Iceland Requires 2 Visits, One in the Summer for the “Midnight Sun” which is 22 hours of daylight (and 2 hours of cloudy sunlight, Lol). Another visit must be done in the winter, total darkness around the clock and a chance to see the Northern lights!
ICELAND Itinerary July 7-25, 2015
July 7th Arrive in Iceland 9am get rental car & Phone SIM
1pm: Tour North West Iceland with 2 friends. It’s a 2.5hour drive. Snaefellsjokull National Park, I wanted to Snowmobile, but in July they only have the Big Snowcat operating, which was also a great experience, at the top of the Glacier (which is the top of a volcano) we took photos, enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of it all and they came around with a visitors book to sign. (Some people brought skies and climbed a little higher on the side of the glacier)
What we didn’t realize is the Snowcat does it’s last run at 4pm! We raced straight there…..and just made it!
Drive to http://www.snaefellsjokull.com
After the snowcat we continued to tour the area, stopping at every interesting point along the way, and time escapes you when it’s constant daylight, I drove for 10hrs that day, getting back to Reykjavik after 1am! In Reykjavik, Stayed at an Airbnb Apartment. Found Free Street Parking.
July 8th
Goto the tourist office to get maps for the next 2 days and info!! More friends arrive and we all Check into another Airbnb Apt: corner of Snorrabraut & Flokagata, reykjavik, Iceland 105
(We walked everywhere 20Min to the center of the city and Nightlife (mostly along Laugavegur Street)
10am: Plan to Drive the Golden Circle: (Goto Grocery for snacks/lunch items before we go) Bring Warm layers, water proof shoes, and bathing suits & towels.
Strokkur Geyser, where jets spout anywhere from 60 to 100 feet; the mystically beautiful Gullfoss (or Golden) Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall, tumbling into a glacial river with a 105-foot double cascade; and (Þingvellir )Thingvellir, a scenic national park that marks where Europe’s first Parliament, the Althing, was formed in 930 AD. AND any other stops recommended; Haukadalur geothermal area, Secret Lagoon hot spring nature bath
8pm Grill Market Dinner Resv for 6 (My Favorite, very Delicious)
Party All Night!
July 9th
8:30am Pick up time South Shore Tour & Horses. Pay on Bus Credit Card or isk Cash. http://www.gatewaytoiceland.is/south-shore-adventure 8:30-9am 9-10hr 19,900 (151us) / (14,500 no horse) Thursdays or call South Shore Adventure & Horseback Riding
Reynisfjara shore and black sand beach • Dýrholaey puffins’ cliffs (mid summer)
Horseback riding or Skógar folk museum
Check website for what to bring, we walk behind waterfalls so waterproof clothing recommended & on Glacier.
All back by 7pm (10hrs)
9pm Fish Market Dinner Resv for 6 (Also very Delicious)
Party All Night!
July 10th
7:30am pick up time, Private Driver Valdi, Grey big wheel 4×4 Tour, Each give $150 USD Cash (x6 = $900 for this Driver)
Drive through parts of the Golden Circle and Valdi will give us local knowledge of the areas.
10:30am Dogsledding.is Check in for 11am tour 1.5hours for 6 guests (Cost: $137 Each website www. Dogsledding.is )
12:30pm resume tour with Valdi: Lava Cave (driver brings equipment), HraunfossarBarnafoss waterfalls, Deildartunguhver hot spring. Also includes, as time allows: Borgarfjorour area, thru lava fields to Hvita River, Kaldidalur Mountain with moon landscape.
Back by 7pm
Dinner & Party all night!
July 11th
2 Girls went on a 11am ATV tour (2hrs) Then we all meet for Blue Lagoon 1pm is a good goal. Average quality time for blue lagoon is 3hrs. (Personally I’ll prob sleep in and at noon catch the bus to Blue Lagoon (40min) [There’s also a free walking city tour at noon for 1hour, I didn’t have time]
Either way we left leave the lagoon 5 or 6pm
Party all night!
July 12th Sad goodbyes to Iceland and friends.
NOTES>>
Free walking tour option departs twice a day from Laekjartorg Square at noon and 2 p.m.
Shopping: Laugavegur and intersecting Skolavordustigur
Hot dogs: Icelanders are crazy about hot dogs, and the place to find out why is a simple stand near the harbor called Baejarins Beztu Pylsur (literally means “best hot dog in town,” and we have to say: it’s mighty fine), a standby since 1939. Look for it on Tryggvagata, just east of Posthusstraeti. (Head toward the Radisson Blu 1919 hotel in the old town, and look for a line of people.) To sample a hot dog the way the natives like it, order it with everything — sweet mustard, fried onion and a remoulade sauce. It will set you back about 2 euros.
Classic Seafood:Vio Tjornina, whose name means “by the lake,” offers a cozy, homey setting with a bit of kitsch — hanging lamps over the tables, embroidered tablecloths, hand-carved chairs. Local cod is a specialty served many ways; the marinated cod cheeks taste much better than they sound. The restaurant is near Reykjavik’s city lake, and, before you leave, the staff will give you a bag of bread crumbs for feeding the ducks.
A special splurge: With stunning modern decor in Reykjavik’s oldest cellar, Sjavarkjallarinn, or “Seafood Cellar,” is the almost unanimous choice for the city’s top dining. Its fusion cuisine means creative preparation and unexpected ingredient combinations that make the most of the city’s best fresh seafood. Try the salmon with truffles, cod seasoned with coriander or haddock with artichokes.
So I basically attached a rough draft Route Itinerary I made from my drive in Sept 2014. I went through and made some **notes.
We started in Dublin for 5 days of touring & pubs! Then, grabbed a rental car and drove West to Galway and everything possible, South through Cork, and back across to Dublin….with a stop in U2’s hometown Dalkey of course!
Amazing trip, the typical little girls dream of castle hopping through the countryside of Ireland 🙂 Take from my journey anything that may enrich your trip with your friends or family!!
Lots of Luck and fun to you and yours!!
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: Dublin walking tour, Lucky to be in Dublin Culture Night for all the free museums and a rare tour inside the Free Mason’s house, all the castles, hard to pick a favorite; Ashford, Bunratty, Blarney, etc. They were all special experiences. All the fabulous meals, yum! Our night in Dalkey, staying in the Fitzpatrick Castle with a secret passage in our room! (only certain rooms had it) Then going to Finnegans famous pub meeting a few stars from one of my favorite shows, The Vikings! (Travis Fimmel, Alexander Ludwig, and randomly Josh Harnett was there too!)
Note* (Aside from Dublin) 9pm all food closes! 9pm closes for pubs, closes 10pm for restaurants, you can keep drinking after, but the kitchens close.
DUBLIN
**I chose Hotels between St Stephens Green and Temple Bar area for easiest central location to walk it all. (Refer to Map)
(I’ve stayed at Fleet Street Hotel, and Grafton Capital Hotel)
Best Irish Restaurant: Oliver St John Gogarty (most say Gogarty’s) This place also has the best music on the second floor, funny musicians.
Goto Temple Bar, and Quays has great music.
Another area is the oldest bar in Dublin; Brazen Heads, great drinks and ask to sign the guest book, my names on the front page I think, food was mediocre. Defiantly do the Whiskey Museum tour near Trinity (recommended over Jameson). Book of Kells is a must see.
The Free Walking tour is always great-google Sandemans Dubilin free tour. The hop-on- hop-off was also good. And the Prison tour is suppose to be the best, I didn’t get to go yet, but my friends loved it=Kilmainham Gaol
Main Shopping Street is Grafton Street. Penny’s is a great cheap store (cheaper H & M style and many basics)
Great Breakfast Café is Metro Café! (near shopping Street)
Fancier restaurants and night spots are near St Stephen’s Green, such as The Saddle Room, Lounges: House (27 Lesson Street Lower, best place) Buck Whaleys, No. 27, Café en Seine (Dawson St.) & SamSara, 37 Dawson, Sam’s bar Club/Lounge cool antique décor: Lillies Bordello Bar for drinks and locals: Bruxelles & some nights has music downstairs.
Driving!! Watch out for Sheep!!
Sept 21st
Sunday – Leave Dublin city to Dublin Airport, pick up car rental at >10:30am -start driving (((Trim to Ashford to Galway, hang and sleep, then tour sky road, back to Galway hang and sleep, then south to Killarney all stops towards Cork then back to kilkenny to Dalkey)))
(1 Hour Drive) >11:30AM-1pm: Trim Castle {Braveheart film set} open 10am-6pm daily 1-2hr to view 4E/ 45min tour [pay to park 2hr] {Trim Castle Hotel next door has a terrace overlooking – vino/Guiness}(3hr drive…….)
KYLEMORE ABBY & Gardens – Stop 13E tour open 9-6pm 1-2hrs time, <1hr,missed gardens> Most Beautiful Stop!! Recommend it!
6pm (2.5hr w/o stops)
<30min around>Sky Road: an 11 km drive along Clifden Bay and Streamstown Bay rising more than 150 m above sea level at Slyne Head, with views of the Atlantic, Clifden Castle, coast-guard station, the islands of Inishturk and Turbot and the town. – drive & view, few stop points
NOTE: Enter at N59 going towards Clifden
Off sky Road stops: CLIFDEN Castle<photo from road>
**ABBYGLEN Castle<awesome> A Fav, great for a drink, left after 8pm
Exit Sky Road loop, Drive N59 again
Errislannan Peninsula – plane memorial wing/tail (photo op)
If time- Derrygimlagh Bog: a natural wilderness of blanket bog 6 km south of Clifden and the site of the Alcock and Brown crash-landing and the Marconi transatlantic wireless station.
If time – Slyne Head Lighthouse (farthest point to water and view lighthouse, if time allows. Not that awesome)
Twelve Bins / Pins (the view of 12 mountains- drive thru, off N59)
9pm all food closes 9pm for pubs, closes 10pm for restaurants
GALWAY (Arrive and stay the night)
**We had Dinner the Western Hotel Galway, nice Pub and restaurant in back had the most delicious Chicken with Garlic Mushroom sauce!!)
Suggested from reviews:
Teffs, Quays, kings head / Tig Coili: This popular pub with a red façade in the heart of Galway’s lively Latin Quarter : Mainguard Street, Galway, 353-91-561-294
Park House restaurant, Ard Bia, or McSwiggan’s restaurants are all good
Afternoon tea or brunch in the G Hotel is incredible (but pricey) mod looking
For nightlife there’s so many really lively bars around Eyre Square and Shop street you can’t go wrong (stay away from Club K or karma though!)
**We did enjoy all the bars listed, walked up Mainguard Street and back just following the sound of good Irish music!
SLEEP in Galway
(Pass Ross errilly Friary- stop photos)
8:30am–45min drive–
Ashford Castle
Options: Gardens 5E heard it’s worth it
Falconry 60E for 60min Falcon Walk
Horse Ride 1hr/45E 2hr/85E
(arrive at 11am for 1hr history Lake Cruise 20E)
(10am or 2pm guided bike tour 2hrs / 40E )
Sugg: 10am bikes & 1pm Falconry
** Long Beautiful Day at Ashford Castle, the Horse Riding was fun and the Falconry was very cool. The Gardens were just OK, I think we just went in, no fee. Tea inside the Castle was just lovely J We didn’t try the bikes, or lake cruise.
In Galway; Dinner Skeffington Arms Hotel Pub, and walked up Mainguard Street again.
SLEEP GALWAY
8am, 55min drive–
9am: The Burren (Green Arrow 40min or Orange Route 20min)
(also, cool town called Doolin on the way)
(50min drive)
10:30am: Cliffs of Moher, Cliffs of Moher, Liscannor, Co. Clare
open 9am-7pm 6E allow exhibit theater 25-45min, & self walk 3hr
**Very windy and chilly and usually rainy. Lots of walking.
(50min Drive)
12:45pm: Dromoland Castle Hotel, Clare –Lunch/drinks, self tour
** Dromoland Castle was very Beautiful
(13min drive)
2:45pm Bunratty Castle closes at 4pm 2hr to view, 15E
**Lots to see, real castle they’ve a whole village attached to show how a castle & community used to be. Optional advertised banquet dinner. We skipped the dinner.
(25 min drive)
4:45pm (Drive Thru) village of adare, houses straw roofs
(2hrs drive)
7pm : Dingle Peninsula – Drive thru & photos
**(ran out of daylight, skipped the Dingle stop)
(1hr Drive)
9pm: Killarney- dinner & hang out
Sleep Killarney
9am –Drive-photos-stops
**Cute little town, but I don’t remember much about this stop, college town. There had been a big game the night before so no one was out the night we were there.
(Drive 1hr-not counting photo stops) to Cahersiveen to (drive 8mins) Ballycarbery Castle, Kerry, Ireland (Fav, must see, Castle ruins-photos)
Ring of Kerry, Killarney: cars drive clockwise: along the Ring of Kerry includes: Gap of Dunloe, Bog Village, Rossbeigh Beach, Cahersiveen Heritage Centre, Derrynane House, Skellig Experience, Staigue Fort, Kenmare Lace, Moll’s Gap, Ladies View, Torc Waterfall, Muckross House, The Blue Pool, Ross Castle, Ogham Stones, St Mary’s Cathedral, Muckross Abbey, Franciscan Friary, Kellegy Church, O’Connell Memorial Church, Sneem Church and Cemetery, Skellig Michael (chocolates), Beehive Cells and the Stone Pillars marking an important grave. 3hr but takes 5-6hr w/ photos/stops/traffic
**It did take hours longer than expected with our stops and photos. I recommend extra time in Waterville, would’ve been nice to had time for a café stop, also has a statue of Charlie Chaplin for great photos!
2:30pm: Muckross House – Killarney National Park, Muckross House – Killarney National Park, Kenmare Road / open 9am-5:30pm 8-12E fee
**Great Tour and very beautiful house & gardens!
(1hr 34min drive)
4:30pm (Can’t enter tour after 5pm)
Kinsale- Desmond Castle & Wine Museum! Open 10-6pm 45min tour 3E
** running late we missed the closing time.
(1hr drive)
7pm: Cobh Cathedral, Cathedral Terrace, Cobh- in a town- photos
**running late, skipped this photo op.
(25min drive)
SLEEP CORK – explore & stay over
**Cork is all about shopping with many streets closed to traffic and cobble stones. Very “big city” life feel
17 min)Rock of Cashel / open 9-5:30pm tour 45min 6E
Just missed the closing, we walked around the grounds with a local telling us the story, very cool history, he says it has the best old weapons & Armor collection inside.
1hr) Dunmore Cave (&Castle til 6pm/free) open 10-4pm for 1hr visit 3E **no time to stop
15min) Kilkenny Castle, The Parade, Kilkenny open 9:30am-5:30pm tour 45min 6E
SLEEP Kilkenny
** Best Dinner at Design Centre, Anocht Restaurant, highly recommend!
2 bars open the night we were there, just ask, I can’t remember the name
Waterford
1.15hr) Drove to Waterford, visited Waterford Crystal Museum then the castle (big) Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort, Stop for Drinks, photos inside hotel.
33min) Reginalds Tower / open 9:30am-5:30pm 45min tour 3E
**Unless you’re crazy about Waterford Crystal, there’s not much to see that’s different from any other busy small city. No charm here. The castle was nice, but not worth the drive south. Skip Waterford
Also Stay in Wicklow? Option.
2hr Drive) Wicklow Mountains National Park, Wicklow
** we just went to Dalkey instead
SLEEP Dalkey
1.35hr) from Kilkenny drive to Dalkey
Dalkey (40min drive from Dublin)
(Bono’s Home is here, In this town)
**Dalkey Stay at Fitzpatrick Castle, great place
Goto Finnegans famous pub that Bono and other stars go to!
Had dinner at Benitos, great Italian, cute place.
Tour Stop Places Near Dublin
40min Drive) Dun Aengus, Tallaght, Ireland10-6pm 1hr visit 3E
20min) Dublinia 10-5:30pm & free guide tour at 2:30pm daily M-F 8.5E
12min) The Swiss Cottage Open 10am-6pm, tour 1hr, 3E
15 min) Malahide Castle (20 min Dublin) 9:30am-4:30pm 1hr & Needs to book in advance 12E
Research Notes:
Kilkenny
While you’re in Kilkenny—about 90 minutes from Dublin by car—take a tour of Kilkenny Castle, a stone structure built in the early 13th century. Beginning with James Butler, the third Earl of Ormonde, it served as the domain for the Butler family for nearly 600 years. St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower, built in the sixth century, feature beautiful stained glass windows and carved stone tombstones.
Galway City
Set on Ireland’s west coast, Galway City is known as the “City of Tribes” in honor of the 14 families who reigned over Ireland until Galway was captured in 1652. In fact, the city’s roots date back pretty far. At Gentian Hill, just outside the city, archaeological digs uncovered 10,000-year old cooking areas and a 300,000-year old axe-head on the Aran Islands.
Killarney
Killarney is alive day and night with street performers and overflowing pubs, making it a popular tourist destination. Just outside the city is the Ring of Kerry, a road where you can get access to some of the best beaches this side of Europe and a nice view of Ireland’s ancient structures.
From here it’s a short drive to Ross Castle Killarney, a 15th century lakeside fort built by one of the O’Donoghue Chieftains. As legend has it, O’Donoghue sleeps in the lake waters and circles the lake on a white horse on the first morning in May every seven years. All who witness it are believed to have good fortune from that day forward.
Dublin
Ireland’s capital city features a harmonious blend of Victorian pubs and stately Georgian townhouses, with modern nightclubs next to chic restaurants. From the North Star Hotel in the city’s center, it’s only a 15-minute walk to Grafton Street, near Trinity College and St. Stephen’s Green, known for it’s high-end shopping. Visitors can savor an Irish whiskey or a Guinness in one of the city’s pubs, such the famed Temple Bar, then learn about the drinks’ origins on tours of the Guinness Storehouse and the Old Jameson Distillery.
