Galway and the Cliffs of Moher

February 2, 2024

2-Day tour to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher

If you want to experience the best of Ireland’s countryside, you have to go to Galway. Located on the West side of Ireland and home to almost 80 thousand habitants, this little town is full of charms and ancient buildings that will take you back in time, and not only that but it’s also the starting point of many adventures around the region like the Connemara National Park, historical castles as the Kylemore Abbey, and the famous Cliffs of Moher.

HOW TO SPEND 2 DAYS IN GALWAY

If you’re coming from Dublin, is really easy to book online for a bus to Galway, the trip takes around 2 and a half hours, and you can choose a direct route with companies like Go Bus or Aircoach.

We recommend you book your stay in advance as the region is usually full of tourists, there are many sweet and cozy guest houses to choose from, where you can have comfort at a good price.

Asgard Guest House was our choice for this trip and we loved the local atmosphere, the place was clean and tidy and they were able to accommodate all of our requests. We dropped our bags earlier than check-in time to go to the city explore, they helped us to book a tour, asked about our preferences for breakfast and the staff was really friendly, we didn’t want to leave!

1st DAY - Galway City Center

1. Take the bus to Galway in the morning;
2. Upon arrival, stop by BakeBox on your way to the city center for some coffee and the most delicious baked goods around.

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3. Explore the Latin Quarter area starting off at the Lynch’s Castle and working your way down to Quay Street. We must recommend you check out Aran Sweater Market for beautiful locally made woolen clothing, or if you get tired of shopping you can get a drink at Coffeewerk + Press and go up to the second floor to get cozy with a book.

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4. For lunch, if you have never tried the true authentic fish and chips, this is your chance. Usually with a cue coming out of the door at lunchtime, buzzing with both tourists and locals, various awards hanging on the walls, it’s hard to find a spot at McDonagh’s. Order the cod with fries and mash peas or coleslaw on the side and enjoy

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5. After lunch, go for a stroll on the river Corrib’s promenade to enjoy the sunlight, starting from the Spanish Arch all the way up to Galway Cathedral. You don’t need a ticket to enter, so you can walk in the Cathedral and appreciate the colorful stained-glass windows you cannot see from the outside, and it’s Celtic traces

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6. Back on Quay street, choose from the several typical pubs that come alive after the sun is down with local live music and enjoy a traditional Guiness pint. It’s easy to do a proper pub crawl in Galway as most pubs are in the same street, literally one beside the other, so if it floats your boat go for it! But make sure you can make it for the tour the next morning.

2nd DAY - Cliffs of Moher

10am - 6pm
50 Euros per person

1. We HIGHLY recommend you explore the most famous touristic spot of the region: the Cliffs of Moher. The best way to visit is to book a tour, preferably a few days in advance, especially if you go in the summer as it’s a very popular spot. The Cliffs are about 1.5 hours away from Galway city, and public transportation takes a lot longer. If you have a car you can go by yourself but we find the tour way more fun

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2. We booked our tour with Galway Tour Company departing from 10am and it was the best experience we could’ve wished for. The tour took the hole day, from sunrise to sunset, our tour guide was really fun and it did not only include the ticket to the Cliffs of Moher, but we also got to visit so many places we didn’t expect like castles, villages and other historical and natural sights, while hearing anecdotes about the little cities we passed by and feeling immersed in the Irish culture;

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3. The highlight of the tour were of course the Cliffs of Moher, it’s such a natural wonder it will take your breath away. We were mesmerized with it’s immensity, it’s definitely something you don’t want to miss while in Ireland;

4. After getting back to Galway from this beautiful yet tiring day, we had the most delicious Italian food at Venice restaurant in Abbeygate Street Lower, I highly recommend you to try the seafood risotto with a glass of white wine, it was the most fresh and flavorful I had in a long time;