5 Stunning Things to Do in Killarney National Park

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This post is all about Killarney National Park.

Heading to the south of Ireland? Don’t miss Killarney National Park! One of six national parks Ireland has to offer, Killarney National Park is filled with a plethora of stunning scenery and hikes.

Whether you’re road tripping the Ring of Kerry or taking the train from Cork, Killarney National Park will blow your mind! So let me share my absolute favorite things to see in Killarney National Park!

Gap of Dunloe – Most Beautiful Part of Killarney National Park

Easily my favorite part of my entire trip to Ireland was hiking in the Gap on Dunloe. There are many ways to see the Gape of Dunloe (car, bike, jaunting cart), but nothing compares to the gentle and slow walk through this vast landscape.

A total of six miles, the Gap of Dunloe includes some significant uphill and downhill stretches of trail, but it is nothing the average, active person can’t handle. The entire trail is along a paved road with minimal traffic being other sightseers in cars or horse drawn jaunting carts which are available to rent along the trail.

We booked a “tour” on Viator for the Gap of Dunloe since we were without a car. The tour includes bus transportation to the beginning of the trail which is a 20 min bus ride from the town of Killarney. We were dropped at the trailhead by Kate Kearney’s Cottage which is more of a touristy café and gift shop than an actual historical building. Here you can hire a jaunting cart to take you the six miles to the end of the trail (separate from the tour price).

Then you hop on the trail and get moving. The tour allotted us three hours to walk the Gap of Dunloe which is plenty of time to reach Lord Brandon’s Cottage for the next portion of the tour. Even with all of the stopping to take photos along the trail, it took us two hours to walk the full six miles.

I cannot recommend this hike enough! It is easily one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done anywhere in the world. Please add it to your Killarney National Park itinerary!

River / Lake Cruise

Additionally, the tour we booked continued onto a boat! Once you are finished walking through the Gap of Dunloe, you hop into the boats waiting to take you on a tour of the many rivers and lakes interconnected throughout Killarney National Park. 

Our driver had so much knowledge he was willing to share which made the entire experience even more special. The views you see on this unique one-hour ride are unforgettable. I could not recommend it enough!

The reason the boat journey is so long is because you are travelling from the western side of Killarney National Park all the way over to the more popular eastern side. The connection of rivers and lakes have you weaving around vast mountains and under beautiful old bridges.

Ross Castle – Killarney National Park’s Most Popular Attraction

The tour ends once your boat arrives at the docks along Ross Castle, one of the main tourist spots in Killarney National Park. Once you disembark, you have a few minutes to wander around the castle before meeting your bus driver in the parking lot to take you back to the town of Killarney.

We, however, decided since we only had one day to explore the park, we were going to ditch the bus back to town and walk an additional two hours to Torc Waterfall.

Torc Waterfall – Killarney National Park’s Hidden Gem

This is where I would highly recommend having a car to explore Killarney National Park or at least a bike. Why? Because my sister and I walked a total of 16.7 miles this day. Sure, we could have just stayed an extra day in Killarney in order to break up this hefty mileage, but we were on a budget and a time crunch.

Torc Waterfall was totally worth it though! One of the most beautiful waterfalls in Ireland, Torc Waterfall is a bit out of the way for most hikers roaming around Killarney National Park. But, if you have the time to take a scenic walk through Killarney’s less crowded trails, you will not be disappointed. Or if you have a car, it’s even easier to just park at the car park for the waterfall and walk the five-minute trail straight to Torc Waterfall!

Where to Eat around Killarney National Park:

Nocelle’s

Looking to a quick place to grab some pastries and/or a healthy smoothie for breakfast? Nocelle’s is the perfect spot! The workers were extremely nice and really made our morning a great way to start the day.

The Shire 

This one is kind of funny because we didn’t mean to eat here. I had known it was inspired by Lord of the Rings, so I wanted to take a picture of the inside for a friend. Little did we know that we would be buying some of the best croissants we’ve ever had in our entire life!

We even decided we would wake up early to stop here for breakfast the next morning before our train departed! Their breakfast was also extremely delicious with avocado toast, eggs benedict, and of course the traditional Irish breakfast.

Porterhouse

Looking for a nice place for dinner? After our big travel day on four different trains, all we wanted was a cozy place with good food. And that is exactly what we got!

My sister got the steak sandwich, and I got the gnocchi. We also shared the buffalo cauliflower which was to die for!

Killarney Brewing Company

Remember when I said we walked 16.7 miles in one day? Yeah, we were dead, and all we wanted was pizza. Of course, the Killarney Brewing Company was the perfect option!

Their menus are hilariously huge, and their beers are very good! The pizza was devoured in minutes, and it was some of the best I’ve had in Ireland.

Murphy’s Ice Cream

If you have done your research, you have probably seen people rave about this creamery. Honestly, I here to tell you that it was overpriced and overrated.

We enjoyed our ice cream but the gas station on the way back to our lodgings way more and for a fraction of the price. Sorry Murphy’s.

Killarney National Park

And there you have it! My best recommendations and hot takes for Killarney National Park! This was easily my favorite part of my Ireland trip, and I already know I’ll be back to continue exploring this beautiful part of the country.

Don’t be like me and only book a day and a half for the entire national park. You need at least three days here. 

If you are looking for more Ireland content, check out my post about the Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Northern Ireland, and stick around because I have tons more to share from my trip to Ireland in the coming weeks!

This post is about Killarney National Park.