Three days in the west of Ireland, moving through some of the country’s most remarkable and least-tamed territory in the comfort of a private luxury vehicle. Your expert guides know this part of the island well, and the itinerary is customisable - so you can spend more time on the things that interest you most.
The tour takes in Connemara and the wild national park, a cruise on Killary Harbour (Ireland’s only fjord), a chance to watch sheepdog trials, and a walk along the top of the Cliffs of Moher as well as a boat trip to their base. Galway city - known as the City of the Tribes - is on the route too, with its lively streets and famously friendly locals.
Ancient castles and monasteries, national parks, and a shopping stop in Galway round out a tour that gives you space to actually absorb each place rather than rushing through it.
What’s Included
Private transportation in a luxury air-conditioned vehicle
Expert guide throughout
What’s Not Included
Accommodation - not included, but the team can help you find options for each overnight stop
Admissions to attractions (where applicable)
Good to Know
This is a private tour. The itinerary is customisable to your preferences. Service animals are welcome. Specialised infant seats are available. Public transport is available nearby. Suitable for all fitness levels. Available in English and Spanish.
Local Tips
Galway city is one of the best places to base a night on this tour. The medieval quarter is small enough to cover on foot but rich enough to keep you occupied for an evening. For trad music, Tigh Coili on Dominick Street runs sessions most nights from around 9:30pm - it’s an Irish-language pub with high-standard playing, not background noise for tourists. Tig Mongáin is the quieter, more serious alternative.
For food in Galway, Ard Bia at Nimmo on Quay Street is the local favourite - a restaurant with a menu that changes with the season and a dining room upstairs worth booking. If you want something quicker, the Gourmet Tart Company does excellent coffee and pastries from a counter near Eyre Square.
The itinerary includes a shopping stop in Galway. Shop Street and the laneways running off it are where the independent craft and clothing shops are concentrated. Turn left at the next corner whenever you hit a crowd - the laneways behind Shop Street are where the city keeps its better-kept secrets.
Accommodation isn’t included in the tour price - ask your guide for recommendations near each overnight stop. In Galway city, book well ahead if you’re travelling in July, when the Galway Arts Festival and Galway Races combine to fill every room in town.
The Cliffs of Moher route passes through Liscannor and near Doolin. Liscannor is eight kilometres south of the main visitor centre and sits at the back entrance to the cliff walk via Hag’s Head - Vaughan’s Anchor Inn has been run by the same family since 1979 and is Michelin-recommended for its seafood. Doolin is the village north of the cliffs, known for trad sessions at Gus O’Connor’s (running since 1832) and the ferry pier for the Aran Islands.
The Connemara leg of this tour comes through Oughterard, the gateway village on the N59 where Lough Corrib opens up on your right and the bog roads start in earnest. Clifden is the capital of Connemara - a planned town with the Sky Road loop to the west, Derrygimlagh bog to the south (where Alcock and Brown crash-landed after the first transatlantic flight in 1919), and Connemara National Park 20 minutes north at Letterfrack. It’s the natural overnight stop for the Connemara night.
Nearby on IrelandMe
Galway - A medieval city that is still a village underneath, with 70-plus pubs, trad sessions most nights, the Aran Islands 40 minutes west, and a July festival season that takes over entire neighbourhoods.
Liscannor - the village at the southern end of the Cliffs of Moher walk, with the back-path to Hag’s Head and Vaughan’s Anchor Inn as the reliable dinner and overnight stop for anyone approaching the cliffs from the south.
Doolin - three hamlets and four pubs north of the cliffs; Gus O’Connor’s has been running trad sessions since 1832 and the ferry pier is the main connection to the Aran Islands from the Clare side.
Clifden - the capital of Connemara, with the Sky Road, the Derrygimlagh bog (Marconi’s transatlantic station and the Alcock and Brown landing site), and Connemara National Park all within twenty minutes of the town square.
Oughterard - the gateway into Connemara on the N59, where Lough Corrib opens up on the right; Aughnanure Castle, an O’Flaherty tower house from around 1500, is three kilometres east on the lough shore.
