I've been traveling to Ireland for decades. Here are my top 5 places to visit that aren't Dublin.

No surprises here — Galway is a well-known tourist rival to Ireland's capital city. However, the seafront town feels less metropolitan than Dublin.

Music, art, language, and hospitality boom in Galway, from the cobbled streets of its historic Latin Quarter to the bustling crowds on Shop Street.

Its buildings are lined with colorful art, and the endangered Irish language is spoken openly.

I love that the language is everywhere, from street signs to the trad music in the pubs. The coffee shop Plámás even offers customers discounted drinks if they order in Irish.

Moreover, Galway is the gateway to the iconic Wild Atlantic Way, a 1,600-mile scenic route that runs along the country's perimeter.

While you're in town, I recommend detouring to the nearby Aran Islands and plotting a road trip through Connemara National Park. Some of my fondest memories are peering out at the Twelve Bens mountain range from the back of my dad's pick-up and horseback riding across beaches with The Point Trekking Centre.

It seems like Cork is up-and-coming on the tourist scene after bagging a spot on National Geographic's list of the best places to travel in 2025.

It'll be interesting to see what extra excitement the new tourism investments bring to Ireland's second-largest city.

Although Dublin has more historical attractions — the gravity of spots like the Kilmainham Gaol and the General Post Office is hard to match — I like Cork for its day trip potential. It's a great starting city to book if you want to do a lot of exploring during your stay.

The town provides easy access to colorful Kinsale or Cobh, the Titanic's final port of call. There's also a local bus that goes straight to Blarney Castle, where brave souls can hang upside down to kiss the Blarney Stone.

The western port town of Dingle built its reputation on the tale of a lone dolphin called Fungie — if that isn't a charming enough reason to visit, I don't know what is.

There's a statue of Fungie by the harbor, and the town still runs dolphin-watching tours even though the famed mammal hasn't been spotted since 2020.

I love the town's close-knit coastal vibe, and it's worth cruising Slea Head Drive around the broader Dingle Peninsula to see stunning spots like Inch Beach.

Dublin and Belfast are both capitals of their respective parts of Ireland, but it's worth noting their historical differences. Dublin's political attractions revolve heavily around the Easter Rising of 1916, whereas Belfast's tells the story of The Troubles, an intense sectarian conflict lasting from the 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

I have a soft spot for Belfast after living in its eastern suburb of Dundonald.

It may seem like an obvious choice for anyone wanting to visit Northern Ireland instead of the Republic. However, it has a lot to offer, from the Titanic Experience and Stormont to the atmospheric St George's Market.

It's worth booking at least a few days in the northern city, and a black-taxi tour of the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods is an absolute must. You can also easily take a day trip to see the impressive Giant's Causeway Nature Preserve.

For hikers and nature lovers, Newcastle tops metropolitan Dublin any day.

The coastal town sits directly under Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's tallest mountain. A path to the summit starts in the town's main car park.

Newcastle itself has a bit of a cheesy seaside aesthetic, but I love it.

Its location within the 12 peaks of the Mourne Mountains could provide visitors with weeks of hiking trails. There's also the neighboring Tollymore Forest Park, where multiple scenes of "Game of Thrones" were shot.

I'd recommend visiting distilleries to sample poitín, a traditional moonshine that was illegally distributed for hundreds of years. It certainly comes in handy after all that hiking.