Where to base yourself
- Killarney town centre: restaurants, music pubs, station and tour pick-ups, all on foot.
- Muckross Road: a strip of hotels and guesthouses between the town and the park, good for walkers and cyclists.
- Kenmare: smaller and more refined, about 45 minutes away over Moll’s Gap.
- Portmagee, Waterville, Valentia: for the far end of the Ring and the Skellig boats.
Food, drink and music
Kerry lamb, beef and Atlantic seafood are the staples, and Killarney has a wide range of places to eat, from chip shops to hotel dining rooms. Several pubs on High Street, Plunkett Street and College Street have traditional music nightly in season — lively and aimed at visitors, but often very good. Kenmare is the area’s food town.
Saving money
- The national park, Muckross gardens and abbey, Torc Waterfall and all viewpoints are free.
- Hire a bike rather than a jaunting car to cover the park.
- The Heritage Card covers Ross Castle and Derrynane House.
- For one or two people, a coach tour of the Ring costs less than a day’s car hire, fuel and insurance.
Practicalities and safety
Kerry is one of the wettest parts of Ireland — waterproofs are essential and views are never guaranteed. Carrauntoohil and the Reeks are serious mountains with no marked paths: go with a guide unless you are an experienced hillwalker with map and compass. Midges can be troublesome by the lakes on still summer evenings. In the Gaeltacht area around Ballinskelligs, signs are in Irish.
Sample plans
One day
Cycle or walk to Ross Castle, on to Muckross Abbey and House, and Torc Waterfall; return by the lakeshore. Evening music in town.
Two days
Add the Ring of Kerry by coach or car, with a detour to Valentia Island and the Kerry Cliffs if you are driving.
Three days
The Gap of Dunloe walk and boat trip — or a day on the Dingle Peninsula.
