The ultimate Itinerary for
the uk + Ireland
travel tips
Let me take you to a special place – the “motherland,” the “Emerald Isle,” you guessed it – Ireland (+ Scotland)! This trip was two years in the making for me, and I am so happy to share my experiences with other travelers. Let’s get to the good stuff:
𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 #1: Edinburgh 🏴
There was something magical about this place… and not just because of all the Harry Potter films + JK Rowling coffee shops. It seemed like you could walk around any corner and a new castle, palace, or cathedral would appear, each one more impressive (and somehow older?) than the last. Not only that, but if you aren’t careful, you might run right into the Queen’s Jubilee Parade marching down the street. With the sounds of bagpipes filling the air, it becomes really easy to romanticize your trip—because why not 🤷🏼♀️
Must Sees: Edinburgh Castle + Palace of Holyroodhouse (pay for a tour of both, and afternoon tea–so worth it!), Arthur’s Seat, the Royal Mile (look for bagpipes!), Holy Island, Alnwick Castle, the Elephant House, Greyfriars Bobby, and the Scottish Highlands if you can make it up there! Also, take the Airlink Express #100 bus to the city center from the airport.
Fun facts about this stop: Haggis is a national dish made of ground meat cooked in a stomach, and it’s actually pretty good (especially fried)! We also searched and searched for good gelato and finally found some at Alandas, only to have it be so dense it fell right out of our cones to the ground… whoops! And in the summer, the sun also rises around 4:30am and doesn’t set until 10:30pm— making for long golden hours for anyone who has dreams of a session here 😉 📸
𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 #2: 𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍 ☘️
Growing up near Dublin, Ohio, I never imagined I’d be able to say I was in the original city of Dublin! This city is beautiful, but definitely unexpected. From the modern designs of the buildings to St. Patrick’s not actually being a Catholic Church after all, there were surprises around every corner. Some things were just as expected, though— the politeness of the Irish people, the amount of rain every day, and my inability to finish a Guinness, just to name a few.
Must-Sees: Trinity College & Book of Kells, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Guinness Storehouse (do a self-guided tour with the Gravity Bar), St. Stephen’s Green, Grafton St., Temple Bar, Howth, Murphy’s Ice Cream, and Leo Burdock’s Fish & Chips. Slip into a pub for some live music one night, be sure to use the Dublin Express bus to and from the airport, and check out Zanibar Locke for a great stay!
Funny story of the stop: We were in St. Stephen’s Green eating a picnic lunch when a group of seagulls flew at me and stole my sandwich right out of my hand! They had eaten most of it before they even reached the ground… Needless to say I survived on trail mix for the rest of the day, and guarded it with my life.
𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 #𝟑: 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲 🚢
The views on this part of the trip were only matched in intensity by the adrenaline coursing through our veins as we rented a car and learned to drive on the left side of the road (those roundabouts, though…). All jokes aside, our goal in this part of the trip was to slow down + relax, and the mix of biking around the Aran Islands and walking along the Cliffs of Moher really did that for us. I knew Ireland would be green + beautiful, but I didn’t know how that beauty would affect me. I realized that we try to capture natural beauty to save it for later, to get a grasp at it, to hold it in our hands, but it can’t be captured. Not really. No matter how hard we try, the images don’t compare to the real thing. How frustrating but also incredible, isn’t it?
Must Sees: The University, Galway Cathedral, Eyre Square, Salthill (especially Trad on the Prom), the Aran Islands (take a ferry and rent bikes!), the Cliffs of Moher
Fun facts about this stop: Galway is a university city with an impressive music scene and a beautiful nearby beach town called Salthill. We stopped by there to listen to some traditional music and even see some river dancing by Cairde, a group that even performed at the White House!
𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 #𝟒: 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 + 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 🏔
The fourth (and final) stop of our trip was a stay in a cottage in small-town Adare as a home base to explore Killarney National Park and Blarney Castle. I knew from the outset this would be my favorite stop of the trip, and it absolutely did not disappoint.
First off, Killarney. What?! Who knew there were mountains in Ireland, or that they were this GREEN? Seeing clouds brush the tops of mountains is one of my favorite things, and we definitely got a peek at that during this trip (or should I say peak? 😅), especially on our hike to the Torc Waterfall. Not only that, but the castle in the national park, Ross Castle, is from the 15th century and has been fully restored… AND was built by my ancestors! I guess mountains run in the family 😉
Now Blarney. What a GORGEOUS castle and grounds, sprawling green fields with flowers everywhere and so much to explore. But if you go— go early. The line took us almost 2 hours to kiss the stone, and it was a nonnegotiable for me so we ended up spending a lot of time waiting. But we still got to stop at the Woolen Mills (the wool here is unmatched) before starting our journey back to Dublin and home.
Funny story of this stop: We got absolutely, hopelessly lost in Limerick on our way to our cottage (The Hollies) and ended up pulling into a coffee shop and begging a kind worker to use the wifi. She not only gave it to us, but she took pity on us poor Americans and also gave us a warm scone to enjoy while we recharged our phones. Note to self: Always use Google Maps in Ireland, and always download your maps before leaving home…
THE PHOTO GALLERY:
(because, let's be honest, that's what you're really here for!)
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