Discover the ultimate travel guide for Galway, Ireland, featuring top attractions, cozy pubs, and scenic spots in this fully detailed post.

Galway, known as the “Gateway to Connemara,” is a vibrant coastal city on Ireland’s west coast, offering easy access to the stunning landscapes of Connemara’s mountains, bogs, and rugged coastline.

Stepping into Galway feels like entering a storybook where cobblestone streets hum with music, laughter, and the salty scent of the nearby Atlantic.

This vibrant city, with its colorful shop fronts and warm Irish charm, invites you to slow down, savor every moment, and lose yourself in its timeless magic.

My husband and I included this music filled Irish city in our late summer 2024 Ireland road trip itinerary.

Truth be told, I didn’t do much research on visiting this city before arriving ;0.

I knew my guitar playing Irish husband would want to make the focus of our Galway visit the fiddles and guitars heard from every pub doorway with the promise of impromptu music sessions.

And that is exactly what we experienced ~ with a little bit of sightseeing thrown in there too :).

This Galway travel guide will hopefully help you plan your own stop on this west coast city on the Emerald Isle.

In a rush?

The Little Details

Maps

HOW TO USE THIS MAP:

Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers of the map and names of places included. You can click the check marks to hide or show the layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information from each point of interest.

If you click the little star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To view the map on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the ‘menu’ button, go to ‘Saved’ on a computer and ‘You’ then ‘Saved’ on phone, click ‘Maps,’ and you will see this map on your list.

---

---

How to Get to Galway

Most international visitors fly into Dublin Airport or Shannon Airport.

Dublin Airport is the busiest hub, offering more international flights but Shannon Airport is closer to Galway, providing a shorter journey however has fewer flight options.

We flew our favorite British Airways nonstop flight from San Diego to London and then took an easy up and down jump over to Shannon Airport via BA’s partner airline Aer Lingus.

Because our Irish road trip started with an 8pm arrival time at the Shannon Airport, we stayed close to the Shannon Airport that first night.

We rented a car from Hertz at the Shannon Airport and drove to Dromoland Castle Hotel for a one night stay.

I am not kidding when I say, renting a car in the small(ish) Shannon Airport was one of the easiest places we have picked up a rental car in Europe ;0.

There are multiple car rental companies to choose from at this airport. You can see all your options to work within your own budget here.

The fee for returning the car at the Dublin airport was minimal too which made our one way rental from Shannon airport to Dublin very convenient for our itinerary :).

And then we continued on to Galway the next morning with a stop at Cliffs of Moher along the way :).

Other options for getting to Galway from Dublin are train (book a Dublin to Galway train ticket on the Irish Rail website here) and bus (learn more at Citylink.com here).

Another option to get you from Dublin to Galway without renting a car is with the company Daytrip. We have used this company multiple times throughout the years and have found them to be extremely friendly and reliable.

If you choose this option, you will need to arrange tours or transportation to see the sights outside of the city limits like Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, or Kylemore Abbey.

How to Get Around Galway

Galway is an extremely pedestrian friendly city – no car is needed to see all the sights in this compact city.

Most likely you will be planning either day trips from Galway or are just stopping in Galway for a day or two during your Irish road trip and therefore will have your own rental car. Be aware that many hotels in the city centre have limited parking so be sure to communicate in advance with your accommodations to make sure you have this arranged.

Best Time of Year to Visit Galway

The best time to visit Galway is during late spring and summer (May to September) when the weather is mild.

During these months, you can enjoy outdoor activities like strolling along Salthill Promenade or exploring the scenic Connemara region with longer daylight hours.

For a quieter experience with fewer crowds, early autumn offers crisp weather and a cozy atmosphere perfect for savoring Galway’s charming pubs and cultural heritage.

Our late August 2024 visit surprisingly felt more like an early fall visit to us with many rainy or overcast days requiring sweaters and raincoats.

How Many Days You Need in Galway

To fully experience Galway, Ireland—its charming city center, cultural attractions, and nearby scenic destinations like Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, or the Aran Islands—plan to spend at least 3 days.

Money and Plug Details in Ireland

In Galway, Ireland, the currency is the Euro (€), and most places accept credit and debit cards, though it’s always handy to carry some cash for smaller establishments or tips.

It is recommended to use a BANK ATM machine once in the country you are traveling to to withdraw money out of your US (presumably) bank account. This is the least expensive way to handle bank fees and foreign exchange rates.

Be sure you are using a credit card with zero foreign transaction fees as those can add up!!

Ireland uses Type G plugs with a standard voltage of 230V and a frequency of 50Hz, so travelers from outside the UK and Ireland may need a plug adapter and potentially a voltage converter.

I bring this extension cord with me everywhere I travel and these adapters when traveling to the UK and Ireland.

Best Places to Stay in Galway

The g Hotel and Spa

While normally I try to stay right in the middle of a city center for convenience’s sake, this 5* hotel surprised me with it’s location about a mile walk along the Lough Atalia.

With very practical parking for your rental car (valet for a small daily fee or self parking for free), a delicious restaurant, and stunning views from many rooms – I can easily recommend staying at The g Hotel to all my favorite people ;0.

If you decide to stay out late in the Latin Quarter, you can easily take an inexpensive taxi back to the g Hotel. But truthfully – as a Gen X empty nester, nightlife is certainly not a priority to us.

Daytime live music sessions in Galway are super easy to come by also – making the one mile walk back to g Hotel, quite pleasant :).

Park House Hotel

If you prefer to be right in the heart of the city, the 4* Park House Hotel is your go to.

Odds are you will have a rental car with you while visiting Galway, so keep in mind the convenience of parking as well as getting in and out of the city when looking for where to rest your head at night in this destination :)>

The Galmont Hotel and Spa

The Galmont Hotel and Spa offers modern comfort and luxury, located just a short walk from Galway’s bustling city center and the scenic waterfront.

With an onsite car park, this 4* option will get you close to all the activity in town.

photos courtesy of The Galmont Hotel Instagram

Dromoland Castle Hotel

While not at all in Galway proper (actually it’s 45 miles/1 hour south to be exact), we have stayed at Dromoland Castle twice in the last decade and needed to let you know this castle hotel is an incredible property to stay at :).

For our August 2024 Irish itinerary, we stayed at Dromoland after flying in to Shannon Airport. If you will be following our road trip itinerary as well, I highly recommend this option as it allows a wonderful night’s rest before waking up the next day and driving to Galway with a Cliffs of Moher stop :).

Top Things to See and Do in Galway Ireland

Latin Quarter and Kirwan’s Lane

Stroll along the charming cobblestone streets, lined with colorful shopfronts, artisan boutiques, and lively pubs.

Kirwan’s Lane is a small medieval lane steeped in history, once home to Galway’s influential merchant families during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Also – don’t miss Quay and Shop Streets for unique gifts and local pubs with frequent trad (traditional Irish music) sessions.

Claddagh Ring Museum

The Claddagh Ring Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the history and craftsmanship behind Ireland’s iconic Claddagh ring.

Admission is free, and you’ll only need about 20–30 minutes to explore this small but charming museum.

Galway City Museum

The Galway City Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the history, art, and culture of Galway, with exhibits ranging from ancient artifacts to modern maritime heritage.

Admission is free, and you’ll need about 30 minutes to an hour to explore the museum at a leisurely pace.

Truthfully, we were walking around Galway and it started raining so we decided to pop in here for about 20 minutes and found that to be a perfect amount of time to see a few of the exhibits.

Eyre Square

The heart of Galway, this bustling square is perfect for people-watching, relaxing on a bench, or learning about the city’s history from its statues and monuments.

Crane Bar

A traditional music session (trad as the locals call it) at Crane Bar is an intimate and authentic experience, where talented local musicians gather to play traditional Irish tunes in a warm, cozy setting.

The lively atmosphere, filled with the sounds of fiddles and flutes, invites you to relax and soak in Galway’s rich musical heritage.

We were lucky enough to visit Crane Bar when a popular group of local musicians were gathering to celebrate the loss of one of their fellow musicians.

The daughter of the deceased musician was present and wrote a poem in memory of her dad. I kid you not – there wasn’t a dry eye in the pub…

After her, a young man got up to sing an Irish ballad that gave me honest to God goosebumps.

Our time at Crane Bar will truly be one of my most significant memories of our entire Irish adventure :).

Long Walk and The Spanish Arch

Take a peaceful stroll along the Long Walk, a picturesque promenade lined with colorful houses and offering beautiful views of Galway Bay.

The historic Spanish Arch is a 16th-century remnant of Galway’s medieval city walls, located near the lively Latin Quarter.

While all you can really do here is walk under the arch, it is a fun place for a couple of quick photos…

Galway Cathedral

You just can’t visit a country in Europe and not go into a church and Galway Cathedral is no exception :).

This stunning building combines Renaissance and Gothic architectural styles and features intricate mosaics and stained glass.

Galway Waterway Trails

After visiting the Galway Cathedral, make your way back to the city center (or Crane Bar!) via the Galway Waterway Trails.

The Galway Waterway Trails offer a serene and picturesque way to explore the city’s canals, rivers, and waterways, perfect for a leisurely stroll and an escape from the city street crowds.

Dunguaire Castle

While not in Galway city proper, if you are using our itinerary to explore the Wild Atlantic Way landscape of Ireland and flew into Shannon Airport, take the scenic route to drive past Dunguaire Castle after visiting Cliffs of Moher (don’t forget to stop at McGann’s Pub in Doolin too!) on your way to the city of Galway.

Even if you are not using our itinerary suggestion for a Wild Atlantic Way Irish road trip, this 16th century castle is a short 15-20 minute drive south with incredible views and worth your time :).

Day Trip Options: Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, Clifden, or the Aran Islands

Obviously (from previous mentions in this post) my recommendation for this trip is to fly into Shannon Airport, stay at Dromoland Castle for a night, and then continue on to Galway with stops at the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and the above Dunguaire Castle.

If you keep scrolling down to our actual itinerary for our 2024 Irish road trip, you will see that we did not use Galway as our base for visiting Kylemore Abbey and some of the more northern parts of the Wild Atlantic Way however I know that can be an option for you if you don’t want to move hotels for your own exploring of the west coast side of Ireland.

I will add here though that staying at a castle in Ireland was very high on my priority list for this trip. Ashford Castle was number one on my list of options thus staying at this perfectly located property in Connemara was ideal for my own perfect Ireland itinerary :).

HOW TO USE THIS MAP:

Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers of the map and names of places included. You can click the check marks to hide or show the layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information from each point of interest.

If you click the little star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To view the map on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the ‘menu’ button, go to ‘Saved’ on a computer and ‘You’ then ‘Saved’ on phone, click ‘Maps,’ and you will see this map on your list.

---

---

Ashford Castle is located a little bit closer to Kylemore Abbey and Clifden than Galway and if you can swing this in your budget – I cannot recommend it enough!!!

CLIFFS OF MOHER

Located about 45 miles and an easy 1.5 hour drive south of Galway, Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s most iconic natural wonders.

Standing 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, these breathtaking cliffs offer stunning views, walking trails, and a chance to experience the raw beauty of Ireland’s west coast.

No trip to Ireland would be complete without putting this on your itinerary.

All of my research prepared me for massive crowds and traffic at our anticipated arrival time of 2pm on our first full day on the Emerald Isle (August 24, 2024) however it was not nearly as bad as I was expecting…

While there was what appeared to be a long line of cars to get into the only car park for the area (which is also your entrance ticket fyi!), we were in the line of about 40 cars for less than 20 minutes.

I purchased our dated/timed ticket online here to possibly make our arrival more efficient but it seemed plenty of people were purchasing those tickets upon arrival at the car lot booths and there is not a designated line for prepurchased tickets anyway ;0.

Being that it was our first day in Ireland, I was surprised that “summer” weather in Ireland is what us Californians would consider cold in the 50’s ;0.

And even more surprised at how rain actually fell from the mostly blue skies 🤪.

Be sure to walk the trails on both sides of the pathway for different views of these majestic cliffs :). My husband and I both preferred the less crowded side to the left and enjoyed working on our photography skills more on that side :).

CLIFDEN, CLIFDEN CASTLE, AND SKY ROAD

CLIFDEN

A visit to Clifden, the charming “Capital of Connemara,” offers stunning coastal views, vibrant shops, and cozy cafés perfect for a relaxing day trip.

Just outside town, the Sky Road provides a breathtaking drive with panoramic vistas of rugged cliffs on the Atlantic Ocean.

This scenic route is a must-see for capturing the natural beauty of Galway’s countryside and is the one day trip we did actually take from Galway while staying there for 3 nights at the start of our itinerary :).

CLIFDEN CASTLE

Clifden Castle is a picturesque 19th-century ruined manor house located just outside of town where you can enjoy a scenic walk with breathtaking coastal and rolling green hill views – even in the rain!!

SKY ROAD

Driving this scenic loop near Clifden offers breathtaking views of the rugged coastline, sparkling Atlantic waters, and picturesque countryside.

With plenty of spots to stop and soak in the stunning vistas, this road is worth your time even if it is pouring down rain like it was on the day we visited in late August ;0.

KYLEMORE ABBEY

If you choose to not stay at Ashford Castle as I recommended above, Kylemore Abbey could still be done as another day trip from Galway.

It is 45 miles (about a 75 minute drive) from Galway city center.

Kylemore Abbey is a stunning 19th-century castle turned Benedictine monastery nestled in the Connemara countryside.

Visitors to the abbey can explore the beautifully restored Victorian walled gardens, serene woodland trails, and the abbey’s rich history.

For more information on visiting Kylemore Abbey, read this post detailing a visit to Connemara and driving the Wild Atlantic Way.

WILD ATLANTIC WAY

The Wild Atlantic Way stretches along Ireland’s western coastline, from County Donegal in the north to County Cork in the south, offering breathtaking views of rugged cliffs, charming villages, and coastal landscapes.

While there are 1000’s of stops to take along this 1,500 mile scenic journey, because we stayed in the northern end of Ireland for our August 2024 road trip, one of our favorite stops on the Wild Atlantic Way was the peaceful Quiet Man Bridge from the famous 1952 John Wayne movie ‘The Quiet Man’.

ARAN ISLANDS

The Aran Islands offer a charming glimpse into traditional Irish life, with stunning landscapes and ancient ruins to explore.

To reach the islands, take a ferry from Rossaveal, about a 45-minute drive from Galway city, or join a boat cruise that includes the Cliffs of Moher.

What to Wear in Ireland

For spring, late summer, or fall visits to Ireland, pack layers, including medium weight sweaters, a waterproof jacket, and sturdy walking shoes for changing weather.

Don’t forget a scarf and umbrella for added warmth and rain protection.

Our August 2024 Ireland Itinerary Day to Day Overview

DAY 1 | Fly from San Diego to Shannon via London on British Airways

DAY 2 | Arrive in Shannon 8:30pm | Drive to Dromoland Castle Hotel

DAY 3 | Drive to Galway with stops at Cliffs of Moher, McGann’s Pub in Doolin for lunch, Corkscrew Hill, Dunguaire Castle | Stay at The g Hotel and Spa for 3 nights

DAY 4 | Galway: Spanish Arch, City Museum, Long Walk, Galway Cathedral, Westend live music at Crane Bar

DAY 5 | Galway: day trip through Connemara with stops at The Quiet Man Bridge, Clifden for lunch at Guys Bar, then drive the Sky Road and explore Clifden Castle ~ spend night back in Galway

DAY 6 | Drive to Cong – stay at Ashford Castle

DAY 7 | Kylemore Abbey, drive from Leenane to Louisburgh

DAY 8 | Drive from Ashford Castle to Slieve League (3 hours) ~ spend night in Donegal at Lough Eske Castle

DAY 9 | Drive to Dublin with stop at Emerald Guitars in Donegal (3 hours) | Stay 4 nights at The Westbury Dublin

DAY 10 | Dublin: Kilmainhaul Gaol Museum, St Patrick’s Cathedral, wander streets of Temple Bar, Christ Church, live music at Cobblestone Bar, St Stephen’s Park, shopping on Grafton Street

DAY 11 | Dublin: Trinity College, Coldplay concert

DAY 12 | Dublin: Guinness Brewery tour, Roe & Co Irish Whiskey Distillery tour, dinner at The Hairy Lemon

DAY 13 | Fly Dublin to San Diego via London on British Airways

I hope you found this Galway Ireland travel guide helpful in planning your own Irish adventure.

Galway offers a perfect blend of rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning natural beauty, making it an ideal destination for a memorable getaway.

Whether you’re exploring the city’s charming streets or venturing into the surrounding landscapes, Galway’s warmth and charm will leave a lasting impression.

Did you find this post useful? Pin it to your boards – just click the Pin button in the upper right corner!

Life is short, the world is wide.

I want to make some memories.

~Mamma Mia

Don’t miss any of my tips, inspiration, or stories! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

As always, I love hearing from you!!

I make every effort to reply to every comment below. But if for some reason I missed it – please feel free to contact me here.

Have a wonderful day my friend! I hope something makes you smile today ;).