3 Days in Galway, Ireland

Galway is one of those classic Irish cities that ends up on most people’s itineraries. Perfectly placed to explore the Wild Atlantic Way, after a visit to this city, you will see why it has charmed so many people. While I mostly visited Galway to see the sights around it like the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara, the city is also worth spending some time exploring.

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Getting to Galway

By Car Galway has fantastic access to Dublin, making it a popular place for people to visit on a trip to Ireland. By car, Galway to Dublin is just over 2 hours of driving. Other popular places like Killarney (almost 3 hrs), Cork (3 hrs), and Belfast (4 hrs), are also well within driving distance to Galway.

Train and Bus If you are using transit to get around Ireland, Galway is a great place because of the ease of getting buses to the city and because there are plenty of tours that start in Galway. You can check bus timetables here and the train timetables here.

Dublin is the most convenient place to access Galway using public transit. The train between Dublin and Galway will be your quickest option, it’s only 2.5 hours. Using the bus, it’s 3 hours between Dublin and Galway.

From Killarney, the bus is going to be the quickest way to get to Galway, but it does take over 5 hours and isn’t a direct route.

Cork has direct buses to Galway which take over 4 hours. The train isn’t faster between Cork and Galway, it’s also just over 4 hours, but it will be much more comfortable than the bus and is guaranteed to have bathrooms.

Where to Stay in Galway

Galway isn’t an overly large city and it is easy enough to get around using buses if you are traveling without a car. When I visited, I was using public transit and tours only and still found it best to stay in the Salthill area of Galway.

Salthill is outside the main city area of Galway but it offers great views of the Atlantic and it’s nice to be able to walk along the Salthill Promenade and beaches. If you have a car, it’s nice to not deal with the traffic in the city core. Because it’s a popular place to stay, most tour buses will also schedule pickups for this area.

Salthill Hotel– This is a fantastic location to stay in Salthill with some rooms having views over the bay.

Sea Breeze Lodge B&B– This beautiful B&B looks out over Galway Bay. The rooms are large and king-size beds are available. A full Irish breakfast is included and this is the perfect place to stay for an Irish bed and breakfast experience.

The Nest Boutique Hostel– Located right in Salthill this hostel is not what typically comes to mind when you think hostel. There are private rooms with private bathrooms here as well as shared dormitory-style rooms. The rooms are beautifully appointed and it’s a more affordable option than many places in Galway.

Where to Eat in Galway

Galway is known for its pubs with live music and there is certainly plenty to explore around Eyre Square. Being right on the ocean and having the fishing village of Claddagh right here, there is plenty of seafood on the menu. Ireland is quite vegan and vegetarian-friendly and almost all the restaurants and pubs had a veggie option. Galway is a foodie city so if you’re looking to get a taste of everything, you may want to consider joining a food tour of Galway or take yourself on a self-guided pub crawl to the best pubs in Galway.

Oslo Bar– Oslo Bar is located in Salthill and is home to the Galway Bay Brewery. Its claim to fame is being the first and only microbrewery in the city. They have plenty of Irish beer on tap. In addition to having great beer on tap, they also serve up delicious food here. The menu has something for everyone with vegan and vegetarian options.

The Front Door– This Irish pub is located in the Latin Quarter of Galway so it’s convenient to stop in after sightseeing in the city or on a day trip. This two-story pub is a great place to pick up some pub food, with vegetarian and vegan options available. In addition to a yummy veggie burger, they also serve up really great pie. There’s live music and lots of cozy seating.

Dough Bros– Delicious pizza with two convenient locations in Galway. This is the place to go if you are looking for a good pizza in Galway. They make their pizza with local cheese and they have both vegetarian and vegan options.

Itinerary for Galway

For Galway, I would budget at least 2 full days to do sightseeing outside of Galway and at least half a day to see sights in Galway. Galway is perfectly placed to explore some of Ireland’s top sights including the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara National Park. Both are fantastic destinations. In the evenings, Galway is a great place to try Irish cuisine and explore the local pub scene.

You can do this itinerary without a rental car by making use of guided tours and public transit. Having a car will give you a lot more flexibility in your stops and timing. It is especially useful if you are trying to plan around the weather as the Cliffs of Moher are a lot nicer with good visibility.

Three Days in Galway, Ireland

Day 1: Arrive in Galway by early afternoon and explore the city
Day 2: Day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Day 3: Day trip to Connemara and Cong
Day 4: Depart in the morning after a traditional Irish breakfast. If you have extra time, explore along the Salthill Promenade

Day 1: Best Things to Do in Galway, Ireland

This itinerary mostly focuses on the day trips that you can do from Galway so it’s limited to spending just a single day in Galway city. It’s a bit of a whirlwind visit to the city but you can see many of the top sights of Galway in a day.

Spanish Arch and Latin Quarter

After arriving to Galway, head to the Spanish Arch and Latin Quarter. The streets here are definitely quite touristy, but they are nice pedestrian streets. This area is probably the most beautiful in the city.

The Spanish Arch is a leftover from the medieval walls around Galway. It’s not the most picturesque arch I’ve seen but it has a bit of interesting history. In 1755 it was partially damaged from the resulting tsunami from the Lisbon earthquake.

Before exploring the Latin Quarter, you may want to walk outside of the Spanish Arch and across the bridge to get the iconic picture of Galway Harbour. The houses alongside the street known as The Long Walk make for a beautiful photo but you need to be across the River Corrib to really get a good one. There’s a pedestrian walking area just off of Father Griffin Rd that gives you the perfect photo opportunity for this.

The Latin Quarter is the place to shop if you are looking for a Claddagh ring. Galway is home to the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, where the ring originated from. It’s been produced in Galway since 1700 and is now mostly worn by people to celebrate their Irish heritage. The hands, heart, and crown on the ring symbolize friendship, love, and loyalty.

Galway Cathedral

From the Latin Quarter, walk to the Galway Cathedral. On the walk, you can see the river and maybe even some salmon if you’re there at the right time of year. You will also see the Salmon Weir Bridge, the oldest surviving bridge across the River Corrib. It was built in 1818 and was built to link the courthouse with the jail, where the cathedral now stands.

The Galway Cathedral is right near the River Corrib and is an imposing building. It’s not to everyone’s taste though as the outside of the building has been called ugly by some of it’s critics. It’s the newest stone cathedral in Europe, it was only completed in 1965. It’s worth taking a look inside. Galway Cathedral has some really beautiful paintings and mosaics.

Galway University

If you still have time, a short walk from the Galway Cathedral is the National University of Ireland Galway. It really does look like something out of Harry Potter. The Quadrangle with the Great Hall (Aula Maxima) is a replica of Christ Church college at Oxford and is the oldest part of the university.

End your day by enjoying some Irish food and walking along the Salthill Promenade.

Day 2: Day Trip to Cliffs of Moher from Galway

On your second day, set out to see one of the top sights in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher. If you have a car it is easy enough to drive to. Otherwise, there are plenty of Cliffs of Moher tours that are often combined with a trip to see the Burren. I joined this tour and loved all the stops we had. Before visiting Galway I had never heard of the Burren before. It’s well worth a visit though, it’s an otherworldly landscape.

Dunguaire Castle

The first stop of the day was at Dunguaire Castle. Just for a quick look around, this castle was built in the 16th century and looks like the classic-style of castle that children would draw or build-out of sand.

Burren National Park

After Dunguaire Castle, head towards Burren National Park. Burren National Park actually gets its name from the Irish word Boíreann, which means rocky place. And indeed when you arrive, you will see that it is very rocky indeed. It almost looks like the surface of the moon. This unique landscape is full of plants that can only be found in this area as well as sights like dolmen – megalithic tombs.

Driving on the R480 road, you will begin to see the large rock covered hills of the Burren. The first stop here is at the Ballyalban Ringfort. You just need a quick stop here to see the large earthen mounds that were at one point, a defensive wall. If you have enough time in your schedule, the nearby Ailwee Cave is also an option for stopping.

Just after the ringfort is the Poulnabrone Dolmen, which for me, was a huge draw to the Burren area. This large dolmen dates to the Neolithic period between  4200 BC and 2900 BC, which makes it even older than the Pyramids of Giza. Dolmens are burial sites and when Poulnabrone was excavated, they found 33 skeletons. Besides the dolmen, this area is also known for unique orchids and it feels really interesting to walk around and experience.

After the Burren, stop in the cute town of Doolin for lunch. After a bite to eat, head to the main sight of the day, the Cliffs of Moher.

Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher, or the Cliffs of Insanity if you’re a Princess Bride fan, are one of the most popular day trips from Dublin or Galway. Given that, it’s often quite busy with other tourists. Crowds aside, it’s big enough you can get some space to yourself and lots of great views.

I would give at least 2 hours to explore the cliffs as well as the museum in the visitor centre. You should also be sure to climb up to O’Brien’s Tower where you can see as far as the Aran Islands and mountains in the distance. The cliffs are 214 m (702 feet) tall and from the top, it definitely feels like the Atlantic Ocean is far away. If you visit the Cliffs of Moher from April to late July, you may get to see some of the more than 7,000 puffins that breed on the cliffside.

When you are done with exploring the Cliffs of Moher, drive along the coast for great views of the Wild Atlantic Way before returning to Galway for the night.

Day 3: Day Trip to Connemara National Park from Galway

I really didn’t know what to expect out of Connemara National Park. Before researching this trip, I had never heard of it before but the pictures of it intrigued me. Connemara ended up being my favourite day trip from Galway, beating out the Cliffs of Moher. Connemara just feels a bit more wild and sort of feels similar to Killarney National Park.

I joined a tour from Galway to visit the sights of the day, this tour takes in most of the sights I saw.

Unfortunately, the weather when I visited was a bit drizzly and cloudy, so you definitely will want to go prepared for the rain. Despite the weather, I still had a fantastic time exploring Connemara.

Hike at Mamean

The first stop of the day was hiking to the chapel at Mamean. Mamean is a pilgrimage site in the Maumturk mountains. With only two hours you can hike as far as the chapel just to get a view of the mountains that surround you in the pass. According to the stories, Mamean pass was used by St. Patrick to preach and spread Christianity in the area. The altar rock here was also used as a place to practice religion when Roman Catholicism was outlawed in the 1800s. You don’t need to be religious to enjoy this hike though, the area is beautiful.

Visit Kylemore Abbey

After Mamean, head towards Kylemore Abbey. Depending on your interests, either spend a couple of hours here and tour the grounds or just make a quick photo stop. Kylemore Abbey was built in 1868 as a private home. It wasn’t until 1920 that it was changed into a Benedictine Monastery. It actually was operating as a school until 2010. Now, you can visit and tour the Victorian gardens that are on site. Budget about 2 hours for visiting here.

After Kylemore Abbey, drive-by Killary Fjord and Lough Corrib on your way to Cong. Both offer fantastic views. Lough Corrib is the largest lake in Ireland and has hundreds of islands.

Cong and Ashford Castle

While Cong isn’t part of Connemara, it is well worth visiting on your day trip. This adorable village has several sights worth seeing. In Cong, visit the ruins of Cong Abbey. This ruined abbey was built in the 13th century and was used until the 1500s before falling into ruin.

A good short walk is in the Cong Forest. There are many small caves in Cong Forest including Pigeon Hole Cave and Priest’s Cave. You can even descend into Pigeon Hole Cave using the stone steps to go to the bottom of it. The Teach Aille cave was apparently used for food storage by monks as it keeps a cool temperature year round due to the river running below it.

Cong Forest is very close to Ashford Castle, one of Ireland’s most famous castles that you can actually stay at. It’s worth a quick view before heading back towards Galway for the night.

Visiting Galway, Ireland

Galway is a great option to add to your Ireland itinerary, especially if you are doing a short trip. It’s perfect for exploring both the city life and natural scenery that Ireland is famous for. It makes for a nice contrast with other cities like Cork, Kilkenny, or Killarney.

Its location on the Wild Atlantic Way makes it perfect for exploring some of the landscapes that Ireland is famous for. As a city, Galway has a very upbeat vibe and lots of delicious food options that make it a good base for exploring the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara National Park. There’s plenty to do here so you could easily spend longer than two days in Galway if you have the time.

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