Winter family-friendly drives

We’ve teamed up with the Journal.ie to bring you a series showcasing some of the most beautiful drives around the country. In this edition, we’re focusing on family-friendly drives and have designed a route that the whole household can get behind. From Santa visits to reptiles, this route has it all! 

The leaves are down, the weather has turned and the usual playground visits simply aren’t cutting it when it comes to entertaining the little ones. If this sounds like you and you’re looking for a family-friendly drive in Ireland that will both entertain and educate – we’ve got you covered. 

For many families, November is the perfect time to pack up the car and head out on a road trip. We’ve pulled together an itinerary that you can execute in one go or break it up and visit each destination individually. Either way, we’re bundling (and buckling) up and heading off for the Sunny South East. 

Nore Valley, Kilkenny 

This beautiful and enchanting scenic route is one of the most picturesque inland drives in the country with plenty of family-friendly stop-offs along the way. Setting out from Kilkenny city, you follow the River Nore through Bennettsbridge, Thomastown and Inistiogue, before reaching the breathtaking 10-arched stone bridge to capture the perfect family selfie. 

At the start of this route, we have it under good authority that Santa and his elves have set up a charming winter village at McDonagh Junction Shopping centre, in association with Nore Valley Park. Through this experience you can visit the North Pole Office, where the children will be invited to write letters or colour in pictures for Santa before putting them in the express post box! 

The whole family is invited to join in the fun along with the mischievous elves before visiting Santa’s enchanting grotto, where every child will receive a gift. An understandably popular event, make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment. 

At this point, we’re expecting a few rumbling bellies in the car so, we’d recommend a stop off at The Blackberry Cafe in Thomastown. With local suppliers at the heart of their offering, their dishes using locally sourced organic vegetables, cheese, and baked breads are not to be missed. Continuing on this route, we find ourselves arriving at Inistioge’s Woodstock Gardens. A must-stop for families, from toddlers to grandparents there’s something for everyone. Whether it’s outdoor playgrounds or educational adventures, nature trails or orienteering, the whole family will have hours of fun wandering through this autumnal paradise. An added tip is to pick up the illustrated explorer packs for your tiny adventurers to enjoy. 

On the way back, we recommend a visit to the National Reptile Zoo in Gowran, a family-friendly experience not to be missed. As Ireland’s only Reptile Zoo, the facility comes highly recommended for anyone with an interest in reptiles, but also animal enthusiasts in general. Showing snakes, lizards, tortoise and much more, the Reptile Village offers an experience that is interactive and guaranteed to keep the whole family entertained. With more than 50 displays, a devoted animal encounter zone, tropical walk-through habitat, plus a snack bar and souvenir shop, your gang will be tired but educated when setting off for home. This route is just over an hour long with no stop-offs and to switch it up you can also start off with the reptile zoo and wrap up your day with a visit to the magical Christmas village. The route is yours to design in a way that suits your family, but there’s one thing for certain, there’s plenty to see and do in Kilkenny this November so, we recommend hitting the road with the family, get exploring and enjoy!  

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