Galway Tours

About Galway

Galway sits on Ireland's Atlantic coast, a compact city that punches well above its weight for culture, food, and live music. The Latin Quarter — centred on Shop Street and Quay Street — is a pedestrian-friendly tangle of painted shopfronts, buskers, and restaurant terraces that stays lively well into the evening. The Spanish Arch, one of the last remnants of the medieval city walls, overlooks the mouth of the River Corrib where it meets Galway Bay. Across the bridge, the Claddagh — once an independent fishing village — gave its name to the famous ring design that originated here. The city is the gateway to Connemara, a wild stretch of bog, lake, and mountain that begins less than an hour's drive west. Clifden, Connemara's unofficial capital, anchors the Sky Road — a 16-kilometre coastal loop with views across island-studded Clifden Bay. Connemara National Park at Letterfrack offers the Diamond Hill walk, a well-maintained trail that climbs to panoramic views of the Twelve Bens mountain range. Kylemore Abbey, a 19th-century Benedictine monastery on the shore of a lake, is one of the most photographed buildings in the west of Ireland. Off the coast, the Aran Islands — Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr — preserve a way of life that has all but disappeared on the mainland. Ferries from Rossaveal, a 45-minute drive from the city, reach Inis Mór in about 40 minutes. There, the Bronze Age fort of Dún Aonghasa sits on the edge of a 100-metre cliff, and the island is best explored by bicycle. Galway has earned its reputation as Ireland's festival capital. The Galway International Arts Festival fills two weeks in July with theatre, visual art, and street performance. The Galway Races follow immediately after — a week-long horse racing festival that doubles as the city's biggest social event. In September, the International Oyster and Seafood Festival, the world's longest-running oyster festival, rounds out the summer season.