll summit 1,600-foot Cnoc Mhór, known for nesting seabirds; descend over great folds of land that run to an edge of massive sea cliffs; and meet with an acclaimed sheepdog trial competitor on his beautiful farm—and see his brilliant border collies in action! On charming and remote Inishturk Island (population 58!), we’ll soak up the beauty of the island’s wall-like cliffs and wild beaches, see numerous bird sanctuaries, pass the towering Buachaill Mor and Buachaill Beag sea stacks, and follow the clifftop trail to Dromore Head, all the while savoring a wide panorama of the mountains and islands of West Mayo and Connemara. On either island we’ll have the trails entirely to ourselves!

Trip to Book: Spirit of Ireland

4Visit the only handweaver of heritage Donegal tweed

For centuries, Donegal tweed has been one of Ireland’s most famous heritage textiles. While the practice of weaving wool by hand using natural dyes largely ended with the introduction of mechanized looms in the 1950s, one Donegal weaver continues to produce pieces in the traditional way. We’ll meet with Eddie Doherty at his home in Ardara to watch him craft a woolen blanket by hand, a practice he’s honed over 60 years.

Trip to Book: A Northern Arc Across Ireland

5Head beyond Dingle Peninsula to Great Blasket Island

Most travelers stop at the Dingle Peninsula and miss out on Great Blasket Island, a mesmerizing destination just a short boat ride west. Considered one of the most evocative of Irish walks, our hike along Great Blasket’s ancient green roads passes beaches of sunning seals, a deserted fishing village, and brings spectacular views of Dingle.

Trip to Book: Spirit of Ireland

6Uncover a route less traveled along the Cliffs of Moher

Despite Ireland’s wealth of majestic sheer cliffs, there’s nothing quite like the Cliffs of Moher, a dramatic stretch of coastline along the famed Wild Atlantic Way. The Cliffs of Moher are at once a fascinating history lesson, a geological wonder, and an unrivaled photography backdrop. While most of the million-plus annual visitors take the standard route, our own hidden path offers the same spectacular scenery away from the crowds.

Trip to Book: Treasures of Ireland’s West Coast

7See a different side to Sheep’s Head Peninsula

In Ireland’s incredible West Cork region, savor unspoiled seascapes, lush pastures where sheep graze, and the welcoming atmosphere of an eclectic community. Hike along the Sheep’s Head Way, a community-owned trail that follows the peninsula’s spine, for epic views of Dunmanus and Bantry Bays at every turn, as well as tiny field systems and awesome cliffs. The route also traces the region’s deep history, from the arrival of Ireland’s earliest people, through to the 17th-century collapse of the Gaelic chiefdoms and the ensuing English plantations, telling the story of how modern Ireland emerged.

Trip to Book: Spirit of Ireland

8Discover the best hiking trails of Killarney National Park

At the heart of Ireland’s finest national park is Corrán Tuathail, the country’s highest and most rugged range. From our beautiful hotel overlooking the lakes of Killarney National Park, WT travelers have the option to hike the mountain alongside our beloved Trip Leader Con Moriarity, who grew up in these wild hills and whose ancestors lived among the region’s early climbers, naturalists, and artists. For those looking for a more moderate ramble, there’s a spectacular walk over Bull Mountain and the mighty Reeks or an easier walk through a dramatic glen known as the Gap of Dunloe.

Trip to Book: Spirit of Ireland

9Enjoy Ireland’s farm-to-table cuisine

If you think Irish food is all boiled beef and potatoes—think again. Our Trip Leaders dispel any misconceptions about the cuisine by taking WT travelers beyond the standard tourist fare to local, farm-to-table restaurants that exemplify each region’s bounty. Ireland’s “Slow Food” movement, now spreading across the country (and which we experience on all our Ireland itineraries!) originated in Cork, where we begin our Spirit of Ireland trip. While there, we’ll visit an innovative organic farm where WT travelers get a behind-the-scenes look and tasting from a regional culinary expert.

Trips to Book: Spirit of Ireland; Treasures of Ireland’s West Coast; A Northern Arc Across Ireland

10Don’t miss the epic Causeway Coastal Trail at Giant’s Causeway

One of the most scenic seaside walks in all of Europe, the Causeway Coastal Trail in Ireland’s rugged north is a must for any visitor to the region. But most skip its best section: the North Antrim Coastal Path, a spectacular route that traces its basalt cliffs. On our A Northern Arc Across Ireland trip, we’ll take this path to reach the breathtaking Giant’s Causeway, a geological wonder of some 40,000 interlocking basalt columns rising out of the Irish Sea.

Trip to Book: A Northern Arc Across Ireland

11Learn about Northern Ireland at the Titanic Museum

You’ll be surprised to learn there’s much more to the history of the Titanic that you think. In Belfast, we visit the incredible Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest museum dedicated to the great liner. Set in the shipyard where RMS Titanic was built, the sleek center also provides powerful insight into the industrial cauldron that was early-20th-century Belfast, the social and political landscapes of that era, and how these histories have made it the dynamic city it is today.

Trip to Book: A Northern Arc Across Ireland