8 Dreamy Things To Do in Killarney Ireland With Kids

We recently returned from visiting Dingle and Killarney, Ireland, as a family and had a great time. Killarney has so many fun things to do with kids, all set in beautiful surroundings!

We’re talking castles to explore, ruins to wander, horse-drawn jaunting car rides through mountains, sheepdog demonstrations, and more!

If you’re on an Irish road trip, a few nights in Killarney with kids is definitely a good idea.

I’ve created this guide to give you the ins and outs of our favorite thing to do in Killarney with kids and to hopefully answer any questions you have about visiting the area as a family!

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🇮🇪 IN A RUSH? CHECK OUT OUR IRELAND FAVORITES: 

✨ WHERE I WISH WE HAD STAYED IN KILLARNEY:

🛏️ 😍 Castlerosse Park Resort: Highly reviewed (but affordable) resort in Killarney with gorgeous lake and mountain views, holiday cottages AND an indoor pool!

✨ WHERE WE STAYED IN DINGLE: 

🛏️ 😍 2 COIS CHNOIC- DINGLE HOLIDAY HOME: Where we stayed! Perfectly clean and nice townhome just a 5-minute drive from Dingle town and a 25 minute drive to iconic sights along the Dingle Peninsula. Great price for lots of space and a great base to explore the area.  

✨ WHERE WE STAYED IN NORTHERN IRELAND: 

🛏️ 😍 TOWNHOME NEAR BEACH IN PORTBALLINTRAE: We loved staying in this clean and spacious townhome right across the street from an amazing, cozy beach that the kids loved and just a short drive from the highlights of the Causeway Coast!

✨ EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES TO BOOK:

🐴 SCENIC BOAT RIDE WITH GAP OF DUNLOE JAUNTING CAR RIDE: We did the jaunting car in the Gap of Dunloe part of this tour and it's one of our favorite things we've done in all of Ireland.This experience includes a scenic boat ride and an even longer jaunting car ride than we did!

🪕 IRISH DANCE PARTY IN DUBLIN (FAMILY-FRIENDLY): One of our favorite things we've done in all of Ireland! Experience traditional Irish music and dance with this fun, interactive, mid-afternoon music session! Most Irish music and events are late in the evening/not suitable for kids- but this one is perfect! 

☕ AFTERNOON TEA BUS TOUR IN DUBLIN: Combine traditional afternoon tea with a sightseeing tour of Dublin on a cute, vintage double-decker bus!

🚤 EXHILARATING DINGLE SEA SAFARI RIB BOAT TOUR EXPERIENCE: Enjoy a super fun, exhilarating boat tour of Dingle's dramatic coastline and scenery on a fast RIB boat! It's one of the most popular things to do in Dingle. We felt it would be too cold when we were visiting in early April, but it looks like a blast!

🐏 SHEEPDOG EXPERIENCE: I highly recommend finding a sheepdog/sheepherding experience while in Ireland! This place is where went near Dingle, but there are so many options all over the country, including this day trip from Dublin. 

✨ HOW WE SAVE MONEY ON OUR RENTAL CARS: 

🚗 ECONOMY BOOKINGS CAR RENTAL: Any bit you can save on your car rental is worth it! Our go-to car rental search engine is Economy Bookings.

📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers 
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking,Expedia,VRBO,Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads

Best Time To Visit Killarney with Kids

The warmest months in Killarney, Ireland, are from May to September, with July and August being the warmest (and busiest).

Although July and August are generally the warmest months, keep in mind that the average high temps in Killarney in July and August are still only in the high 60°s F (always with a chance of rain).

However, during the summer months, you can also luck out with some amazing, warm, sunny weather. The key is to be prepared for anything.

We visited Killarney in April, and the temperatures were in the 50°s F with off-and-on rain and moodiness (but who doesn’t want some good moody weather when in Ireland?).

How Long to Stay in Killarney With Kids

We spent two full days exploring the Killarney area, and I felt like it was just right.

However, there are a few activities you can do in Killarney that we opted to do later in our trip in Dingle (like a sheepdog demonstration and a falconry experience).

If we had wanted to fit those activities in, while we were in Killarney, three days would have been needed.

Where to Stay in Killarney as a Family

We stayed in a spacious Airbnb just outside of Killarney because we were visiting with some friends and needed a large, shared space.

However, if we were to do it again, I would stay at Castlerosse Park Resort which, ironically, those same friends have stayed and highly recommend.

Castlerosse Park Resort has your choice of holiday cottages with kitchens or traditional hotel rooms. But the resort also has stunning lake and mountain views and an indoor pool, which you KNOW will end up being the highlight of the trip🤪.

Castlerosse has great reviews and reasonable prices, and I’m kind of kicking myself that we didn’t make it work for our stay.

How to Get Around Killarney with Kids

As with most of Ireland, I definitely recommend hiring a car to get the most out of your visit to Killarney. Most of the things to do in Killarney are spread out, and it would be difficult to reach with public transportation.

🚗 CLICK HERE TO CHECK RENTAL CAR PRICES ON ECONOMYBOOKINGS.COM 🚗

Plus, if you’re visiting from afar, you’ll probably want to visit other beautiful areas near Killarney, such as the Dingle Peninsula, which is just a 1-hour drive away and absolutely gorgeous. After Killarney, the Dingle Peninsula deserves multiple days of exploring on its own!

Click here to read my guide for visiting Dingle with kids!

Kids’ Gear I recommend for visiting Ireland

I highly recommend bringing rain suits and rain boots for your kids to Ireland.

We’re very familiar with outfitting our kids for rainy weather since we live in almost always rainy/dreary Denmark and a rainsuit and boots can do wonders when out exploring with your kids.

Our favourite rainsuit brand is CeLaVi. The CeLaVi rain suits are amazingly waterproof, super comfortable, and come in some extremely cute colours.

Even though our favourite brand is a Danish brand (and therefore can be trusted) you can purchase it outside of Denmark by clicking here on Amazon!

In Ireland, our kids wore their rain gear at some point every. single. day.

Even if it wasn’t currently raining, the gear was great to have because we inevitably encountered muddy puddles, streams or water of any kind that they wanted to play in.

And let me tell ya, it feels SO GOOD to be the parent that just lets them play where they want, get crazy dirty, and not worry about it because under their suits they’re dry and warm!

There were so many times we found ourselves saying, “Wow, I’m glad they’re in their rainsuits”.

 ☔ CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR FAVORITE DANISH RAINSUITS ON AMAZON ☔

The suits come in one-piece and two-piece variants and are the perfect top layer for your kids when exploring Ireland.

You can even purchase rain pants separately if your kids already have a good rain jacket they like.

If you’re visiting Killarney outside of peak summer, I also recommend bringing a beanie and gloves.

In April, our kids often wore long pants, long sleeves, a sweater, a rainsuit, rainboots, a beanie and gloves.

Map of Places to Visit in Killarney, Ireland with Kids

*Use this interactive map to see the top things to do in Killarney Ireland as a family. Click on the full-screen icon in the top right corner to have this map open in your own Google Maps app, or click on the arrow in the top left corner to see a pullout list of all points on the map*

8 Dreamy Family-Friendly Things to do in Killarney Ireland

1. Take a Jaunting Car Ride Through the Beautiful Gap of Dunloe

The Gap of Dunloe is a gorgeous, glacial mountain pass with a narrow, windy road lined with many of the tallest mountains in Ireland, gorgeous little lakes, and adorable roaming sheep.

It’s one of the prettiest places I’ve been in all of Ireland, and I highly recommend visiting if you’re in taking a family trip to Killarney. It was even prettier than I expected it to be.

The entirety of the Gap of Dunloe road is around seven to eight miles long (one way), and it can be experienced by walking, cycling, taking a jaunting car ride, or, occasionally, driving.

Jaunting cars are small, lightweight, two-wheeled carriages pulled by a single horse (not the usual four-wheeled carriages you may be thinking of).

They made their debut in Ireland in the early 1800s as a form of public transportation, and (fun fact) the name derives from the word ‘jaunt’, which means a short ride or journey.

Because of their smaller size, the jaunting cars usually only fit about four adults, so depending on how large your family is, you may need to book two cars.

There seem to be TWO main options for how far to go in the jaunting car which determines how long of an experience you have, what you see, and the cost.

The first option (and what we did) is an out-and-back ride where you go partially through the Gap of Dunloe and return to the starting point (about 80 euros per cart).

This took about 45 minutes and was just perfect for the kids. We got to ride in the cart, say hi to the horses, take in the gorgeous views and even hop out at the turning point for a few minutes to scamper on the rocks and take some pics.

I recommend asking your jarvey (the driver) when you start if you can hop out at the turning point because I’m not always sure that is expected.

The second length option is a one-way ride all the way through the Gap of Dunloe (about 140 euros per cart).

This is a much longer experience of 1.5-2 hours and requires transportation on the other end.

The most common way to do the entire Gap of Dunloe jaunting car ride is by taking this tour that combines the jaunting car ride through the entire Gap of Dunloe with a bus and boat ride.

🐴 🚤 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BUS/BOAT & JAUNTING CAR TOUR OF GAP OF DUNLOE 🐴 🚤

There is no way to book your jaunting car in advance; even if you book the guided tour I mentioned above, you still just arrive and book a car on the spot.

Read my guide here for more information: Jaunting Cars Gap of Dunloe: How They Work

After the experience, we stepped into The Coffee Pot Cafe which is an amazing little bakery/cafe right near where you get your carts/the parking lot.

We got so many baked goodies, and they were all delicious. Plus, they serve breakfast and light bites for lunch. It was the perfect way to warm up after our ride and have a little pick-me-up for the kids.

2. Visit Ross Castle

It’s always a good idea to visit a castle in Ireland, and Ross Castle in Killarney National Park is a great choice. You can visit the outside of the castle and one museum-like room with information about the castle for free.

Or you can join a guided tour for just 5 euros per adult (on a first-come-first-served basis). The worker at the castle suggested that the tour was usually a bit long and boring for young kids, so she suggested we look in the room that explains the history a bit and explore outside the castle (which definitely was the right choice).

We lucked out, and there was an Easter scavenger hunt on while we were there that the kids loved doing, and made exploring around the castle super fun.

Plus, there are a lot of ducks and swans in the water next to the castle, and the kids were happy campers feeding them and doing cartwheels on the grass.

3. Step Back in Time at Muckross Traditional Farms

When researching Killarney, you’ll often be recommended to visit Muckross House & Gardens. However, when visiting Killarney as a family, I suggest skipping those and heading directly to Muckross Traditional Farm instead.

At Muckross Traditional Farms, you can visit/experience three varying sizes of farms/homes preserved as they would have been in the 1930s and 1940s in rural Ireland before electricity reached the countryside.

Many of the homes/buildings have a curator inside (who our kids always love chatting with) who can tell stories about the place. There are animals, a blacksmith, a fun playground and even an old schoolhouse.

We watched the blacksmith working (and the kids asked him so many questions) for 30+ minutes. It was one of the highlights of the entire trip for everyone.

The area of Muckross Farms is quite large, with some very steep, dirt hills. However, no need to fret! There is a very kind shuttle driver who continually makes his rounds and can take you from building to building.

We were never waiting more than a few minutes to be picked up. If the driver isn’t around the curators inside just call him on the radio- it felt like a personal chauffeur!

It was raining quite a lot on the day we visited, but the shuttle saved the day and made it a great experience! The driver even came and rescued us from the playground when it started pouring 🙏.

Muckross Traditional Farms is open 7 days a week from May through September, but during the other months it is often only open on the weekends from 1 pm to 6 pm (and sometimes not open at all). You can check the opening hours on the Muckross website here.

4. Find Hidden Passageways at The RUins of Muckross Abbey

Exploring Muckross Abbey was a total happy surprise- the kids LOVED it! Muckross Abbey is a beautiful, old monastery dating back to the 1400s. Today, most of the walls still stand, but the roof is almost completely gone.

I wasn’t sure the kids were going to enjoy or appreciate the abbey, but they actually loved it.

The abbey was actually much bigger than I expected, with many hallways, narrow stairways and nooks and crannies that made it the perfect place to get lost in and explore.

I heard some kids from another family excitedly tell their dad, ‘This is SO cool!’ as they ran up a tiny stairway.

We were offered a horse and carriage ride past the Abbey (which you’ll see often around Killarney National Park…not to be confused with the jaunting cars we did in the Gap of Dunloe).

But anyway, I’m glad we didn’t take the carriage ride past the abbey because then we wouldn’t have had much (if any) time for the kids to run around and actually enjoy it!

In the center of the Muckross Abbey is what is thought to be one of the oldest yew trees in all of Ireland, dating back almost 400 years. The tree is beautiful coming up out of the center of the building!

And near the yew tree, you can find a hand-drawn map of the abbey, which makes exploring with kids even more magical and exciting.

Muckross Abbey is always open and free to visit, and just about a 5-minute walk from the closest parking lot.

5. Picnic at Ladies View

The drive from Killarney town to Ladies View is so beautiful and can’t be missed. It passes some of the most picturesque spots in the area (including Torc waterfall, which is also on this, and past beautiful lakes and through mossy forests).

Once up at Ladies View, you have a beautiful view of all of the lakes you just drove past and the surrounding mountains.

At Ladies View is ample parking and Ladies View Cafe/Gift Shop. In good weather, you can eat on the rooftop of the cafe with perfect views of Ladies View.

Or what we did, was bring our own picnic and set up on the flat rocks leading out to Ladies View which was the perfect place for the kids to scamper around while we ate.

6. Take an Easy Walk to Torc Waterfall

We weren’t able to fit Torc Waterfall into our itinerary, but once we had driven past the trailhead on our way to Ladies View, I wished we’d had more time.

Torc Waterfall is located in the craziest forest with insane amounts of green moss and curvy, wild trees. The whole area is just a vibe.

The waterfall itself is only a 5-minute walk from the parking lot (which I didn’t realize how close it was until we got home 🤦‍♀️). It’s about 65-feet-tall and cascades over large boulders and is surrounded by lush vegetation.

I so wish we had jumped out and seen it, but you do what you have to do when you have tired kids 🤷‍♀️.

7. watch a Sheepdog Demonstration at Kissane SHeep Farm

Just a few minute (beautiful drive) past Ladies View is Kissane Sheep Farm, which does daily sheepdog demonstrations.

The farm is absolutely beautiful, with large stretches of rolling green grass and ruins of stone walls snaking their way across the property. You can see how beautiful the setting is on their website here.

We didn’t do a sheepdog demonstration at Kissane Sheep Farm because we did one in Dingle later in our trip that fit better with our schedule. However, our friends have visited Kissane Sheep Farm in Killarney and said it was a great experience!

At the sheep farm we visited, the kids loved learning about the sheep dogs and seeing how they work. It’s such a fun, unique thing to do in Ireland, and I highly recommend it.

There’s no need to book tickets in advance for Kissane Sheep Farm, just show up a few minutes before the scheduled demonstration, and you’re good to go! Be sure to check their website in advance as the schedule varies.

8. Get up close to Falcons & Owls at Falconry Kerry

This falconry show is another experience we did in Dingle rather than Killarney for scheduling reasons; however, it’s worth noting that it’s available in Killarney!

At Falconry Kerry, you can get up close and personal with hawks, owls, and maybe even eagles too. The experience lasts one hour, and each guest has at least one opportunity for the bird to land on their glove.

At our falconry experience in Dingle (which you can read more about in my Dingle with Kids guide, our 7-year-old loved having the birds land on her glove, while our 4-year-old and 1-year-old (obviously) preferred to look on.

At our falconry experience in Dingle at Kingdom Falconry (about one hour from Killarney), we had multiple different birds land on our glove multiple times. It was amazing!

And those are our favourite things to do in Killarney with kids! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. I’ll be sure to get back to you.

🇮🇪🐑 LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT VISITING IRELAND? 

DUBLIN: 

🪕 3 Amazing Family-Friendly Pubs in Dublin With Live Music

🇮🇪 24 Hours in Dublin with a Toddler or Young Kids + Map & Tips

NORTHERN IRELAND:

🐑 19 Lovely Places to go in Northern Ireland for Families + 5 Day Itinerary & Map

☘️ Crossing Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge with Kids (Even Toddlers & Babies)

WESTERN IRELAND: 

🚗 Conor Pass Dingle Peninsula: What To Expect

🐴 Jaunting Cars Gap of Dunloe: How They Work

🐏 18 Dreamy Things To Do in Dingle Ireland with Kids

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