The Ring of Kerry from Killarney: a day-trip that works

The Ring of Kerry is a circular drive of about 179km that loops out from Killarney around the Iveragh Peninsula and back. You can do it in a day, and most people do, but the mistake is treating it as a fast loop. The driving alone without stopping is a few hours; the point is the stops, so plan for a full day and start early.

Which way to drive

The tour coaches all run anti-clockwise, heading out to Killorglin first, because the road is narrow in places and it is easier for the big buses not to meet head-on. If you are self-driving you have a choice. Going clockwise, the opposite way to the coaches, means you meet them coming towards you rather than getting stuck crawling behind one for an hour, and at the pull-ins the views open ahead of you. Going anti-clockwise keeps you with the flow. Either works; just know the coaches go anti-clockwise and plan around them. Most of them leave Killarney between roughly 10am and 11am, so an early start puts you ahead of the pack.

The stops, roughly in order

Going anti-clockwise, Killorglin comes first, a small town on the River Laune known for the Puck Fair in August. From there the road runs through Glenbeigh and Kells out to the coast. Cahersiveen is the main town on the western side, with the ruins of Ballycarbery Castle and old stone ring forts nearby. Waterville, on a strand facing the Atlantic, is the usual lunch stop and has a Charlie Chaplin statue on the seafront; he holidayed here for years. South of Waterville the road climbs the Coomakista Pass, one of the great viewpoints on the whole loop, looking out over the bay and the offshore islands. Then comes Sneem, a tidy village with a brightly painted square, a common afternoon coffee stop, before the road turns inland for Kenmare, an attractive town worth more time than most give it.

Skellig views and the detour

You do not have to take a boat to the Skelligs to see them. On a clear day the islands are visible from the western stretch of the Ring. For a closer look, the Skellig Ring branches off near Waterville and runs through Ballinskelligs and Portmagee out towards the Kerry Cliffs and Valentia Island; the cliffs give a genuinely dramatic view of the Skelligs across the water. The Skellig Ring adds roughly 50km if you include Valentia, and large coaches cannot use parts of it, which is exactly why it stays quieter. Build in extra time if you take it, or save it for a second day.

Ladies View and the run home

The last stretch back into Killarney is one of the best. The N71 climbs from Kenmare through Moll's Gap, where there is a shop and cafe with a view, and on to Ladies View, a famous panorama looking back over the lakes of Killarney National Park. The name comes from Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, who admired it on a visit in 1861. From there the road drops down past Torc and Muckross back into the town.

Practical notes

Fuel up in Killarney before you leave; petrol stations are thinner on the ground out west. The road is narrow and twisting in stretches, so it is slower than the distance suggests, and the weather can close the long views in minutes, then clear again. If you would rather not drive it, the day coaches from Killarney take the hassle out and let you look at the scenery instead of the road. Opening hours for cafes and visitor stops vary by season, so check ahead if you are timing a specific lunch.