The land of leprechauns, four leaf clovers and rainbows, you’ll never forget a family trip to Ireland. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any leprechauns or four leaf clovers and by the end of our 3 week road trip around Ireland with kids, we had only seen one rainbow. While we expected the first two, the third one was a bit of a surprise, but regardless, we still found visiting Ireland with kids to be a phenomenal experience.
Ireland
Packing List for Ireland with Kids
The first step in figuring out what to pack for Ireland with kids is making a list of what you plan to see and do with kids in Ireland. Our 3 week Ireland itinerary with kids is packed full of ideas to create the perfect Ireland itinerary. If you are looking for a quick overview, read our best things to do in Ireland with kids.
10 Best Things to do in Ireland with Kids
After an amazing 3 week Scotland road trip with kids, we were super excited to spend an equal amount of time in Ireland with kids. Like many of our family trips, we looked for the best things to do in Ireland with kids, balancing cultural highlights with active pursuits such as hiking and cycling.
Inishmore, Aran Islands with Kids
With desolate windswept beauty, visiting Inishmore of the Irish Aran Islands is a popular day trip from Galway. And for good reason, there is a bit of everything on Inishmore (also known as Inis Mor), from prehistoric clifftop forts, to geological wonders to beautiful beaches.
Best Things to do on the Dingle Peninsula with Kids
We were drawn to the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland by stories of rugged coastlines, beautiful scenery and a charming fishing town. The reality lived up to the hype; this place is amazing and is one of the best places to visit in Ireland with kids or without.
Torc Mountain Hike in Killarney National Park, Ireland
We love hiking with the kids to the top of mountains. It’s such a great feeling of accomplishment for them to stand at the very top looking down on where they came from.
Belfast with Kids
Belfast with kids? That’s a good question… To be honest, we didn’t know much about Belfast prior to visiting, but it turned out to be a pretty fun place to take the kids. There are lots of kid-friendly attractions including a giant kissable fish, the modern Titanic Belfast museum, Game of Thrones filming locations and much more.
Best Things to do in Killarney National Park with Kids
Killarney National Park is a nature lover’s paradise. It’s home to some of Ireland’s highest mountains and its largest remaining semi-natural woodlands. Nestled within this natural wonderland is a chain of beautiful lakes, an abundance of wildlife and plenty of family-friendly activities.
Cycling the Gap of Dunloe with Kids
One of the best things to do in the Killarney National Park is the Gap of Dunloe. The Gap of Dunloe is an incredibly scenic, narrow mountain pass which separates the Purple Mountains from MacGillycuddy’s Reeks (the highest mountain range in Ireland).
A Family Cycling Holiday in Connemara, Ireland
We have always dreamed of cycling Ireland, but after we had kids, we figured we’d need to put the dream on hold until they were old enough. We are a very active family when traveling and we love the idea of a family cycling holiday, but we have often struggled to find a tour operator which has the right equipment and a family-friendly itinerary.