Ireland

Republic of Ireland

▲▲▲ Dublin Bustling Irish capital, with fascinating tours (historical, musical, and literary), passionate rebel history (Kilmainham Gaol), treasured medieval gospels (Book of Kells), intricate Celtic artifacts (at the National Museum of Archaeology), and a thriving food and pub scene.

▲▲▲ Dingle Peninsula My favorite fishing village (Dingle town, a traditional Irish-music pub paradise), which serves as a launchpad for the gorgeous Slea Head loop drive (or bike ride), featuring striking scenery and a wealth of Celtic and early Christian sites.

▲▲ Boyne Valley and Trim Area just north of Dublin with the ancient pre-Celtic burial mounds of Brú na Bóinne, and the majestic Norman castle in Trim.

▲▲ The Rock of Cashel Dramatic hilltop of church ruins overlooking the Plain of Tipperary.

▲▲ Kinsale and Cobh County Cork's two quaint harbor towns: Kinsale, beloved by foodies, fun for strolling, and guarded by beefy Charles Fort; and the emigration hub of Cobh — the Titanic's final port of call.

▲▲ County Clare and the Burren Ireland's rugged western fringe, with the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, stony prehistoric landscape of the Burren, trad music crossroads of cozy Doolin, and friendly town of Ennis.

▲▲ Aran Islands Three windswept, treeless islands in the Atlantic, ringed by cliffs, crowned by striking ruins, and home to sparse villages of hardy fisherfolk.

▲▲ Connemara and Westport Lushly green region with hilly Irish outback of cottages, lakes, and holy peaks, dotted with photogenic settlements such as Cong, Kylemore Abbey, and the leafy riverside town of Westport.

▲ Kilkenny and Waterford Best town in Ireland's interior: historic yet workaday Kilkenny, with its fine castle and numerous tempting side-trips including gritty and historic Waterford (with crystal factory demos and excellent museums), famine ship replica, JFK's ancestral homestead, a 12th-century lighthouse, and poignant stony ruins.

▲ Ring of Kerry Ireland's most famous scenic loop route: around Kerry's fairy-fort-filled peninsula, with options for an excursion to the hermitage island of Skellig Michael, and the colorful, tidy town of Kenmare as a charming home base.

▲ Galway Energetic university city with a thriving pedestrian street scene and great people-watching pubs — and the west coast's best base for reaching the Burren, Aran Islands, and Connemara.

▲ Donegal and the Northwest Far-flung section of the Republic with a ruggedly beautiful landscape, and a striking castle in the main town of Donegal.

Northern Ireland

▲▲ Antrim Coast Northern edge of the isle, boasting the geologic wonderland of the Giant's Causeway, Old Bushmills Distillery, cliff-edge ruins of Dunluce Castle, and exhilarating Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge — with the faded beach resort of Portrush serving as a handy home base.

▲▲ Belfast No-nonsense capital of Northern Ireland with a walkable city center, stirring sectarian neighborhoods, a state-of-the-art museum about the Titanic, and the charming nearby Victorian seaside retreat of Bangor.

▲ Derry Seventeenth-century British settlement encircled by stout town walls — and infamous as the powder keg that ignited Ireland's tragic modern "Troubles" — with vivid murals and thoughtful museums that tell the sobering tale.

• Ireland: Recommended Itinerary
• When to Go to Ireland
• Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Ireland
• Guidebook Updates for Ireland
• Ireland Rail Passes and Train Tips
• Ireland: Recommended Books and Movies