The national park sights lie within 10 km of town and are best seen under your own steam — on foot, by hired bike or by jaunting car. The Ring of Kerry and the Skelligs are full-day undertakings.
1 Muckross House, Gardens & Abbey
A Victorian mansion on the shore of Muckross Lake, prepared at ruinous expense for a visit by Queen Victoria in 1861 and later given to the nation as the nucleus of Ireland’s first national park. The furnished rooms, gardens and traditional farms can be visited. A short walk away, roofless Muckross Abbey has a cloister built around an ancient yew tree.
Practical: About 6 km south of town. Gardens and abbey free; house and farms ticketed. Allow 2–3 hours. Car parks at the house and on the N71; traffic-free paths from Killarney.
2 Ross Castle & Lough Leane
A fifteenth-century tower house of the O’Donoghue chieftains on the edge of the largest lake, said to have been among the last strongholds in Munster to fall to Cromwell’s forces. Boats leave from the quay for lake cruises and for Innisfallen, an island with the ruins of an early monastery.
Practical: About 2.5 km from the town centre on a flat path. Castle interior by guided tour in season (OPW; Heritage Card valid). Grounds free.
3 Torc Waterfall
A 20-metre cascade in the woods at the foot of Torc Mountain, at its best after rain — which is to say, often. Steps continue above the fall to viewpoints over the lakes, and the path joins the Old Kenmare Road for longer walks.
Practical: Free. Five minutes’ walk from the car park on the N71, about 7 km from town; it can be very busy at midday in summer.
4 The Gap of Dunloe
A narrow pass gouged by ice between the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the Purple Mountain, threaded by a single-track road past five small lakes. The traditional trip starts at Kate Kearney’s Cottage, crosses the Head of the Gap, descends into the Black Valley and returns by boat from Lord Brandon’s Cottage.
Practical: About 11 km on foot (2.5–3 hours), or by pony trap or bike. The road is public, but in season it is crowded with walkers and traps — visitors are asked not to drive through during the day.
5 The Ring of Kerry
The N70 loop around the Iveragh Peninsula: Killorglin, the bog and beach at Rossbeigh, Cahersiveen and its stone forts, the Skellig coast, Waterville (a favourite of Charlie Chaplin), Derrynane House and beach, colourful Sneem and Kenmare. The side roads are the best of it: Valentia Island, the Skellig Ring and the Ballaghbeama Gap.
Practical: 179 km; at least 6–7 hours with stops, and better over two days. Coaches travel anticlockwise.
6 Ladies View & Moll’s Gap
On the N71 between Killarney and Kenmare, Ladies View takes its name from Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, who admired it in 1861: the Upper Lake and the Gap of Dunloe laid out below. Moll’s Gap, a little further, is a rocky pass with views back to the Reeks.
Practical: Free roadside viewpoints, about 19 km from Killarney. The road is winding and narrow, and shared with coaches and cyclists.
7 Skellig Michael
Twelve kilometres off the coast, Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a cluster of drystone beehive cells and oratories built by monks from about the sixth century, reached by more than 600 uneven stone steps with no handrail. Little Skellig, alongside, holds one of the world’s largest gannet colonies. The island also appeared in recent Star Wars films.
Practical: Landing season roughly mid-May to end of September, weather permitting; a limited number of visitors per day on licensed boats. Not suitable for young children or anyone with poor mobility or vertigo. The Skellig Experience centre on Valentia Island tells the story if you cannot land.
