Connemara, Cong & Kylemore Abbey Tour from Galway
Description
Departing from Galway at 10:00 AM, you begin your fully guided tour of Connemara & Cong at our first photo stop near the scenic Inagh Valley. Our main stop is the enchanting Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens. The admission fee for Kylemore Abbey is charged separately at the discounted price of €14 per person (tickets are purchased in cash from your driver). Admission includes entrance to the Abbey, the shuttle bus to the walled gardens and entry to the Neo Gothic Church. There is also a restaurant where you can purchase a hearty lunch and a gift shop for souvenirs. After this visit you explore the wilder Connemara regions visiting Killary Fjord and experience the stark beauty of the valleys of Connemara through the hidden Lough Nafooey route. Arriving in Cong village, you will enjoy a 45-minute break to inspect the ruins of the Old Abbey and take a walk in Cong Woods, wander the streets made famous by the Quiet Man movie before returning to Galway by approximately 18:00
Tour Options
Itinerary
Kylemore Abbey, a beautiful Connemara castle, offers much history of romance and tragedy, captivating visitors who step upon its threshold. The Abbey is a beautiful, neo-gothic, building built-in 1868 by Mitchell Henry for his wife. It is now home to the Benedictine Nuns, and here you can enjoy their excellent home cooking while visiting the Abbey and the restored walled gardens. The grounds and surrounding mountains and lakes are steeped in rich Irish history, and you can learn all about this on our Connemara & Cong Tour. The Abbey and estate are open all year round and include the Abbey, a Gothic Church, the walled gardens, a craft shop, pottery studio, restaurant and tea rooms, as well as the lake and woodland walks.
Lough Corrib is the largest lake within the Republic of Ireland and the second largest on the island of Ireland (after Lough Neagh). ( It covers 176 km² )
Killary Harbour is Ireland’s only true fjord and extends 16km (10 miles) in from the Atlantic .It's extremely deep, over 45m at its centre. This offers a very safe, sheltered anchorage, because of the depth and the mountains to the south and north. It is a centre for shellfish farming, and strings of ropes used to grow mussels are visible for much of its length.
Only an hour’s drive from Westport, Cong is a small village in south Mayo famous for its 12th century abbey, the lavish gold and silver processional Cross of Cong from 1123, the magnificent Ashford Castle, the village’s links with Oscar Wilde and, most popularly, its association with the John Wayne classic movie, The Quiet Man.
A magnificent Augustinian Abbey dating back to the early 12th century
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Public car park near ( Q-Park Eyre Square , Q-Park Hynes Yard)
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Seats are not assigned
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Reviews(1,089)
One of our best tours. Guide told great stories woven with the history of Ireland and the region. Gorgeous landscape. Time to get off the bus and explore in different areas. Fun, educational, uplifting!
Beautiful Ireland at its best! I loved Kylemore and its history. The bus ride would have been better if we didn’t stop at so many rest areas. Also, less talking by the driver would been preferred. I know it’s his job to guide, but it’s not necessary to talk all the time.
Tommy was a great guide! Handled the roads very well even with the sheep out on a stroll. Told us how to make best use of what time we had at Kylemore (could have spent 4 hrs there). Made some amazing scenic view stops as well. Great trip!
Mike, the tour guide is highly seasoned and knowledgeable about the region. His steady commentary, sense of humor, and ability to read his audience well is an example of how all tour guides should operate. The sites: the Abbey and walled gardens, the different loughs and the only salt water Killary fjord were memorable despite the off-and-on rains and overall a great experience for a day trip. The Cong village felt mostly shut down on the Sunday afternoon, and the bar tender at Danagher's Bar was a little strange, he charge us 15.40 for one pint of Guinness and a little bottle of orange juice and refused to give me an itemized receipt. Were we paying for someone else's drinks? I wonder...
The driver was great and knowledgeable
Beautiful landscape and friendly driver BUT BEWARE, the company FORCES us to visit the abbey through a ticket system distributed by the driver (14€ extra per person). This is dishonest and should be specified before purchasing the ticket for the excursion. I request a refund for my ticket.
Thank you for your feedback. We're pleased to hear you enjoyed the scenery and found your driver friendly. We would like to clarify that admission to Kylemore Abbey is entirely optional. The entrance fee is clearly stated on our website before booking, and customers are free to decide on the day whether they wish to purchase a ticket. Many guests choose not to visit the abbey itself and instead spend their time enjoying the Victorian Walled Garden, restaurant, café, gift shop, or simply taking in the beautiful scenery. The driver simply offers tickets as a convenience for those who wish to enter the abbey. There is no obligation to purchase one, and no hidden or mandatory charge. We encourage all guests to carefully read the tour description and all information provided on our website or the third-party website before booking, as it contains important details about what is and is not included in the tour. Kind regards, Tatiana
Great travel experience and our driver, Paul, was informative and engaging. Our only disappointment was the lunch venue. Too much time spent at Kylemore Abby for those not interested in paying 28 Euros extra to see gardens and inside the small amount of rooms open to the publi . and our only lunch option. Much better to shave some of that time off for Cong, our next stop, and allow people, like us , to choose a cheape, and quieter , lunch there.
Thank you so much for travelling with us, and for your 5 star review. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your day overall and that Paul made the journey informative and engaging. Regarding Kylemore Abbey, we'd like to clarify a few points for future readers. The itinerary, including the length of the stop at Kylemore Abbey, is clearly outlined in the tour description before booking. The admission to the Abbey is entirely optional and currently costs €14 per person, not €28. For those who choose to enter, the ticket includes access to the beautifully restored Victorian Walled Gardens, the Abbey's restored period rooms and furnishings, the Neo-Gothic Church, woodland and lakeside walks, exhibitions, the shuttle bus service to and from the Victorian Walled Gardens, and the wider estate. Many guests find this to be one of the highlights of the day and excellent value for the experience. For guests who decide not to enter, there is still the café/restaurant, gift shop, and surrounding grounds to enjoy during the stop. As Kylemore Abbey is one of Connemara's premier attractions, we allocate sufficient time for those wishing to experience everything included with their admission. While we appreciate that you would have preferred more time in Cong, the tour operates according to the published itinerary, which is available to all guests before booking, allowing everyone to decide whether it matches their interests and expectations. We wish you the best of luck on your future travels. Kind regards, Tatiana
This time our destination was Connemara and Kylemore Abbey. The day was beautiful, thanks in no small part to our absolutely safe and competent driver, who navigated the smallest roads and gave us many insights. A wonderful day. Thank you.
Mike the driver was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The scenery was stunning. It was a well organized tour and reasonably priced. .
The tour leads to the discovery of wonderful corners of Connemara. Absolutely recommended, even with children!
