Family Days Out in Galway City and Salthill

November 5, 2026

Plan around the weather

Galway rains often, so a family day works best with one indoor stop and one outdoor stop. Everything below is in or near the city, and prices are in euro.

Galway Atlantaquaria

The National Aquarium of Ireland on Seapoint Promenade, Salthill, shows native species including sharks, rays and an octopus. Online prices: adult €15, child €10, senior or student €12, and family tickets from €32 to €45 depending on the group (two adults and two children is €45). Walk-in prices are about €1 to €3 higher. Children under 3 are free. Last admission is an hour before closing. Details are on the aquarium site .

Leisureland, Salthill

Leisureland has a 25 m, six-lane pool, a plunge pool and an inflatable course at selected times in the week. Adult swim is about €10 and a child about €8 to €9, with under-4s free. A funfair beside it opens from mid-March to early September, and skating runs on the same site in the Christmas season. Call ahead for session times.

Galway City Museum

Free to enter, beside the Spanish Arch on Spanish Parade. It opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00. The archaeology displays suit school-age children.

Salthill Promenade

The flat promenade suits prams and scooters. It runs about 3.2 km from the Claddagh to the Blackrock Diving Tower. Keep children well back from the tower and the water’s edge: the bay is cold and tidal.

Swans at the Claddagh

The mouth of the Corrib at the Claddagh is a free spot to watch swans. Keep children away from the river wall and quay edges, as the Corrib is fast and cold.

Connemara National Park

Entry and parking are free, and the shorter trails near the visitor centre suit children. Diamond Hill’s upper loop is strenuous, about 6.2 km, and not suited to small children. The visitor centre opens Wednesday to Sunday.

Brigit’s Garden, Roscahill

Celtic-themed gardens about 20 km north-west of the city. Published prices are about €10 for adults, €7 for children and €29 for a family of four, and opening days change by season, so check before you travel.

Aran Islands with children

The Rossaveel ferry to Inis Mór takes about 40 minutes. Children aged 5 to 12 pay €17 return, and under-5s travel free but must be booked in advance. Horse-drawn carriages and bike hire wait at Kilronan pier. Dún Aonghasa has no fence at its cliff edge, so it suits older children who will hold an adult’s hand and stay back from the drop. Younger children are better off at the island’s beaches and lanes.

A rainy-day order

Start at the museum, move to the aquarium after lunch, and finish at the pool.