Guide · West coast

A Cliffs of Moher day trip from Dublin

The coach crosses the whole country, gives you a long look at Ireland's Atlantic cliffs, rolls through the Burren and ends the afternoon in Galway. Here is how a Cliffs of Moher day trip from Dublin really runs.

Check availabilityfrom $90 · free cancellation

Editorial team, dublindaytrip.comUpdated October 18, 20266-minute read10 sources

The tour that goes with it Cliffs of Moher, Burren and Galway day tour 4.8 (26,606 reviews) 13 hours2 hours at the Cliffs of MoherThe Burren and Galway city from$90per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

Quick answer

01Length: 13 hours, back at Aston Quay between 7:30 and 8:30 PM.
02At the cliffs: 2 hours, with visitor experience entry included.
03Also on the day: A Burren stop and about 2 hours in Galway.
04Rating: 4.81 from 26,606 reviews, from $90.
05Bring: A packed lunch: there is no fixed lunch stop.

Why the west coast is worth the long drive

The Cliffs of Moher sit on the far side of Ireland from Dublin, on the Atlantic edge of County Clare. They stretch for 14 km and climb to over 200 m at O'Brien's Tower, a stone viewing tower near the highest point.¹ Below the edge the ocean breaks against dark layers of rock, and on calm days you hear the seabirds before you see them.

The cliffs hold Ireland's largest mainland seabird colony, with 20 species nesting on the ledges, and the area has been a Special Protection Area for birds since 1989.² ³ On a clear day the view reaches the Aran Islands and Galway Bay, and sometimes the hills of Kerry far to the south.⁴ Look for puffins and peregrine falcons in season, and keep your distance from the edge when the wind picks up.

None of that fits into a morning. A Cliffs of Moher day trip from Dublin is a full day on purpose: the drive across the midlands is the price of standing on the Atlantic coast and still sleeping in the same hotel that night.

The day

From Dublin to the Atlantic and back

Morning

Leave Dublin

The coach heads west with a guide and a separate driver on board.
First stop

Breakfast break

About 15 minutes at The Galway Plaza for coffee and the toilets.
Midday

Cliffs of Moher

Two hours on the cliff paths, with the visitor experience included.
Afternoon

The Burren

A stop on the limestone, then the coast road past Kinvara.
Late afternoon

Galway

About two hours in the city, with an optional short walk.
Evening

Back in Temple Bar

Drop-off at 12 Aston Quay between 7:30 and 8:30 PM.

How the day unfolds

The tour starts early and heads west on the motorway. The first break is a short stop for breakfast and the toilets at The Galway Plaza, about 15 minutes, a good moment to buy coffee and something for later. After that the coach leaves the motorway and the landscape turns to stone walls and small fields. Use the drive to sleep, read or listen to the guide, who fills the motorway hours with history, songs and local stories.

At the cliffs you have two hours to walk the paths, visit the exhibition and stand at the railings. The coach then crosses the Burren and follows the coast past Kinvara and Dunguaire Castle along parts of the Wild Atlantic Way. In Galway you get about two hours, with an optional short orientation walk with your guide.

Expect the order to change now and then. The operator moves the stops around traffic and weather, and some legs take up to two hours. The coach brings you back to 12 Aston Quay in Temple Bar between 7:30 and 8:30 PM, close to plenty of places for a late dinner.

Guest scores

How guests rate the tour

out of 5

Scores from 26,606 reviews on the tour's GetYourGuide listing.

Compared

Four ways to see the cliffs in a day

Trip	Length	At the cliffs	Galway	Price
Cliffs, Burren and Galway	13 hrs	2 hrs	about 2 hrs	from $90
Cliffs, Atlantic Edge, Galway	13 hrs	2 hrs	2 hrs	from $87
Rail tour with Bunratty	1 day	included	included	from $172
Private luxury tour	10 hrs	2 hrs	not included	from $1,433

From-prices and times as each listing states them; the private price covers the group.

Your options

Coach, second coach or train

From Dublin: Cliffs of Moher, Burren & Galway City Day Tour

Most reviewed

Cliffs, Burren, Galway

The tour we recommend

Length: 13 hrs
Rating: 4.81
Price: from $90

Check dates

Dublin: Cliffs of Moher, Atlantic Edge & Galway City

Pickup points

Atlantic Edge tour

Cliffs plus guided Galway walk

Length: 13 hrs
Rating: 4.73
Price: from $87

Check dates

By train

Rail tour

Train, Bunratty, cliffs

Length: 1 day
Rating: 4.75
Price: from $172

Check dates

Decision helper

Which cliffs trip fits you?

Match the trip to your priorities

The proven classic A guided walk in Galway No long coach ride Your own schedule

Cliffs, Burren and Galway

4.81 from 26,606 reviews.

Atlantic Edge tour

Includes a 20-minute guided walk in the city.

Rail tour

InterCity train to Limerick, then a coach on to the coast.

Private luxury tour

A driver-guide for your group, 10 hours.

From these vantage points, visitors can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, the Maamturks and on clear days, as far away as County Kerry.

Fáilte Ireland (Discover Ireland)Source 4

Two hours at the cliffs: making them count

Your ticket covers the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, so there is no entry ticket to buy on arrival. From the visitor center, 1 km of paved paths lead to the viewing areas, which keeps the walk easy even after rain.⁵ Discover Ireland suggests 2 to 3 hours for a visit, so the tour gives you the short end of that range and a clear plan helps.⁶

Walk north first toward O'Brien's Tower for the classic view along the cliff line, then come back south for the sea stack and a quieter angle. Leave the last half hour for the exhibition, the café or a hot drink before the coach leaves. Photographers should aim for the side lit by the sun, which on most afternoons means facing north along the west-facing cliff line.

Do not count on the long coastal walk. The trail is currently open only for 1 km in each direction from the visitor centre, so stay inside the fenced paths and follow the signs.⁷ Visitors with limited mobility can use an electric shuttle service, the Lifts of Moher, to reach the viewing areas.⁸

Checklist

Pack for the clifftop

Bring

Comfortable shoes
A warm jacket
A packed lunch and snacks
Rain gear for the coast

Good to know

Up to 2 hours between stops
Not recommended for children under 8
Not suitable for mobility impairments
Visitor experience entry included

Cost calculator

The cliffs for your group

Pick a trip and the number of travelers.

Cliffs, Burren, Galway13 hrsfrom $90 Atlantic Edge tour13 hrsfrom $87 Rail tour1 dayfrom $172

People 2

Total from$180

per head from $90

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Totals multiply the starting price GetYourGuide lists by your party size, shown in your chosen currency at the ECB rate; checkout confirms the final sum.

Video

What to know before a Cliffs of Moher day trip from Dublin

The YouTube player stays switched off until you press play, then streams through youtube-nocookie.

The Burren and Galway

Between the cliffs and Galway lies the Burren, a wide country of bare grey limestone cut by cracks where tiny flowers grow. It belongs to the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, which covers 530 square km of County Clare.⁹ The coach stops here so you can walk on the stone and take photos, and the guide fills the drive with stories of fairy forts and holy wells.

The road then follows Galway Bay past Kinvara and the tower house of Dunguaire Castle. Galway itself is the reward at the end of the day: a compact city of narrow lanes, painted pub fronts, street music and bunting over the shopping streets.

Use your Galway time for a walk down Shop Street to the river and the Spanish Arch, a bowl of chowder or a pint. If you join the guide's short walk at the start, you will know exactly where to find the coach when it is time to head back to Dublin. Galway's pubs are known for live music, and a quick stop at one is a cheerful way to round off the day.

What is included and what is not

The price covers transport in an air-conditioned coach, live commentary, a tour guide plus a separate driver, and entry to the cliffs visitor experience. The tour is run by Finn McCools Tours and holds a 4.81 rating from 26,606 reviews, with the guides scored 4.9.

Not included are hotel pickup and food and drinks. There is no fixed lunch stop, so pack sandwiches or buy snacks at the rest stops. Bring comfortable shoes, a jacket and clothes for wind and rain, because the clifftop is exposed even in summer. A small backpack is enough; leave large bags at the hotel, since the day is spent walking.

The day is long, and the operator does not recommend it for children under 8; a child who comes needs their own seat and child seat. Guests with mobility impairments will find it unsuitable, and alcohol is not allowed on the coach.

Weather at the cliffs

The Atlantic sets the mood at the Cliffs of Moher, and it changes fast. A bright morning in Dublin can turn into fog on the west coast, and a grey sky can clear while you walk. Guests on the tour say the same thing in their reviews: some had sunshine and sea stacks, others had mist and wind.

Our climate data comes from Dublin, not Clare, but it shows the pattern of the year. July is the warmest month in the city, with an average high of 20.3 °C, while November brings 86 mm of rain over the month.¹⁰ Pack layers in any season and a hood rather than an umbrella, which the cliff wind tends to wreck.

If the forecast looks hopeless, the terms help: a refund is yours if you call the tour off at least 24 hours ahead. It pays to keep a second day free in your plans, so the trip can move if the west is wrapped in cloud.

Other ways to reach the cliffs

A similar coach day goes to the Cliffs of Moher, Atlantic Edge and Galway, also 13 hours with 2 hours at the cliffs and a 20-minute guided walk in Galway, starting from $87. It rates 4.73 from 6,067 reviews and offers pickup from College Green or the Gresham.

By rail, a full-day tour takes the InterCity train to Limerick, adds Bunratty Castle and a pub lunch in Doolin, then visits the cliffs and Galway before the train back, from $172. At the top end, a private trip in a Mercedes with a driver-guide runs 10 hours from $1,433 for your group.

For a first visit, the coach tour this site recommends is the sweet spot: two full hours at the cliffs, the Burren, Galway and a price that leaves room in the budget for the rest of Ireland. Book early for summer weekends, when the popular departures fill up first.

Plan your west