Get your bearings and do some sightseeing on either a self-guided audio walking tour or a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Both options allow you the freedom to explore at your own pace, and the bus tour stops at attractions outside the city, such as Blarney Castle and Cobh.

If you’ve taken the tour bus to Cobh, or can make your own way there (it’s around 30 minutes from Cork by car), check out the Titanic Experience. Housed in the original White Star Line ticket office, where passengers boarded the RMS Titanic, interactive exhibits let you experience a bit of what the ship’s fateful journey might have felt like.

Head over to the Jameson Experience for a guided tour of the distillery. Learn about the distillation process, and visit the restored 19th-century warehouse, where Jameson’s best-selling Irish whiskey is aged in oak casks. Stick around for post-tour drinks at the bar or dinner at the on-site restaurant.

Either set out on a full-day guided tour of the Cliffs of Moher (about a two-and-a-half-hour drive northwest), or stay in the city. If you’ve opted for the latter, join a morning food-themed walking tour to visit Cork’s best cheesemongers, delicatessens, bakeries, and markets—with tastings included.

Spend the afternoon in Kinsale, south of Cork. Take to the waters on a kayaking trip—or try your hand at traditional pottery making at a studio deep in the countryside. 

Back in the city, conclude your visit by soaking up the atmosphere of the Grand Parade, one of Cork’s most famous streets. You’ll find plenty of restaurants for dinner and traditional pubs for drinks and live music.