Galway City and Christmas Market Tour From Dublin

About This Tour

Galway at Christmas is something special. The market runs right in the heart of the city and it’s the real thing - handcrafted gifts, proper food, mulled wine, traditional Irish treats, and live entertainment. You’ll have 2 to 3 hours to wander the stalls and take it all in.

The market is open to the public from 8 November to 5 January 2025, so this tour is very much a seasonal treat.

On the way back to Dublin, the tour stops at Seán’s Bar in Athlone. Officially listed in the Guinness World Records as the oldest pub in Europe, Seán’s dates back to AD 900 when it was known as Luain’s Inn. You can still see the original wattle and wicker walls on display. Lonely Planet has listed it among the 25 most incredible bars in the world - live music and a great atmosphere most nights of the week.

The drive from Dublin to Galway is about 2.5 hours each way, with about 1.5 hours back to Dublin from Athlone.

What’s Included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle
• WiFi on board
• Bottled water
• All fees and taxes
• Certified English guide

What’s Not Included

• Lunch (a stop can be arranged on request)

Itinerary

1. Galway Christmas Market - 2.5 hour drive from Dublin, then 2 to 3 hours at the market to shop for locally crafted Christmas gifts and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Open 8 November to 5 January 2025. (180 min)
2. Seán’s Bar, Athlone - A stop at 13 Main Street, Athlone, on the west bank of the River Shannon. Ireland’s oldest pub, dating to AD 900 and still going. The original wattle and wicker walls are on display. Live music, laughter, and a proper Irish atmosphere. (15 min)
3. Return to Dublin - Approximately 1.5 hours drive back. (90 min)

Good to Know

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Wheelchair accessible - all areas and surfaces
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• This is a private tour - your group only

Local Tips

In Galway, head straight for the medieval laneways off Shop Street. The Christmas market sits in the heart of the city and the surrounding streets are at their best in December - the laneways are narrow, the shopfronts are lit, and the city hums with students from the university. Two to three hours goes quickly, so pick your priorities: the craft stalls for gifts, or a sit-down lunch somewhere before the afternoon coach. If you want lunch, ask your guide to arrange a stop - it can be built into the day.

At Seán’s Bar in Athlone, look at the section of wattle-and-wicker wall behind glass. When the building was renovated in 1970, the builders found those original walls along with a clutch of mid-1600s coins - significant enough that the National Museum took them. Historians debate the exact age of the building, but the pub’s claim to be the oldest in Ireland has been in the Guinness World Records since 2004. The river Shannon runs a hundred yards away. The pub is on the west bank of Athlone, which is technically Connacht.

The Athlone stop is brief - 15 minutes on the itinerary - so order your pint the moment you walk in. Seán’s Bar is a working local pub and treats itself that way. It has been pouring drinks continuously since a time before most Irish towns existed.

Both Galway and Athlone reward a longer visit if you ever come back. Galway’s July festivals take over the entire city - the Arts Festival, the Film Fleadh, and the Races all run within weeks of each other. Athlone has Thyme restaurant (eight consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand years) and the Old Rail Trail Greenway stretching 43 km to Mullingar if you want a proper day in the midlands.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Galway - A city that is still a village underneath, with a medieval core of laneways, sessions most nights, and July festivals that take over entire neighbourhoods
• Athlone - A river town that was old when most Irish towns were a notion - Sean’s Bar, a Norman castle, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand on a side street