This is a full 12.5-hour private day trip from Dublin, taking you west to the Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall, and Galway city. Your guide picks you up from your hotel, handles all the logistics, and brings local knowledge to each stop. All admissions are included in the price.
The tour follows the Wild Atlantic Way at a relaxed pace. It’s private, so the itinerary is flexible - if you want to spend more time somewhere or swap a stop, talk to your guide. With 12.5 hours and generous time at each location, you get to actually explore rather than tick boxes.
What’s Included
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle
All admissions
What’s Not Included
Meals and drinks
Itinerary
Cliffs of Moher - The cliffs rise to 214 metres above the Atlantic along a 14-kilometre stretch of the Clare coast, forming part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. The visitor centre covers the geology and wildlife of the site, and 800 metres of paved cliff paths lead to the viewpoints. Walk north toward O’Brien’s Tower - the views improve and the crowds thin within fifty metres of the main platform. (180 min)
Barack Obama Plaza, Moneygall - A motorway service stop beside the village of Moneygall, where Obama’s third great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney was born before emigrating to the US in 1850. The visitor centre holds photographs and memorabilia from the 2011 presidential visit, and entry is free. A practical stop for food too. (30 min)
The Burren - Europe’s largest karst limestone landscape, spread across north Clare. The pavement is split into blocks called clints, with cracks (grikes) where 23 of Ireland’s 27 orchid species grow alongside spring gentians and mountain avens. Thirty minutes gives you a look; the place rewards longer if your guide can stretch it. Ballyvaughan on the northern edge is the village locals use as a base. (30 min)
Galway City - Three hours in one of Ireland’s liveliest cities: cobblestone lanes, a medieval quarter, independent shops, and live trad music most nights. (180 min)
Good to Know
Hotel pick-up and drop-off included
Service animals allowed
Suitable for all fitness levels
Private tour; flexible itinerary on request
Local Tips
Walk the cliff path north. The paved path from the visitor centre toward O’Brien’s Tower thins out fifty metres from the car park. The views get better and it’s noticeably quieter.
The Burren rewards wildflower season. May and June are when the flowers growing from the limestone cracks are at their best - spring gentians, orchids, mountain avens. If you’re travelling then, push for a longer stop here. Ballyvaughan sits at the northern edge of the Burren on the bay if you ever come back with more time.
In Galway, leave Shop Street. Three hours is enough to explore properly. The medieval quarter rewards wandering over planning. Ard Bia at Nimmo on Quay Street is a reliable lunch spot, and Doolin, just 3km north of the Cliffs, is worth knowing if your itinerary swings that way.
The Obama visitor centre is free. Easy to overlook in a motorway services, but the exhibition about Falmouth Kearney’s emigration in 1850 and Obama’s return in May 2011 is worth a proper read rather than a quick photograph.
Nearby on IrelandMe
Doolin - Three kilometres north of the Cliffs visitor centre on the Wild Atlantic Way. Gus O’Connor’s pub has been running trad sessions since 1832, and the pier runs the Aran Islands ferry.
Ballyvaughan - Where the Burren meets Galway Bay. Monk’s Pub at the harbour pier does a chowder worth stopping for, and the limestone hills start within minutes of the village.
Liscannor - The working pier village 8km south of the Cliffs visitor centre, where the back-door Hag’s Head cliff walk begins. Fewer people, no queue, same cliffs.
