26 August 2026 |
Customised Tours
10 stunning road trips in Ireland you need to experience
by Damien Lacey
There are road trips and then there are Irish road trips.
Ireland is made for exploring by road. Iconic routes that have earned their place on every Ireland bucket list. These quiet corners where you can spend hours driving without seeing another car, there is an incredible amount of scenery packed into a relatively small island.
We’ve picked 10 of the most stunning road trips in Ireland – popular classics you absolutely should experience and some lesser-known routes for those who want to venture a little further off the beaten track that are as good if not better than the more popular ones.
And the best part? You don’t have to figure it all out yourself.
If there is one Irish road trip that needs little introduction, it’s the Ring of Kerry.
Beginning and ending around Killarney, this spectacular loop takes you through some of the most dramatic scenery in southwest Ireland. Rugged mountains, glistening lakes, Atlantic coastline, tiny villages and sweeping valleys.
It’s famous for a reason.
The road winds through places like Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Sneem and Kenmare, with every section offering something different. You can stop for a walk, explore a secluded beach, find a traditional pub or simply pull over and take in the view.
The route is part of the wider Wild Atlantic Way experience, which stretches for over 2,600km along Ireland’s western coastline by car.
Don’t miss: Killarney National Park, Moll’s Gap, Ladies View, Waterville and the spectacular views from Coomakista Pass.
If the Ring of Kerry is Ireland’s famous road trip, Slea Head is the one that feels like a film set.
The drive loops around the western end of the Dingle Peninsula, taking you through some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery in the country.
Here, green fields tumble towards enormous Atlantic cliffs, ancient stone structures sit amongst the landscape and the Blasket Islands appear dramatically offshore.
And then there are the roads themselves which wind along the edge of the peninsula with the Atlantic seemingly stretching forever.
The beauty of Slea Head is that you don’t need to rush it. This is a road trip where stopping is half the experience.
Don’t miss: Slea Head, Coumeenoole Beach, Dunquin Pier, the Blasket Islands and the colourful town of Dingle.
Some road trips need days.
The Sky Road proves that sometimes you only need a few kilometres.
Starting in Clifden, the road climbs above the Atlantic and opens up spectacular views across the coastline, islands and stunning Connemara landscape.
The higher route is where the magic happens. As you climb, the landscape seems to unfold beneath you… rocky coastline, emerald fields and the deep blue of the Atlantic.
It’s one of those drives where you’ll probably stop more than you actually drive.
Don’t miss: The upper Sky Road viewpoint and the coastal sections around Clifden.
Cross into Northern Ireland and you’ve got another spectacular contender.
The Causeway Coastal Route runs along the northern coastline, connecting Belfast with some of the most dramatic scenery on the island.
Think towering cliffs, golden beaches, ancient castles, crashing waves and, of course, the extraordinary Giant’s Causeway.
But one of the best things about this route is that the journey is every bit as impressive as the destination.
Take your time around Ballycastle, Torr Head, Bushmills and Portrush and you’ll find plenty of reasons to stop the car.
Don’t miss: Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Torr Head and the coastal road between Ballycastle and Bushmills.
You don’t have to travel to the far west of Ireland to find extraordinary scenery.
Just south of Dublin, the Wicklow Mountains feel like another world.
Take the road through Sally Gap and the Wicklow Mountains, passing mountains, lakes, forests and vast stretches of open moorland.
One of the highlights is the view towards Lough Tay, famously nicknamed the “Guinness Lake” because of its dark waters and pale sandy shoreline.
Continue towards Glenmacnass Waterfall and Glendalough and you’ve got a perfect day of driving, walking and exploring.
Don’t miss: Sally Gap, Lough Tay, Glenmacnass Waterfall and Glendalough.
If you’ve already heard of the Ring of Kerry, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard nearly as much about the Ring of Beara.
And that’s exactly why we love it.
The Beara Peninsula has all the ingredients you’d expect from Ireland’s southwest. Mountains, Atlantic coastline, colourful villages and spectacular viewpoints but it feels much more remote.
The route winds around the peninsula between Kenmare and Glengarriff, passing through places like Ardgroom, Eyeries, Allihies and Castletownbere.
Then there’s the Healy Pass. This winding mountain road cuts through the Caha Mountains and is one of those places where you genuinely need to stop the car and appreciate where you are.
Don’t miss: Healy Pass, Eyeries, Allihies and the coastal road around the western end of Beara.
There’s something different about Donegal.
It’s wilder. More remote. The landscape feels bigger.
And the Inishowen Peninsula is one of the best places to experience it.
The peninsula pushes into the Atlantic in the far north of Donegal.
The area is sometimes described as “Ireland in miniature” because of the extraordinary variety packed into the peninsula.
Drive towards Malin Head, explore the coastline around Inishowen Head and Stroove and simply allow yourself to get a little lost.
On clear days, you can even see Scotland from parts of the peninsula.
Don’t miss: Malin Head, Inishowen Head, Stroove Lighthouse and Five Finger Strand.
This one deserves far more attention.
The Copper Coast runs along the Waterford coastline between Tramore and Dungarvan and it’s completely different from the big-name western routes.
Here you’ll find dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, sea stacks, beaches and extraordinary geological formations.
The road itself is part of the experience. Instead of one huge headline attraction, the Copper Coast gives you a succession of beautiful little discoveries.
You turn a corner and find a tiny beach.
Another corner and there’s a cliff dropping into the Atlantic.
Another and you’ve got a view that makes you wonder why you’ve never heard more about this place.
Don’t miss: Annestown, Bunmahon, Kilmurrin Cove and the coastal villages along the route.
Some places are beautiful because they’re dramatic.
Sheep’s Head is beautiful because it’s untouched.
This narrow peninsula sits between Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay, stretching out into the Atlantic from West Cork.
It’s a quieter, slower kind of road trip. Tiny roads, rugged coastline, green hills and enormous ocean views.
Discover Ireland describes Sheep’s Head as a beautifully untouched peninsula and highlights its lighthouse, stone circles, old churches and Napoleonic signal tower.
The peninsula is also remarkably narrow, meaning you’re constantly surrounded by views of the Atlantic.
Don’t be afraid to get out of the car here. The Sheep’s Head Lighthouse is worth the short walk at the end of the road.
Don’t miss: Ahakista, Kilcrohane, Bantry Bay and Sheep’s Head Lighthouse.
And finally, perhaps the most spectacular one of the lot.
Rather than following one officially named road trip, we’d create a route through northwest Donegal from around Gweedore towards Bunbeg, Bloody Foreland and the coast around Falcarragh and Dunfanaghy.
This is Ireland at its most elemental.
Errigal rises dramatically from the landscape. The Atlantic waters crashing against enormous cliffs. Beaches stretch seemingly untouched into the distance and the roads weave through a landscape of mountains, bogland, rock and sea.
There are moments here where you genuinely feel like you’ve reached the end of the world.
And that’s precisely what makes Donegal so special.
The wider Wild Atlantic Way begins in Inishowen and runs all the way down the western coastline but the northwest Donegal sections are where we’d encourage you to slow down and explore beyond the obvious stops.
Don’t miss: Errigal, Bunbeg, Magheraclogher Beach, Bloody Foreland, Gweedore and the coastline towards Dunfanaghy.
Ready to experience Ireland from the road?
The route is only half the story. It’s the hidden viewpoints, the little villages, the perfect places to stop for lunch, the beaches worth taking the detour for and the moments you’d never find on a standard itinerary.
That’s where we come in.
We’ll plan your Irish road trip right down to a tee – from where you go and where you stay, to what you see, where you eat and all the little details in between.
You simply show up, turn the key and enjoy the scenery from the road.
