Galway is the best base in Ireland for day tours. Coaches leave each morning from the city centre in three directions: west into Connemara, south through the Burren to the Cliffs of Moher, and out to sea to the Aran Islands. Each makes a full day; with two days, do Connemara and one of the others.
Hand-picked tours & tickets
Day trip from €59 Full-Day Cliffs of Moher & Burren Guided Tour
The classic day south: Dunguaire Castle, the Burren’s limestone landscape and a good stretch of time at the Cliffs of Moher, returning along the coast road.
Day trip from €80 Aran Islands & Cliffs of Moher Tour with Cruise
Coach to Doolin, ferry to Inisheer, the smallest Aran island, then a cruise back beneath the Cliffs of Moher. Sea conditions can change the programme.
Day trip from €45 Connemara & Cong Full-Day Tour
A circuit through Connemara’s lakes and mountains to the village of Cong, where The Quiet Man was filmed, on the Mayo border.
Day trip from €50 Connemara & Kylemore Abbey Day Tour
Through the Inagh Valley and past Killary Harbour to Kylemore Abbey, with a long stop to see the abbey and walled garden. Check whether admission is included.
Walking tour from €15 Welcome to Galway Walking Tour
A short, inexpensive introduction on foot: the medieval walls, the Spanish Arch, the Claddagh and the stories of the merchant “tribes” who ran the city.
Ferry from €40 Ferry from Rossaveel to Inis Mór (Aran Islands)
Return ferry to Inishmore, the largest island, giving several hours ashore to hire a bike or take a minibus to Dún Aonghasa.
Prices are indicative “from” prices seen on GetYourGuide and change with season and currency — the link shows the live price.
Booking notes
- Tours leave early, usually between 8 and 10 am, from the coach station or Kinlay Hostel near Eyre Square. Check your pick-up point.
- Admissions to Kylemore Abbey and the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre are included on some tours and not others.
- Ferries depend on the sea. Sailings to the Aran Islands and cruises under the cliffs can be cancelled in rough weather, at any time of year.
- Rossaveel, the main ferry port for the islands, is about an hour west of Galway; a connecting shuttle bus from the city can usually be booked with the ferry.
