6 things you have to do while visiting Killarney, Ireland

Killarney is a charming town from the 19th century, it’s located in the Kerry County Ireland. There are many things to do and see in Killarney and in its surrounding areas.

I stayed at a homey hotel close to the town center called Harmoni Inn – Glena House. I booked a single room but got a spacious one with two beds. The room was clean and had hot water. The breakfast was really nice with a small buffet and a dish from the menu like a traditional Irish breakfast, scrambled eggs with salmon, and more. The staff was very nice and helpful.

More reviews about the hotel.

I arrived into Killarney from Dublin. The ride lasted about 4 hours. It’s a nice trip on which you get to see some of the beauty of Ireland. You can book a train ticket in advance from this site. If you book it in advance you get a reserved seat and your name will appear above it (I found that to be pretty cool).

Table of content hide

1 Things to do in Killarney

1.1 Do a trip to the Gap of Dunloe

1.2 Visit Muckross House

1.3 Visit the Killarney National Park

1.4 Hang out in a cool Irish bar

1.5 Wander around in the town center

1.6 Eat tasty food

Things to do in Killarney

Do a trip to the Gap of Dunloe

There are many day trips you can do from Killarney, but after a little research on the Internet I decided that the place that I wanted to visit the most was the Gap of Dunlow. The trip includes a boat tour that lasts 1.5 hours in a gorgeous area in which you cross several lakes and hike for about 3 hours in an amazing place.

I booked the tour from the company Gap of Dunloe. I arrived in the morning at their office which is located in the town center, and from there I had a transfer to Castle Ross. I had a few minutes to spend in the castle area and then the boat tour started. In the beginning the weather was very stormy with heavy rain, so it was hard to enjoy the view, but after about 20 minutes the showers stopped and the sky turned clear, and from that moment on, the tour was awesome.

We crossed through beautiful landscapes and beneath a few bridges. The tour ended in a place that has a cafe-restaurant. So whoever wanted to, could eat something or grab a drink there. I chose to drink a coffee with the beautiful view. From there I started hiking.

You can do the trail by walking, on a horse carriage, or cycling. If you want to cycle, you need to bring the bikes from the town center to the boat with you. The trail is not flat all the time so if you want to cycle you should be aware that there are some difficult uphills.

You do the hiking independently and there signs that show you the way. I met two German girls on the boat and walked with them. We stopped every few minutes to take pictures and videos and, except for a few rain drops, the weather was lovely. After the hike we had a transfer back to the town center.

You can do the trip in the opposite way; to start with the hike and then to do the boat tour.

You can also arrive independently to the Ross Castle by car or bike and there to pay only for the boat tour.

Visit Muckross House

What a magical place it is. The house was built in 1840 and it’s located near a beautiful lake and surrounded by amazing gardens. Everything is colorful and well-maintained. You can spend hours there just wandering around the gardens.

There’s an option to do a trip with a horse carriage, or a tour, or to walk by yourself and enjoy the silence and the birds’ tweets.

You can also do a tour inside the house which costs 9 Euro.
The place is open every day from 09:00-17:30

Visit the Killarney National Park

Ross Castle and Muckross House are part of the Killarney National Park. In the park there are many walking trails and a there’s a waterfall. You can go with bikes and cycle there.

Beyond that, there’s a fantastic viewpoint which overlooks all the park. And at this viewpoint there is also a cafe-restaurant so you can drink a coffee on the roof balcony with an amazing view. The name of this viewpoint was given by the queen Elizabeth, who visited there and was impressed by the view.

Hang out in a cool Irish bar

In Killarney, like the rest of Ireland, there are many local traditional bars with fun music, lots of alcohol, and a happy atmosphere. I had the chance to visit some bars in Killarney and the one I loved the most was Reidy’s Bar, which is a huge place with many sitting areas outside and inside, and a large variety of drinks. The music there is great and sometimes there’s a live show.

Another bar was Courtney’s Bar, which is a cozier place where many locals and tourists hang out.

Wander around in the town center

In the town center there are many shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. It’s very nice to wander around the main street and side ones. If you want to do some shopping they have a Penny’s store which is actually Primark.

It’s huge store with a big variety of clothes and accessories at affordable prices. If you want to buy an electrical adapter, water, and other stuff you should visit Dealz, which offers stuff for 1.5 euro.

Eat tasty food

Close to the town center there is a local beer brewery called Killarney Brewing Company, which has great beers and delicious pizza. I sat there with some friends and they all enjoyed the beers and pizza. I ordered a tasting of three beers and they were great.

I also loved an Asian restaurant called Khao Asian Street Food. There, I ate one of the best Pad Thai I have ever tried.

A great bar-restaurant is Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder, where I ordered three small buns with beef, lamb, and salmon and they were really good.

There is also a good gelato place called Murphy’s that has special ice cream flavours. I took the Caramel Special which came with yummy toppings.

If you are looking for an organic coffee shop with vegan options, I highly recommend Lir Cafe which is located at the entrance of the old town. It’s a really great coffee shop. I drank a coffee and ate a raspberries cake there.