Galway Multi-day Trips: 3 and 5 Day Plans

November 5, 2026

How many days Galway needs

Galway city needs one day. The islands, Connemara and Clare each need another. A three day plan covers the city, Inis Mór and Connemara. A fifth day adds County Clare and a Killary Fjord outing. All prices are in euro.

Getting to Galway

Galway Airport has had no scheduled flights since 2011. Fly to Shannon (about 85 km south), Ireland West Knock (about 85 km north) or Dublin (about 215 km east). Express coaches run from Dublin Airport to Galway, and Irish Rail trains from Dublin Heuston to Galway Ceannt take about 2 hours 20 minutes with roughly 9 to 10 departures a day.

Three days

Day 1, the city. Start at Eyre Square, walk Shop Street to Lynch’s Castle and St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, then the Spanish Arch and the free Galway City Museum (open Tuesday to Saturday). Finish with a trad session at the Crane Bar or Taaffe’s.

Day 2, Inis Mór. Take the Aran Island Ferries shuttle bus from Victoria Place to Rossaveel, then the 40 minute crossing. Adult return is €34 and the bus €10 return. Hire a bike at Kilronan and head for Dún Aonghasa, where the cliff edge has no fence. The ferry and flights depend on weather, so keep the day flexible. See the ferry rates .

Day 3, Connemara. Visit Connemara National Park at Letterfrack, which is free, and walk the lower Diamond Hill loop or the strenuous upper loop of about 6.2 km. Add Kylemore Abbey nearby. Public buses (Citylink 923, Bus Éireann 419) serve the area but the last ones leave early.

Days four and five

Day 4, Clare. Drive south to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, 1.5 to 2 hours from the city. Poulnabrone portal tomb is a free Neolithic monument. The cliffs charge €15 for adults at the 2026 gate, with cheaper online tickets, and parking is included. Stay behind barriers.

Day 5, Killary and the Sky Road. Take a Killary Fjord cruise from Nancy’s Point (April to October, about 90 minutes), then drive the Sky Road at Clifden and finish at Roundstone.

Sleeping on an island or in Doolin

A seasonal Galway City Docks cruise offers an overnight Aran trip, and the return sailing from Kilronan passes the Cliffs of Moher. Doolin in Clare is the pier for Cliffs cruises and has ferries to Inis Mór in about 35 minutes. Staying in Galway or Doolin turns a long coach day to the cliffs into two easier ones.

Seasons

The Galway City Docks sailings ran from 3 April to 27 September in 2026, and the 2027 season is listed as 26 March to 3 October. Rossaveel sails all year.