The 2026 Bucket List Road Trip: 4 Weeks Exploring Ireland (Full Route + Itinerary)
Day 14 (Clare, Westmeath and a bit of Galway) – An unforgettable drive, the oldest pub in Ireland and plenty more
It’s crazy to think that we’re only hitting the 2-week mark today.
My fingers are KNACKERED at this stage. If you’re still with me, let me know in the comments below!
Today, we’ll be finishing up in Clare and heading out to Athlone in Westmeath.
Ready to rock? Let’s get cracking!
1 – The Drive from Doolin to Kinvarra
// Doolin to Kinvarra – 1-hour drive (we’re going to allow for 2 – Leave Doolin at 09:00, arrive in Kinvarra for 11:00) //
The drive from Doolin to Kinvarra is magnificent.
The landscape changes by the minute, there’s a multitude of stop-off points, and it’s another fantastic example of why Ireland is such a wonderful place to road trip around.
This is another drive to play by eye, and to just let your nose lead the way (it’s a straight forward drive, so you’ll stumble upon the best bits.
Some places you can pop into your sat nav
- Fanore Beach
- The Burren
- Ballinalacken Castle
- Poulnabrone Dolmen
- Aillwee Cave
2 – Athlone Castle
// Kinvarra to Athlone Castle – 1-hour drive (arrive for 12:00) //
Athlone Castle was built in the 12th for King John by Bishop John de Gray of Norwich, and was designed to defend the crossing point of the river at Athlone.
You’ll find it on the west side of Athlone Town, finely placed on the banks of the River Shannon.
The castle reopened in 2012 after extensive renovations. It now boasts a complete multi-sensory experience with family-friendly multimedia displays and interactive games.
In particular, the great Siege of Athlone which you can re-live via a 360º cinematic experience sounds cracking.
3 – The oldest bar in Ireland
// Athlone Castle to Sean’s Bar – 1-minute walk (arrive for 13:30) //
Sean’s Bar in Athlone is officially the oldest pub in Ireland.
It’s crazy to think that for over 1,000 years a pub smack bang in the middle of Ireland has been catering to the needs of weary travellers and locals alike.
The pub dates back to 900AD, a fact that was verified during an excavation in 1970 that exposed walls consisting of ancient wattle and daub, dating back to the 9th century.
While one of the original walls that was discovered during the excavation remains on show in Sean’s, the rest, along with coins that were also discovered at the time, now sit inside Dublin’s National History Museum.
Here – have an aul look inside
4 – Onwards to Galway for lunch
// Sean’s Bar to Galway City – 1 hour drive (arrive for 15:00) //
Head to Dela in Galway City for a bit of lunch.
On the plate above is their black pudding, sausage meat and smoked bacon burger which was UNREAL on the two days that I had it.
Get fed and chill for a bit.
We’re going to be leaving Galway City shortly.
When you finish up in Dela, head for a ramble and soak up the sights and sounds.
5 – Kylemore Abbey
// Galway City to Kylemore Abbey – 1 hour and 15-minute drive (arrive for 17:15)
The mountainous, ever-changing landscape that you’ll pass during your drive to Kylemore Abbey is out of this world, and one of my favourite stretches on this Ireland road trip.
Drop the windows, dial up the radio and just cruise and take it all in.
Look to arrive to Kylemore Abbey at least an hour before closing (we’re not entering the building on this trip, but you can if you like).
Kylemore Abbey is a Benedictine monastery that was founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara.
The whole place looks like something plucked straight from a fairytale.
6 – The Sky Road in Clifden
// Kylemore Abbey to the Sky Road – 25-minute drive (arrive for 18:30) //
If you’re visiting Ireland in the winter months, it’ll be too dark to visit the Sky Road at this hour, so just add it to your itinerary for the following morning.
The Sky Road is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Connemara region. It’s a circular route around 11km long that takes you out west from Clifden.
The scenery you’ll be treated to as you spin along the Sky Road has a knack of etching itself upon your mind.
There are few places in Ireland that can go toe-to-toe with the raw beauty and vast range of scenery that those who drive along the Sky Road experience.
Kick back and enjoy the view.
7 – Clifden for the evening
Your base for the night is the bustling little town of Clifden.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Where to stay in Clifden
OK, first things first – a bed for the night.
For this trip, I’m going to recommend Foyles Hotel as it’s extremely central, the reviews are fantastic and a bed for the night and a full Irish in the morning will set you back around €99.
Where to eat
For a bite to eat, nip into Guys Bar & Snug for fish and chips (or whatever you fancy, obviously).
It’s a short stroll from your hotel and the reviews speak for themselves.
Where to drink
If you fancy a pint and a bit of live music, we’re going to polish the day off in Lowry’s Bar.
Kick-back, listen to the music and soak up some chill time.
Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent much of the last 13 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 40 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.
Keith absolutly amazing as usual, you need a medal or a freedom of ireland one for all this, but think you already have that lol
Haha! Cheers Colin.
Thanks for the kind words!
Keith
Simply amazing! My fingers hurt for you. ?
I’ve been researching and plotting our trip to Ireland for months. It’s a lot of work! I can’t thank you enough for sharing all of the suggestions and information that you have. You’ve helped me and yet have also added to my to-do list because now I have to rearrange my plans to include a lot of your suggestions. ?
We’re planning on staying for 4-6 weeks and I’ve been looking for a road trip that was longer. I was so excited to find yours. We probably won’t do as many of the hikes that you have listed because I don’t think we would survive all of them, but definitely will fit in a few.
Thank you again!
Thanks for the kind words, Terri! Glad it was useful!
When does your trip kick off? Is this your first time over?
Yes, first trip over. We’re planning September 2020. And when I just saw your newest itinerary for 4 weeks… WHOA! Thank you, thank you! It’s perfect! I can’t tell you how much researching you’ve saved me. We’d like to do a bit of meandering around and getting lost, but it’s nice to have an outline to follow for those days that we want to accomplish something specific. I do appreciate your awesome efforts and if I do book anything that you’ve listed links for, I’ll be sure to use them!
Ah, cheers Terri – appreciated you taking the time to comment!
A lot goes into creating these guides, so it’s brilliant to get feedback like this.
Thanks a million and feel free to give me a shout if you need any help with the planning!
Cheers,
Keith
Filled with so much needed information, thank you!!!!
My 2 cousins and I are planning a 6-7 day road trip in October and will definitely be pulling many of your suggestions to build our itinerary. We can’t wait.
I will check back afterwards and let you know how it all worked out. I’m sure it will be amazing.
I have enjoyed all your articles. They are simple, clear and informative.
Again thank you!
Thanks for the kind words Darlene.
I’m glad it was useful.
Enjoy the trip and definitely let me know how you got on!
Cheers,
Keith
Well documented road trip , i gone use a lot of it this summer.
Thank u Keith
Thanks Jeff. Glad you found it useful and thanks for taking the time to pop in a comment!
Cheers,
Keith
This is fantastic!!!!! Thank you for all your work! I can see we will be making use of your suggestions when we go over to The Emerald Isle soon.
Kathy
You’re welcome! Glad you found it useful!
Amazing !!! As I could see, you need to rent a car to do this 25 days road trip around Ireland, otherwise you will need to get transport tips as well.
Regards Keith. I will visit Ireland soon.
Hi Arturo – yep, a car is needed for this one.
We’ve a getting around Ireland without a car guide in the works!
Keith,
What do you imagine the 4 week trip costs??
Hi Bridget,
I’ll be completely honest with you – I’ve no idea.
It’ll completely depend on what you do, where you stay, and where you eat.
Personally (I live in Ireland) I find that my biggest costs on trips here are food and accommodation.
I know this doesn’t in any way answer your question!
Fantastic, having just done the Scottish NC500 we really want to visit Ireland and this is just what I’ve been looking for. It will prob be 2021 before we are able to do an Ireland trip but we wanted to take 3-4 weeks over it and this will be a huge help, many thanks for all your hard work & research.
Thanks Sharon!
Glad you enjoyed it and found it useful!
2021 won’t be long coming!
I love your itinerary. I only wish you would publish it. I would buy it.
This is unbelievable. I’ve loved your website for ages. Living in Mayo and loving all your tips – and the way you deliver them – for planning a few days away to places I never heard of before not so far from me! I shared your giant road trip link just now in two groups I’m in – Ireland -Tips for Travellers and Ireland Travel tips … hope that’s okay with you. Your website is an incomparable resource I think they will all visit and love. Best of luck to you Keith. What you’re doing is brilliant.
Hi Siobhan!
Thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed the guide.
Writing and researching this one nearly killed me!
Thanks a million for sharing. Much appreciated.
I hope you’re getting the sun in Mayo.
Keith
Thank you for your hard work in researching and writing this guide. I’ve made one trip to Ireland already (on a tour) but plan to return next year with my family (no tour). Your guide will help immensely on what to do and see.
Thanks Kristi!
I appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Give me a shout if you need a hand with the planning!
Hi Keith!
I’ve been following your newsletters since the beginning of this year. Simply indescribably good! Simply best!
Your descriptions are at least as good as scones, Irish breakfast and Guiness, no – even better, the good taste lasts much longer! We love Ireland!
We spent 12 days on roadtrip in Co Cork and Kerry in April and will be back in October for 7-10 days, but we still don’t agree on where to go. The ideas are many, either Dingle and Killarney or Connemara / Achill Island or Northern Ireland/Donegal or Wicklow incl. Wexford / Waterford. Do you have a tip regarding the usual weather conditions during this period?
Kind regards from Berlin!
Andreas
Hey!
Sorry – I’ve been away on holidays for the past week and I’m only catching messages here now.
Thanks for the kind words. Glad they’re proving to be useful!
October is my favourite time of the year to travel around Ireland.
There’s orange leaves scattered across the trees, the air is cool and crisp, and there’s far less crowds of tourists milling about the place. Accommodation is also generally cheaper than the months leading up to it.
The one thing you can never really predict is the weather. The days are shorter in October and you could have clear, crisp days or wild and wet ones. It’s the luck of the draw on that side of things.
Where to go is a tough one.
If it was me, I’d start in Galway and work down along the coast and around to Cork.
You can easily veer off and drop into the likes of Limerick as you work your way South.
What route did you do during your visit in April?
Cheers,
Keith
Hi Keith, what an incredible job you have done! I have only just come across your website and it is fantastic! It will certainly make planning our upcoming road trip much easier.
Having only just started browsing, I can see that you have included approximate travel times from/to each place, which is great. Looking at the 4 Week Guide, is there an approximate average driving time each day, (eg 3-4 hours) or does the driving time vary considerably each day? Many thanks in advance. Diane
Hi Diane,
Thanks for taking the time to comment and for the kind words!
So, in the 4 week guide there isn’t an approx driving time.
It’s something that would definitely be useful adding, so I’ll pop it onto the to-do list.
The driving time definitely varies quite a bit over the 4 weeks.
If you’re the type of traveller that prefers to base themselves from one spot for several days and explore what’s around them, you could chop and change it a bit to suit.
If there’s anything in particular you need help with, shout!
Cheers,
Keith
Hey,
this is a fantastic help. i’ll be following your guide of west Cork next weekend and i cant wait.
thanks 🙂
Deadly! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Tony.
I did a spin out to West Cork with the aul lad last summer.
Lough Hyne, Brow Head and Mizen were the highlights. Serious spot altogether!
Enjoy the trip!
Keith
Hi Keith,
Thank you so much! Amazing tips for road tripping in Ireland!!! I will definitely be copying majority of your trip, it looks incredible!
Quick question, how much roughly did you spend on petrol in the 4 weeks? For those of us that want to make sure we’re budgeting more than enough for an awesome trip.
I’m from Australia, and have never been to Ireland… I’m looking at doing a 4-5 week road trip through Ireland & Northern Ireland in August/September next year, so your notes are just an incredible help!
Thanks again.
Katies
Hi Katie,
Apologies – I’m only seeing this message now!
So, I didn’t actually do this journey in its entiriety – it’s more of a guide for people that are here for 4 weeks and that need a hand with the route, where to stay, etc.
I couldn’t even give you an estimate on how much fuel for the 4 weeks would cost, sorry! I know that’s not much help!
Very jealous of your trip. That’s a lovely chunk of time to play with. You’ll be able to see loads.
I just wanted to say thank you thank you thank you! Its very apparent how much work went into sharing your travels with us and I must say this is by far the most through blog and itineraries I’ve found! Reading all of your suggestions and specifics on details has made it so much easier and less stressful planning my trip. Thank you again! <3
Ah, cheers Mallory! Appreciate you taking the time to stop by and pop in a comment.
My hand is still cramped from writing this one 😉
Hi Everyone, Any suggestions for a road map for 4 week trip. Am older and would like not too tiny print. Like a backup for any GPS, regards Jane
Hi Keith
Firstly, what an amazing site and SO much information! Thank you for the incredible amount of work you done to produce it ☺
We are planning our trip in May June 2020 and are hiring a motorhome. We are in our 60’s and retired farmers in Australia. We had our first trip to Ireland 3 years ago and did ‘the full circle’ on organised coach tours. It was a fantastic trip and we loved it so much we want to come back and do ‘our own thing’.
We will have 3 weeks in the motorhome and we are mainly interested in scenery and old pubs, also hoping to do a few days on a gypsy caravan tour. My biggest concerns are taking the motorhome on the many narrow roads and also finding places for overnight stops – we call it free camping. Can you give us some advice please
Hi Gaye,
Thanks for the kind words – I’m glad you’ve found it useful!
I’m afraid I’m a complete novice when it comes to all things motorhomes/motor camping, but I’ll try my best.
There are roads in Ireland where you simply won’t be able to fit a motorhome down them (the Torr Head Scenic Route in Antrim, for example). I wouldn’t worry too much about this, as signage tends to be good (but that’s arguably a sweeping statement).
As far as finding places to park overnight goes, I’ve seen plenty of campers parked up near beaches (Keem Bay in Mayo was the most recent) and in parking areas in villages and towns.
Once you use sound judgement, I’m sure you’ll be fine!
Have a fantastic trip.
Keith
Hi Keith,
Love what you’ve done.
I like you’re 28 day itinerary but am wondering if this is do-able without changing accommodation quite so much and perhaps staying 3 or 4 days in a region and doing road trips from those bases.
If so, any ideas as to how to go about this?
Hello,
I am looking to go to Ireland for about 4 weeks but do not want to do any driving. What would you suggest if this is the case?
Linda
Hi Linda – we haven’t actually published any guides to getting around Ireland without a car as of yet. They’re in the works, though. I’d recommend you use rome2rio to understand how to get from point A to point B.
It’s a great site for linking numerous modes of transport together. You’ll need to use public transport and avail of organised tours, at times, which shouldn’t be an issue.
It’s worth noting that a good few of the places in this guide won’t be reachable by public transport and many tour providers won’t include them on their itinerary.
Have a great trip.
Keith
To Keith,
We really want to do your 4 week trip and even though you are very thorough and detailed, I am STILL confused about how best to divide the trip so we can perhaps do this and not stay in 20 different accommodations.
Is it at all possible to break it down into perhaps 3 and 4 day stays at a time. I’m sorry but I’ve been stuck on this for days.
Erika
Hi Erika – can you give me an idea of your route?
Hi,
Thank you so much for all this useful info. I am planning a trip on 5/7-5/16, leaving from Dublin, I think we are going to focus on Kerry and Clare. We will most likely leave Dublin Airport around 1PM (if all goes as planned) and want to stop in Kilkenny and Rock of Cashel, staying overnight in Cork. Will we be able to get there before nightfall?
Thanks, Natalie
Hi Natalie,
It depends on a couple of things: where in Cork are you staying and will you be driving or using public transport?
Cheers,
Keith
Keith,
I will be driving, and not sure where in Cork, we just wanted to get down towards Co. Kerry. Thanks for responding.
Natalie
Thank you for such a great guide. My husband and I have a week in Ireland in August and your site has really been helpful. There is so much to see and do. Your site is helping me figure out what we have to see and what we will plan to see on a future visit.
Keith,my husband and I are planning a 4 to 6 week trip to Ireland in May/June of 2020. I viewed your itinerary and was very excited. Will you be able to send me a copy.
Thank you,
Mary
Thanks very much for this, planning a month in Ireland this summer and this seems to have done all the hard work of planning for us.
No worries Ken! Cheers for the comment. Enjoy your trip!
Hi Keith! We are hoping to visit for a month this coming November. Hoping vaccines will be done and travel is allowed. If we wanted to spend more time in each place say 3 to 4 days what would be the absolute places to visit scaling back from your list? Your recommendation will be appreciated. Thanks!!
Do you know of a bus tour company that has a package that comes close to your itinerary?
Hi Brenda! I don’t to be honest. I’ve heard of some tour companies offering a service where they’ll do the itinerary you ask, but they tend to be private tours. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
This is by far the best trip planning itinerary I’ve come across. While I don’t have an imminent trip to Ireland planned this is giving me some amazing ideas for when I finally get there. I’m usually super disappointed in guides that just throw out 3-4 trendy restaurants and inst spots and ignore everything else a place has to offer. Thank you so much for putting the time you have into this!
Cheers Jessica! It’s a bit of a long slog of a guide and the ads are a pain, I know, but I’m glad you found it useful! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
wow this is awesome!! Super helpful!
I think this is stunning, and have used it to plan our trip, which may not be as long but will incorporate your suggestions, I will let you know how we faired later in the year. Thank you very much
I’m tipping my hat to you for having the tenacity to put together such a helpful, insightful and thorough guide for all of us to enjoy. Thank you.
Keith, this is an extraordinary itinerary and so detailed. Thank you
First retirement trip. Ireland for a month! Go big or go home. So excited to start this new chapter in our lives – and to hit the roads of Ireland. This guide is perfect – but I’d love a more readable copy if you could email it to me.
Good day Keith,
Wow, what an amazing work you’ve done! I’m forever grateful!!! Please can you email this to me.
We are planning to explore Ireland for the first time this year 2023, all the way from South Africa.
Thank you
Thanks Isabell!
Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply!
I’ve tried to get this converted to PDF on a number of occasions, but the result is very messy due to the volume of photos in it.
If there’s any specific questions that I can help with, please fire them on and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Keith
A big thank you for all of the time and hard work you have put into this blog. Great information. I don’t think we can keep up with your pace but will certainly take up many of your suggestions.
G’day Keith-thanks for your trip. My wife and I will be over there in late April and most of May (about a month in total before heading to Scotland for a couple of weeks). I think I’ll be using your trip (which is great (as also is the additional info at the bottom)) as the basis for ours, however, I would like to do abit more of the inland (like a figure eight of the island). Do you have any suggestions?
Hey Mick,
Is there anywhere in particular you have in mind with the inland section?
Cheers,
Keith
Hi Keith
Thank you so much for all the work you have done on The Irish Road Trip. I have used much of it to plan my 7 week trip to Ireland in 2024. It has been invaluable 🙂
This was an epic endeavor. And sooo well done. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.
This is everything I could have asked for in planning a trip to Ireland. I wish I could have found it sooner. I have to settle for 14 days AND somehow hope to traverse most of this territory. We just learned that my husband’s family is from Cavan Co. I really appreciated that it was included. It is the first time I have seen a tour include Cavan. Especially helpful was your inclusion of drive times between destinations. I had to hand write out your ideas or it would have been monumental to print out. I was overwhelmed at all the detail as I’m sure you were.
Thank You so much.
I googled Lochside B&B, but could not locate it. Keeps coming up with a place in the UK.
Do you have a url for them? Or email address?
Hi JD – Thanks for this comment. It appears that they are no longer in operation. A good alternative is the Glenbeg Lodge. It’s a 20-minute drive from the brewery. Cheers – Keith