Last updated: January 2026.
Planning a family trip to Ireland with kids? This 10-day Ireland itinerary covers the best of the Wild Atlantic Way, kid-friendly activities, and family-tested accommodation.
Ireland is brilliantly family-friendly: vast national parks for running around, interactive museums, cosy guesthouses with proper Irish hospitality, and distances that work with toddler attention spans. Whether you’re traveling with a baby or older children, this Ireland family trip itinerary gives you a ready-made plan.
What started as a wedding weekend turned into a full-blown road trip adventure: think scenic drives, waterfall walks, and charming guesthouses (Irish hospitality is like nothing I’ve ever experienced!). We covered Cork to Dublin via Killarney, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and the stunning Connemara – here’s exactly how to do it with kids.
Planning your Ireland family trip: the essentials
- Best time to visit Ireland with kids: May-September offers the best weather, though July-August is peak season and more expensive. We visited in June (for a wedding) and found it perfect – mild temperatures, long days, and fewer crowds than high summer.
- How long do you need in Ireland with kids? This 10-day itinerary covers the west coast highlights without feeling rushed. For families with young children, consider 7-8 days focusing on fewer locations. If you have 14 days, add Northern Ireland (Giant’s Causeway, Belfast).
- Getting around Ireland with children: We hired a car from Cork Airport which was essential for this itinerary. Ireland drives on the left (same as UK), roads are good, and distances are manageable.
- Accommodation strategy: A mix of hotels and B&Bs worked perfectly for us. Irish B&Bs are incredibly family-welcoming – many have cots, high chairs, and will adjust breakfast times.
Ireland family itinerary: at a glance
| Days | Location | Drive time | Highlights | Where we stayed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Killarney | 90 min from Cork | National Park bikes, lakes | The Victoria |
| 3 | Dingle | 1 hour | Dolphins, aquarium, beach | Waterfront B&B |
| 3-4 | Doolin | 3.5 hours | Cliffs of Moher, music pubs | Daly’s House |
| 5-6 | Galway | 90 min | City streets, river walks | Harbour Hotel |
| 7-8 | Connemara | 1 hour | Abbey, mountains, nature | Lough Inagh Lodge |
| 9-10 | Dublin | 3 hours | Zoo, Guinness, playgrounds | The Wilder |
Our Ireland road trip itinerary: family-friendly things to do in Ireland
Day 1 & 2: Arrival in Cork and the start of our Ireland road trip itinerary
We landed in Cork just after sunset and hit the road straight away for Killarney National Park – a scenic less than 90-minute drive from the airport. We’d recommend searching for the best car hire rates with Auto Europe, which compares all the major rental companies.”
Our base for the night was The Victoria, a boutique hotel right next to the park entrance, in Killarney. With trails on your doorstep and peaceful surroundings, it’s perfect for letting little legs stretch out.
Killarney is a great base for exploring Lough Leane and Muckross Lake, but there’s several other towns to stay in along the lakefront. It’s part of the famous 111 mile long ‘Ring of Kerry’ drive, which The Irish Roadtrip covers in detail.
Like many, we explored the park on bikes, with plenty of options for infant seats and child bikes available to hire. If you’d rather stay on foot, Killarney House and Gardens has some lovely walks that are pram accessible, with wide paths.
While in the local area we also visited Torc waterfall (carrier needed!), kayaked on the lake, and went on a guided boat trip.
Day 3: Exploring Dingle, one of many things to do on the Wild Atlantic Way with children
The next day we joined the Wild Atlantic Way (it’s 1600 miles long!) and drove the hour to Dingle. The closer we got, the more the scenery shifted from green woodlands to the blue sea. Once you’re there you’ll find plenty of fun activities centred around kids, such as the aquarium or a dolphin boat tour to see the bottlenose dolphins out in the Atlantic (the famed dolphin Fungie is suspected to have sadly deceased since we visited – after 40 years of sightings! – but has a statue in the town).
We stayed at The Waterfront B&B, largely because it was located right on the harbour and was within walking distance to everything we needed on our pit stop. Dingle was nice enough (the rain didn’t help) but felt a little too much like a British seaside town and not somewhere I’m compelled to return to. Although their Murphy’s ice cream – found all around Ireland – is a must to enjoy!
Day 3 & 4: Dingle to Doolin and visiting the Cliffs of Moher with children
Doolin on the other hand was one of my favourite places to visit, and I felt like I’d stepped into a location from the film ‘PS I love you’. It’s at the end of one of the longer drives on our itinerary at 3-and-a-half-hours, but this small and sleepy village near the famous Cliffs of Moher is well worth a trip. Our accommodation was very memorable as it felt so very Irish: ran by Susan Daly, Daly’s House was a really delightful B&B known for its breakfasts, with Susan even demonstrating that Irish hospitality when our car got a flat battery. Doolin has some brilliant pubs with Irish foods (think hearty stews!) and music to pair – with Gus O’Connor’s Pub where we spent most our evening.
The Cliffs of Moher are a must-see, and there’s some lovely coastal walks too. We visited the cliffs early to avoid the crowds and if you’re bringing a young child, I’d say that a carrier is safest.
Day 5 & 6: Drive to Galway and what to do on route
With another just-under 90 minute drive ahead of us, we make our way through The Burren National Park towards Galway and it’s one of those routes where you want to stop every 10 minutes to take another photo, so allow plenty of time!
On route we stopped for coffee at Skylarks on Fanore Beach, and then popped into Hazel Mountain Chocolate, a boutique chocolate factory nestled in the Burren hills.
👉 Find some of the most popular accommodation options in Galway.
Once in Galway we checked into the central Harbour Hotel, which made a great base for exploring the walkable city. Galway’s energy is infectious with street performers, music, and people spilling out of cafés. You can meander through the Latin Quarter with a pram easily, and the river had some lovely walks along it. For us, it was a rest stop before we went to the Connemara, but there’s several ways to spend a few days in Galway with children.
Day 7 & 8: into the heart of the Connemara and our family travel tips
Headed west out of Galway to the Connemara, we drove to the Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel (approx 1 hour drive), and this was by far the highlight of the trip for both of us. The hotel was peaceful, with great food and traditional rooms, and looked like something out of a James Bond movie! We only stayed here two nights but wish we’d had another couple to spare – what a way to end the day sightseeing than with a Guinness and a view!
While here we visited Kylemore Abbey, a neo-Gothic castle by a lake with a Victorian walled garden and a fairy-tale-like feel. Even though this stop felt more grown-up, there’s enough room for kids to roam. We also went to Clifden for a walk around (check out this 4.5km self-guided walking tour) and to sample some seafood.
Day 9 & 10: Dublin with a baby and other child-friendly attractions
Once we’d indulged in the magic of the Connemara, we drove just over 3 hours across the country to the east coast, for a couple of days in Dublin before we flew back home.
We stayed at The Wilder, a chic townhouse hotel tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood. It’s beautifully decorated, though not tailored for kids, so more of a special treat for grown-ups. If we were travelling with R, we might have opted for a Dublin hotel with more family facilities or stayed in an Airbnb.
The top sights to enjoy in Dublin include:
- Guinness storehouse, and while definitely an adults experience, there’s plenty of kids around and there’s lots for them to look at and interact with.
- The lovely Stephen’s Green has a playground which is shaded.
- Imaginosity is a creative children’s museum with interactive play (best for under 10s).
- Phoenix Park, home to Dublin Zoo and a huge open space for walks and picnics.
Visiting Ireland with children: would we re-visit Ireland with a baby?
Without a doubt. While this trip was pre-parenthood, Ireland has a natural rhythm that suits family travel. From vast outdoors to explore, and cities with plenty of space, our itinerary is family-ready with just a few tweaks.
Ireland family trip FAQs
Yes! Ireland is exceptionally family-friendly. Pubs welcome children until 9pm, accommodation readily provides cots/high chairs, distances are short, and locals love kids. We found it easier than many European countries for family travel.
The west coast (this itinerary!) offers the best mix: dramatic scenery (Cliffs of Moher, Connemara), kid-friendly cities (Galway), outdoor adventures (Killarney), and Irish culture. Less touristy than Dublin, more variety than Northern Ireland.
7-10 days is ideal for the west coast. Our 10-day Ireland itinerary covers the highlights without rushing. Families with young children might prefer 7-8 days with fewer stops. Add 3-4 days for Northern Ireland.
Enjoy it!
Allie, Jack & R
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