Since this is a destination wedding, it's our hope that our guests will be able to do extended trips around the event. We'd love for everyone to explore Ireland and experience it for themselves! We promise you'll fall in love with it just like we have. Feel free to reach out for travel advice or any other recommendations - restaurants, pubs, sights, etc!

We highly recommend visiting Dublin while you're in town! You can easily get all the sights done in a day or two. Or maybe make Dublin your home base and plan a few day trips from the city! Some of the main sights include:

- Trinity College & The Books of Kells (Jess studied abroad at Trinity for a year!)

- Guinness Storehouse (pour your own pint of Guinness!)

- Jameson Distillery

- Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green

- Dublin Castle

Recommended Hotels:

Moxy

Wren Urban Nest (sustainable hotel)

The Clarence

Iveagh Garden Hotel

One of my favorite day trips from Dublin is taking the train to Howth (pronounced "hoe-th" not "how-th"). It's a lovely seaside town with a lighthouse, a great hike, beautiful homes and fish & chips!

Jess has Northern Irish roots on both sides of her family and it is one of our favorite areas to visit. We highly recommend reading up on a little Irish history to truly understand the region. One thing to keep in mind, Northern Ireland is part of the UK and their currency is the Pound, not the Euro (like the Republic of Ireland). Some sights include:

- Belfast (Titanic Museum, Black Taxi Tours, City Hall, Crown Liquor Saloon)

- Giant's Causeway (see photo above)

- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (not for the faint of heart!)

- Dunluce Castle

- The Dark Hedges (from Game of Thrones - there are lots of other GOT filming locations in the North)

Take the coastal route from Dublin if you can! It's a gorgeous drive with lots of beautiful scenery throughout. Along the way you can stop at Newgrange, a prehistoric monument older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

Galway is on the rugged west coast of Ireland and has become the "cultural hub of Ireland". The city is teeming with cute cobbled streets, loads of pubs with constant live music, and countless festivals throughout the year. It's another perfect place to have as a home base while you're traveling. Some nearby sights include:

- Quay Street (pronounced like "key". Has pubs, restaurants, shops, etc)

- Aran Islands (take a ferry or plane and rent some bikes to explore for the day!)

- Cliffs of Moher (see photo above) (pronounced like "more")

- Kylemore Abbey

- Connemara National Park

By car or bike, you can travel around the peninsula for some spectacular views. Stay the night in Dingle town and make your way from there! You can easily drive the entire Peninsula in one day. Some sights along the way:

- Inch Beach

- Slea Head Drive

- Beehive Huts

- Dunmore Head and Coumeenoole Beach

- Reask Monastic Site

- Gallarus Oratory

- Conor Pass

The Iveragh Peninsula is one of the most popular destinations in Ireland. You'll drive on a winding coastal road through the mountainous, lake-splattered region - it is absolutely beautiful! Start and end your drive in Killarney which is the perfect town to make your home for a night or two. Sights include:

- Killarney National Park

- Ladies View & Molls Gap (see photo above)

- Derrynane Bay and Ballinskelligs Bay

- Skellig Ring (fewer tour buses on this lesser-traveled ring)

- Kerry Cliffs

- Ballycarbery Castle

- Cahergall and Leacanabuaile Stone Forts

There is plenty more to do and see - this is just a small taste of what you can expect. Reach out for any other ideas or suggestions - I love travel planning!