Region

County Donegal

Base in Letterkenny or Donegal Town, drive the coast in 2–3 days; skip it without a car.

Not field-verified

Open Northwest Ireland and Lakelands Plan a trip

Key facts · Ireland

Best months: May–Aug
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: English everywhere
Plugs: G · 230 V
Time zone: GMT in winter

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 10Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…

Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
Ireland ↗Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen area; it sets its own entry rules and a Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland. Check Irish immigration for your passport.
Ireland ↗Ireland and the UK form the Common Travel Area, with no routine checks on the land border. Visitors who are not Irish or British must still meet UK rules (including the UK ETA where it applies) to enter Northern Ireland.
Ireland ↗Driving is on the left; rural roads are narrow with hedges and few passing places.
Northwest Ireland and Lakelands ↗Drive on the left; speed limits are in km/h in the Republic, mph once you cross into Northern Ireland.
Northwest Ireland and Lakelands ↗The border with Northern Ireland is open and has no checks; currency changes to pound sterling on the far side.

Donegal is Ireland's far north-west: cliffs, beaches and Gaeltacht villages spread over a county with no railway and few buses. One base plus a car beats hopping between B&Bs. Sleep in Letterkenny for the north and Inishowen, in Donegal Town for the south and Slieve League; add a night on the west coast only if you want an island ferry.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

6 places in this region

Sleep base

LetterkennyCity guide
Largest town, main bus hub, mid-range hotels; base for the north and Inishowen.
Best May, Jul–Sep
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Donegal TownCity guide
South of the county; access to Slieve League, Killybegs and Glenveagh via the N56.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Donegal Town →

Day trip

BuncranaCity guide
Inishowen base on Lough Swilly; Fort Dunree nearby.
Best May–Sep
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DungloeCity guide
West coast; ferry point for Arranmore via Burtonport.
Best May–Sep
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GlencolmcilleCity guide
Slieve League cliffs and a folk village; far end of the south-west coast.
Best May–Sep
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BallyshannonCity guide
Southern gateway on the Sligo road; theatre and music venue.
Best May–Sep
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Open Ballyshannon →

Night sequences

2 nights: Letterkenny 2: Glenveagh and the north coast, Inishowen on day 2
3 nights: Letterkenny 2 + Donegal Town 1: add Slieve League and Killybegs
4 nights: Letterkenny 2 + Dungloe or Glencolmcille 1 + Donegal Town 1

Trying to loop the whole county in one day means 5–6 hours of driving on narrow roads.
Many coastal caravan and camping sites are long-term static lets, not open to tourers — book ahead.
Midges are bad near bog and lakes on still, damp evenings; Atlantic wind and rain are constant.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Glenveagh National Park	Letterkenny	45 min	unknown	The county's only national park; castle, gardens and hill walks. Go early — car park fills on summer weekends.
Slieve League	Donegal Town	60 min	unknown	Cliff road from Carrick; the last stretch is narrow. Allow 2–3 hours on site.
Inishowen (Malin Head, Fort Dunree)	Letterkenny	60 min	unknown	Full day by car; Malin Head is Ireland's most northerly point.
Tory Island	Falcarragh / Magheroarty	90 min	unknown	Ferry from Magheroarty; sailings are weather-dependent — check before you drive out.
Arranmore	Dungloe / Burtonport	40 min	unknown	Ferry from Burtonport; a half-day on the island is enough.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding in the county; pack for the car.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Letterkenny	×	×	ok	ok	go	ok	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Donegal Town	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Buncrana	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Dungloe	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Glencolmcille	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Ballyshannon	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Northwest Ireland and Lakelands (country-wide)	ok	ok	ok	go	go	–	–	×	×	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Donegal coast and hillsWhole county	wet	wet	ok	ok	best	best	best	best	ok	ok	wet	wet

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

Donegal coast and hills: Cool and wet year-round; the north-west catches Atlantic fronts first. May to September gives the longest days and the best odds; July and August are the warmest but also the busiest. Winter daylight is short and many seasonal places close.

Rain can arrive any month; bring a waterproof and plan indoor stops (folk museums, distilleries) as backup.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Dublin	Letterkenny	Bus Éireann coach via Dublin Airport, Monaghan, Omagh and Strabane	~4 h	Runs every couple of hours; the main public-transport route into the county.
Dublin	Donegal Town	Bus via Cavan, Enniskillen and Ballyshannon	~4 h	Second route into the south of the county; also serves Ballyshannon.
Derry	Letterkenny	Bus	~30 min	Continues south to Ballybofey, Donegal Town, Ballyshannon and Sligo.
Donegal Airport (CFN)	West Donegal	Aer Lingus from Dublin, Loganair seasonal from Glasgow	check	Two flights daily from Dublin; car hire and taxis at the airport, plus a local bus link.
City of Derry Airport (LDY)	Letterkenny	Road	~35 min	Flights from London Heathrow, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Liverpool; useful for the north of the county.
Belfast	Letterkenny	Via Derry by road or bus	check	No direct rail; the county has no railway. Nearest stations are Sligo and Derry.
Greencastle	Magilligan Point (County Londonderry)	Summer car ferry across Lough Foyle	check	Seasonal only; useful if arriving from the north coast.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Car hire

buy

Effectively required; collect at Dublin, Belfast or Donegal Airport. Book an automatic if you need one.

Bus-only touring

skip

Local routes run a couple of times a day Monday–Saturday and often nothing on Sunday; you will lose days waiting.

Wild Atlantic Way

check

A coastal signposted itinerary, not a ticket; the Donegal stretch runs from Inishowen to the south-west coast.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Seafood (Killybegs catch)	Killybegs and coastal villages	Killybegs is still a working fishing port; pub grub in the villages is often the best-value meal.
Contemporary Irish from local producers	Country-house hotels near Letterkenny and Rathmullan	The splurge option; book ahead, especially at weekends.
Pub grub	Villages countywide	Kitchens often stop early in low season; eat before 20:00.Kitchens often stop early in low season; eat before 8:00 PM.
Trad music in pubs	Letterkenny, Dungloe, Glenties, Ardara	Sessions cluster at weekends and in summer; ask locally which night.

Go next

Northwest Ireland and Lakelands

Region guide

The parent region: Sligo, Leitrim and the lakelands.

West Ireland

N15 south via Sligo

Continue the Atlantic coast towards Galway and Connemara.

Dublin and the east

Bus ~4 h, or drive via the N2

Where most trips start and end.

Dublin

Bus ~4 h

Fly home from Dublin; the bus runs every couple of hours.

Open Northwest Ireland and Lakelands Up to Northwest Ireland and Lakelands

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Sources

officialDonegal County Council / Donegal tourism
officialDonegal Airport
officialBus Éireann
officialFáilte Ireland — Wild Atlantic Way
officialMet Éireann
secondaryWikivoyage: County Donegal, revision 5334675 (CC BY-SA 4.0)