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Galway Castle & palace tours

Our most recommended Galway Castle & palace tours

From Galway: Connemara & Kylemore Abbey Full-Day Guided Tour

1. From Galway: Connemara & Kylemore Abbey Full-Day Guided Tour

Experience the unspoiled natural beauty and rugged landscapes of Connemara on this day trip from Galway. Travel in an airconditioned bus and explore Kylemore Abbey and its elegant gardens with the included entry ticket. Stop in the charming mountain village of Leenane and take in the views of Ireland's only fjord at Killary. Then, get 2 hours to explore Kylemore Abbey and go for a nature walk in the Victorian Walled Gardens. Continue along the coast to the pretty Gaelic-speaking village of An Spideal to take a stroll amongst the many traditional thatched roof homes and admire the beautiful beaches.

From Galway: Connemara & Kylemore Abbey Day Tour

2. From Galway: Connemara & Kylemore Abbey Day Tour

Explore picturesque little fishing villages and tour the magnificent Kylemore Abbey. Start in the morning and hit coastal road through the villages of Connemara. En route, your locally-sourced and fully-trained driver and guide will entertain you with facts and tales from the areas passed. Enjoy a stop at Peacockes Hotel for a tea or coffee. Drive through the bog landscape to the picturesque fishing village of Roundstone. AFter that, it's on to the Derrygimlagh bog and Wild Atlantic Way. Make the most of a 3 hour stop at the jewel of the crown of Connemara, Kylemore Abbey. Enjoy this magnificent castle before journeying back to Galway via the Inagh valley, including a stop on the Quiet Man Bridge.

From Galway: Castles of Connemara Full-Day Tour

3. From Galway: Castles of Connemara Full-Day Tour

First, visit Aughnanure Castle, a particularly well-preserved example of an Irish tower house. Find the remains of a banqueting hall, a watch tower, an unusual double bawn and bastions and dry harbour.  Stop in the quaint village of Oughterard with its thatched cottage pub for a short coffee break. Continue with stops at the Quiet Man Bridge and the legendary Connemara Giant and on through the desolate Inagh Valley. The next castle stop is Kylemore Abbey, now a Benedictine monastery. The next few hours are up to you to explore this romantic abbey, its Victorian walled gardens and Gothic church.  After the break, head to the capital of Connemara, the colourful market town of Clifden. En route (weather permitting), join the famous Sky Road (part of the Wild Atlantic Way) viewing the ruins of Clifden castle and taking in the panoramic views.  Then, explore Ballynahinch Castle and the estate grounds including the newly restored walled garden. Finally, make your way back through storybook villages. passing green fields marked by dry stone walls, and see sheep, cows, Connemara ponies and blanket bogs, before returning to Galway City.

From Galway: Cliffs of Moher and The Burren Full Day Tour

4. From Galway: Cliffs of Moher and The Burren Full Day Tour

Get back to nature on a day trip by bus from Galway to the Burren and Cliffs of Moher. Listen to your driver-guide share the history of Galway and the surrounding areas, as you journey through the infamous lunar-like landscapes of the Burren and its iconic limestone terrain. Depart from Galway and set out to visit Dunguaire Castle and see the former residence of the King of Connacht. Grab a photo with an Irish castle and take a tour through the underground cave at Aillwee Cave or relax and grab a coffee at the café.   Continue over Corkscrew Hill to arrive at the Cliffs of Moher, where you will have 1.5 hours to explore at your leisure. Experience a moment of magic as you stand atop the Cliffs of Moher facing the full force of the Wild Atlantic Way.   After visiting the cliffs, make your way to Doolin for a lunch stop before heading north up the Wild Atlantic Way coastal route back to Galway, offering a number of photo opportunities along the way.

Rail Tour: The Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle Tour

5. Rail Tour: The Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle Tour

Check in at Dublin Heuston Station at 6:40 AM to take the InterCity train service to Limerick. Upon arrival, join your coach bus and have a short tour of the treaty city, the setting for "Angela's Ashes". From there, head north to Bunratty Castle and Folk Village (admission included), then to a Doolin Pub for our traditional Irish lunch stop. Then, it's on to the majestic Cliffs of Moher on the country's wild Atlantic coast, one of Ireland's most famous and beautiful attractions.  After that, enter the unique lunar landscape of the Burren, rounding Black Head before heading along the shores of Galway Bay to reach Galway, the city of the tribes. After taking some time to take in this beautiful city, board our Dublin-bound train, arriving at Heuston Station at 9:00 PM.

Kylemore, Connemara & Wild Atlantic Way Private Day Tour

6. Kylemore, Connemara & Wild Atlantic Way Private Day Tour

Explore the rugged beauty of Connemara and the Wild Atlantic Way on the fully guided private day tour out of Galway City. Journey into the 12 Bens Mountains before visiting the jewel of Connemara, Kylemore Abbey, and Kitchen Gardens. Get down and dirty on a working sheep farm before visiting one of Ireland's national monuments, the old cottage of the patriot, Padraig Pearse, and the interpretative center. Experience the stunning views of the Connemara Coastal Route.

Galway: Cliffs of Moher Cruise, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

7. Galway: Cliffs of Moher Cruise, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

Meet and greet and depart Galway 9.00am Wander around the historic Bunratty Castle and Folk Park 1pm Lunch in Doolin 2pm Cruise departure to view Sea cave from Harry Potter, the Great stack, Europe's largest seabird colony, splendid views of the Burren, Galway Bay and Aran Islands. Get up close and personal! Return route via the Burren National Park Arrive Galway 6.30pm

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What people are saying about Galway

Overall rating

4.2 / 5

based on 1,198 reviews

I am irish and have been to these places many times throughout childhood. However my 6 year old son and husband (who is American) have not. I picked this railtours as it was great value for money and we could see lots without having to rent a car or book accommodation and it was also child friendly. The guide was great he had loads of knowledge ,and we got to see loads in one day! I'm also 6 months pregnant, and it was great that there was loads of time to rest between each excursion due to the coaches and the time being allocated well at each place we visited. Every route the driver took had lots to see along the way also and the tour guide filled in about lots of the history. As someone who's irish, it's great to go on a tour that presents ireland in a way that made me proud and I'll recommend railtours to family and friends. Go raibh maith agat agus beannachtaí !

Linda experiencia, con paisajes hermosos y paradas en lugares simplemente bellos. La abadía parece que fuera poca cosa, pero es gigante y te toma mucho tiempo. Nuestro guía fue genial! Se ve más caro que otros tour, pero consideren el ingreso a la abadía.

John B. was a great guide! It was a very nice trip, the cliffs were amazing, but we could use a little more time on the cliffs and it would also be nice to see Doolin, not just stop for a quick lunch.

Well-timed, informative, and many amazing stops along the way that aren’t listed!! Such a beautiful tour I could easily do it again.

John was great and made the tour more fun! Definitely worth every penny.