Ireland is known for its hospitality, especially with families. I was lucky enough to do a summer trip to Ireland with my two boys (8 and 10) where we visited family and road tripped through Northern Ireland! We were there in July and the weather was just perfect with mild temperatures and very little rain.
As usual, I aimed to plan a trip with a busy and relaxing balance. Creating that easy, laid-back schedule was a lot of work, but the boys are still at great ages to explore and try new things.
I'm sharing this itinerary because for all of us, the trip felt like a huge success. Planning any trip requires so much research, I relied on others for ideas and advice; I hope this helps guide your travel as well.
Day 1: LAX - Dublin via Aer Lingus
Day 2-10: We have family in Athlone, a cute town centrally located on Lough Ree and home to Sean's Bar, Ireland's oldest pub dating back to 900 AD. We stayed at the Hodson Bay Hotel which is amazing for families and adjacent to Bay Sports, (Ireland’s largest inflatable water park) located on the shores of Lough Ree.
Some of our other favorite local activities were Athlone Viking Tour along Lough Ree, Roscommon Racecourse, and Tullamore Distillery
Day 11: Road trip to Belfast when I learned to drive on the other side! We stayed at the Malone Hotel, which was big enough for our group, but not centrally located, so it wasn't ideal. The Titanic Museum was the first stop for us, and I'd say it's a must! The museum tells the story of the ill-fated ship and Belfast's shipbuilding history.
In the morning, we scheduled a Black Taxi Tour. The city has such interesting history, and the boys had fun signing the Peace Wall.
Day 12: We traveled to Deery and stayed at the Maldron Hotel. Along the way we stopped at Giant's Causeway and the Dark Hedges, a famous tree-lined avenue featured in Game of Thrones. One of our favorite stops was Harry's Shack, a charming beachside restaurant near Portstewart. The food was great and there was plenty of space for the boys to run free!
Wild Alpaca Way was our last stop, and it was well worth the journey to Donegal. Everyone was assigned their own Alpaca to walk along the coast for about 30 minutes. The staff led the way, stopping for many photo ops and questions!
Day 13-14: Our trip ended in Dublin. Our AirBNB was perfect for our group, nicely decorated and fully stocked. Dublin is compact city, easy to navigate, and full of engaging activities for kids. We all loved the Kilmainham Gaol Museum and Merion Square Playground and ended the night with table by the stage at The Church Cafe. The Irish music and dancing made it the perfect spot for our last meal in Ireland!
We didn't do it this time, but the Guiness Storehouse, Hop On Hop Off bus tour and Book of Kells at Trinity College are definitely recommended.
Day 15: Dublin - LAX via Aer Lingus
Two weeks abroad has proved to be a perfect amount of time for us, especially when it's leisurely and a good mix of adventure and relaxation.
