Killarney National Park is Ireland's oldest and most celebrated national park, established in 1932 when the Muckross Estate was gifted to the Irish state. It covers over 10,000 hectares of lakes, mountains, and ancient woodland in the heart of County Kerry, and it remains one of the most naturally beautiful places in the country. The park encompasses three interconnected lakes — Lough Leane, Muckross Lake, and the Upper Lake — surrounded by the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, Ireland's highest mountain range, and some of the last remaining ancient oak woodland in Ireland.

The ancient oakwoods of Killarney are among the most ecologically significant habitats in Ireland. Draped in mosses, ferns, and lichens, they have a primeval quality that feels genuinely ancient — and in many cases is. Some of the oak trees in the park are over 300 years old, and the woodland floor supports a remarkable diversity of plant life, including the strawberry tree, which is found almost nowhere else in Ireland or Britain. The woods are also home to red deer — Ireland's only native deer species — and the park supports one of the largest herds in the country.

Muckross House, a Victorian mansion on the shores of Muckross Lake, is the centrepiece of the park's heritage offer. Built in 1843 and visited by Queen Victoria in 1861 — for which the estate was extensively remodelled at enormous expense — it is now a museum furnished in its original Victorian style, with working craft demonstrations in the outbuildings. The formal gardens around the house are among the finest in Ireland, and the lakeside walk from the house to Torc Waterfall is one of the most popular short walks in Kerry.Torc Waterfall, a 20-metre cascade tumbling through ancient woodland just off the main Kenmare road, is one of the most visited spots in the park — and deservedly so. The short walk from the car park takes about 10 minutes and passes through beautiful oak woodland before arriving at the base of the falls. From the top of the waterfall, a longer path climbs to Torc Mountain with views over the lakes and the surrounding peaks that are among the finest in Kerry. The waterfall is at its most dramatic after heavy rain, when the volume of water is extraordinary.

The traditional way to explore the park is by jaunting car — a horse-drawn open carriage driven by a jarvey, the local term for the driver. Jaunting cars have been taking visitors around the park since the 19th century and remain one of the most enjoyable ways to see the lakes and woodland at a gentle pace. The jarveys are invariably entertaining guides, full of local knowledge and stories. For the more active visitor, the park has excellent cycling routes, kayaking on the lakes, and walking trails ranging from short lakeside strolls to full-day mountain hikes. Killarney is also the natural base for the Ring of Kerry and the departure point for boat trips to Skellig Michael — one of the most extraordinary heritage sites in Europe.