Connemara Day Tour: Explore Kylemore Abbey & Gardens

The Connemara Day Tour departing from Galway offers a selection of a 3-hour primary stop:
Option 1: Spend 3 hours exploring the Connemara National Park.
Option 2: Enjoy 3 hours at Kylemore Abbey and the Victorian Walled Garden.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Galway - The tour vehicle departs from Merchants Road, Galway, right outside the Kinlay Hostel at 09:30. Please arrive 15 minutes before departure.
  • The Claddagh - As you turn left into the Claddagh, you’ll see St. Mary’s Church on your right, a Dominican Church for nearly 500 years. The Claddagh Ring, a traditional wedding ring from the…
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Driver / guide
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Live commentary on board
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Entry to Kylemore Abbey - Tickets can be purchased from the driver at discounted rates, cash only.
  • Hotel Pickup
Additional Information
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Merchants Road
Tour departs: Merchants Road, Galway outside the Kinlay Hostel, H91 F2KT at 09:30. Tour vehicle will have 'Wild Atlantic Way Day Tours' branding. Please present 15 minutes prior to departure. Tour returns: Merchants Road, Galway at 18:30
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(130 Ratings)
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803kathleenn
Nov 15, 2024
If you're in Galway, Must See: Connemara and Kylemore Abbey - This day trip was the highlight of my visit to Ireland. The driver and guide, Mike, was a local farmer who was earning extra income to enlighten visitors about his home in the Galway/Connemara area. The tour bus was smaller so there were no more than 15 people. People either chose to visit Connemara National Park or Kylemore Abbey. The tour begins in the morning at 9:30 from downtown Galway and ends at about 6:00 p.m. at the same point. There are several photo stops before the first debarkation in Clifden. Mike enlightened us about the history of Connemara, its towns, and shared folklore. It is almost 2 hours to the first stop in Clifden, where restroom facilities, coffee, etc. are available. Then on to more photo stops and Connemara National Park. We arrived there around noon, and passengers visiting the park left. They had 3 hours to explore. It was another 10-15 minutes to Kylemore Abbey where the remaining passengers got off. I chose Kylemore Abbey and am so glad I did. We had 3 hours to tour the estate. Mike suggested how we could make the most of our time. He suggested starting with the Victorian walled gardens by using the shuttle bus. Because of the vastness of the estate, you could easily lose track of time and not see everything within the 3 hours. When you arrive at the gardens, you see the Connemara ponies and the cafe/restaurant. Darwyn was very kind to talk about their history and current uses on the estate. From there, you can go directly to the walled Victorian gardens or meander through the woodland path to enter them or just continue on the path and return. I visited in 1997 before the Victorian walled gardens were restored. They are a site to behold! Incredible effort to honor the design of the Henrys, while providing vegetables, fruits, herbs for the kitchen and their cooking. There is a greenhouse/conservatory, a fern woodland walk, and so much more. Then, I took the shuttle bus (which comes every 10-15 minutes) back to the entrance. It is a short walk to the abbey. The downstairs is open to visitors with a film introducing the history of the estate. They cleverly have guests traveling one way throughout the building to avoid bottlenecks. Upstairs, is for the Benedictine nuns and not available for visitation. The abbey is decorated in the period that it would have been during the Henry's time in the mid 19th century complete with full dinner service. When you're finished viewing the abbey, you're rewarded with gorgeous views of the lake. From there, you can visit the gothic church. It was being restored and I chose not to visit, instead going to the cafe and gift shop. I had just enough time to browse, have a cup of tea, and return to the assembly point by 4:00. We arrived back at 5:45 p.m. in Galway. It was a memorable day made all the more special by our guide Mike. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joannesn8949js
Nov 12, 2024
Excellent Tour - Wonderful experience. Michael, our guide, was knowledgeable with respect to history as well as the natural beauty of the area. The 3 hour stop at Kylemore was perfect, as was the lunch! All this, and a reasonable price, made this a memorable part of our trip to Ireland.
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Gregsoncraig
Nov 4, 2024
Paddy and Pavel’s 5 Star Tour. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Paddy, our Tour Guide had an encyclopedic knowledge of Ireland. From Irish language and mythology to the history and geography of the Emerald Isle, no stone was left unturned. Our Driver Pavel, was safe and courteous throughout our comprehensive tour. Thank you both so much for the memories!
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Maissarab2022
Oct 30, 2024
Great day in Connemara with Mike ! - We did the Connemara Day Tour with Mike on the 28th of October 2024 and even though the weather wasn't optimal (cloudy, foggy and a little rainy), we had such a great time ! Mike is a mine of information about the Connemara region, its history, and as a farmer also provided us with all the specifities of the land and cattle, overall things that one would miss on if they were to do the drive on their own. He was always pointing things left and right and it was exciting to discover all the hidden gems of the region. Because of the weather we opted for the 3 hour stop in Kylemore Abbey (but you could also choose to spend your 3 hours hiking in Connemara) and really enjoyed being able to walk around and visit at our own pace, taking in the unique scenery created by the fog. Thank you Mike and Wild Atlantic Way Day Tours !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dan_b
Oct 17, 2024
Best Tour I Have Been on in Ireland, Don’t Miss! - I have been on a number of tours in Ireland, to include the Aran Islands/Cliff of Mohr tour just the day prior. I have found all to be good, but this tour was exceptional. The Tour Guide Mike was tremendous, personable, friendly, knowledgeable, and had a good sense of humor. I almost cancelled this tour the day prior having been on the Aran/Cliffs of Mohr Tour because I wondered if another countryside tour would be as interesting. I am so glad I did not. The views from the Coach were along a different route and were tremendous, better than the day prior, and Mike’s comments regarding same was really, really good. It was a great day!
Review provided by Viator
Jordanhollyy
Oct 14, 2024
A beautiful day trip - A wonderful day and a great opportunity to see outside of the city if you’re like us and didn’t rent a car. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, and the tour is set at an ideal pace, with plenty of time at Kylemore abbey and lots of short stops along the way for photo ops and such.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brenna_m
Oct 8, 2024
Step back into history - Kylemore abbey is like stepping back into time and Sky Road provides gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean - a very well spent day. The guides are informative, friendly and fun.
Review provided by Viator
Carol_v
Sep 26, 2024
Tour of an amazing site with a warm and knowledgeable guide - The gardens at the Abby were glorious, even in September! Our driver Mike shared so many interesting stories of the region. He loves his country and wanted to share all the special places with all of us.
Review provided by Viator
Sherpa03926980496
Sep 20, 2024
Wonderful day - Very interesting. Beautiful location . Lots to see. Gardens where very beautiful.lots of little stops on the way. Loved Cifton.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
650makaylaw
Sep 15, 2024
Great addition to a stop in Galway and would have loved more time at the Kylemore Abbey. - We did not regret this excursion whatsoever and it was a great addition to our Galway visit. We definitely needed a little longer than 3 hours, but it is doable. What didn't help was the long lines for food. Great food though so it was worth it. I definitely suggest this for anyone staying in Galway, the city isn't that big and takes only a day or so to explore so this would be the perfect addition for a multi-day trip!
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December 2024
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