Cliffs of Moher and The Burren Private Tour from Dublin

About This Tour

This private day tour covers a lot of ground - from a 16th-century castle on Galway Bay to a megalithic tomb dating back thousands of years, underground into one of Ireland’s largest cave systems, and then out to the Cliffs of Moher in the afternoon light. It’s a varied route through Galway and Clare, with the Burren’s extraordinary landscape threading everything together.

Admission to Aillwee Caves is included. Cliffs of Moher admission is not included - if you book your ticket online, the best time to visit is around 4pm, when the wildlife is active.

What’s Included

• WiFi on board

What’s Not Included

• Cliffs of Moher admission (available online from €8.00 from 16:00)
• Lunch or any food purchases (water is available in the vehicle)

Itinerary

1. Dunguaire Castle - Departing Dublin at 8am, you’ll reach this impressive medieval tower house on the Galway coast near Kinvara after about 2.5 hours. Built in 1520, it spans three levels with a narrow stone staircase up to the rooftop, where you get good views of Galway Bay and the Burren. Worth a walk around outside even if you don’t go in. (30 min)
2. Poulnabrone Dolmen - About 40 minutes from Dunguaire, on the high Burren limestone plateau. This portal tomb is one of Ireland’s most iconic archaeological monuments - and the oldest dated megalithic monument in the country. Two large portal stones stand on either side of an entrance, capped with a massive sloping capstone. The tomb was built on limestone pavement surrounded by a low rock mound. (30 min)
3. Aillwee Caves and chocolate - Go underground into one of Ireland’s largest cave systems, then come back up to explore a chocolate factory where you can taste and buy handmade chocolates of all varieties, and take a coffee or hot chocolate. Admission to the caves is included. (120 min)
4. Ballyvaughan - A short lunch stop in this Burren village. (45 min)
5. Cliffs of Moher - Around 35 minutes from Ballyvaughan. The cliffs are over 300 million years old, stretch for kilometres along the Atlantic coast, and reach dramatic heights above the ocean. The afternoon is the best time to visit - the light is good and the wildlife is out. Book your ticket online for the 4pm slot. (120 min)
6. Return to Dublin - Head back east after your time at the cliffs. (180 min)

Good to Know

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

This is a private tour. Runs in English.

Local Tips

Dunguaire Castle is a short stop - pace it right. The castle is on a promontory into Kinvara Bay, and the red stone catches the morning light well if you’re there before 10am. You can walk up the spiral stair to the rooftop for views across Galway Bay and toward the Burren. Even a walk around the outside on a clear day is worth the stop. The village of Kinvara itself is five minutes away if you want a coffee before heading into the Burren.

Ballyvaughan is the right place for lunch. Your 45-minute lunch stop in Ballyvaughan puts you at the heart of the Burren. Monk’s Pub at the pier is the practical choice - famous for its seafood chowder and positioned right on the harbour, it’s a short walk from wherever you park. Order the chowder with brown bread and watch the bay. The village is small, a crossroads and a pier and three pubs, so 45 minutes is enough to eat and stretch your legs.

Aillwee Caves - combine with the Birds of Prey centre next door. The cave itself is a fine underground tour, but the Burren Birds of Prey display on the same site is genuinely worth the time if your 120-minute stop allows. The limestone hill behind the cave entrance also offers a short loop walk with views back across the bay.

Doolin is ten minutes from the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre. You have two hours at the cliffs, which is more than the main walkways need. Doolin sits ten minutes north of the visitor centre and it’s a better place for a coffee break than the centre itself - Gus O’Connor’s has been open since 1832, McGann’s has the steadier local crowd, and the optional cliff cruise from Doolin Harbour lets you see the cliffs from sea level before the drive back east.

Liscannor is the southern end of the cliff walk, not a bypass. The route from Ballyvaughan to the Cliffs of Moher passes near Liscannor. If your time at the cliffs runs long and you want to avoid the visitor centre car park on the way out, the R478 through Liscannor is the coastal alternative - the village sits at the foot of the Hag’s Head cliff path and Vaughan’s Anchor Inn at the pier is an honest pub stop if your driver is flexible.

Book the 4pm Cliffs of Moher slot before you leave Dublin. The itinerary notes this clearly, and it’s worth following - the afternoon light on the cliffs is better for photographs than midday, and the 4pm wildlife activity (including the seabird colonies nesting in the rock face) is the reason serious visitors choose this slot. Buy your ticket at cliffsofmoher.ie before the day to avoid queuing.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Kinvara - Dunguaire Castle sits on the water’s edge at Kinvara Bay; built c. 1520, the rooftop gives views across Galway Bay toward the Burren and Winkle’s pub runs trad sessions most evenings
• Ballyvaughan - The front door of the Burren, sitting where the limestone meets the bay - Monk’s Pub at the pier does the seafood chowder you came to Clare for, and Gregans Castle Hotel up Corkscrew Hill holds a Michelin Key
• Doolin - Ten minutes north of the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre; four pubs including Gus O’Connor’s (open since 1832), trad sessions most nights, and an optional cliff cruise from the harbour
• Liscannor - Eight kilometres south of the visitor centre at the Hag’s Head end of the cliff walk; Vaughan’s Anchor Inn at the pier is Michelin-recommended and has been in the same family since 1979