Two Days on the Dingle Peninsula
Located in Ireland’s County Kerry is the Dingle Peninsula, a stretch of land jutting into the Atlantic Ocean filled with dramatic landscapes and reminders of the country’s past. Whether you’re here to drive around Slea Head or to experience a bit of craic in Dingle’s pub scene, you’re bound to have a good time.
One of the nice things about the Dingle Peninsula is you can see a lot in only two days because of its compact size. The town isn’t very large and can easily be seen in a day. Add another day just for the Slea Head Drive and you’ve given yourself enough time to build the perfect itinerary.
In this post, I’ll help you design that itinerary so you can be assured of a great two days on the Dingle Peninsula!
Updated May 2026
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Top Things to do on the Dingle Peninsula
Take the Slea Head Drive Around the Dingle Peninsula
The Slea Head Drive is the most popular thing to do on the Dingle Peninsula. You can either rent a car or book a tour to do this drive. Either way, expect it to take the majority of one of your two days on the Dingle Peninsula.
The Slea Head Drive is a 30-mile drive around the Dingle Peninsula filled with stunning views of the Atlantic coast and heritage sites from Ireland’s early Christian and Neolithic past. A few of my highlights are Gallarus Oratory, the various beehive huts, Clogher Head, Reasc Monastery and Kilmalkeder Church.
Along the way, be sure to stop at West Kerry Brewery for a pint and a small lunch. The brewery itself doesn’t have food, but I recommend grabbing something to go from Dingle before heading out for your drive so you can have a picnic here. It turned out to be quite the pleasant meal with a craft beer in hand as we admired the views from the brewery’s patio.
Explore Dingle on Foot
Much of the allure of the Dingle Peninsula is simply how quaint and attractive its titular town is. It’s one of Ireland’s top towns to visit if you want to see a slice of traditional Irish life. You’ll likely hear more people speaking Ireland’s native tongue than anywhere else in the country outside of Counties Galway and Mayo.
While Dingle may lack any singular must-see attractions, it has plenty of smaller things worth seeing. It’s also relatively small, so you can see a lot just by walking around town for a half day or so.
St Mary’s Church
Located on Green Street, this church has an evocative little garden that is free to walk through. This garden offers a nice reprieve from the crowds on the road.
You can also wander into the chapel behind the church to view 12 stained-glass windows created by Harry Clark in 1922 showing various biblical scenes.
Art Galleries
Dingle has a thriving artist’s community with several art galleries through town to admire their works. Make sure to stop in at least a couple to see what some of the local artists have to offer.
Fungie Statue
Dingle’s most famous local character is a dolphin named Fungie. Fungie is a bottlenose dolphin that first appeared in Dingle Harbor in 1983, pleasing locals and tourists alike.
Sadly, Fungie has not been seen since October 2020. Locals believe he either passed away or else moved to different waters. Either way, you can visit his statue near the harbor to get a sense how much the local community enjoyed Fungie’s presence.
Dingle Harbor
A visit to the harbor is a perfect way to get some time away from other tourists while you take in some views of Dingle Bay. There’s a lovely promenade to walk along with several benches if you’d like to sit and rest for a bit. This is also a great spot to catch the sunrise if you’re an early riser.
Another activity to do at the harbor is to take a cruise around the harbor. Several companies run boats out of the harbor with tours designed around your interests.
Temperance Hall and Marie Antoinette Plaque
Near the western edge of Main Street are two interesting historical spots. If walking west on Main Street, on your right you’ll see Temperance Hall. This is from a 19th-century movement in Ireland whose aim was to reduce the country’s alcohol consumption.
Across the street is an even more fascinating relic of the past. It’s a plaque on the side of a building that was to act as a safe house for the French queen Marie Antoinette. In 1792, a plan was hatched to rescue Marie Antoinette from French revolutionaries and bring her to the Dingle Peninsula where she would be safe from the guillotine. However, Marie refused to leave her family, and the rest is history.
Dingle Walk of Fame
Outside of Dick Mack’s Pub on Green Street is this quirky little sight. It’s a Hollywood-style sidewalk with tiles dedicated to some of Dingle’s famous visitors.
Some of the more well-known visitors include Julia Roberts, Sean Connery, Robert Mitchum and Sir Timothy Dalton.
Inch Beach
Inch Beach is a 4-mile-long strand of land reaching into Dingle Bay. I’m not much for beaches to be honest, but this one’s much different from many I’ve seen before.
What makes it so unique is how flat it is along its entire length. Inch Beach has sand dunes, but once you pass these, it’s an almost flat descent to the water. From there, the coastline is mostly straight in either direction, giving great views along the Dingle Peninsula. Across the bay are some stunning mountain ranges that are easily seen because of the beach’s topography.
Inch Beach is just about 20 minutes away from Dingle. Parking is available either directly on the sand or in a small lot about 25 yards away from the beach access.
South Pole Inn
Ten minutes west of Inch Beach is South Pole Inn in the small village of Annascaul. South Pole Inn’s claim to fame is its former owner, Tom Crean.
Tom Crean was an Antarctic explorer who was a member of three different expeditions in the early 20th century to reach the South Pole. While he never reached the South Pole, his heroic exploits earned him great prestige.
In South Pole Inn, you can view photos and other memorabilia from Tom Crean’s life and adventures while enjoying a Guinness and some pub food.
Unfortunately, when we attempted to visit, the inn was not open yet for the day. They didn’t open till 1:00 p.m., so keep that in mind if you are planning a visit for lunch.
As of this writing, the pub closed its doors at the end of 2025. It’s unclear when or if ever the South Pole Inn will reopen. Even if it does reopen, it may not have the connection with Tom Crean anymore.
Minard Castle
This small castle was one of my favorite spots in all of Ireland. It’s a single three-story tower house sitting atop a promontory overlooking Dingle Bay and the Ring of Kerry on the opposite shore.
Just below the castle is a small sandy beach strewn with boulders that have been shaped by years of high tides. The entire landscape is captivating and worth the small detour while on the Dingle Peninsula.
Make sure to take the road leading behind the castle for more dramatic views of the area. There’s also a small fairy fort you can visit across the road via a short path. Fairy forts are small circular structures built by Iron Age people and believed to be protected by fairies.
Honestly, this particular fairy fort is little more than a small hole in the ground. It’s not worth the short hike unless you really like old things. I do like really old things, but this one was pretty underwhelming.
Pub Crawl Around Dingle
Intermixed with our walk through town, we also made sure to take a closer look at two of Dingle’s more famous pubs. Here are the places we stopped at for a drink during our first day on the Dingle Peninsula.
Foxy John’s
Foxy John’s is famous for doubling as a pub and a hardware store. It’s old school Irish fare in the truest sense of the phrase. Even if you don’t drink, you should still walk in to admire the wares.
I was looking forward to sitting inside the pub. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this wasn’t allowed. Instead, we were directed to a beer garden in the back. The beer garden was nice. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but be disappointed I wasn’t able to review the prices and sizes of carpentry nails while enjoying my Guinness.
Foxy John’s also has live music in its beer garden if you want some entertainment with your drinks.
Curran’s
Similar to Foxy John’s, Curran’s is another traditional pub that also caters towards people who want to look at hardware while drinking a pint or a dram of Jameson’s. I personally preferred Foxy John’s hardware selection, but you really can’t go wrong with either pub. And really, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t stop in each for at least a quick look.
Early Morning Run Through Dingle Town
If you’ve been reading along, you know I’m a big proponent of early morning runs (or walks) while I travel. It’s the perfect way to see the sights with no one else around. Dingle is no different
Go past all the pubs with their fun facades as you make your way to the harbor. There’ll be plenty of spots for a short break while you take photos of the pubs without throngs of tourists in your way.
The harbor will likely be the highlight of your morning jaunt. Before going down to the water, though, stop to admire the painted buildings lining the road across from the bay. This stretch of buildings is the prettiest in Dingle and is well worth stopping to snap some photos.
After you’re done here, make your way across the road to the water’s edge. I got here right as the sun was coming up over the hill to the east of the bay. My run took a bit of a hit here as I stopped to admire the sunrise for about 20 minutes. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Every couple minutes, as the sun rose higher and higher, the colors on the water changed to create an ever-evolving mural of shimmering hues.
I could have stayed till the sun was all the way in the sky, but we had things to do that eventually pulled me away.
Pub Crawl Through Dingle, Again
After finishing the Slea Head Drive, you’ll probably be pretty exhausted and done with sightseeing for the day. Go back to your room for a short nap before heading to check out more of Dingle’s excellent pub scene.
The Dingle Pub
The Dingle Pub is hard to miss. Its exterior can be described as stereotypically Irish to the point of almost being garish. In America, it would probably be described as over-the-top but here in Dingle, it works.
They have some seats out front overlooking Main Street for some good people watching while drinking your Guinness. It was a nice pub near our B&B to have a couple pints while Michelle napped. Like most pubs here, they have live music, but I wasn’t there when anyone was performing.
Dick Mack’s
If you’re looking for a change of pace from Guinness or Smithwick’s, Dick Mack’s is a good place to go. They have those beers, but they also make their own ales to try. I enjoyed the stout they were making at the time. It wasn’t the best stout I’ve ever had, yet it was certainly serviceable.
They brew their beer on-site. You can even take a tour of the brewery during your visit while having some samples.
An Droichead Beag
We wrapped up our second night in Dingle at An Droichead Beag. This is a pretty neat pub to say the least.
When we entered from the street and made our way towards the back where the live music was, we both were confused by how far we walked to our table. It turns out An Droichead Beag is much larger than it seems from the road because the owners have purchased the surrounding buildings to create a labyrinthine assortment of hallways and cubbies. It also has an entire outdoor courtyard with a performance stage.
Other Things to do on the Dingle Peninsula
Where to Eat on the Dingle Peninsula
Bob Griffin’s Bar
This was our first stop when we got to Dingle. We were both starving and walked into the first pub we saw that had fish and chips.
Bob Griffin’s Bar has a cute courtyard with seating placed higgledy-piggledy wherever there’s space. There are tables out in the open, tables tucked away in the side of the building, and little seating areas designed to look like traditional snugs.
The food came from a food truck in the back of the courtyard. The fish and chips were solid and the Guinness good, as always. Overall, Bob Griffin’s was a good experience.
John Benny’s Pub
We had dinner at John Benny’s Pub our first night in Dingle. The main draw of this pub is its prime spot right across from the harbor. We were lucky enough to get seats outside for our meal.
I had the steak. It was alright but nothing spectacular. It was a little more done than I wanted. Michelle enjoyed her fish pie. Honestly, besides the views, it wasn’t very memorable. However, the views of the sun setting over the harbor were lovely.
The Boatyard
The Boatyard was easily the best meal we had in Dingle. Like John Benny’s Pub, it’s right across from the harbor. There is some seating outside, but we sat inside because it was cold that night.
This is a much fancier restaurant than the other two places we ate at in Dingle. It’s not over-the-top, but you should plan to dress nicely and to spend a fair amount of money. It’s worth the splurge.
I had mussels and fries while Michelle had the hake. The mussels were very, very good. I had these at a couple different places in Ireland, and I must say, these were the best. For dessert I had them make me a hot chocolate with Bailey’s (I don’t drink coffee, so no Irish coffee for me, thank you very much). Nothing crazy, but it was a nice way to end the meal.
Where to Stay on the Dingle Peninsula
There are a handful of bed and breakfasts to choose from when staying in Dingle. For our stay, there was no other option but my namesake: O’Neill’s Bed and Breakfast on the main road as you first enter town.
First and foremost, it had a great traditional Irish breakfast. If you don’t know what a traditional Irish breakfast is, it’s pretty damn amazing. But seriously, it’s a fried egg, a tomato, sausage, white pudding, black pudding, thick bacon (kind of like ham for my fellow Americans) and a hash brown.
O’Neill’s didn’t have my favorite Irish breakfast in Ireland, but it was a close second. It also had fruit, cereal and muffins available at a small buffet to either eat there or pack away for snacks later in the day.
Second, it’s conveniently right on the main road as you enter Dingle (assuming you’re coming from N86). It’s also close enough to be walkable to everything while still being far enough away to be quiet at night.
Third, the owner was very pleasant. This was a trend with everywhere in Ireland, but I still think it’s worth repeating here. I had a nice little chat with him both mornings before Michelle came down for breakfast. He was also helpful with some driving directions to an off-the-beaten path ruin we were trying to find.
My Dingle Peninsula Itinerary
Frequently Asked Questions About the Dingle Peninsula
Is two days enough to visit the Dingle Peninsula?
Dingle Peninsula isn’t very large, which makes it easy to see many of the highlights in only two days. You could stay for longer to get a more in-depth feel of the area, but you can definitely enjoy yourself and come away feeling satisfied with only two days here.
How do I get to the town of Dingle?
You can reach Dingle by either taking N86 or R560. R560 is the more scenic route, but it also is longer and a more difficult drive. This route takes you along Conor Pass, a steep mountain with narrow lanes and sharp turns. N86 is an easy drive that still passes through some pretty stretches of country. It also goes by Inch Beach and Minard Castle if you’re interested in making those detours.
Is the Dingle Peninsula worth visiting?
Absolutely! The Dingle Peninsula was one of our favorite parts of our trip to Ireland. It is a perfect place to go to experience a quick slice of traditional Irish life.
When is the best time to visit the Dingle Peninsula?
For the best combination of good weather and smaller crowds, you should plan to visit the Dingle Peninsula in May, June or September. You can expect weather that isn’t too hot or too cold in these months, as well as less rain than in winter and autumn. Crowds reach their peak during the summer months of July and August, so you’ll avoid this, too.
More Posts to Plan Your Trip to Ireland
Here are some of my other Ireland itineraries to help with planning your trip to this beautiful country!
And don’t miss my 13-day Ireland itinerary tying all these fantastic places together!
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Resources to Book Your Trip to the Dingle Peninsula
Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your trip to Dingle!
Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!
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