Cliffs of Moher, Aran Island & Burren tour from Galway. Guided.
Description
Join this spectacular journey along the breathtaking Wild Atlantic Way, through the lunar-like landscape of the Burren and on to the iconic Cliffs of Moher. See medieval ruins, 16th century tower house castles, churches, graveyards, drystone walls, quays, harbours, ponies, calves, cows, lambs, sheep and maybe even a leprechaun or two! Driving along the coast of Clare, witness the power of the Atlantic Ocean as it battles the coastline. Board the ferry in Doolin for Inisheer, the smallest and nearest of the Gaeltacht Aran Islands. Keep an eye out for local bottlenose dolphins that occasionally follow the ferry. On Inisheer, explore ancient castles, churches, narrow lanes, stone walls and deserted white sand beaches. The return ferry takes you on a guided scenic cruise beneath the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. Returning to Doolin, you go to the top of the Cliffs of Moher where you can take a stroll along the Cliffs. Departing the Cliffs you return to Galway.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our locally sourced and fully trained driver / guide will take you from Galway to the picturesque village of Doolin in Co. Clare. En route, you will travel along the Wild Atlantic Way, passing medieval castles, beautiful little villages, fields of dry stone walls and amazing coastal views. Our driver / guide will entertain you with insights into the geology, history and stories of the landscapes in view.
Upon arrival at the harbour area in Doolin, our driver / guide will present you with your boarding pass for the return ferry to Inisheer. Our ferry partners, Doolin2Aran Ferries have been operating from Doolin for nearly 100 years. Today, this family run company operate the newest fleet of vessels from Doolin to the Aran Islands.
Once we’re all on board the ferry, we depart for the 30 minute sailing to Inisheer. From the ferry you get amazing views of the Clare coastline, Connemara and the Aran Islands along with some marine wildlife from time to time.
Upon arrival on Inisheer, you have 2 hours of free time to explore and enjoy the smallest of the Aran Islands. There is an ancient castle and church, famous shipwreck, lighthouse and fabulous beach all within walking distance. Speak to our driver / guide about hiring a local tour guide or bicycle to enhance your experience. While you’re here, why not visit one of the pubs / cafes and enjoy a homemade lunch?
En route from Inisheer to Doolin, the ferry will detour to sail in beneath the Cliffs of Moher, subject to weather conditions. The view of the Cliffs of Moher from the sea is one of the most spectacular and has to be seen to be believed.
Once the ferry has docked in Doolin, we re-board the tour vehicle and head straight to the visitors centre at the top of the Cliffs of Moher.
Once at the Cliffs of Moher, our driver / guide will provide you with your entry ticket to the Cliffs of Moher, ticket included in tour price. The Cliffs of Moher is Ireland’s most visited natural attraction, standing at 214 meters at their highest point and stretching out for 8 km along the Wild Atlantic Way. The Cliffs of Moher offers one the most spectacular views in Ireland. Your ticket entitles you to admission to the eco-friendly visitor centre, the Atlantic Edge. The Atlantic Edge exhibition brings the story of the cliffs to life.
After our Cliffs of Moher stop it is time to re-board the tour vehicle, sit back and relax while our driver / guide returns you to Galway via Lisdoonvarna and the Burren. The County Clare town of Lisdoonvarna is famous for it’s Spa well and annual Matchmaking Festival. The Burren is one of the worlds best examples of a Glacio-Karst landscape and from the tour vehicle today you will get amazing views of this lunar-like landscape. Where possible the tour vehicle will stop for photo opportunities.
Our Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher Day Tour terminates at our departure point on Merchants Road, Galway. Time to say a final ‘Good Bye’ or ‘Slan Abhaile’ to your driver / guide.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Important: A voucher will be supplied after booking with departure times, departure point, directions and details. Please print out and bring with you to validate
- Return time is approximately 19h00
Reviews(65)
It is very worthwhile in all respects. Viewing “The Cliffs” from the water as well as the cliff tops is just magnificent. Be prepared for a bumpy ferry ride if you have a tendency to not do well with that. Just be prepared, great adventure.
Our tour driver Alan filled our day with history, the Great Famine, geography, terror ("Banshees of Inisherren" (sp) movie), and comedy. He was great. People questioned about why go to the Aran Islands, but it makes so much sense when learning that it was the last place in Ireland to hold its old traditions. The boat ride was at first concerning, but do consider sitting outside as you go by the Cliffs of Moher.
We loved visiting the cliffs from the sea. Very different perspective. Gerry our driver was absolutely wonderful. Told great stories and jokes. Sang us some songs and told us lots of history. I was there with 3 of my sisters and one brother. My brother had never been to Ireland before so it was a novel experience for him. My sisters and I have been to Ireland many times but this was a very good experience for us. Would definitely recommend this tour to everyone!
We had a spectacular day with Alan and Wild Atlantic Way! Great info on bus ride thru the Burren to Doolin. Easy transition to ferry from Doolin to Inish Oir. Great and easy access to bike rental on Island and efficient transfer back to the bus. The island is lovely to explore - no matter the weather. Great boat tour below the Cliffs of Moher - really up close. And closing with a tour of the cliffs topside on our own completed the day! Highly recommended!! Especially with Allan as your tour guide!
Alan was an amazing tour guide and we were so thankful for the lovely weather. So glad we decided to do the cliff of Moher boat ride
Fantastic bus tour with a well-read and knowledgeable guide/driver Jerry on Wild Atlantic way day tours. We visited the smallest of the Aran Islands where we also had lunch. Then out on the water and watch the Cliffs of Moher from the water. Then on with the bus and hike up on the rocks. Very beautiful. A full day tour well worth the money.
Everything about this trip was enjoyable. The guide, the sites, the comfort of the bus. They allowed enough time to relax and explore the sites without feeling rushed. I would def recommend this tour!
This was a lovely tour!! The only critique I have is I wish the tour listing had more info on how to prepare and an actual itinerary, so I shall list some helpful pointers here. Itinerary: 9 - 10:45 a.m.: Bus ride through the Burren on your way to the Aran Islands. 11 a.m. —11:30 a.m.: Ferry to the smallest Aran Island, Inisheer. 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Free time to explore Inisheer. I highly recommend taking the horse and buggy tour, followed by a hike up to the castle, then lunch at the pub. 1:45-2:45 p.m.: Ferry + tour around the bottom of the cliffs of Moher. 2:45-3:00 p.m.: Bus ride up to the Cliffs. 3-4 p.m.: Time to explore the cliffs. This is not much time at all so I recommend going up to O’Brien’s tower for the best views. 4:15-6 pm: Bus back to Galway Tips: - Wear hiking boots or high traction tennis shoes. I slipped wear regular street tennis coming out of the castle and wish I’d been more prepared with better footwear. - Wear layers. It’s warm on the bus but gets very cold on the ferry. - Being motion sickness meds if you get sick on boats. The ferry ride is rough due to the Atlantic waters. - Bring cash. (€30/person). The locals on Inisheer prefer Euros for the buggy rides and such. - Wear comfy clothes you can walk in a long ways. Overall, I loved this tour. Just wish there had been more info beforehand.
Our flight arrived 30 minutes late so we message the operator that we were going to be a couple minutes late. We got there at 9:02am for a 9:00am tour and the tour guide told us that our bus had left and he never got my message. After explaining the situation, he said our only other option is this other tour which involved extensive hiking but since we had a toddler with us and am 4 months, we weren’t able to commit to that tour. After requesting to the guide, he let us wait and see if there is room for 2 more on the 9:30 tour. After waiting for 30 minutes in the cold, we realized that the same tour was calling late comers and waiting until everyone showed up for that tour rather than departing on time at 9:30. At 9:35, we were told the tour was full and that there was nothing they can do for us. I understand that if you miss the time, it is what it is but when the same standards are not held all around, it can be frustrating. I would not recommend this tour since they are completely unreasonable.
Hi Naveen Its not great when flights get delayed, but when you messaged us at 9.05am to tell us this, we advised you then that the bus leaves at exactly 9.00am (as clearly stated on the booking as well as your ticket, for you to board the bus by 8.45am as we leave at 9am exactly). This is to travel and make the ferry departure at 11am in Doolin. As stated on your ticket too, this is a group tour, we cannot wait for late comers as it affects the rest of the people on the tour, as then they miss the ferry to the Aran islands. We did try see if we could accommodated you on different later tour to the Cliffs of Moher (which is not affected by a ferry sailing), this means we can wait 5 mins for latecomers. In this case all the people booked arrived and there were no seats left available to join the tour. Hopefully you can see now we tried our best to help the situation and were very reasonable.
Hands down one of the best tours I've done! The four of us had a wonderful time. Seeing the Cliffs from both the bottom and top was an incredible experience. We had fun exploring the island and stopping for a photo shoot in the Burrens. Phil was an amazing guide and full of knowledge!
