Table of Contents
Is July a good time to visit Ireland?
If you want to visit Ireland and experience some of the finest weather, then July is a good option for you. The long days and frequent good weather makes it one of the best times to visit Ireland and explore the country.
It is the peak summer season though, so expect plenty of tourists and plan your budget accordingly.
What’s the weather like in Ireland in July?
In Ireland in July weather is usually good and you can expect the average temperature to be between 12-20 °C (54-68 °F).
While rainfall is reduced in comparison to the early months of the year, you will still need to bring good waterproof clothes with you. It is better to be prepared for all seasons in one day, then you can still make the most of your holiday.
Things to do in Ireland in July
The Wild Atlantic Way coastal route is stunning in July, especially if you get to experience it with sunny weather. It is highly recommended to at least include some of the sections in your Ireland travel itinerary. It also also enables first time visitors in particular to get a good overview of some of Ireland’s most famous landscapes.
One slight downside of doing this road trip in July is that there are many tourists at this time, which means more traffic on the narrow country roads.
Overtaking buses and camper vans on such roads can be a bit tricky, so if you are stuck behind one for a while, just relax and enjoy the view out the window! The Slea Head Drive on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry is a perfect example of this!
Photo by Chris Hill via Ireland’s Content Pool
Galway is one of my favourite places to visit at this time of year and is a great option if you are looking for trip ideas. Some of Galway’s biggest events of the year take place during this month: the Galway International Arts Festival and the Galway Races. The vibe in the city itself, especially with the entertaining street artists is one that should not be missed.
In addition, you have the stunningly beautiful Connemara National Park nearby and you can easily reach the Rossaveal harbor outside of Galway to take a ferry to the Aran Islands where you can easily spend a day or two travelling around the country roads by bike marvelling at the miles and miles of stone walls.
On the Aran Islands and in some of the areas around Galway, you will hear native Irish being spoken. These gealteacht or Irish speaking areas will no doubt be a particularly special addition to your trip.
Cork in the south has many great attractions and easy to reach day trips from the city. Read our favorite day trips from Cork in this post.
Dublin Ireland in July
Many tourists visit Dublin in July, which means that the popular tourist spots will be quite busy. We have outlined Dublin’s must-see destinations in this post. If you would like to see some of the less well known attractions, that are as good if not better than the well known ones, check out our guide to Dublin’s hidden gems and the best parks.
This is also a great time of the year to plan longer day trips. Dublin is a good base for many of these bus coach tours and as the days are longer, you will be able to enjoy more of the countryside in daylight.
Some of the popular day trips include the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren in County Clare, Blarney Castle in County Cork and Glendalough in Wicklow National Park. If you want to cross the border and check out Belfast in Northern Ireland, this is easily manageable as part of a day trip as well.
Visiting Ireland in July
There are a lot of advantages to visiting the Emerald Isle in July, but it is likely to be more expensive and you may have less flexibility when it comes to selecting accommodation.
In Ireland, hotels can be booked out in advance around this time, so make sure to look ahead if you want to stay somewhere in particular (like in a castle hotel or stately house!)
As travel guides about Ireland point out, there is certainly no shortage of things to do in Ireland in July. Ireland vacations are particularly popular with tourists from the United States, UK and Germany during the summer months.
If you are not sure whether July is the best time to travel to Ireland for your dream Ireland vacation, then read our longer post here for some other information and travel tips.
We also have a post on what the weather in Ireland in July is like to help you plan your trips to Ireland better and information about Ireland in June and Ireland in August if you want to compare months.
