Galway Cathedral
90 minutesThe Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, built of local limestone, begun in 1958 and completed in 1965. Stained glass, a mosaic of the Crucifixion and a large dome.
County Galway
Galway & Connemara
Galway and Connemara are usually treated as two stops. We plan them as one region with two centres: the city for the harbour, the music and the food, and the country west of it for the mountains, the coast and the roads in between.
Shown as a place we design programmes around, not a package to buy. Access, opening times and site arrangements change — we build the final route around your group, your dates and your interests.
County
County Galway
Getting there
Irish Rail from Heuston, about two and a half hours. Booking a few days ahead gives the better prices.
On this page
7 places we actually use, with the time we give each one.
Why we route through it
The city is compact enough to cross on foot and takes about ninety minutes with a private guide. What we build around is the Latin Quarter and the Long Walk — the street of coloured shopfronts along the water — and the Spanish Arch at the top of it. Traditional music in the city is most likely to be found in a pub session rather than on a stage, which is worth arranging rather than hoping for.
West of the city the country changes completely. Connemara National Park is granite and bog with few trees, the roads are narrow, and the light changes faster than the weather does. We use a private driver rather than a coach, because the places worth stopping at are not the ones a coach can pull up to.
What we actually use
The places, and how long we give each
The Latin Quarter and the Long Walk
90 minutesRows of brightly coloured shopfronts along the water's edge, ending at the Spanish Arch. We time this for late afternoon, when the colour comes out in the shopfronts.
Kylemore Abbey
A nineteenth-century castle on the lake at the heart of Connemara, with a Gothic revival interior and Victorian walled gardens. The walk up from the road takes about fifteen minutes.
Diamond Hill Lower Loop
2 to 3 hoursA lower loop on the flank of Diamond Hill with open views over the mountains and the coast. Weather-dependent, and we swap it for the coast on a bad day.
The Sky Road at Clifden
The highest of the coastal viewpoints, looking west over the islands and the open Atlantic. Best in the late afternoon.
Coastal boat from Connemara
3 to 4 hoursA private boat along the shoreline for seals, dolphins and seabirds, with local maritime history on the way and oysters on board.
Fly fishing at Ballynahinch Estate
Salmon and sea trout on the estate rivers with an expert ghillie. No experience needed and all equipment is provided; we use it on the Kerry and Galway legs of the luxury route.
Getting there
Dublin to Galway
Irish Rail from Heuston, about two and a half hours. Booking a few days ahead gives the better prices.
Galway to Connemara
About an hour by road to Kylemore, and a little further to Clifden.
On the ground
The city centre is walkable; a taxi rank sits outside the railway station for the onward drive. We use a private driver for the country.
When to go
May to September
The busy season for the coast road and the boat trips, and the months when the walks are most reliable.
Wind
The coast wind picks up even on warm days. We tell people to bring a jacket they can put on and off rather than one they can only wear.
Worth knowing
Where we stay
We usually use a hotel on the bay for the city nights, and a large private estate in Connemara when the route continues west. The specific properties are confirmed with your dates and are not fixed suppliers.
Boat trips
Coastal and fishing trips need a settled forecast. We hold the day flexible and keep the mountain walks as the alternative.
Also consider
Private journey
Luxury Ireland: Castles, Golf & Premium Experiences
A ten-day private route linking Dublin, Kildare, Kerry, Clare, Galway and Connemara through castle accommodation, private golf, whiskey and Michelin dining.
See the shapeBusiness programme
Ireland Business Discovery Tour
An eight-day business discovery programme run with the Ireland China Institute, combining market briefings, tax and legal sessions, industry networking and cultural immersion.
See the shapeSpecial interest
Ireland Catholic Pilgrimage
A ten-day route through Ireland's monastic sites, cathedrals and shrines, with no more than three visits a day and generous time at each one.
See the shapeBuild a route around it
Tell us which of these fits.
Tell us who is travelling, why, and when. We will shape the right journey or programme around your needs.
Start planning