Magpie
4.7(31 reviews)

Castles of Connemara tour departing Galway city. Guided. Full day

From€160
9 hours
Galway, Ireland

Full description

Hop on board this fascinating day tour as we explore the famous Castles of Connemara and travel west into this scenic region, famed for its wild and rugged land and seascapes. Our first castle visit is to Aughnanure Castle. Built by the O’Flahertys in 1500, this castle is a particularly well-preserved example of an Irish tower house. Next stop in the quaint village of Oughterard for a short coffee break and onto see the famous ‘Quiet Man ‘ bridge. Weaving our way through scenic Connemara, our next castle stop is Kylemore Abbey, founded by English industrialist Mitchell Henry and now a Benedictine monastery. Spend the next few hours exploring this romantic Abbey, its Victorian walled gardens and Gothic church. We head to the capital of Connemara, the colourful town of Clifden. En-route (and weather permitting) we drive scenic Sky Road, viewing Clifden Castle, a ruined manor house, built in 1812 in the Gothic Revival style. After our day of exploring we return to Galway City.

Included / Excluded

  • Entrance into Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens.
  • Guided tour of Connemara in minivan.
  • Entrance into Aughnanure Castle.
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch

Meeting point

Start Location

Galway Cathedral, Gaol Road, Galway, Ireland

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 1 days before the activity starts

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Accessibility

  • Infants Required On Laps
  • Service Animals Allowed
  • Stroller Accessible

Good to know

  • Min 4 passengers required, or pay the price of 4 for the tour to proceed

Traveler reviews

4.7
31 reviews
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Colleen is native to the...

Colleen is native to the area. She had so much local knowledge. It was a fantastic tour. We enjoyed every aspect of our day. She is pleasant accommodating. I would highly recommend Colleen as a tour guide for your Connemara exploration! Mary

Mary_TMay 19, 2026VIATOR

Private tour with Colleen

A private tour with Colleen who was wonderful - knowledgeable, adaptable & funny. We are a family of 5 with college kids & an 80 year old mother all enjoyed themselves even with rain, hail, wind & a rainbow. Colleen timed it all out well. Clifton, the abbey, the bridge, local wildlife & scenic views were all worth the trip.

Sarah_LMar 13, 2026VIATOR

Great tour day

We enjoyed our small minivan tour of 5 people with Jimmy. He was flexible and accommodating with tailoring small requests for unique experiences. Had a wonderful day!

UZMA_MOct 15, 2025VIATOR

Personalized experience with Colleen.

Our tour guide Colleen was very knowledgeable. It was quite a windy and rainy day but Colleen handled it all, gave us a great history of the areas we went through, and even suggested a place for lunch, which was excellent. She also pointed us out to the best jeweler in Connemara to purchase jewelry made with the marble of that area, which I was looking to purchase. This turned out to be a private tour with just the two of us and we had her full attention the whole time. She really made this tour something special.

Diane_FSep 8, 2025VIATOR

Beautiful West

The tour was very nice and we saw a lot. The return journey was very fast and unfortunately earlier than planned (after 7.5 hours) back at the starting point.

Simone9587Aug 24, 2025TRIPADVISOR
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