Coast & beaches Food & drink Walking
Make the most of the drive
Dingle is a long way from Dublin, so it’s best saved for a three-night bank holiday or a weekend you can stretch with a day of annual leave. Break the drive in Adare or Tralee, and take the Conor Pass over the mountains for your arrival if the weather is clear.
The Slea Head Drive
The 47km loop west of Dingle town passes beehive huts, the Gallarus Oratory, Coumeenoole beach and views out to the Blasket Islands. Drive it clockwise (the direction tour buses use) and give yourself a full day.
- Blasket Centre in Dún Chaoin for the islands’ remarkable story.
- Coumeenoole Strand for a short walk to the cliffs.
- Gallarus Oratory, a 1,000-year-old dry-stone church.
- Ferries to Great Blasket Island in summer, weather permitting.
Eating, drinking and music
Dingle town has a famously high pub-to-person ratio, live trad most nights, a craft distillery and plenty of seafood restaurants. Murphy’s ice cream started here and is a rite of passage.
Driving Slea Head the right way
Drive Slea Head clockwise, heading west out of Dingle through Ventry first. Tour buses go that direction and the road is narrow, so going against them means reversing to a gateway every few minutes. The loop is only about 47 km, but give it most of a day, because you’ll stop every few kilometres.
The must-stops are the beehive huts at Fahan, the view over the Blasket Islands at Dunmore Head, and Coumeenoole beach, which you’ll recognise from Ryan’s Daughter. Have lunch in Ballyferriter or Dunquin, then head back through the Gallarus Oratory, a dry-stone church that has kept the rain out for well over a thousand years.
Dingle town at night
Dingle has more pubs per head than almost anywhere, and a lot of them have music most nights in summer. Foxy John’s is a hardware shop and bar at once; Dick Mack’s has a leather counter on one side and a whiskey bar on the other; O’Sullivan’s Courthouse is the place for a proper session. Arrive before nine if you want a seat.
Don’t skip Murphy’s Ice Cream on Strand Street. The sea salt flavour is made with salt from Dingle Bay and it’s the reason people queue in the rain.
Get out on the water
Boats leave Dingle harbour for trips around the bay and out towards the Blaskets. In summer, ferries also run from Dunquin pier to the Great Blasket, where the abandoned village and the views make a full day. Trips depend on weather, so book with flexibility in mind and have a backup for a rough morning.
Over the Conor Pass
If you’re heading home towards Tralee or north Kerry, go over the Conor Pass. It’s the highest mountain pass in Ireland, narrow in places with a sheer drop on one side, and the view back towards Dingle from the top car park is spectacular on a clear day. Skip it in fog or if you’re towing anything.
Where to stay
Stay in town to walk to dinner and the pubs. Annascaul and Ventry are quieter alternatives. Dingle gets very busy over the June and August bank holidays and during the Dingle Food Festival in early October.
When it rains
The Dingle Peninsula is beautiful in the rain, but it’s good to have a plan. Dingle Oceanworld, the aquarium on the harbour, is great with children, and the Dingle Distillery runs tours of its whiskey, gin and vodka production. The Blasket Centre in Dún Chaoin tells the moving story of the islanders and their writers. Then retreat to a pub with music and a fire, which in Dingle is never far away.
A three-night plan
Friday: arrive over the Conor Pass if it’s clear, with dinner and music in Dingle town.
Saturday: the Slea Head Drive clockwise, with the beehive huts, Coumeenoole, the Blasket Centre and the Gallarus Oratory.
Sunday: a boat trip on the bay or to the Great Blasket in summer, and Murphy’s ice cream on the way back.
Monday: a walk on Inch Beach on the way home.
Good to know before you go
- Drive Slea Head clockwise, the same way as the tour buses, to avoid reversing on narrow roads.
- Great Blasket ferries run in summer only and depend on the weather. Keep a back-up plan.
- Book dinner on bank holiday weekends: Dingle’s best restaurants fill up fast.
- The peninsula is in the Gaeltacht, so many road signs are in Irish only.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fungie the dolphin still in Dingle?
No. Fungie hasn’t been seen since 2020. The boat trips still run, and you’ll often see other dolphins, seals and seabirds in the bay.
Can I do Dingle in two nights?
Two nights is enough for Slea Head, a night of music and a walk on Inch Beach. Three lets you add the Blaskets or a hike up Mount Brandon.
How far is Dingle from Dublin?
About five hours by car, so make it a three-night weekend if you can, and break the journey in Adare or Tralee.
Where we’d stay
On the bay at the edge of town, with a pool and a kids' club in season.
Main Street classic, steps from the pubs and music.
Much-loved guesthouse with a big breakfast and harbour views.
We may earn a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Getting there without a car
Train to Tralee, then a local bus to Dingle. A car is useful for the Slea Head Drive, but tours run in season.
- Train from Dublin Heuston to Tralee (usually changing at Mallow), about 4 hours.
- Bus Éireann runs between Tralee and Dingle.
- Local minibus tours of Slea Head operate from Dingle town in season.
Timetables change, especially on bank holidays, so check with the operator before you travel.
