Some of Ireland’s most scenic and impressive sites can be visited along the way as you drive from one town to another.
Another great option is to stay in Galway or Doolin and from your home base, plan a day trip or two to these must see spots.
The Cliffs of Moher
From Galway, 1.5-2 ish hour drive
From Doolin, 15-30 minute drive
A must visit. Try not to be blown away as you can explore these stunning cliffs! There is a walking path along the cliff’s edge for the more daring and a great look out spot from O’Brien’s tower. Plan to visit early in the day - crowds will build as the day goes on! The weather can be quite windy and can change quickly as well, so dress in layers and wear shoes you can walk in.
The Burren
From Galway, 1-1.5 hour drive
From Doolin, 30-45 minute drive
The Burren is a large area in Northwestern County Clare. It is a vast area of exposed limestone, stretches of ancient stone walls, and portal tombs. You can visit the Burren National Park, one of 6 national parks in Ireland.
Poulnabrone Dolmen
From Galway, 1.25-1.45 hour drive
From Doolin, 30-45 minute drive
This frequently photographed site (anyone else’s dad send them an Ireland calendar annually?) is an unusually large dolmen, or portal tomb, located in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland. Mysterious and neat to visit.
Croagh Patrick & Westport - County Mayo
From Galway, 1.5-2 hour drive
From Doolin, too far (2.5-3 hour drive)
We had big ambitions to drive to Westport and climb Coragh Patrick before visiting Matt Malloy’s bar. When we realized we were a little bit behind schedule, the pub won out over additional hiking!
If you’re someone who loves to hike up mountains, Croagh Patrick, nicknamed “the Reek”, could be on your list. Created by a glacier, this is an important pilgrimage site, and is the fourth highest mountain in county Mayo.
If you’re more like our crew and more intrigued by a musician owned pub, the town of Westport is still cute area to explore as a day trip option!
Matt Malloy is one of the founding members of the Chieftains and owns his namesake bar in Westport. Here you can find live traditional music 7 nights a week and a fun, intimate pub vibe.
Cong
One of the stops that slowed us down on our mountain climbing quest was the sleepy village of Cong on the border of counties Galway and Mayo.
The film The Quiet Man was filmed here and you can visit the cottage as well as the castle from the movie (this excited our dad, we were mostly confused, but went with it).
Cong is also home to a historic abbey. The ruins of this former Augustinian abbey mostly date to the 13th century. We enjoyed exploring along the river and did a short walk in the Cong Forest. There is an easy 3 km loop trail that leaves from the church car park if you want to do a longer walk.
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