00:00Hey everyone and welcome back to the channel. Today I am so excited to take you on the ultimate road
00:06trip, a full day tour of the Ring of Kerry starting and ending right here in the beautiful
00:11town of Kenmare. Honestly, Kenmare is one of the best places to base yourself for this drive and
00:17in this video I'm going to show you exactly why. We'll cover the best route, all the must-see sites,
00:22how long you'll really need and whether you should drive it yourself or take a tour. So if you're
00:27planning your own Irish adventure, this is the guide for you. Let's hit the road!
00:32The Ring of Kerry is a stunning 179 kilometer loop around the Ivra Peninsula. Now we're going to drive
00:39it clockwise which is the opposite direction the tour buses go. It just makes things a bit easier
00:45with the narrow roads and avoids you getting stuck behind a slow tour bus. Our route will take us from
00:50Kenmare through Sneem, Waterville and all the way around through Killarney National Park before we
00:56loop back here. Just driving, with no stops, you're looking at about four to four and a half hours.
01:02But let's be real, you're here for the sights. To do it properly and actually enjoy yourself,
01:08you'll want a full eight to ten hours. It's the perfect one day itinerary.
01:12We're kicking things off in Kenmare, this ridiculously colorful and chilled out town. It's got so many great
01:19bee and bees and pubs and it's way less hectic than Killarney, which is why I love it as a
01:24home base.
01:24From here, it's a beautiful 30 minute drive along the coast on the N70 to our first stop, Sneem.
01:31This village is just picture perfect with its brightly painted houses. It's a great spot to stretch your
01:37legs, grab a coffee and snap a few photos by the river. Plan for about 20 minutes here, a little
01:42longer
01:43if you're hungry. Leaving Sneem, the next leg towards Waterville, is where the scenery really starts to kick in.
01:49This 45 minute stretch is classic wild Atlantic way. You've got mountains on one side and the vast
01:56Atlantic on the other. It's just incredible. Along the way, keep an eye out for a turn off to Stag
02:02Stone
02:02Fort. It's an ancient ring fort over 2000 years old and it's well worth the 15 minute detour if you're
02:10into history. On the way to Waterville, you must divert off the main route to stop at Derenane Beach
02:17and further along at the home of Daniel O'Connell the Liberator at Cahir Daniel, one of nature's wonders,
02:24a secluded tropical cove which will take your breath away. Have a walk around the garden, drop into the
02:30Blind Piper for a quick pint. Soon you'll arrive in Waterville, a sweet little seaside town that was a
02:36favourite holiday spot for Charlie Chaplin. There's even a statue of him on the promenade.
02:41Whether you took the detour or not, you'll eventually arrive in Port Magee, this postcard
02:46perfect fishing village with its rows of colourful houses. This is where the boat tours to Skellig
02:52Michael Lee from, though that's a whole separate day trip in itself. It's the perfect place to stop for
02:57a proper lunch. By the way, if you are enjoying what we do, please subscribe to IrelandInView.com.
03:05Get our updated newsletter every few weeks. Just a bit further on is the bigger town of Cahir Sivine.
03:12If you're a history buff and have some extra time, you can check out the ruins of Ballycarbury Castle
03:17or the nearby stone forts. From Cahir Sivine, we'll continue on towards Glen Bay. It's a classic
03:23little Irish village, but the real star here is Ross Bay Strand, a huge sandy beach that's perfect for a
03:30long walk to stretch your legs and breathe in that fresh Atlantic air. After Glen Bay, it's about a
03:3625-minute drive to Kilorglan, a town famous for its unique Puck Fair Festival. We're mostly just passing
03:43through, but it's a good spot to top up on fuel if you need it. From here, we head into
03:47the final,
03:48spectacular section of the drive, Killarney National Park. You could spend days exploring the
03:53park alone, so on a one-day trip, you'll have to make some choices. You could do a quick visit
03:59to
03:59the Lakeside Ross Castle, wander the stunning grounds of Muckross House, or take a short,
04:04beautiful walk through the woods to Torque Waterfall. My advice? Pick one, maybe two, and save the rest for
04:11another day. The final leg of our journey is the incredible drive from Killarney back to Kenmare on
04:16the N71. And they saved some of the best for last. First up is Ladies' View, a viewpoint so famous
04:23Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting fell in love with it. One look at the lakes of Killarney from up here
04:29and you'll see why. It's an essential photo stop. Just a few minutes later, you'll reach Mall's Gap,
04:34a mountain pass with epic views of the Macgilly-Cuddy's Reeks, Ireland's highest mountains.
04:39There's a great Avoca shop and cafe here too. From Mall's Gap, it's a gorgeous 20-minute drive,
04:45winding back down into Kenmare, bringing our incredible loop to a close.
04:49So, let's quickly recap the timing. The drive itself is about 4.5 hours, but a relaxed sightseeing
04:55day will take you 8 to 10 hours. If you add in the full Skellig Ring and a few extra
05:00stops,
05:01you're looking at more like 10 to 12 hours, so you'll want to get an early start, maybe around
05:068 or 9 a.m. from Kenmare. Driving it yourself gives you total freedom, which is amazing. But if you're
05:13not comfortable with the narrow roads, there are plenty of guided tours that leave from Killarney.
05:18You could always stay here in Kenmare and just drive to Killarney to meet one.
05:22To give you an idea, a perfect day might look like this. Leave Kenmare around 8.30,
05:27have a quick coffee in Sneem, check out Kumakista Pass, walk on Derinane Beach,
05:33grab a late lunch in Port Magee, see one highlighting Killarney National Park like Torque Waterfall,
05:38and then hit Ladies View and Mall's Gap on your way back into Kenmare for dinner.
05:43If you have enjoyed our look at driving the Ring of Kerry, please subscribe to our website
05:47irelandinview.com. Lots more information, advice and information on traveling Ireland,
05:53car rental and more.
05:55Thanks for watching. Sláinte.
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