Ireland is a country where its better to focus on its rural, natural beauty than its cities. Sure, some of the cities in Ireland are nice, but when you think of Ireland, you likely picture its endless green countryside. If you’re renting a car, you’ll have no problem exploring the Emerald Isle. Without a car, it becomes a bit more difficult. You’ll be able to see the cities without too much trouble, but getting to the best of the countryside can be a challenge. But it’s still possible to enjoy the country on this Ireland itinerary without a car.
Car Free Travel
When I travel in the United States, I’ll rent a car whenever I need to and I won’t think twice about it. However, when I travel abroad, I generally prefer to skip the rental car. It’s one added level of stress, and as a solo traveler, I find it more expensive than alternatives. I’ve traveled in both Iceland and France’s Loire Valley without a car, even though that goes against the advice of seemingly everyone online.
Now it should be noted, that I still want you to see the best of Ireland without a car. To do that, you’ll need to get to places that public transportation does not go. So, in lieu of a rental car, you’ll be utilizing guided tours. Rather than spending your entire trip with the same group, I’m recommending day trips. These day trips will get you to where you want to go, but will give you the evenings completely to yourself. I find that tours like this can help bring more flexibility to your trip as you can focus on exactly what you want, rather than following everything on a seven day guided tour.
I can hear some people groaning. Guided tours? Yeah, I know. I’d prefer to do things on my own as well. However, this is your only option for some of these places. Plus, every single day tour that’s mentioned here is a tour that I did while I was in Ireland. I wouldn’t recommend these tours if I didn’t consider them to be a completely viable option.
A Note About This Itinerary
Most of my itineraries are either exact copies of trips I’ve done or are heavily influenced by trips I’ve done. This itinerary is a little different. I lived in Ireland for four months and that just gives you a different travel experience. So, I took that experience and organized it. This is the itinerary that covers my favorite parts of Ireland and will do so efficiently (since we never have as much vacation time as we want).
Ireland Itinerary Without a Car
Day 1 – Hello Dublin, Goodbye Dublin
Most international flights will take you Dublin, so that’s where this Ireland itinerary starts. However, we’re not spending any time in Dublin (yet!). Instead, we’ll be getting a bus to your first home base of this trip.
There are many places where you can make a home base in Ireland, but for such a short itinerary, I’m actually recommending Limerick. This is the city I lived in for four months and it provides a great jumping off point for many of the best day trips around southwestern Ireland.
Admittedly, Limerick is not a city I would typically recommend. From a sightseeing perspective, it’s pretty low on the excitement meter. But because of it’s position, you can easily reach other destinations as day trips. So, to avoid constantly packing, unpacking, and lots time wasted on a bus, we’re going to go to Limerick and just make it our base for most of this trip.
From the Dublin airport, you can catch a bus directly to Limerick. Buses will take two to three hours depending on the bus line you choose.
Once in Limerick, settle in to your hotel before taking a quick walk around the city. As I said, it’s not super high on the excitement meter, but I find walking around outside can really help me beat jet lag. If you have energy for sightseeing, visit King John’s Castle, The Hunt Museum, or Arthur’s Quay Park.
Sleep: Limerick
Day 2 – Day Trip to Ring of Kerry
The next four days are day trips from Limerick, so feel free to mix these up and do them in any order. There really isn’t a particular reason I put them in the order I did, so figure out what works for you. You may find you need to switch the days around based on availability for tours anyway.
Day trip number one on this Ireland itinerary without a car is the Ring of Kerry. This 110 mile loop is one of the most popular scenic drives in all of Ireland. While travelers with a car will have more freedom, you can join a day tour to see the highlights of this loop. Expect to get a little time in Killarney, some great views, and the peace of mind knowing that you don’t have to drive this loop.
Sleep: Limerick
Day 3 – Day Trip to Dingle
Day trip number 2 is the Dingle Peninsula. Visit beautiful beaches and a charming small town.
Admittedly, you could do this yourself by taking a bus to Dingle. But, you’ll miss some of the scenic stops that make this peninsula so beautiful. See the beach and some of the small towns that dot this peninsula.
Sleep: Limerick
Day 4 – Day Trip to Cliffs of Moher
Day trip number 3 is a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. The western coast of Ireland is covered with dramatic cliffs, but the Cliffs of Moher are the most popular. This is another day trip that may be possible on your own, but for there is something to be said for the convenience of a bus trip that takes you directly where you want to go.
Sleep: Limerick
Day 5 – Day Trip to Galway
Day trip number 4 is not a guided trip, but a self explore day. This can make it one of the more relaxing days of your car free Ireland itinerary.
You’ll take a bus from Limerick to Galway to visit my favorite city in Ireland. Like Limerick, Galway is light on sights, but I found Galway to have a lot more charm than Limerick.
Sleep: Limerick
Day 6 – Return to Dublin
Hop on a bus, this time back to Dublin. You’ll have the rest of the day to explore. See St. Patrick’s Cathedral, walk along the River Liffey, see the Book of Kells at Trinity College, tour the Guinness Storehouse, or just enjoy Dublin. The choice is yours.
Sleep: Dublin
Day 7 – Fly Home
The trip is over. Head to the airport and catch your flight home.
With More Time
If you have more time to add to your car free Ireland itinerary, here’s how best to do it.
With 8 Days
Add one extra day in Dublin. Since you really only had a half day in Dublin, give yourself one more day to explore some of the fun things in this city.
With 9 Days
You can spend another day in Dublin. But this time, instead of spending your time in the city itself, day trip outside the city. I recommend venturing a bit further away to Belfast. It’s a long day trip, but totally doable.
You have the option as to whether you want to do this trip with a tour or on your own. Since Belfast is a city destination, rather than something in the countryside, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to do this trip solo. Just make sure to pay attention to bus schedules.
In Belfast, visit the Titanic Museums, see the murals, take a Black Cab Tour to learn more about The Troubles, or just wander the city.
With 10 Days
Spend the night in Belfast and take a day trip from here. The most popular option will be to the stunning rock formations at Giant’s Causeway.
Recap and Hotels Needed
Let’s recap your Ireland itinerary.
7 Days
Day 1: Travel from Dublin to Limerick. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 2: Day trip to Ring of Kerry. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 3: Day trip to Dingle. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 4: Day trip to Cliffs of Moher. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 5: Day trip to Galway. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 6: Travel from Limerick to Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 7: Fly Home.
8 Days
Day 1: Travel from Dublin to Limerick. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 2: Day trip to Ring of Kerry. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 3: Day trip to Dingle. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 4: Day trip to Cliffs of Moher. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 5: Day trip to Galway. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 6: Travel from Limerick to Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 7: Explore Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 8: Fly Home.
9 Days
Day 1: Travel from Dublin to Limerick. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 2: Day trip to Ring of Kerry. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 3: Day trip to Dingle. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 4: Day trip to Cliffs of Moher. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 5: Day trip to Galway. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 6: Travel from Limerick to Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 7: Explore Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 8: Day trip to Belfast. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 9: Fly Home.
10 Days
Note this is organized slightly differently to be efficient with your time. Specifically, this is to make sure that your last night is in Dublin. This just makes takes away one layer of stress since you’re already in the city with your airport.
Day 1: Travel from Dublin to Limerick. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 2: Day trip to Ring of Kerry. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 3: Day trip to Dingle. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 4: Day trip to Cliffs of Moher. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 5: Day trip to Galway. Sleep in Limerick.
Day 6: Travel from Limerick to Belfast (via Dublin). Sleep in Belfast.
Day 7: Day Trip to Giant’s Causeway. Sleep in Belfast.
Day 8: Travel Belfast to Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 9: Explore Dublin. Sleep in Dublin.
Day 10: Fly Home.
About the Day Tours
This Ireland itinerary without a car is guided tour heavy. I’d prefer it not to be, but as mentioned, it becomes a necessity to reach some of the more rural destinations. If you have longer than a week, it might be worth it to explore some of these options on your own and utilize public transportation more. But with such a short time, these tours can be a great value.
As mentioned, I took a lot of these tours when I was in college. Even when I was a broke college student, I found these tours reasonably priced, which is why I’m recommending them. For almost every single tour, I used the company Paddywagon Tours. Admittedly this was ten years ago (and five years since I’ve used the company in any capacity), but they still get good reviews, so I’m passing on that recommendation. Of course there are plenty of other tour companies, but here’s a good place to start.
When to Do This Ireland Itinerary
Winter (December through February) will be the coldest, but Spring (March through May) can be very rainy. Summers (June through August) can be warm, but you’ll have the best chance for good weather. Fall (September through November) will start to get cold.
Normally, I’m all for avoiding peak tourist season. In Ireland, that means summer. However, with so much of this trip focusing on natural beauty, you’ll want to have the best weather. Sure, you can get lucky in the off season (my parents visited for a week in April and there was a total of 15 minutes of rain over their entire visit), but it’s no guarantee (the week after my parents left, there was 15 minutes of non rain for the entire week).
If you are completely against peak season, I’d recommend late spring and early fall. You can hopefully squeeze out a few decent weather days on your visit.
Final Thoughts
While I think Ireland is best explored with your own vehicle, I know there are plenty of travelers who don’t want to rent a car. Since I spend my study abroad exploring Ireland without a car, I feel pretty good about some of these recommendations. You’re sure to have a great time on your trip to Ireland.
Continue Your Adventure
More in Ireland: I’ve put together a list of the best of Ireland as well as a photo tour of this beautiful country. And if you happen to have a rental car, I have a week long Ireland road trip for you.
Car Free Travel: Ireland isn’t the only place I’ve traveled car free in places where rental cars are recommended. I also visited Iceland and France’s Loire Valley.
More in Europe: For more great Europe itineraries, try 10 Days in Spain or Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam in 10 Days.