This guide is for you if you are based in Dublin and want the Cliffs of Moher and Galway in a single day. It covers what to settle before you book: the month, the clothes, whether to try it by train and bus, and whether everyone in your group is up for twelve and a half hours.
When to go
The cliffs are open every day of the year except 24, 25 and 26 December. The hours follow the season: shortest from November to February, longest from May to August. Our arrival at around 10:30 falls inside them in every month, but the official site says hours can change, so check it before you go if you are planning your own visit.
From May to August the ledges fill with nesting seabirds: guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. The cliffs hold the largest mainland puffin colony in Ireland, mostly on Goat Island, just below the first viewing point. If birds matter to you, those are the months to come, and binoculars are worth the space in your bag.
The weather is the part you cannot plan. The visitor centre describes it as highly unpredictable, with fog turning to sunshine in minutes. The site follows Met Éireann weather warnings and can close in extreme conditions, with signs at the car park entrance. Our tour runs in rain. We only cancel when the roads are unsafe, and then you get a full refund.
Galway is busier in the second half of July. The Galway International Arts Festival takes over the city for two weeks in July (check this year's dates), and the Galway Races take the last week of July every year, with attendances of over 100,000 across the week. Expect fuller streets on your walk through the old town. For what each season feels like on the ground, read our guide to Irish weather through the year.
How the long day is split
You are collected at your hotel at 07:00 and dropped back at about 19:30. Roughly three and a half hours of the morning go on the road west, broken by a photo stop at Bunratty Castle. The return from Galway takes close to three hours, and the M6 decides the exact time.
Two stops take most of the day: an hour and three quarters at the cliffs, with your entrance included, and two hours in Galway, with a guided walk through the old town. The rest are short. You stop on the Burren at Poulnabrone Dolmen and take a photograph of Dunguaire Castle at Kinvara.
Poulnabrone is a state-owned National Monument in the care of the Office of Public Works. It stands on one of the highest points of the Burren. The adults buried there died between 3800 and 3200 BC. The site is unguided, so watch your footing and treat the stones with care.
Lunch is not included. You eat in Doolin or in Galway, wherever suits the day, and your guide knows the places. Because the vehicle is yours alone, the order of the day can change. Tell your guide in the morning if you want longer in one place and less in another. The cliffs slot and the drive home are the two things that stay fixed.
By train and bus, or with a driver
You can do part of this on public transport. Trains run from Dublin Heuston to Galway Ceannt, on Eyre Square, in about two to two and a half hours, with up to ten services a day. From Galway, Bus Éireann route 350 runs to Ennis by way of Kinvara, Ballyvaughan, Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher, about ten times a day in each direction; check the current timetable before you go.
That works well if you sleep a night in Galway. As a return trip from Dublin in one day, the connections set the pace, and you see what is on the bus route rather than what you choose. If you go on your own, the cliffs ask you to book your tickets online to be sure of entry.
A private day gives you the door-to-door run from your hotel, the cliffs entrance and a guided walk in Galway, plus Bunratty, the Burren and Kinvara, which are hard to fit around a bus timetable. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Our article on how private tour prices work explains why a full vehicle costs less per person.
What to bring
You do not need to book anything else: the cliffs entrance and the Galway walk are already part of the day. The rest is clothing and a few small things.
- A proper rain jacket and walking boots. That is the official advice from the cliffs, and it is right.
- A warm layer under the jacket, even in summer. You will stand still at the edge for longer than you think.
- Binoculars from May to August, for the seabirds on the ledges below.
- Money or a card for lunch and drinks, which are not included.
- A phone charger. It is a long day, and you will take more photographs than you expect.
Your bags stay in the vehicle all day, so pack the extra layer rather than leaving it at the hotel.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits anyone who wants the west coast and has only one day to give it. A family or a group of friends gets the most from it, because the vehicle is shared only among you.
Think twice in these cases:
- You land in Dublin that morning. A 07:00 pick-up after a night flight is hard. Book the tour for the following day, and let us handle the run from the airport with our airport transfers.
- Someone in your group has limited mobility. Most of the day suits most travellers, but the cliff path is uneven in places. Tell us when you book and we plan the stops around it.
- You have small children or anyone who dislikes long drives. Roughly six hours of the day are spent in the vehicle. Our Wicklow and Glendalough tour stays within an hour of the city.
- You are a group of more than 16. That is still possible: two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us with your numbers for a price.
If you are weighing this against our other days out, our guide to day trips from Dublin compares them side by side.
Questions people ask
Will we see puffins?
Only in the seabird season, from May to August. The colony sits on Goat Island, below the first viewing point. The birds are small at that distance, so bring binoculars.
Can we walk out to O'Brien's Tower?
Yes. An hour and three quarters is enough to get there and back without hurrying. The tower opens daily, but its hours vary with the season and it can close for weather, so staff on the day will tell you if it is shut.
What if the cliffs are in fog when we arrive?
It happens, and it often lifts quickly. Your guide can use the time on the path first and come back to the main platform later in your slot.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. The details are on our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Pick your date with the season in mind, pack for rain whatever the forecast says, and tell us about anyone in the group who needs a gentler pace. Everything else, from the hotel door to the Galway walk, is on the Cliffs of Moher and Galway private tour page, where you can choose the size of your group and book.
