Explore the Iconic Ring of Kerry: Small Group Day Tours

If you are looking to discover all the best places to visit on the Ring of Kerry then check out Wild N Happy Travel’s recommended list of towns and villages you can explore. They are as follows: 

KILLORGLIN

Killorglin, Cill Orglan in Irish Gaelic, meaning “Orglas Church”, is located on the Iveragh Peninsula and is the gateway to The Ring of Kerry. The town is built on the River Laune which is famous for its salmon fishing. There are also fishing opportunities at nearby Caragh Lake. As you approach Killorglin from the Killarney direction one of the first landmarks you will see is a large statue of a goat. This statue is to commemorate one of Kerry’s most famous and oldest festivals – the Puck Fair. It is held each year on 10-12 August and draws great crowds of locals and tourists. This pagan festival dating back 3,000 years is centred around the locals going up the mountains and capturing a wild goat which is then caged in the village centre for the duration of the festival and is crowned “King Puck”.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Has a population of 2,000
2. Historically founded and developed on the beautiful River Laune
3. Once a year, the reins of power are handed over to a wild Billy goat that is crowned and worshipped for two days of the festival. This festival is called Aonach an Phoic meaning Puck Fair (The Fair of the He-goat) which is the oldest fair in Ireland.
4. The fair dates back to Pre-Christian celebrations

SERVICES

Garage: O’Sullivans Motors – 066 9790 787

Medical Centre: Dr Valerie Collins – 066 9761253

GLENBEIGH

Gleann Beithe meaning Valley of the Birch Trees, is also known as the ‘Jewel in the Ring of Kerry’, It is a popular corner of County Kerry to visit, yet much quieter than the likes of Killarney or Kenmare.

It is surrounded by lakes, rivers, sandy beaches, rolling hills and the Seefin mountains, the historic town is set amid a stunning landscape.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Has a population of over 1,000
2. Known as the “ The Jewel in the Ring of Kerry”
3. Rossbeigh strand located 1km from the village which boasts up to six miles of golden beach shores
4. Rossbeigh is an acclaimed area where ‘Oisin’ and ‘Niamh’ take to the sea on their magical white horse to live in the land of the youth, ‘Tír na nÓg’.

SERVICES

Garage: Murphys Garage – 066 976 8120

Medical Centre:  066 976 8239 

CAHERSIVEEN

Cathair Saidhbhín meaning “Little Sadbh’s stone ringfort” is a town in County Kerry on the South West coast of Ireland. Situated on “The Ring of Kerry” and “The Wild Atlantic Way” there is so much to see and do here that you will never want to leave. Unspoilt landscape, breathtaking beaches, forests, walks and much much more.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Has a population of over 1,200
2. Birthplace of Daniel O’Connell, known as the “The Great Liberator” campaigned for Catholic Emancipation
3. Ancient Stone forts, Cahergal and Leacanabuaille dated back to 600AD have been partially reconstructed in the area to give an idea of size and scale  

SERVICES

Garage: Clifford’s Garage – 066 9472127 

Medical Centre: Dr Kieran O’Shea – 066 947 3555

PORTMAGEE

Port Mhig Aoidh meaning Magees Port or An Caladh meaning ‘The Harbour’. It is a picturesque fishing village in the very South West corner of County Kerry, Ireland.

The village is located on the Iveragh peninsula and is the gateway to Valentia Island. The name Portmagee (Port Magee) comes from the exploits of Captain Theobald Magee, a notorious 18th-century smuggler/privateer.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Locally known as ‘the ferry’, in reference to its purpose as a crossing point to Skellig Michael
2. The area was a haven for smugglers and pirates whose hunting ground was the trade in the Continent and North America
3. Has a population of over 400 people
4. Portmagee village is where Luke Skywalker learned to pull a pint
5. The Star Wars crew held their Wrap Party in Bridges bar in the village where the Star Wars film production crew enjoyed a music session with the locals and a few lucky tourists!

SERVICES

Garage: Mike Sullivan – 066 947 7107 

Medical Centre: Valentia Road Medical Center – 066 947 3555

VALENTIA ISLAND 

Valentia Island or Dairbhe in Irish Gaelic, meaning the “Oak wood”, lies off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of Kerry. It has a population of over 600 people and is connected to the mainland by a bridge at Portmagee. The peaceful, relaxed atmosphere together with the island’s long history attracts many visitors.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. It has a population of over 600 people and is connected to the mainland by a bridge at Portmagee
2. It is one of Ireland’s most westerly points
3. Valentia has an observatory station which is the oldest monitoring stations in the world
4. It also has the oldest transatlantic telegraph cable which
5. It took approximately two weeks from a message to reach North America from Europe!

SERVICES

Garage: Mike Sullivan – 066 947 7107 

Medical Centre: Valentia Road Medical Center – 066 947 3555

WATERVILLE

Waterville, historically known as Coirean, Irish Gaelic, An Coireán, meaning ‘little cauldron’ or ‘whirlpool’, is a village in County Kerry, Ireland, on the Iveragh Peninsula.

The town is sited on a narrow isthmus, with Lough Currane on the east side of the town, and Ballinskelligs Bay on the west, and the Currane River connecting the two.

DID YOU KNOW?  

1. Popular for its game angling and its 18 hole championships links
2. Has a population of over 1,500
3. The town was a favourite holiday spot for Charlie Chaplin and his family. They first visited the town in 1959 and came back every year for over ten years
4. The Charlie Chaplin Comedy festival up to recently took place every August remembering the film maker with workshops, circus performers, street entertainment and more.

SERVICES

Garage: Brendan Donnelly – 066 9474276

Medical Centre: Dr Dermot Gibson – 066 947 4284

CAHERDANIEL

Catherdanile or in Irish Gaelic, Cathair Dónall, meaning “Daniel’s Stone Ringfort, is a small village a short distance from the Derrynane Bay. 

Although the community is spread out over the surrounding area, the hub of the village remains compact to the west of the main crossroads. There are two pubs here and hot meals can be secured, with seafood being a prominent part of the menu.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Has a population of over 350 people
2. Named after Daniel O’ Connell who’s house is also in the area- Derrynane House
3. Derrynane House is now a public museum commemorating Daniel O’ Connell, one of Ireland’s leading historical figures
4. Abbey island has graveyard where there’s an old ritual of shouldering the coffin across the beach to the cemetery 

SERVICES

Garage: Sneem Motor Works – 064 664 5101 

Medical Centre: Health Centre – 066 947 5169 

SNEEM

Sneem, An tSnaidhm meaning “The Knot”, is a town situated on the Iveragh Peninsula (part of the Ring of Kerry) in County Kerry in the southwest of Ireland.

It lies on the estuary of the River Sneem. National route N70 runs through the town. The Irish town name, “An tSnaidhm”, means “The Knot” in English.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Has a population of over 600 people
2. Staigue stone fort is one of the largest ringforts in Ireland can be found 3.5 miles outside of Sneem
3. Charles de Gaules visited the area several occasions and there is a sculpture of him in the village
4. Sneem hosts the Storytelling festival every year in November where storytellers from across Ireland and the US
5. The town has two squares, North and South. A bridge in the middle of the village acts as a knot between the two squares
6. Sneem is famous for its black pudding where a local butchers have gone global in the sales of the black pudding

SERVICES

Garage: Sneem Motor Works – 064 6645101 

Medical Centre: Health Sneem – 064 6645102 

MOLL’S GAP

Moll’s Gap or Céim an Daimh (meaning, Gap of the Ox), is a mountain pass on the N71 road from Kenmare to Killarney in Kerry, Ireland. 

Moll’s Gap is on the Ring of Kerry route, and offers views of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountains, and is a popular tourist location.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Moll’s Gap is named after Moll Kissane who ran a sheebeen, a small pub, on a rocky breach during the construction of the original Kenmare to Killarney road in the 1820’s
2. She was popular for her poteen that the hardy workers drank
3. The Avoca store Killarney is situated in Moll’s Gap and is a popular shop to stop to break a journey

SERVICES

Garage: Ford Garage – (064) 663 1355 

Medical Center: Killarney Medical Center – (064) 662 0628

LADIES VIEW

One of Killarney’s most panoramic viewing points offering unrivalled views of the rugged lake district. 

Ladies View is one of Killarney’s and indeed Ireland’s best known scenic viewing points. It is located about halfway between Killarney and Kenmare on the N71 road about 10 miles (16km) from Killarney Town.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Ladies View is named after Queen Victoria, who was visiting Ireland in 1861
2. It is in reference to Queen Victoria, and her ladies of companies who admired the fabulous view of the area for a few minutes
3. It sits on the edge of the national park surrounded by woodlands and rugged mountains
4. It offers superb views of the Upper Lake, Purple Mountain (832 metres) and Torc Mountain (535 metres)

SERVICES

Garage: Ford Garage – (064) 663 1355 

Medical Centre: Killarney Medical Center – (064) 662 0628

KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK

Killarney National Park or Páirc Náisiúnta Chill Airne in Irish Gaelic, The park itself covers over 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) of mountain, garden, park, woodland, waterway and moorland. 

It has an unusual and varied ecology as a result of its geology and the climatic influence of the Gulf Stream. The red, mountainous sandstone uplands support large areas of blanket bog.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. With a coverage of over 10,236 hectares of woodlands and rugged mountains
2. First National Park created in Ireland, when Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish Free State in 1932 
3. It contains the ruins of Inisfallen Abbey, a monastery dating to 640 that was occupied for about 850 years
4. Home to the Native Red Deer

SERVICES

Garage: Ford Garage – (064) 663 1355 

Medical Centre: Killarney Medical Center – (064) 662 0628

On the Ring of Kerry they use the Euro as our currency. However, as part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland’s official currency is the British Pound.

Tips are entirely at your discretion. A guided price to tipping on the Ring of Kerry is generally between 10-15% of cost value.

Internet access is freely available on the Ring of Kerry with most cafes, pubs, accommodation and tourist attractions providing Wi-Fi access to their customers or visitors.

Mobile phone coverage is pretty good in most parts on the Ring of Kerry. However, when you venture further out on the Iveragh Peninsula you may find it hard to get good coverage due to its remoteness. Make sure your global roaming is fully activated before travelling on the Ring of Kerry, so you can enjoy the benefits of your phone plan away from home. 

Most toilet/restroom facilities on the Ring of Kerry are clean and modern. In addition to the public restrooms you can also find them in most attractions, pubs and restaurants.

Since 2004, Ireland became the first smoke-free country in Europe. While smoking is prohibited in work and public places, it is however permitted in the street, in some hotel rooms and in private accommodation.

It is safe to drink tap water on the Ring of Kerry, however, we would advise asking your accommodation venue if it is possible to drink their water.

While most stores and accommodation venues on the Ring of Kerry accept major credit cards, smaller cafes, pubs and shops might require a minimum purchase amount. As a few of them do not accept credit cards at all, it is always a good idea to carry a little bit of cash.

ATMs are available on the Ring of Kerry. They can be found outside banks and in most supermarkets. 

We have a saying in Ireland ‘If you don’t like the weather just wait a minute’. Which means expect to have four seasons in one day. 

As weather on the Ring of Kerry is dominated by the Atlantic Ocean, as such we have far smaller temperature variations across the seasons than other countries this far north of the equator. Temperatures vary from an average of 8°C / 46°F in the winter to 19°C / 66°F in the summer. 

For more general weather information we suggest you visit World Weather

• Rain jacket and pants 
• Walking boots and shoes 
• Rucksack or appropriate bag for carrying food and clothing 
• Suitable hiking clothing (fleece, hat, gloves, etc.)
• No cotton t-shirts or jeans as these items will hold water and may accelerate chances of hypothermia
• Spare clothes and shoes for after activities
• Food, warm drink and water (1 litre approx)

If you are within the Ring of Kerry area you can omit the prefix 066 for any of the numbers below that have that prefix.

The emergency services can be contacted by telephoning 112/999. This number is accessible free of charge from any telephone and is the initial contact when requiring the Police (Garda), Ambulance, Fire Brigade or Lifeguard emergency services.