13 Of the Best Things To Do in County Kerry Ireland

County Kerry is one of the most popular destinations in Ireland.

And it’s loaded with some of the “superstar” things to do in Ireland — the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula.

These are definitely some of the best things to do in County Kerry, but I want to dive in a bit deeper.

So I’ve created a wonderfully diverse list of “firmly on the tourist trail” experiences along with a few lesser known spots in this beautiful piece of Ireland.

Are you ready?

Good.

Because County Kerry is amazing — although sometimes understanding the Kerry accent can be a bit challenging.

Let’s begin with the where.

Where is County Kerry?

County Kerry is located in the southwestern part of Ireland.

It’s the 5th largest county but ranks 15th in population.

And it’s one of the most beautiful places in Ireland with a gorgeous coastline and soaring peaks.

So one of the best things to do in County Kerry is definitely spending time immersed in nature.

The best things to do in County Kerry

Drive the Ring of Kerry

So yes, the Ring of Kerry is on my list of the best things to do in County Kerry.

However, even though I’m putting it first, it would not be my number 1 pick.

I do think the Iveragh Peninsula — the Ring of Kerry’s official name — is worthy of time.

At 179km/111mi, this is a long-ish drive for a day trip.

But it can be done in a single day.

Just know it will be a long day and plan accordingly.

My advice is to break it up (see below) to fully enjoy the scenery and so you are not rushed.

There are lots of places to stop such as Caherdaniel, Derrynane Beach, Waterville, Cahersiveen, not to mention numerous overlooks.

Now if the weather is not so good, it won’t be so fun nor as picturesque.

But if you have decent weather, the scenery — both the coastal and the mountainous interior — is gorgeous.

If fact, I might say that the interior may be equally — if not more — as beautiful as the coast.

So you may want to explore a wee bit of the interior part of this peninsula.

Check out Skellig Ring

An offshoot of the Ring of Kerry, the Skellig Ring is a must.

This road is off the main N70 which is the road of the Ring of Kerry.

To me, this is one of the best things to do in County Kerry for a few reasons.

First of all, you get on wee roads where there will be no motor coaches.

Note: you’ll see loads of motor coaches on the Ring of Kerry.

Along this 32km route, you’ll be rewarded with some of the best views out to Skellig Michael and Little Skellig islands.

There is Skellig Chocolate which is a must for chocolate lovers.

And near the chocolate factory/store is the lovely St Finian’s Bay and Beach.

Just beyond is a fun drive up a steep, wee road where you’ll get some amazing views out to the coast and back inland.

On the other side of this hill you’ll come to the entrance to the Kerry Cliffs.

Now these aren’t the Cliffs of Moher or Slieve League, but this natural wonder is still pretty spectacular.

And they’re worth the few euro to see them.

You can finish up in the colorful town of Portmagee for a wander and a bite to eat.

So for a short loop drive, Skellig Ring packs a big punch.

Note: If you have extra time, pop over the bridge to Valentia Island which I didn’t have time to explore but I hear is a fab!

Relax in Waterville

As I alluded to in the Ring of Kerry section, breaking up the drive is ideal so you aren’t so rushed and so you have time to fully enjoy Skellig Ring.

I think the village of Waterville is a fabulous place to stay.

Personally, I’d spend a couple of nights here, especially if you want to fully explore Skellig Ring, Valentia Island and possibly take a boat out to or around Skellig Michael (see below).

If you’re a golfer you’ll definitely want to stay a few nights as there are some world class golf courses in the Waterville area.

This is a wee harbor town so there isn’t a lot here.

But there is enough in the way of accommodation, restaurants and pubs.

The setting is beautiful.

And there are plenty of things to keep you occupied — golf, walking part of the Kerry Way, driving the above Skellig Ring, enjoying Lough Currane or exploring the interior piece of the Iveragh Peninsula by car, foot or bicycle.

You can drive to Derrynane Beach from Waterville as it’s not far at all.

Staying in Waterville and fully immersing yourself in the Iveragh Peninsula is one of the best things to do in County Kerry and a great way to break up the Ring of Kerry drive.

Take a tour of Skellig Michael

Ah, yes.

Skellig Michael.

The island that was popular before the new Star Wars trilogy is now über popular since we all found out that this is where Luke Skywalker was hermiting away his life.

Skellig Michael lies about 12km off the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula.

It became a monastic settlement some time between the 6th and 8th centuries by some pretty devout and maybe slightly extreme monks.

I say this because this place is very isolated from the rest of civilization — especially back then.

Anyway.

This island with its 2 pinnacles is one of the more popular sites on my best things to do in County Kerry list.

But it’s also one of the more difficult sites to visit.

Most boats leave from Portmagee and make the 12km (8miles) trip about 4 or 5 out of 7 days per week.

And they only make this trip from mid-May to early October — at least those that actually land on the island.

This is due to the rough seas around the island that make the trip very unsafe a lot of the year.

You can take a boat tour around Skellig Michael and Little Skellig without making a landing.

However these boats don’t always make the cruise out either.

Those that do land on Skellig Michael have limited times and spaces available.

And when you do arrive on the island, you are only allowed on to stay for a short amount of time.

It’s a steep, exposed climb from where the boats dock up to the top so you need to be in decent shape as well.

Skellig Michael is now home to the monastic settlement ruins and a wide variety of sea birds who nest here.

I have not been able to take this tour yet, but it’s very high on my list.

Explore Killarney National Park by Foot and by Car

OMG!

A visit to Ireland’s first and oldest national park is the best thing to do in County Kerry.

Yup.

This is my number 1 for sure.

Killarney National Park is stunning with lakes, waterfalls, mountains, trees, a historic manor home, ruins of an abbey and a castle.

I love this park!

The town?

Not so much.

Too touristy.

But Killarney National Park is a stunner!

The park centers around Muckross House which is a 19th century mansion that you can tour.

It also has some lovely gardens.

While I’ve not had the chance to tour it yet, I hear good things about it.

Cost is about €10 for a tour.

Nearby is Muckross Abbey which was founded by the Franciscans about 1448.

This is a free site to visit and is more ruins although still fairly well preserved.

The cemetery is still in use.

Ross Castle, built in the 15th century, is another site within the park.

Again this is more ruins but worthy of time.

Ross Castle sits on the edge of Killarney’s lower lake.

As you might imagine there are trails of varying difficulty and lengths to tackle for those who want to get out and be active.

The beautiful Torc Waterfall is a short walk and quite popular.

You can also take a jaunting car ride (a horse drawn buggy) through the park.

Or you can drive yourself through some of Killarney.

If you’re feeling exceptionally ambitious, you can bicycle through it.

However you decide to explore, don’t miss Killarney National Park.

Best thing to do in County Kerry.

Period.

Make the Drive over Molls Gap

So this drive joins the above best thing to do in County Kerry with the below.

The N71 is the main road that takes you through Killarney National Park.

And it connects Killarney Town and the park with Kenmare.

Molls Gap is the highest point you reach as you drive from Killarney Town to Kenmare or vice versa.

The views from this “gap” or pass are gorgeous.

The drive is on my best drives in Ireland list.

There are places to stop along the N71 as you make you way from one stop to another.

Be sure to stop at Ladies’ View.

But at the top, you definitely get some of the best 360 views.

While Molls Gap is technically outside the boundaries of Killarney National Park, you still have all that fantastic scenery around you.

Don’t miss this drive.

Enjoy the locals in Kenmare

Kenmare is one of my absolute favorite Irish towns.

And staying a couple of nights in Kenmare is definitely one of the best things to do in County Kerry.

First of all it makes a wonderful base for exploring Killarney National Park.

Secondly, if you want to check out the Beara Peninsula, Kenmare is a great base for that too. (see below)

Thirdly, there are loads of pubs here.

Some that also happen to have some really good food.

Lastly, Kenmare is just the perfect mix of having enough tourist infrastructure yet plenty of locals to keep it real.

I have stayed in this town 3 times.

And every time I’m there, I have so much fun.

The locals are warm and welcoming — even when you can’t understand a damn word they’re saying.

The Kerry accent can be a little difficult to comprehend!

There are some cool sites within the town including Kenmare Stone Circle, the old Kenmare Bridge and Cromwells Bridge.

Kenmare also happens to sit on the water so you can get out on a boat and enjoy the Kenmare Bay where you’ll have views of the Ring of Kerry to the North and the Beara Peninsula to the South.

My hope is to spend a full week or more in this lively town on my next trip to Ireland.

I love it that much.

So…avoid Killarney Town.

And stay in Kenmare.

Explore the Beara Peninsula

Okay so this may be a bit of cheat for this best things to do in County Kerry list.

Why?

Because the Beara Peninsula is in both County Kerry and County Cork with the majority of it being in County Cork.

But I want to include it here because it’s my blog and my list and I can do what I want.

I drove this peninsula back in 2010 with my parents and my Irish friend.

Well, she did the driving.

And it is a stunning piece of Ireland.

While the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula get all the love, Beara is sitting there looking all gorgeous — without the motor coaches (roads aren’t wide enough) and the crowds.

As I mentioned in the section above, Kenmare makes an excellent base as does Glengarriff in County Cork.

The Northeast piece of the peninsula is in County Kerry and this part is filled with the Caha Mountains as well as some gorgeous coastline.

The Healy Pass located inland on the Beara Peninsula, divides County Kerry from County Cork.

It’s a must for this otherwise mostly coastal drive.

Cute towns such as Castletownbere, Allihies, Eyeries and Ardgroom are all in County Cork.

But Uragh Stone Circle and Gleninchaquin Park are in County Kerry.

Regardless, I wanted to include the Beara Peninsula on this best things to do in County Kerry because it just makes sense.

I look forward to going back to the magnificent destination in the near future.

Drive the Dingle Peninsula / Slea Head Drive

The Dingle Peninsula is becoming just as popular as the Ring of Kerry.

It makes every best things to do in County Kerry list with good reason — it’s stunning!

This peninsula was my first.

And, for that reason, it will always be special to me.

Way back in 2007 I made the drive to Dingle Town (see below) and the next morning made the Slea Head Drive which is the official name of Dingle Peninsula drive.

It was mid-late September.

The weather was overcast and decidedly Irish, but it wasn’t really raining.

There weren’t many other cars on the road.

It felt small and intimate to me.

And as I drove, I fell in love!

Craggy cliffs, roiling Atlantic Ocean, Dunmore Head, sheep dotting the the hills, isolated beaches, islands off in the distance.

It was the landscape of my Irish dreams.

And while I still found it incredibly beautiful on my second visit in 2018, it was just busier.

But what I love about the Dingle Peninsula, beside all those reasons a few sentences up, is that it’s a short drive at about 55km.

So it’s doable in a half day.

Or you can stretch it out to a day long outing by taking your time at the stops and overlooks.

The Dingle Peninsula is truly one of the special places in County Kerry and in all of Ireland.

Stay in Dingle Town

So if you’re going to fully enjoy the Slea Head Drive/Dingle Peninsula, then you’ll probably want to stay a night or 2 in Dingle Town.

This is definitely a fun town with lots of pub, good music and a wonderful harbor town atmosphere.

While it’s busier now than on my first visit in 2007, it’s still an awesome town to stay.

There are a some very good restaurants and a plethora of accommodation to meet your budget and your style of travel.

While Kenmare is my favorite town in County Kerry, I still like Dingle Town a lot.

Spending a couple of nights in this lively town is one of the best things to do in County Kerry without a doubt.

Tip: Visit Dingle — the peninsula and the town — a bit out of season so you don’t have to deal with the crowds.

Visit the Dingle Distillery

If you’re going to do the above 2 Dingle experiences then add in one more and visit the Dingle Distillery.

This unassuming warehouse sits on the edge of Dingle Town right along the water.

It’s a new distillery that began in 2012 with its first release of whiskey in 2015.

This is a small, family-run operation that is making some really good Irish whiskey.

The Dingle Distillery also makes good gin and vodka if you’re not into whiskey.

Anyway, the tour is fab as you walk though the warehouse.

It’s got a gritty, we’re actually working here, feel.

You end your tour at the beautiful tasting room right in the middle of it all.

For anyone who is remotely interested in the making of distilled spirits — especially whiskey — this is a must.

And one of the best things to do in County Kerry.

Climb Carrauntoohil — Ireland’s highest peak

For outdoor adventurers the best thing to do in County Kerry is climbing Carrauntoohil, the highest peak in Ireland.

At 1038m/3407ft Carrauntoohil is not that tall.

But this is Ireland so it is wet and route finding is not always easy.

So going with a guide is highly recommended,

Now I have not climbed this — yet.

However, I have travel clients who did.

They had a superb guide in John O’Sullivan and had good weather.

And they loved it!

So for those who want to get out and tackle Ireland’s tallest peak, this is for you.

Kayak on Killarney’s Lakes

I was hoping to do this on my last trip to Ireland in 2018.

But I didn’t have time to kayak both Glengarriff Bay and Killarney Lakes.

So I opted for Glengarriff Bay — which was amazing.

But I still dream of kayaking on the lakes in Killarney National Park.

My guide, Nathan Kingerlee from Outdoors Ireland, said we would definitely paddle the lakes on my next visit.

The clients who climbed Carrauntoohil also kayaked Killarney Lakes.

And they loved it.

I know it’s a marvelous way to experience Killarney National Park especially for active travelers.

So even if I haven’t kayaked the Killarney Lakes yet, it still makes my list for the best things to do in County Kerry.

Are there more?

You know how I feel about these lists — they’re subjective.

I’m sure there are more experiences to add.

And I bet some of you might tell me to take something off this list.

But, for me, these are the best things to do in County Kerry.

Leave me a comment below to offer up your opinion.

I always love to hear from you.

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