Day by day
Wild Atlantic Way in 14 days.
The full Wild Atlantic Way stretches 2,500km along Ireland's entire west coast. This 14-day itinerary combines the Wild Atlantic Way with Ireland's medieval heartland and the dramatic north coast — a comprehensive portrait of the island.
Day 1
County Dublin
Dublin — Arrive
- Arrive Dublin Airport, check in to city hotel
- Temple Bar, Trinity College & Book of Kells
- Guinness Storehouse or National Museum of Ireland
- Evening on Baggot Street or Camden Street
Day 2
Wicklow → Wexford
Wicklow Mountains & Sunny Southeast
- Glendalough — Round Tower, two mountain lakes, woodland walks
- Powerscourt Estate & waterfall (tallest in Ireland)
- Wexford town — Viking origins, opera festival venue, Hook Head lighthouse
Day 3
Kilkenny → Waterford
Medieval Mile & Viking Waterford
- Kilkenny Castle & Medieval Mile — Black Abbey, St Canice's Cathedral
- Smithwick's Experience brewery tour
- Waterford — Ireland's oldest city (914 AD), Viking Triangle, Waterford Crystal
Day 4
County Cork
Cork — The Rebel City
- English Market — artisan food hall, deli counters, fresh fish
- St Fin Barre's Cathedral — Gothic Revival, marble floors
- Blarney Castle — Blarney Stone, Poison Garden, Fern Garden
- Overnight Cork city centre
Day 5
West Cork
Kinsale & Wild West Cork
- Kinsale harbour — colourful streets, Charles Fort, world-class seafood restaurants
- Bantry Bay — Bantry House & Gardens, Italian garden terraces
- Mizen Head — Ireland's most southwesterly point, sea stack footbridge
Day 6
County Kerry
Killarney & Ring of Kerry
- Killarney National Park — Muckross House, Ross Castle, ancient oakwoods
- Ring of Kerry coastal drive (N70) — 179km through Atlantic seaboard villages
- Kenmare — stone circle, boutique restaurants, overnight stay
Day 7
Kerry — Dingle
Dingle Peninsula — Slea Head
- Slea Head Drive (R559) — beehive huts, prehistoric forts, Blasket Island views
- Gallarus Oratory — 8th-century dry-stone oratory, perfect preservation
- Dingle town — artisan gin distillery, fresh crab claws, trad sessions
Day 8
County Clare
Cliffs of Moher & The Burren
- Cliffs of Moher early morning (arrive before 9am) — 214m sea cliffs, O'Brien's Tower
- Burren — unique limestone karst, rare arctic and Mediterranean plants coexisting
- Poulnabrone Dolmen — 5,200-year-old portal tomb visible from road
- Doolin village evening trad session
Day 9
Galway → Aran Islands
Galway & Aran Islands
- Galway city morning — Latin Quarter, Spanish Arch, Galway Cathedral
- Aran Islands ferry from Rossaveel to Inis Mór (40 min)
- Dún Aonghasa — Iron Age cliff fort on sheer 100m Atlantic drop
- Evening back in Galway — trad music at The Crane Bar
Day 10
Connemara → Mayo
Connemara & Westport
- Kylemore Abbey & Victorian walled garden — lakeside Gothic castle
- Sky Road loop above Clifden — sweeping Atlantic panorama
- Croagh Patrick pilgrimage mountain visible approaching Westport
- Westport — prettiest town in Ireland, Georgian mall, Clew Bay
Day 11
Mayo → Sligo
Achill Island & Yeats Country
- Achill Island — Keem Bay (Ireland's finest beach), Slievemore abandoned village
- Strandhill beach & spa — Atlantic surfing village near Sligo
- Carrowmore megalithic cemetery — 5,500-year-old passage tombs
- Sligo town — W.B. Yeats Museum, Model Arts Centre
Day 12
County Donegal
Donegal — Wild & Gaelic
- Slieve League — Europe's highest accessible sea cliffs (601m, 3× Cliffs of Moher height)
- Glenveagh National Park — castle, rhododendron gardens, golden eagle reintroduction
- Gaeltacht coastline — Irish-speaking area, traditional music on weeknights
- Overnight Donegal town or Letterkenny
Day 13
Antrim → Belfast
Giant's Causeway & Arrive Belfast
- Giant's Causeway — 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, UNESCO World Heritage
- Causeway Coastal Route — Dunluce Castle, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge
- Arrive Belfast — Cathedral Quarter, St George's Market, murals of the Falls & Shankill
Day 14
Belfast → Dublin
Belfast & Return Dublin
- Titanic Belfast — world's largest Titanic exhibition, shipyard quarter
- Black Cab tour of political murals — history, conflict, peace process
- Return Dublin via M1 motorway (approx 2 hours) — drop off rental car
- Optional: stop at Newgrange (Boyne Valley) on the way south
Book the full Wild Atlantic Way
14 nights. 14 tonnes CO₂ removed.
Book all 14 hotels through IMPT. Lowest price guarantee — same as Booking.com or better on every property. €5 free credit for new members. Each night removes 1 tonne of verified CO₂.
Common questions
About the 14-day itinerary.
Does this itinerary cross into Northern Ireland?
Yes — days 13–14 cover the Giant's Causeway and Belfast, which are in Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom). You do not need a visa or passport check to cross; it's an open land border. Your Irish car rental should cover Northern Ireland but confirm with the rental company. Northern Ireland uses the pound sterling (GBP) not the euro, so bring both currencies or a card with no foreign exchange fees.
What is the best direction to drive the Wild Atlantic Way?
North to south is slightly favoured in summer (Cork-based end lets you stop at Mizen Head for a dramatic finale). But for this itinerary (which ends in Belfast), south to north works perfectly: Dublin → Cork → Kerry → Galway → Donegal → Belfast → Dublin. This keeps the drama building toward the spectacular Slieve League cliffs and Antrim coast at the end.
How much does a 14-day Ireland road trip cost?
Budget roughly €80–140/night for mid-range hotels booked through IMPT (lowest price guarantee — same as Booking.com or better). Rental car: €35–60/day for a small automatic. Fuel: €100–130 total for the route. Food: €40–60/day eating out. Total per person for a couple sharing: approximately €1,400–2,200 for 14 days excluding flights. Dublin and Belfast are the most expensive cities; rural nights on the west coast are often cheaper.
Can I do this itinerary without a car?
Not comfortably. While Dublin, Galway and Belfast have good public transport between them, the Wild Atlantic Way coast — Kinsale, Mizen Head, Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Achill Island, Slieve League — is largely inaccessible without a car. A few tour operators run Wild Atlantic Way bus tours that cover the route over 10–14 days, but a rental car gives you far more flexibility and is usually cheaper when split between two people.
When is the best time to do this 14-day itinerary?
May, June and September are ideal. May and September have fewer crowds, lower hotel prices and still good weather. June has the longest days (near 17 hours of light in the north). July–August are peak season with higher prices but reliable weather. March–April is possible for the brave — the west coast is dramatic in grey Atlantic light, prices are 30–40% lower, and you'll have most sights to yourself.
Sustainable & green accommodation: IMPT lists eco-friendly hotels, green-certified stays, sustainable guesthouses, and responsible travel options — from carbon-neutral hotels and eco lodges to environmentally friendly B&Bs and net-zero accommodation. Every booking removes 1 tonne of verified CO₂ at the lowest price guarantee — same as Booking.com or better.