Dingle Peninsula Drive Itinerary: Map + Stops

The Dingle Peninsula Drive is a 93km/58 mile scenic driving route that takes in one of the most breath-taking corners of Ireland.

It’s often confused with the Slea Head Drive, which is a small section of the overall Dingle Peninsula Loop.

Below, you’ll find a printable map, a Google Map with the stops plotted (at the end) and an itinerary to follow.

Key information for doing the Dingle Peninsula Drive

The Dingle Peninsula Drive can cause a bit of confusion if you’re not familiar with the lay of the land. Take a moment to look at the map above, first, before reading the points below:

1. Location

The Dingle Peninsula Drive takes you around, no surprise, the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. It’s a 1-hour and 10-minute drive from Killarney and a 1-hour and 45-minute drive from Kenmare.

2. Where it starts and ends

Your Dingle Peninsula itinerary can be started from either ‘entrance point’ to the peninsula, i.e. the Tralee side or the Killarney side. Personally, I always kick it off from Inch Beach and then follow the coast clockwise.

3. How long it takes

If you follow the route I outline in this guide, you’ll cover a good 93km/58 mile. You could do it in 1/2 a day, but only if you’re happy to whizz by places. Allow 1 full day.

Dingle Peninsula Drive map

The Dingle Peninsula Drive map above has a rough outline of the route you’ll be following below.

It starts from the brilliant Inch Beach and then continue towards Dingle Town before moving to Slea Head.

If you’d prefer an interactive Google Map, you’ll find one at the end of this guide.

The Dingle Peninsula Loop itinerary

Right – enough of me yammering on! Below, you’ll find a my Dingle Peninsula itinerary.

If you follow this, you’ll stumble upon some of the most magnificent places to visit in Kerry, with a mix of tourist favourites and ‘hidden’ gems.

Stop 1: Inch Beach

Inch Beach is the first stop. You’ll find parking right next to it and there’s a great coffee spot on the sand (Sammy’s).

Inch is a little peninsula, as you’ll see from the snap on the left above. Well, I say ‘little’, but it juts out for a lofty 5.5km.

As you saunter along the sand at Inch you’ll see local and visiting surfers conquering (or at least attempting to!) the waves.

On a clear day, you’ll be treated to glorious mountain views. A fine start to your Dingle road trip.

Stop 2: Minard Castle

One of the more overlooked stops on the Dingle Peninsula Loop is a short 15-minute spin from Inch – Minard Castle and Beach.

Take the drive up here very handy as you’ll be following narrow country roads that are used by farming vehicles.

You might recognise the castle here from the movie ‘Ryan’s Daughter’, which was released in the 1970’s (they referred to it as ‘The Tower’).

The castle here is finely plonked on a little grassy hill that overlooks the water, commanding breath-taking views on a clear day.

Stop 3: Dingle Town

Take the 15-minute drive to bustling Dingle Town, next, and head off for a ramble (there’s parking at the harbour).

Although the town is small it attracts thousands of domestic and international tourists each and every day throughout the summer season.

Dingle Town is walkable and it boasts a fine bit of charm and character. In the town, you have attractions like the Dingle Distillery and the Dingle Aquarium.

There’s also plenty of great restaurants in Dingle (Fish Box is my go-to!) and there are endless old-school pubs in Dingle, too!

From the town, you can join one of the various Dingle Tours, like the Sea Safari or the boat trip to the Blasket Islands.

Stop 4: Ventry Beach

Ventry Beach (an easy 13-minute drive from Dingle) is a Blue Flag Beach and on a warm day, there’s few places like it.

One of the more popular beaches in Kerry, Ventry Beach stretches for 4.5km and, for many, it’s white sand marks the beginning of the Slea Head Drive.

Hop out, flick off your shoes and head for a stroll or a paddle.

It’s from this point that your Dingle Peninsula road trip goes from good to great!

Stop 5: Beehive huts, forts and sheepdog demonstrations

There are a number of Dingle Peninsula stops right after you leave Ventry.

When you leave the beach, you’ll follow the road to the coast (it’s very straightforward) and it’s here that you’ll find several paid and free attractions.

You can stop at these, if you like. The map above outlines the main ones.

Stop 6: The viewpoints

The next stretch of the route is my favourite along the Slea Head Drive part of the loop.

However, a quick heads up is needed – the Dingle road trip is dotted with magnificent view points, but there’s a problem.

Many of them are tucked away behind bends, so they’re very easy to miss. Add to this the fact that it’s near impossible to find a place to do a U-Turn safely and it can get frustrating.

Translation – time spend looking over our Dingle Peninsula Loop map above will pay dividends!

The first pair of viewpoints you’ll reach are Ceann Sleibhe and the famous White Cross. There’s a little bit of pull in space here where you can hop out and admire the view.

Stop 7: Radharc na mBlascaoidí viewpoint

The next viewpoint is Radharc na mBlascaoidí (or ‘Blasket’s View’ as it’s listed on Google Maps), is one of the stand out stops on this Dingle Peninsula itinerary, in my opinion.

There’s plenty of room to park up here and you’ll be treated to a mighty view of Dunmore Head.

If you arrive here when the weather’s wild, you can watch (and listen – you’ll have no choice!) to the waves clattering against the rugged cliffs below.

Stop 8: Coumeenoole Beach

Next up is Coumeenoole Beach – another filming location for the famous ‘Ryan’s Daughter’.

This beautiful beach comes with a WARNING – no matter how tempting that often-tropical water looks, keep your feet on dry land.

Coumeenoole may be one of the finest beaches near Dingle, but there’s unpredictable currents at play and swimming is highly unadvisable.

There’s a small parking spot right next to the beach, and you’ve got a couple of choices – enjoy the view from the top or stroll down the twisty path all the way to the sand.

Stop 9: Dun Chaoin Pier

Dun Chaoin Pier is arguably the most notable of the many Dingle Peninsula stops.

Boasting a quirky appearance that’s been snapped by a million-and-one photographers, it’s the departure point for the Blasket Island Ferry.

There’s two warnings for this place:

• Warning 1: The cliff edge is unguarded – avoid getting too close as the wind is very strong as times here
• Warning 2: Never drive down the bendy road. Park at the top near the ticket booth

Stop 10: The Blasket Centre

Next up is The Blasket Centre – this is a great stop if you’d like to get an insight into the unique community that lived on the remote Blasket Islands prior to they were evacuated in 1953.

It’s also a handy spot to stop if it’s raining (or if you fancy a bite-to-eat… or if you need the bathroom!).

As you walk around it, you’ll get an insight into island life, how the island’s inhabitants made ends meet and plenty more.

Stop 11: Ceann Sibeal (Star Wars filming location)

Another of my favourite stops along the Dingle Peninsula Drive is this little viewpoint. Now, please not that there’s no dedicated car park here.

There is, however, a nice little place to park around here if you want to take a look on Google Street View.

As you may be aware, parts of Star Wars: The Force Awakens were filmed in Ireland, most notably on Kerry’s Skellig Michael.

However, a section of the Dingle Peninsula was also used to recreate the Skellig Michael set for later movies.

Stop 12: Clogher Strand

We’re headed to Clogher Strand next – it’s one several easily-missed beaches you’ll stumble upon along your Dingle Peninsula road trip.

Although it’s a no-go for swimming, Clogher Strand is a stunning little beach, nestled amidst craggy cliff faces on every side.

As you drive to the car park, it also looks like you’re about the head right into the sea (don’t worry, the car park is just to the left).

Stop 13: Gallarus Oratory

Gallarus Oratory is one of the final stops on this Dingle Peninsula itinerary, and it’s a place that gets plenty of mixed reviews.

There’s a visitor centre (which you need to pay into) or, if you can find parking nearby, you can access it for free via a public path.

It’s believed that Gallarus Oratory was built around the 11th or 12th century. It’s a pokey little structure, standing at just 4.8m by 3m in size.

Stop 14: Conor Pass

From Gallarus, make your way back into Dingle Town and then up to Conor Pass (takes around 20 minutes).

Conor Pass is one of Ireland’s highest mountain passes, and it can be the stuff of nightmares for nervous drivers.

However, you don’t have to drive it. If you head up to it from the Dingle side, you’ll reach a car park before you hit the narrow road.

From here, you can soak up views of the surrounding valley and watch the cars navigate its narrow bends from afar.

Stop 15: The Maharees

From Conor Pass, follow the road and you’ll eventually arrive at the Maharees – a 5km-long tombolo that’s bordered by the bays of Brandon and Tralee.

It’s here that you’ll discover some of Kerry’s most impressive beaches.

You’ll arrive at Fermoyle Beach, first, before landing up at Castlegregory. Both are mighty spots to stretch the legs.

Stop 16: Caherconree Scenic Route

When you leave Castlegregory, continue along the coast until you reach the village of Camp (less than 15 minutes).

From here, you take a detour to the right, which takes you up towards the Caherconree Scenic Route – a drive that’s rarely included in Dingle Peninsula itinerary guides.

The road here is very narrow in places and can be off-putting to some drivers. Similar to the likes of the Ballaghbeama Gap near Kenmare, this route is wild, unspoiled and remote.

Care is needed but, for those that brave it, you’ll be treated to glorious views that many tend to miss.

This road will leave you just up the coast from Inch and a stone’s throw from the Ring of Kerry.

My Dingle Peninsula itinerary on a Google Map

The Dingle Peninsula drive map can be opened up by clicking the little box icon in the top right corner.

You can zoom in on stops and get a better look at each of the locations.