Before we start booking things in and committing to our plans, would appreciate feedback on our itinerary planned for this June.

Day 1: Fly LHR to SNN arriving 11:20am --> pickup hire car (see note below) --> Cliffs of Moher --> Doolin Cave --> arrive in Galway in evening
NOTE: we won't be driving right off the back of a long haul flight - we're coming from Australia and break up our journey with a 30 hour overnight stay in London

Day 2: Drive to Sky Road via Clifden --> farm tour at DK Connemara Oysters --> free time in/around Leenaun --> Killary Fjord boat trip --> return to Galway, drop off car

Day 3: Day trip to Inis Mor via Aer Arann flying from Connemara Airport --> Evening bus to Dublin

Day 4: 2 hour walking tour of Dublin --> Kilmainham Gaol --> Guinness Storehouse

Day 5: Guided day trip, either to Glendalough, Wicklow Mountains and Kilkenny or to Newgrange and Boyne Valley

Day 6: National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology) --> Chester Beatty Library --> Train to Belfast
ALT OPTION: visit 1 museum and head to Belfast around lunch time, with Black Cab tour in late afternoon

Day 7: Guided day trip to Giant's Causeway + other sites

Day 8: Titanic Belfast, free time in Cathedral Quarter

Looks pretty good to me -- with the exception of Day 2. That is a lot depending on how long the farm tour and boat trips are. Just the drive alone (including the Sky Road loop) is more than 4 hours.

Plan for that day is as follows;

• 8am leave Galway, drive to Clifden and do Sky Road loop
• 11am – 12pm tour at DK Connemara Oysters
• 12pm drive to Leenaun, free time + lunch
• 2:30pm Killary Fjord harbour
• 4pm drive back to Galway

That is a real rush IMO. First of all getting on the road from an Irish B&B by 8AM is pushing things. Breakfast ain't quick and often 8 AM is the beginning of service - not the end. But even assuming you are out and at 'em by 0800 -- driving the Sky Road loop takes a minimum of one hour. That's unless you stop at the top for the fabulous view point which could add 45 minutes or more. Galway to DK Oysters with the Sky Road loop is at least a 2.5 hour drive without stopping. So if you can get on the road by 8:00 you'll just make it.

Then you'll have maybe 90 minutes for lunch etc before the cruise, followed by a 90 minute drive back to Galway. Just a lot - but doable. It will be a very weather-dependent day.

We aren’t the type to eat breakfast early morning so not too worried about an early departure time as we’ll likely be content stopping in Clifden for a takeaway coffee rather than sitting down for a full meal before we leave. We can definitely aim for a 7/7:30am departure time to give us some more time up our sleeves so we aren’t as time constrained.



Originally we did look at doing one of the guided day tours that visit Kylemore Abbey and Connemara but soon realised we’d much prefer the stops of our choosing in the general area which we’d only be able to do by driving ourselves instead of a tour.

• Day 1: Tight schedule. Consider prioritizing Cliffs of Moher and Doolin Cave, or potentially skipping one if time is very limited.
• Day 2: Well-paced, but confirm DK Connemara Oysters tour times.
• Day 3: Ensure smooth transfer to Connemara Airport.
• Day 5: Choose based on your interests: history/prehistory (Newgrange) or scenic landscapes/medieval history (Wicklow/Kilkenny).
• Day 6: The alt option is good if you want more flexible time in Belfast.
• General: Book accommodations and tours in advance, especially during peak season.

That is a very ambitious itinerary! All our great places to visit. In Glendalough, make sure you visit the lovely National Park. In Galway, don't miss the Crane bar. Best music and musicians around, every night around 9:00!