23 day trips worth the trip across Ireland, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Ireland guides.
Ballymaloe Estate and Cookery School ★ 4.9 · Cork
East Cork · Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Midleton, County Cork, P25 Y409
The birthplace of modern Irish cuisine, 35 km east of Cork city near Shanagarry. Myrtle Allen opened Ballymaloe House as a restaurant in 1964, serving.
Moran's on the Weir (Kilcolgan) ★ 4.9 · Galway
Morans on the Weir in Kilcolgan is the most essential drive from Galway; Clarenbridge Native oysters go from the tidal bed to the thatched table in an hour.
Howth (seafood village) ★ 4.8 · Dublin
howth-suburb
Howth at the end of the DART line is the city's weekend seafood destination: harbour-side seafood bars, the West Pier walk and the weekend market opposite.
Tip: Take the DART to Howth, walk five minutes east along the harbour.
Inis Mor, Aran Islands ★ 4.8 · Galway
Inis Mor on the Aran Islands is the most distinct Galway food trip; island-smoked mackerel, fresh crab and hand-dug dulse are the most elemental coastal food.
Kinsale Gourmet Trail ★ 4.7 · Cork
West Cork · Kinsale, County Cork
Ireland's original food town and the birthplace of modern Irish restaurant culture, Kinsale sits 30 km south of Cork city on the Bandon estuary.
Clifden, Connemara ★ 4.7 · Galway
Clifden in Connemara is 77km west of Galway; Mitchells Restaurant serves wild lobster and the Abbeyglen smokehouse produces the finest salmon on the coast.
Ballynahinch Castle and Estate ★ 4.7 · Galway
Ballynahinch Castle at Recess in Connemara is 63km from Galway; estate venison, wild salmon and lake trout are served in a Victorian room with bog views.
Kilkenny (medieval city) ★ 4.6 · Dublin
south-leinster
Kilkenny in Co Kilkenny is an hour and a half by train south of Dublin: the medieval castle, the Smithwick's Brewery Experience, the Hole in the Wall pub.
Tip: Train from Heuston Station; Smithwick's Experience runs 11:00-17:00 with the €20 tasting tour.
Kinvara and the Burren ★ 4.6 · Galway
Kinvara and the Burren are 30km south of Galway; Flaggy Shore oysters, Burren Gold farmhouse cheese and Burren Smokehouse trout are within a 10km radius.
Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown ★ 4.6 · Kilkenny
Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, County Kilkenny, R95 E096
Lady Helen at Mount Juliet holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide; chef John Kelly's tasting menu overlooks the River Nore from a Georgian country house.
Midleton Distillery Experience and Farmers Market ★ 4.5 · Cork
East Cork · Distillery Walk, Midleton, County Cork, P25 Y394
A dual Cork day trip: the Midleton Distillery Experience (home of Jameson) and Midleton Farmers Market every Saturday 09:30-13:00. 20 km from Cork city.
Skibbereen and Schull West Cork Food Trail ★ 4.5 · Cork
West Cork · Skibbereen, County Cork
Skibbereen anchors West Cork's artisan food scene, with Skibbereen Farmers Market (The Fairfield, every Saturday 09:30-13:30) as the region's finest weekly.
Wicklow (Glendalough and the mountains) ★ 4.5 · Dublin
wicklow-mountains
Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin: Glendalough's monastic site, Wicklow Way walks, Powerscourt Estate, and Hunter's Hotel afternoon tea.
Tip: St Kevin's Bus runs Dublin to Glendalough daily; combine with lunch at Hunter's Hotel in Rathnew or the Wicklow Heather in Laragh.
Roundstone, Connemara ★ 4.5 · Galway
Roundstone is 75km west of Galway and the most photogenic seafood village; O Dowds has served wild Atlantic catch in a thatched setting for generations.
Clonakilty Black Pudding and West Cork Food Town ★ 4.4 · Cork
West Cork · Clonakilty, County Cork, P85 V966
Clonakilty, 50 km west of Cork, is Ireland's only officially designated 'Food Town' and home to Clonakilty Black Pudding, the most celebrated blood pudding.
Goatsbridge Trout Farm, Thomastown ★ 4.4 · Kilkenny
Goatsbridge, Thomastown, County Kilkenny
Goatsbridge Trout Farm, 18km south in Thomastown, runs guided smokery tours ending with a farm lunch and sells cold-smoked trout and caviar from the shop.
Longueville House Apple Brandy and Cider Experience ★ 4.3 · Cork
North Cork · Longueville, Ballyclough, Mallow, County Cork, P51 KC8K
Longueville House produces Ireland's only apple brandy on a 400-acre wooded estate in the Blackwater Valley near Mallow, 35 km north of Cork city.
Dún Laoghaire (coastal market) ★ 4.3 · Dublin
blackrock-suburb
Dún Laoghaire on the south coast holds the Sunday People's Park Market with fifty stalls, the East and West Piers for coastal walks, and Teddy's 1950 ice.
Tip: DART to Dún Laoghaire, fifteen-minute walk south to People's Park. The Sunday market runs 10:00-16:00 year-round.
Oughterard (Connemara Gateway) ★ 4.3 · Galway
Oughterard is 27km west of Galway and the Connemara gateway; Calendar Coffee roasts in the village and Waterfall Lodge serves farm lunches by the lake.
Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese, Stoneyford ★ 4.3 · Kilkenny
Stoneyford, County Kilkenny
Knockdrinna in Stoneyford, 12km west, sells Helen Finnegan's award-winning goat and sheep cheeses direct alongside Goatsbridge products and Highbank syrups.
Bray (south coast) ★ 4.2 · Dublin
south-wicklow-suburb
Bray on the south coast of Co Wicklow holds the Bray to Greystones cliff walk, the original Italian-Irish chippers and the Bray Sea Front bistros.
Tip: DART to Bray, walk Bray Head Cliff Path to Greystones and DART back. Carpet Mills Fish and Chips on Albert Avenue is the Italian-Irish chipper.
Malahide (coastal village, castle) ★ 4.0 · Dublin
north-county-suburb
Malahide on the north coast holds a Saturday farmers market at the GAA pitch, Malahide Castle with its grounds and a coastal village with seafood pubs.
Tip: DART to Malahide, ten-minute walk to the village. Saturday farmers market 10:00-14:00; combine with Avoca cafe at Malahide Castle.
Waterford City food day trip ★ 4.0 · Kilkenny
Waterford City, County Waterford
Waterford, 50km south, is a half-day trip for the Waterford Blaa, the PGI-protected floury bread roll unique to the Deise region, sold by local bakeries.