Published
Ring of Kerry in a day: which direction, how long, where to stop
The Ring of Kerry is a loop of 179 km around the Iveragh Peninsula, by Discover Ireland's measure, and Discover Kerry puts the drive at 3 to 4 hours without a single stop. With stops it fills a day, and our touring day from Killarney runs up to 8 hours. In summer the tour coaches go round anticlockwise, Killorglin first, which Kerry County Council says is to avoid meeting on the narrow sections.
Which way round: with the coaches or against them
Kerry County Council describes the N70, the road that carries most of the loop, as a substandard national secondary route that coaches use heavily in the summer months. Those coaches travel the Ring anticlockwise, so that they do not meet each other where the road narrows.
Anticlockwise from Killarney, the order is Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Kells, Cahersiveen and Waterville along the northern and western side, then Derrynane and Caherdaniel, Sneem and Kenmare on the southern side, and finally Moll's Gap and Ladies View on the road back into Killarney.
Driving the other way round does not get you away from the coaches. It means meeting them coming towards you on the narrow sections the council is talking about. In summer we go the same way as the coaches and start early, so the first stops come before the busiest part of the day. If your stops make the reverse direction sensible, we say so in the quote.
How long the loop really takes
The published lengths differ: Discover Ireland gives 179 km, while Discover Kerry gives 216 km. Either way, the driving alone takes 3 to 4 hours. What turns it into a full day is the stopping: the viewpoints, lunch on the way, and a proper look at two or three of the places below.
Discover Kerry notes that most visitors give the Ring at least one full day. Ours is planned to finish within 8 hours of the pickup in Killarney, with the stops agreed beforehand so the day does not run long. Entry tickets and lunch are paid on the day by you.
Where to stop, in anticlockwise order
You will not fit every stop on this list into one day. Choose three or four, and the chauffeur builds the timing around them.
| Stop | Where on the loop | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Kerry Bog Village Museum | Between Killorglin and Glenbeigh | A museum on the loop, early in the day |
| Cahersiveen and Waterville | The western end of the loop | Two coastal towns; Charlie Chaplin was a regular visitor to Waterville |
| Derrynane House | Along the coast from Caherdaniel | A house open to visitors, at the end of the coast road |
| Sneem | The southern side, before Kenmare | A village on the loop, a natural pause in the afternoon |
| Kenmare | The south-east corner | The last town before the road turns back north |
| Moll's Gap and Ladies View | The road back to Killarney | Viewpoints on the way through Killarney National Park |
From Limerick or Shannon: sleep in Killarney first
Day trips to the Ring of Kerry advertised from Limerick and Adare run between 9 and 12 hours, because the loop sits on top of a long drive there and back. We do not sell that day. It goes past the 8 hours we hold a touring day to, and most of the extra hours go on the main road, not on the Ring itself.
The better plan is a night in Killarney. The transfer from Shannon Airport takes 2 h 05 min, from EUR 405 for the whole car, and the Ring starts fresh the next morning. If you are flying in, Kerry Airport is only twenty minutes from Killarney.
Sources
- Kerry County Council, N70 Waterville to Ballybrack Road Improvement Scheme, Planning and Environmental Considerations Report, December 2025, section 8.3.2, read 28 October 2026
- Discover Ireland (Fáilte Ireland), Ring of Kerry road trip guide (discoverireland.ie), read 28 October 2026
- Discover Kerry, Ring of Kerry scenic drive (discoverkerry.com), read 28 October 2026
- Irish Transfer review of Ring of Kerry day trips advertised from Limerick and Adare, 27 October 2026
- Irish Transfer journey time and price list for the route to Killarney