Ring of Kerry

Ireland’s most famous scenic drive

The Ring of Kerry is a 180-km circuit around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry — a loop of coastal road, mountain passes, small harbours and sweeping Atlantic views that has been drawing visitors for 150 years. It is, by any measure, one of the most beautiful drives in Europe. It is also, in August, one of the busiest, with coach traffic moving anticlockwise along the N70 in a slow procession that makes the scenery harder to enjoy.

The honest version: go in May, June or September, drive clockwise (opposite to the coaches), and stop where you want rather than where a schedule dictates. If you can afford two nights in Kerry rather than one, do it.

Getting to Kerry from Dublin

The Ring of Kerry starts and finishes in Killarney, about 340 km from Dublin. By car, the M8 to Cork and then the N22 west to Killarney takes around 3.5 hours. By rail, the Dublin Heuston to Killarney service takes about 3 hours 15 minutes with connections.

From Dublin, the most popular day-trip option is the Ring of Kerry rail tour from Dublin, which takes the train to Killarney and then connects with a coach around the ring. It is a genuinely long day (around 14 hours door-to-door) but it covers the main highlights without you needing a car. The trade-off is inflexibility — you stop where the coach stops.

The ring itself: what to see

Killorglin. The first town on the anticlockwise route, famous for the Puck Fair festival in August. Worth a brief stop for coffee, then press on.

Glenbeigh and Rossbeigh Strand. The beach at Rossbeigh is a sand spit pushing into Dingle Bay, with views across to the Dingle Peninsula. It is one of the finest beaches in Kerry and often uncrowded compared to the main circuit stops.

Cahersiveen. A working town with a heritage museum focusing on Daniel O’Connell, the Catholic Emancipation campaigner born on the peninsula. The Derrynane stone fort nearby is one of the finest ring forts in Ireland.

Derrynane Bay. The beach and dunes at Derrynane are spectacular — the house of Daniel O’Connell sits behind the dunes and is open as a museum. This is the most rewarding stop for history and scenery combined.

Sneem and Kenmare. Sneem is a pretty village with painted houses; Kenmare is a market town at the head of Kenmare Bay and one of the best places to eat and stay in Kerry. If you are doing the ring over two days, Kenmare is the natural overnight.

Ladies View and the Gap of Dunloe. These are technically in the Killarney National Park area rather than on the ring road itself, but most itineraries include them. Ladies View looks back across the Killarney lakes toward the mountains. The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow mountain pass — if you drive through it yourself, be prepared for single-track roads; it is more atmospheric on foot or by horse-drawn jaunting car.

One day or two?

One day (by coach tour or car) gives you the main sweep of the ring and a sense of the landscape. Two days lets you stop when you want, walk the Derrynane dunes, eat well in Kenmare and take the morning to explore the Killarney National Park before or after the drive. Two days is meaningfully better.

Dingle, the peninsula to the north of Kerry, is a separate destination and a separate day — it does not combine with the Ring of Kerry in a single visit unless you are willing to sprint. See the Killarney page for accommodation and park options, and the best day trips from Dublin for how Kerry fits into a broader Ireland itinerary.

Practical notes

Coaches travel anticlockwise around the ring by law (to prevent two coaches meeting on narrow passes), so if you are driving, go clockwise — you will have more freedom to stop and fewer coaches coming at you. Fill the tank before you leave Killarney or Kenmare; petrol stations are sparse on the western sections. The ring takes 4–6 hours to drive without stops; allow 8 hours for a proper visit with detours.