Killarney, Ireland – where to stay, what to see, and what to do for a quick trip through the Gate to the Ring of Kerry and Killarney National Park.

For our first stop in Ireland, we headed south west – to Killarney, in County Kerry.

Killarney is gorgeous, wild, and wonderful – luscious green everywhere, dramatic mountains, lochs, curvy roads, and lots of wild animals.

We picked Killarney’s Holiday Villages to stay in – for our group of 7 it was the most comfortable and economical choice – and the perfect base for touring Killarney and Killarney National Park.

The Holiday Villages are just south of town, making them a quieter option which we really appreciated. No loud partiers or post-pub antics.

The Holiday Villages are a perfect touring base for groups – our four bedroom house could have slept 10, and gave us a nice spacious start to the trip.

There is a full kitchen, a washer/dryer, a backyard with patio chairs and room for kids to run – and it’s within walking distance to a few hotels and bars (though Killarney’s main town is a bit of a hike, which is honestly quite nice since there is much less noise, and we liked a more rural feel.)

The house was PERFECT for us – comfy, big, and the best setup for a family touring together!

And right across the street was the Lake Hotel, who hosts a lovely walkway to a largely destroyed castle nestled right upon the Loch.

It is a simple walk to the castle from Killarney Holiday Village – and gives a perfect view of the mountains and the loch. The view constantly changes as the clouds move across the lake.

We loved all the wildflowers spotting the sides of the Loch – there is nothing prettier than Irish wildflowers!

The hotel had these amazing reed diffusers in every room and I was inspired to make some when we got home, check out to make one yourself here!

The castle walk is super easy to do – it is gentle, paved, and has lots of handrails for safety – making it perfect for young kids.

This was the perfect way to ease into our trip and get over jetlag with the kids – my only regret is we stayed in Killarney such a short amount of time! Next time in Ireland, we will try for more time in Killarney, for sure!