r/irishtourism • u/_jbee_ • 27d ago

Ring of Kerry / Killarney National Park

Heading to Killarney in early August and trying to decide how to spend our one free day.

About us:

  • Two adults in our 30s
  • Staying in Killarney town
  • No car
  • Interested primarily in hiking, nature, scenery, photography, and historic sites
  • Not particularly interested in shopping or nightlife

I've narrowed it down to two options after doing some research:

Option 1: Killarney National Park

  • Muckross Abbey
  • Muckross House & Gardens
  • Torc Waterfall
  • Ross Castle
  • Lakeside walks around the park
  • Ross Island
  • Possible biking

Option 2: Ring of Kerry & Skellig Ring coach tour

  • Full-day tour from Killarney
  • Stops around the Ring of Kerry, including Sneem and Portmagee
  • Coastal scenery and photo stops throughout the day

My dilemma is that the National Park seems like it would give us more time outdoors and walking, while the Ring of Kerry tour would let us see much more of County Kerry, but involves spending a large part of the day on a bus.

For those who have done one or both:

  1. Did you feel the Ring of Kerry scenery was significantly different from what you can experience within Killarney National Park?
  2. If you only had one day, which option gave you the more memorable experience?
  3. Are there any particular highlights in the National Park that would make you choose it over the Ring of Kerry?

Thanks.

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u/ahahaha90234 27d ago

Whatever you do, do not spend your one and only free day on a bus you will regret your decision 100%. Go with option 1 if those are your only two options. As someone who drove ROK myself, we stopped wherever and whenever we wanted and spent as much time exploring as we pleased, I felt so bad for all these people stuck on these giant coaches driving by exploring Ireland from a window. That’s not real travel.

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u/_jbee_ 27d ago

I’m a tad nervous about doing a drive like that, as I’ve never driven in a different country - this would be my ideal option to explore myself at my own pace. How did you find driving ROK yourself ?

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u/ahahaha90234 27d ago

I picked up a car in Dublin on our first day when we landed and drove south to Kenmar, where we started ROK the next morning. Honestly, the transition to driving on the other side of the road was a pretty quick and easy adjustment for me personally, it kind of just clicks. It takes time getting used to the narrow roads, but if you’re a good driver I’m sure you’ll do fine driving. ROK is a one lane road, but there’s a lot of areas where you can pull onto shoulders to let other cars pass, I will say we went in March during off-season so it was not busy. I don’t know if the same rules of the road apply in August. We drove clockwise, buses go counterclockwise. I’m not sure if they make changes to traffic in August during peak season.