L'Heure du Voyage
🇮🇪 Itinerary · Ireland · 30 days

1-month Ireland itinerary 2026: the full tour of the island

30 days without rushing: Wild Atlantic Way, Connemara, Donegal, the Giant's Causeway and Northern Ireland. The grand tour of the island, stage by stage, with budget and transport.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

10 places

Average budget

€3,500-5,500

Total distance

~2,800 km

Profile

Long trip

Season

May-Sept

Dublin 3d · Cork & Kinsale 3d · Dingle 3d · Ring of Kerry 3d · Galway & Aran 4d · Connemara 3d · Donegal 4d · Causeway Coast 3d · Belfast 3d · return 1d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Ireland 1-month itinerary map: Dublin, Cork, Kerry, Galway, Connemara, Donegal, Causeway Coast, Belfast

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

10 days, day by day

1

~€85/day

Dublin · D1 to D3 · The capital

  • D1 Arrival, Trinity College, Book of Kells, Temple Bar.
  • D2 Guinness Storehouse, Georgian quarter, National Museum.
  • D3 Day trip to Glendalough (monastic valley) or Howth (coastal cliffs).
🛌 🛌 City centre · e.g. The Morgan (3 nights)·🚌 Airlink bus + walking·Ireland guide →
2

~€80/day

Cork & Kinsale · D4 to D6 · The foodie south

  • D4 Drive to Cork via the Rock of Cashel. English Market, Lee quays.
  • D5 Cobh (Titanic's last port), Blarney Castle.
  • D6 Kinsale, Charles Fort, Mizen Head peninsula, foodie tables.
🛌 🛌 Cork + Kinsale (3 nights)·🚗 Rental car essential
3

~€80/day

Dingle · D7 to D9 · Western peninsula

  • D7 Ring of Beara, Conor Pass, arrival in Dingle.
  • D8 Slea Head Drive, beehive huts, Gallarus Oratory, gin distillery.
  • D9 Boat trip to the Blasket Islands, bay dolphins, pubs in the evening.
🛌 🛌 Dingle · e.g. Dingle Skellig Hotel (3 nights)·🚗 Mountain passes
4

~€80/day

Ring of Kerry · D10 to D12 · Killarney

  • D10 Ring of Kerry anticlockwise, Skellig Ring, Waterville.
  • D11 Killarney National Park, Gap of Dunloe, Muckross Abbey.
  • D12 Boat to Skellig Michael (weather and places permitting, Star Wars set).
🛌 🛌 Killarney (3 nights)·🚗 Coastal loops
5

~€85/day

Galway & Aran Islands · D13 to D16 · The west

  • D13 Tarbert ferry, Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, arrival in Galway.
  • D14-15 Galway, Latin Quarter, ferry to Inis Mór (Dún Aonghasa by bike).
  • D16 Galway Bay, market, traditional music in the pubs.
🛌 🛌 Galway centre (4 nights)·🚗 Car + ⛴️ Aran ferry
6

~€80/day

Connemara · D17 to D19 · Wild lands

  • D17 Connemara National Park, Kylemore Abbey, lakes and bogs.
  • D18 Connemara coast, Coral Strand beaches, Irish-speaking villages.
  • D19 Drive to Sligo, Benbulben mountain, surfing at Strandhill.
🛌 🛌 Connemara + Sligo (3 nights)·🚗 Coastal roads
7

~€80/day

Donegal · D20 to D23 · The far northwest

  • D20-21 Slieve League cliffs (601 m), Donegal tweed at Ardara, empty beaches.
  • D22 Glenveagh, national park and castle on the lough.
  • D23 Fanad peninsula, Fanad Head lighthouse, Malin Head (northernmost point of the island).
🛌 🛌 Donegal + Letterkenny (4 nights)·🚗 Donegal, the wildest road
8

~€85/day

Causeway Coast · D24 to D26 · Giant's Causeway

  • D24 Cross into Northern Ireland. Derry/Londonderry, walls and history.
  • D25 Giant's Causeway (basalt columns, UNESCO), Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.
  • D26 Dark Hedges (Game of Thrones set), Bushmills distillery, Dunluce Castle.
🛌 🛌 Portrush / Bushmills (3 nights)·🚗 Antrim coast (pounds sterling)
9

~€80/day

Belfast · D27 to D29 · The Titanic city

  • D27 Titanic Belfast museum, the shipyard where she was built.
  • D28 Political murals on Falls Road and Shankill, black-cab tour, St George's market.
  • D29 Day out to County Down, Mourne Mountains, or a Game of Thrones tour.
🛌 🛌 Belfast centre (3 nights)·🚗 Car or city transport
10

Flight

Return · D30 · Belfast or Dublin

  • Morning Last shopping, return the car.
  • Afternoon Belfast airport, or drive to Dublin (2 h) for a direct flight to Paris.
🛌 🛌 Belfast (1 night)·🚗 Car + ✈️ flight

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€3,500

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €150
  • 🏨 Hostel/simple B&B: €55/night
  • 🍲 Pubs and daily specials: €32/day
  • 🚗 Car + fuel: €950
  • 🎫 Sites + ferries + distilleries: €450
Recommended

Comfort

€4,600

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €190
  • 🏨 3★ hotel/B&B: €115/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €48/day
  • 🚗 Long-term rental: €1,400
  • 🎫 Activities + Skellig + Titanic: €600

Premium

€8,800

per person

  • ✈️ Upgraded flight: €500
  • 🏨 Castle hotel: €260/night
  • 🍽️ Fine tables: €85/day
  • 🚗 Car + driver
  • 🎫 Private outings + Skellig + GoT tour: €900

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Dublin and the southwest. The essential format.

2 weeks

2 weeks

The full island loop along the Wild Atlantic Way.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The grand tour: Wild Atlantic Way, the north and the Causeway Coast.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

A month does the full loop of the island: Wild Atlantic Way to the south and west, then Causeway Coast and Belfast in the north, in Northern Ireland. All by car, with no physical border between the two states.

🚗

Car for the whole month

€55-70/day · drive on the left · valid in both states

⛴️

Ferries (Tarbert, Aran Islands)

€20-30 · shortcuts and islands · book Aran in summer

🚶

Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge

€15 · book online · queues in summer

💷

Crossing into Northern Ireland

pounds sterling · no border check · same vehicle

Adapt by season

Full tour, two states

A month covers the entire island and crosses into Northern Ireland (United Kingdom): you switch to pounds sterling there, but with no physical border and no checks. The ideal window stays May-June and September: long days, reliable island ferries, fewer crowds. Whatever the season, the Atlantic coast gets a lot of rain: a waterproof is mandatory, and keep your stage order flexible depending on the weather.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In July 2024 I reached the Giant's Causeway at 8am before the visitor centre opened: the basalt columns to myself, while by 11am it was packed with coaches. The site is free outside the visitor centre, and in the morning it is deserted.
  • • Four days in Donegal: the wildest region, the least touristy, and often the favourite of long-haul travellers.
  • • Going clockwise (south, west, north) to finish with Belfast, more urban after a month of coastline.
  • • Booking Skellig Michael months ahead: places sell out and the weather often cancels.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Sharing the driving: a month of left-hand driving on narrow roads is tiring.
  • • Cutting one day in Belfast (3 days is plenty for two) to flesh out Donegal.
  • • Keeping some slack: shift a coastal stage by a day depending on the Atlantic weather.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is a month too long for Ireland? +
Not if you do the full loop, Northern Ireland included. The Wild Atlantic Way alone takes two weeks; adding Donegal, the Causeway Coast and Belfast fills a month without rushing, with rest days built in.
Do you need a visa or a check for Northern Ireland? +
No for EU nationals on a short stay. The border between the Republic and Northern Ireland is open, with no checks. You simply change currency (euro to pounds sterling) and country (United Kingdom).
Do you need a car for the whole month? +
Yes, essential. The peninsulas, Connemara, Donegal and the Antrim coast are not served by public transport. The same rental vehicle crosses the border with no formality (check the insurance).
What is the best time to go? +
May-June and September: long days, reliable island ferries, fewer crowds. July-August are beautiful but busy at the headline sites.
Is the Giant's Causeway worth the detour? +
Yes, it is one of the most striking natural sites in Europe (40,000 basalt columns, UNESCO). The site is free; only the visitor centre is paid. Go early in the morning to avoid the coaches.
How much does this month cost all in? +
Around €3,500 backpacking, €4,600 in comfort and €8,800 premium, flight from Paris included, per person. The long-term rental is the heaviest line.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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