Ireland

County Kerry

A farmhouse B&B in Kerry delivers the Ireland of the imagination: sheepdog demonstrations, turf fires, soda bread at breakfast and forty shades of green out of every window.

Best forFamilies · Walkers & hikers · Road-trippers
In August18°C · 15 rainy days
Ideal stayA week
Approx. flying time~10h 20m from Los Angeles

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County Kerry, Ireland Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyEUREuro
LanguageEnglish and Irish
Local time11:16same time as the UK
PlugsType GUK plugs fit
Drive on theLeftSame as the UK
Dialling code+353

Why go

The southwest corner of Ireland runs out into the Atlantic in a series of peninsulas, each with mountains down the middle and a road around the edge. Between them sit lakes, oak woods, sandstone ridges and a coastline of empty strands and offshore islands. Weather arrives from the west in sequence, which is why the light changes every twenty minutes and why the greens are the colour they are.

A week lets you take in Killarney, the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle peninsula without rushing, ideally based in two places rather than one. May, June and September give the longest, driest days and the fewest coaches on the narrow roads. July and August are busy and the weather is no better. Bring waterproofs, accept that some days will be wet, and plan indoor options for children accordingly.

Ideal stay: A week
The vibe: Green, wet, warm-hearted, wild-edged

From our guides

Killarney National Park has lake islands to boat to and the Gap of Dunloe to travel by pony and trap, while the Dingle Peninsula's beaches empty of crowds by teatime. Children are folded into everything as a matter of course. Pack waterproofs and treat rainbows as scheduled entertainment.

Featured in Ten farm stays and countryside escapes kids genuinely love

Things to do

Killarney National Park

Three connected lakes, oak and yew woodland, red deer and a nineteenth-century mansion at Muckross. Boats cross to Innisfallen island and its ruined monastery.
Slea Head Drive

A loop around the tip of the Dingle peninsula past beehive huts, sea cliffs and views to the Blasket Islands. Drive it clockwise, as the coaches do.
Skellig Michael

A monastic settlement of stone huts clings to a pyramid of rock twelve kilometres offshore. Landing trips run in summer only and weather cancels many of them.
Ring of Kerry

The 180-kilometre circuit of the Iveragh peninsula takes a full day, with mountain passes, beaches at Derrynane and the option of the quieter Skellig Ring detour.
Torc Waterfall

A short walk from the road near Killarney to a fall in mossy woodland, with steps continuing uphill to a viewpoint over the lakes. Good in the rain.
Valentia Island

Reached by bridge or ferry, with tetrapod footprints in the rock, a slate quarry grotto and the site of the first transatlantic telegraph cable.

Getting there

Fly to
Farranfore (KIR)

The airport is on the doorstep.
Then
To Killarney

Kerry airport at Farranfore (KIR) is about 20 minutes by car from Killarney, or a short hop on the Tralee to Killarney train.
On the ground
Getting around

A car is the only sensible way to drive the Ring of Kerry and reach Dingle. Within Killarney, jaunting cars, boats and bikes cover the national park.

Public transport: Trains reach Killarney and Tralee and buses link the main towns, but the peninsulas and beaches need a car.

Flights

Los Angeles County Kerry, Ireland

Flying from

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Roughly 10h 20m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

Check dates and prices

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 7°C in January to 18°C in August. Wettest in October, with rain on about 21 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

August18° · rain 15 daysCool and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to stay

Farmhouse and town B&Bs are the backbone, with country-house hotels, self-catering cottages and hostels. A few big hotels in Killarney; almost no chains elsewhere.

Best base overall
Killarney

The national park is at the end of the street and the pubs, buses and tour departures are all here. It is the most touristed town in the county, and August coach traffic shows.
Find stays in Killarney
Best for couples
Dingle

A harbour town of coloured shopfronts, good seafood and music most nights, with the peninsula's beaches on the doorstep. The drive over the mountains is long and the rooms are limited.
Find stays in Dingle
Quietest
Kenmare

A neat market town at the head of the bay, calmer than Killarney and well placed for both the Ring of Kerry and Beara. Fewer rainy-day options for children.
Find stays in Kenmare
Best value
Killorglin

A river town on the Ring with lower rates and an easy run into Killarney. Little to do in the evening apart from a good handful of pubs.
Find stays in Killorglin

Worth knowing before you book: The Ring of Kerry towns book out for summer weekends and for Killorglin's Puck Fair in August, and many small B&Bs close from November to March.

Our picks in this destination

The Black Sheep Hostel Killarney · eco-minded town hostel Georgian building on New Street with pod-style dorm beds and private rooms, one minute's walk from Killarney town centre and the national park. Grapevine Hostel Dingle · central Dingle hostel Hostel on Dykegate Lane in Dingle town centre with mixed dorms, en-suite twin and triple rooms, free breakfast, kitchen and bike storage. Greenmount House Dingle · family-run guesthouse Guesthouse above Dingle with sea-view and garden-view rooms, a free private car park, and a five-minute walk down to John Street's bars. The Moorings Portmagee · harbourside guesthouse and restaurant Quayside guesthouse and restaurant in Portmagee facing the Skellig Ring harbour; closed for roughly the first four weeks of January. Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa Killarney · hilltop spa hotel Hotel on Aghadoe hill overlooking the Lakes of Killarney, with a spa, the Lake Room restaurant and a bar with valley views. Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa Tralee · country-house hotel and spa Hotel in parkland at Leebrook outside Tralee, with a spa, suites and separate off-grid estate cabins that have outdoor hot tubs. Sheen Falls Lodge Kenmare · five-star country estate Five-star Relais & Chateaux lodge on a 300-acre estate beside Kenmare Bay, with self-catering cottages, golf and on-site dining.

Or search everything else in Killarney by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Killarney

Good to know

Driving: Roads are narrow with stone walls and no verge, and tour coaches run the Ring of Kerry anticlockwise. Drive it the same way or expect awkward meetings.
Weather: Four seasons in a day is the standard, particularly on the peninsulas. Waterproof coat and boots matter more than any other packing decision.
Skellig boats: Landing permits are limited and sell out months ahead, and sailings are cancelled often for swell. Book early and keep a spare day in reserve.
Book ahead: Killarney and Dingle fill in summer and over bank holidays. Farmhouse B&Bs are the good-value option and often need reserving weeks in advance.
Cash and pubs: Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but a small amount of cash is handy in rural pubs, which double as the venue for most live music.