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From Galway: Guided Tour of Connemara and Extended Visit to National Park
4.8
485 Ratings
Galway
Our distinctive Connemara Day Tour comprises of a 3 hour interval allowing tourists to traverse the over 3000 hectares of the Connemara National Park, all while experiencing the best parts of Connemara on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Our distinctive Connemara Day Tour comprises of a 3 hour interval allowing tourists to traverse the over 3000 hectares of the Connemara National Park, all while experiencing the best parts of Connemara on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- The Claddagh - Departing Galway we head out via The Claddagh, home of the famous Claddagh Ring.
- Salthill Promenade - On our left the Salthill Promenade and Galway Bay.
- Barna - First little village on our tour, Barna. Once a thriving fishing village.
- Spiddal - ‘An Spidéal’ meaning ‘The Hospital’ in Irish. Spiddal marks the start of…
- The Claddagh - Departing Galway we head out via The Claddagh, home of the famous Claddagh Ring.
- Salthill Promenade - On our left the Salthill Promenade and Galway Bay.
- Barna - First little village on our tour, Barna. Once a thriving fishing village.
- Spiddal - ‘An Spidéal’ meaning ‘The Hospital’ in Irish. Spiddal marks the start of the ‘Gealtacht’ or Irish speaking area.
- Costelloe - Once home to Bruce Ismay, CEO of White Star Lines and Titanic survivor.
- Screebe - A quick photostop at the picturesque little waterfall.
- Connemara - We travel through the bog lands of Connemara, formed over millions of years,
- Clifden - Founded in 1812 by John D’Arcy and referred to as ‘the Capital of Connemara’ also home to the annual Connemara Pony Show,
- Clifden Castle - This ruined manor house was built in early 19th century by John D’Arcy, founder of Clifden.
- Sky Road - Renowned worldwide for heart stopping twists and turns, the Sky Road swoops and soars above the Atlantic Ocean. One of the ‘Discovery Points’ on the Wild Atlantic Way.
- Connemara National Park & Visitor Centre - Our main stop on this tour, you now have 3 hours to explore the 3000+ hectares of mountain, bog, grasslands and woodlands.
- Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden - A quick photostop at Kylemore Abbey. Built in the 1860’s by Mitchell Henry as a wedding gift to his wife Margaret.
- Quiet Man Bridge - A photo on The Quiet Man Bridge, used in the 1960’s movie of the same name, is a must for all John Wayne fans.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Driver/guide
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Live commentary on board
- 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
- 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
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Merchants Road
Tour departs: Merchants Road, Galway outside the Kinlay Hostel, H91 F2KT at 09:30.
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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(485 Ratings)
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Janice_d
Sep 14, 2024
Beautiful, even on a rainy day! - Beautiful scenery along the Sky Road! Our driver Mike was very knowledgeable about the area and gave us plenty of time to get out and take photos. It was a bit rainy and windy, so our entire group opted to tour the Kylemore Abney instead of the park. The Abbey, Gothic Cathedral, and the gardens were all worth the visit. We enjoyed the day!
Review provided by Viator
Leta_f
Sep 6, 2024
Don't miss this tour - Great tour guide, Jerry. He is full of knowledge. We loved this tour. Sheepdog demonstration is definitely worth the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Nabil_a
Sep 5, 2024
Fantastic Connemara Tour - Challenging Hike, Amazing Views! - We had a wonderful experience on our tour from Galway to Connemara. Our driver, Brandon, was incredibly safe and cautious on the roads, which made for a relaxing trip. Our guide, Paddy, was a wealth of knowledge—if you're interested in learning Irish, this is the perfect tour! While we weren't learning Irish ourselves, Paddy’s passion for the language and history shone through as he explained how Irish words tied into the landscapes, landmarks, and even local events as we made our way to Connemara. His insights into Irish history were fascinating, and the stops along the way were well-timed and appropriate.
The true highlight of the tour was, without a doubt, Connemara National Park. You have two options here, but we were set on hiking Diamond Hill, so we didn’t even consider visiting the Abbey. The hike was tough, even with the best weather—no rain and dry paths—yet it still felt challenging, especially near the top. It gets steep, and we often had to use our hands to keep our balance. Be prepared for strong winds that could easily throw you off balance, making proper hiking boots essential.
However, all the effort was worth it because the views from the top were nothing short of breathtaking. One piece of feedback: we felt that 3 hours at the park wasn’t enough. We took our time ascending but had to rush down to catch the bus.
Overall, I highly recommend this tour. We'd definitely do it again!
Review provided by Viator
Bellevue1
Aug 25, 2024
Excellent tour to see Connemara - Tour to Connemara meet in fromt of Kinlay Hostel.
We had a choice for our main stop (3 hours), either Connemara National Park or Kylemore Abbey.
We chose Kylemore because the weather was rainy.
The tour made several small stops about 5 min each and 20 min in Clifden
We enjoyed the tour despite of the not so great weather
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meghan_h
Aug 21, 2024
Core memory - We booked the 3 hr stop at conemarra, but when we got there it had started to rain, and we realized we didn't have warm enough clothing or enough water to hike. The same your bus goes to kylemore and you can decide at the end where you want to spend your time, so we did the abbey instead and did not regret it! The people who hiked said it briefly hailed on them. The abbey is situated in one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen. No regrets.
Review provided by Viator
Ryan
Aug 20, 2024
Unique experience - What a tour! Beautiful views and a great hike. We loved exploring the park and nearby stops. Thanks to Mike for a wonderful vacation trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dreamer04623764638
Jul 30, 2024
Fantastic experience - The tour is perfect for taking beautiful photos and the guide was amazing. He gave us a lot of information about Ireland and seemed really keen to get to know the culture of his country. This tour reconciled us with the organized tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_s
Jul 11, 2024
Fun and scenic day! - My family and I had a great time on this tour with Mike who was an excellent driver! We learned a lot about Connemara and got to stop at several very cool locations. We even got to feed some sheep! We decided to do the hike and it was very scenic. We had time for a leisurely lunch at the café in the national park as well. It was a great way to hike in Ireland without having to drive out to the national park yourself, especially because my family and I did not have a car. It was a great day, I highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Matthiasso7545dg
Jul 9, 2024
Great experience - It was a great experience that gave us a tour of the Connemara region and informed us of many facts along the way to our destination. Mike the driver was very nice and I recommend this tour to anyone wanting to tour the large region to get the best experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cheryl_k
Sep 11, 2024
Beautiful day hiking Diamond Hill, Connamera - Wonderful tour, great guide and driver. They made a few photo stops along the drive which was nice instead of trying to get pictures flying by on a bus.
You have to choose between two options on this tour, the abbey, or the national park. We chose to hike in Connamera National Park. Just a note, there is no stop for lunch on this tour. You do stop in a small town where you can go to a grocery store and purchase sandwiches etc. we were encouraged to do this and regretted it as we then had to carry the food on our hike, when instead there is a cafe at the park where you could buy simple food. If we had been better prepared, we would have brought a bigger backpack and brought our own lunch. I wish the tour description would have been more clear on this beforehand.
There are 3 trails at the park, we did the longest summit trail and had enough time to complete it and have a picnic lunch. If you plan on doing the summit hike wear good hiking shoes, and extra warm layers if u hike in cooler months. It was very cold and windy at the top, thankfully the rain held off or it would have been a very treacherous climb up uneven slippery rocks. But there are beautiful views, sheep roaming around, and the freshest air.
We did have a chance to view the abbey after we were picked up at the park, you can’t go in if u chose the hiking option, but you can get a lovely picture of the abbey.
I would give this tour 5 starts except I think the company could improve on tour details prior to the start of the trip, such as the lunch situation, more details on the hike, what to bring etc.
Review provided by Viator
