Embark on the Best Dingle & Slea Head Tours

If you are looking to discover all the best places to visit in Dingle then check out Wild N Happy Travel’s recommended list of the best attractions to visit in Dingle.

Discover through a local guide’s eye the best places to visit, each telling a story of how Dingle has been shaped. From its wild rugged coastline to its vibrant Gaelic culture and colourful harbour town, Dingle has a huge amount to offer the curious visitor.
 

1. Dingle Harbour

When you speak to Irish people about Dingle, almost everybody comes up with Fungie the dolphin. Fungie was a male common bottle-nosed dolphin who lived in the Dingle Bay since 1983. He really liked human contact and came to the boats to play or swim with them, if you went on one of the tours. It seemed like he sought human contact and he was known to interact playfully with swimmers, surfers, kayakers and divers in the water. The whole town was dedicated to Fungie and today you will find dolphin souvenirs everywhere and he even has a statue in front of the port. Even though animal welfare activists criticise the boat trips, scientists approved that Fungie was truly enjoying the company of humans. 

Location and Key Information

Address: Dingle Pier, Dingle, Co. Kerry – Find on Google Maps

Website: Dingle Harbour


2. Chapel of the Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s Church

The Chapel of the Sacred Heart is a neo-gothic chapel in the heart of Dingle town, located on the third floor of the convent building on the grounds of Saint Mary’s catholic church. It was originally built in 1886 and refurbished in the early 1920s. The Irish artist Harry Clarke was commissioned to create six windows of stained glass, which were installed in 1924. On either side of the nave, three colourful and very detailed lancet windows have been decorating the chapel since that day, showing scenes from the life of Christ.

St. Mary’s Church was originally a neo-gothic church, whose foundation stone was laid in 1862. During one of the most radical reordering schemes in Ireland, the arcades, parts of the exterior walls and the attic and upper ranges of the west elevation were demolished. 

Location and Key Information

Address: 46 Green St, Dingle, Co. Kerry  – Find on Google Maps

Website: Chapel of the Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s Church

3. Conor Pass

Conor Pass is one of the highest mountain passes in Ireland, which is served by an asphalted road and therefore accessible by car. The drive up to the pass is known as one of the most scenic drives in Ireland. The 456 metre high pass connects Dingle town on the south coast of the peninsula, with Brandon Bay on the north coast. The twisty one-lane road weaves its way around the sharp cliff faces and past high corrie lakes. It is also a very popular destination for bicycle tours on the Dingle peninsula. There are two main viewing stops, one at Peddlar’s Lake on the north side and the other one at the top. From the scenic car park at the summit there are fantastic views north and south of the Dingle peninsula along the Wild Atlantic Way.

Location and Key Information

Address: R560, Co. Kerry (7 km from Dingle town) – Find on Google Maps

Website: Conor Pass

4. Dingle Distillery

The Dingle Distillery was the idea of the three independent spirits Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and Peter Mosley. It was started in 2012, when they filled their first Casks with Dingle Whiskey on December 18. After three years and one day, they released their first Whiskey and the distillery was ready to open. The aim of the artisan distillery is to produce quality instead of quantity and that’s how they compete on the market with the three major Irish whiskey brands.

When the Dingle Whiskey Distillery was founded, 500 casks were made available to whiskey lovers, investors and connoisseurs. The buyers (so called founding fathers) were able to choose in which kind of wood they wanted their whiskey to mature and they could decide when they wanted it to be bottled. Every cask and every bottle is named after the founding father it belongs to. The distillery is open daily from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm and guided tours of 45 minutes duration are offered. During the tour you get to know about the history of Irish whiskey and the distillation process and a tasting of the products is included. 

Location and Key Information

Address: Farranredmond, Dingle, Co. Kerry – Find on Google Maps

Website: Dingle Distillery

5. Dunmore Head

Dunmore Head is the westernmost point of mainland Ireland and a promontory from old red sandstone. You can enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean and the Blasket Islands, if you walk up the hill. The path which is crossing the sheep meadows is quite steep in some parts, but the panoramic view you have on the top compensates for the effort. On the top you find an ancient lookout, which is used by the sheep today, but was an important strategic point to spot rival boats. With good weather and good eyes, you might be able to see the seal colonies at the beaches of the Blasket Islands.

Location and Key Information

Address: Dunmore Head (20 km from Dingle town) – Find on Google Maps

Website: Dunmore Head

6. Fahan

Fahan is an area at the southern coast of the Dingle peninsula. It is known for its big collection of beehive huts/clocháns  and  ringforts/cashels. It is not sure to which era the buildings can be dated back, but scientists found out that the poorer population lived in the so called beehive huts and the wealthy people lived in ringforts, also called cashels from the 5th century onwards. There is some indication that the beehive huts were built by monks to host pilgrims on their way during the period of early christianity. The beehive huts are built from drystone and have a corbelled roof. Their name comes from their form, as they look like beehives. The walls are very thick, up to 1,5 m, as no mortar was used to make the rocks stick together. 

The Kavanaugh Famine Cottage is another tourist attraction in the Fahan area and worth a visit when you are in the region. It is a restored cottage with a selection of furniture and artefacts from the period of the Great Famine.

The ruins of Dunbeg Fort dating back to the iron age are also nearby. The remaining four walls of the ancient promontory fortification on top of a sheer sea cliff enable you to travel back in time. If you watch the audiovisual presentation in the visitor centre before, you can definitely imagine how the fort must have looked like. 

Location and Key Information

Address: Fahan, Fán, Co. Kerry (14 km from Dingle town) – Find on Google Maps

Website: Fahan

7. Gallarus Oratory

The Gallarus Oratory is completely made of stone and in some way its shape is reminiscent of  an upturned boat. There are different theories about the name and also about the period it was built in. The archaeologist Peter Harbison interpreted that the name comes from the Irish word ‘Gall Aras’, meaning something like “the house/shelter for foreigner(s)”, which could be referring to pilgrims coming from outside the peninsula. However, this does not accord with lexicologist Padraig O Siochfhradha’s translation of the irish name ‘Gall-iorrus’ (rocky headland).The building is made from stones that were cut on every side and end so as to fit perfectly together and it is proved that a thin layer of lime mortar was used to stick the stones together. It is also interesting in architectural points of views, as techniques were used, that are still used today. 

Gallarus Castle is located nearby and was built by the Fitzgeralds in the 15th century. It is one of the only few preserved fortified structures on the Dingle peninsula. The castle is a  rectangular four-storey tower with vaulted ceilings on the third and fourth floor. 

Location and Key Information

Address: Caherdorgan South, Dingle, Co. Kerry (8,5 km from Dingle town) – Find on Google Maps

Website: Gallarus Oratory

8. Inch Beach

Did you know that there are also sandy beaches in Ireland? Inch beach is a great example for a kilometre long beach. It can be windy and it might be that a shower of rain interrupts your stroll, but if you would just like to enjoy a walk in the sand along the whooshing ocean, this is the place for you to go. Inch beach is three miles long and if you are not afraid of cold water it is also the perfect spot for many kinds of water sports, including surfing and kite surfing. In the summer months the ‘blue flag beach 2019’ is also suitable for bathing and a playful beach day with the whole family. 

Location and Key Information

Address: Inch Beach, Ardroe, Co. Kerry (22 km from Dingle town) – Find on Google Maps

Website: Inch Beach

9. Kilmalkedar

Kilmalkedar is a ecclesiastical site, located 6,7 km from Dingle town. The church dates back to the 12th century and is traditionally associated with St. Brendan. The site was used by pilgrims, who were following the Saint’s path to Mount Brendan. The site is one of Ireland’s national monuments and might have been used in celtic times, long before christianity arrived on the island. 

Location and Key Information

Address: Kilmalkedar, Dingle, Co. Kerry (6,7 km from Dingle town) – Find on Google Maps

Website: Kilmalkedar

10. Oceanworld Aquarium

Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium is the biggest Aquarium in Ireland. It hosts a wide variety of animals, including fishes, jelly fishes, otters, penguins, sharks and reptiles. They also have a reptile department with green iguanas, african dwarf crocodiles, boa constrictors and asian water monitors and a butterfly house with different species of butterflies from all over the world. The Oceanworld Aquarium helps with the conservation of sea turtles, natterjack toads and lobsters and has a whale and dolphin rescue program. There are many educational offers for kids and a gift shop to buy the appropriate souvenir. 

Location and Key Information

Address: The Wood, Farrannakilla, Dingle, Co. Kerry – Find on Google Maps

Website: Oceanworld Aquarium

In Dingle 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 in Dingle is generally between 10-15% of cost value.

Internet access is freely available in Dingle 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 of Dingle. However, when you venture further out on the Dingle Peninsula you may find it hard to get good coverage due to its remoteness. Make sure your global roaming is fully activated before travelling to Dingle, so you can enjoy the benefits of your phone plan away from home. 

Most toilet/restroom facilities in Dingle 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 in Dingle, however, we would advise asking your accommodation venue if it is possible to drink their water.

While most Dingle stores and hotels 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 in Dingle. 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 Dingle’s weather 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 Dingle 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.