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Connemara and Galway Private Chauffeur 2 Days Tour from Dublin
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From €2600 per person
Two days to properly explore the west of Ireland - Connemara and Galway at a pace that lets things actually sink in. This private chauffeur tour departs Dublin and takes you into County Galway, where the landscape shifts from rolling midlands into something altogether wilder: the Twelve Bens mountain range, scenic boglands, coastal inlets, and lush valleys in between.
Connemara National Park is a highlight for anyone who wants to get out and walk, with rich wildlife and trails that range from easy strolls to proper hill climbs. Kylemore Abbey, set against a lake with the mountains behind it, is one of those spots that photographs well but is even better in person. The region is also a Gaeltacht stronghold, where you’ll hear Irish spoken as an everyday language and find traditional music in local pubs.
Galway city rounds off the trip beautifully. Known as Ireland’s Cultural Heart, it has a vibrant arts scene, medieval streets lined with colourful shopfronts, excellent seafood, and a pub culture that draws musicians from across the country. The Galway Arts Festival is one of the country’s biggest events if your dates happen to align.
If you’d like to extend to three days and take in more of the region, the operator is happy to arrange that - just get in touch when booking.
This is a private tour. Infant seats are available, and infants and small children can travel in a pram or stroller. Service animals are welcome. Suitable for all fitness levels. Public transport connections available nearby. Tour conducted in English. Contact the operator to arrange a 3-day itinerary if you’d like more time in the region.
Book your first Galway night in the medieval quarter. The guides know the city well but the real Galway happens late, after the day programme wraps. Stay on the east side of the Corrib - a short walk from Shop Street - so you can drop into a trad session at Tigh Coili or the Crane Bar without needing a car. Sessions at Tigh Coili typically start at 9:30pm and are high standard - not performed for tourists, actually played.
On the Galway city walk, go left at random from Shop Street. The laneways between Shop Street and Quay Street are too narrow for any agenda and that’s the point. The Long Walk along the harbour down to the Claddagh takes under an hour and shows you where the fishing village was before the city absorbed it. Do it without a map and without a time limit.
For dinner in Galway, try Ard Bia at Nimmo on Quay Street. It runs a locally-led menu that changes with the market - the dining room upstairs has the right combination of good food and unhurried pace for an evening after a day in Connemara. An Púcán is the alternative: Irish-speaking dining room, seafood-leaning, local producers. Reserve ahead for either in summer.
Timing the Galway Arts Festival matters. The festival runs in late July and the city fills to a pressure that makes accommodation scarce and expensive. If your tour dates fall outside July, you’ll have a more relaxed experience of the city and the pubs. If they fall inside July, book your hotel six months out and lean into the chaos - it really is remarkable.