Ring of Kerry Guided Day Trip from Cork

Killarney Town and Killarney National Park

Killarney is the gateway to the Ring of Kerry and the first major stop on this Ring of Kerry day trip from Cork, about an hour and a half west of the city. The town grew in the 18th and 19th centuries as travellers came to admire its lakes, and it still has the lively feel of a classic Irish market town, with horse-drawn jaunting cars waiting by the park gates and craft shops and cafés along Main Street and High Street.

Right beside the town lies Killarney National Park, Ireland's first national park, created in 1932 around the Muckross estate. It protects the three Lakes of Killarney, ancient oak woods and the country's only native herd of red deer. On this tour you meet the park twice: in the morning as you pass through and again at Ladies View on the way back. Is Killarney worth visiting? For lakes framed by mountains, very much so.

Killorglin and the Dingle Bay Coast

Heading west, the coach crosses the River Laune at Killorglin, a hillside town famous for Puck Fair, among the oldest fairs in Ireland. Every August a wild mountain goat is crowned king of the town for three days, and a bronze goat statue by the bridge celebrates the tradition all year round.

Beyond Glenbeigh the road follows the northern edge of the Iveragh Peninsula, with wide views across Dingle Bay to the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula and the long sandy spit of Rossbeigh beach. This is where many travellers first understand why the Ring of Kerry is called the most scenic drive in Ireland: on a clear day the bay shifts from deep blue to silver as clouds race across the sky. Your guide chooses the best viewpoint for photos depending on the light, the weather and the traffic on the road.

Waterville and Ballinskelligs Bay

Waterville sits on a narrow strip of land between Lough Currane and the Atlantic, facing Ballinskelligs Bay at the far western end of the Ring. Its seafront promenade, colourful houses and long curving beach make it the natural lunch stop of the day, and you are free to choose a café or restaurant and then walk along the shore.

On clear days you can see the jagged Skellig islands on the horizon; Skellig Michael carries an early Christian monastery founded around the 6th century and listed by UNESCO. Waterville is also known among anglers for salmon and sea trout and for its windswept links golf course. For most guests this is the best moment to stretch their legs and breathe the sea air before the road turns east along the southern coast of the peninsula toward Sneem.

Sneem Village

Sneem is a favourite stop on any Ring of Kerry tour. The village is split in two by the Sneem River and built around two greens, the North Square and the South Square, joined by an old stone bridge. Brightly painted shops and houses, a small stone church and the river tumbling over rocks below the bridge make it a picture-postcard scene.

The village sits at the head of the Kenmare River estuary, where the mild Gulf Stream climate lets cabbage palms and subtropical shrubs grow in front gardens. The stop is short, usually enough for a coffee, an ice cream and a stroll between the two squares. As for the best time to visit Sneem, late spring and summer bring flowers to every window box, while autumn is quieter, with golden light on the hills around the village.

Moll's Gap and Ladies View

From the Kenmare side the road climbs to Moll's Gap, a rocky pass on the N71 at about 260 metres. Local lore says it is named after a woman who kept a roadside house here when the road was built in the 1820s. From the lay-by you look straight at the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, Ireland's highest mountain range, crowned by Carrauntoohil at 1,038 metres.

A few kilometres further, Ladies View looks down on the Upper Lake and the valley of the Lakes of Killarney. It took its name in 1861, when the ladies-in-waiting of a royal visit were so taken with the panorama that the spot was named in their honour. It is the classic final viewpoint of the Ring, and the late-afternoon light, when the coach usually arrives, often turns the lakes gold before the drive back to Cork.