The exciting Connemara Day Tour From Dublin takes you from Dublin right across the width of Ireland to the glorious west coast. To join the tour, make your way to the tourist office at Suffolk Street, the Old Church, Dublin City Centre. During the tour there will be stops every 1 ½ hours or so, in order that you can stretch your legs.
After leaving Dublin, you will drive to Galway city, stopping just outside Athlone, for a coffee (payable direct). You then take the scenic coast road from Galway towards Oughterard, the gateway to Connemara.
On the way you pass through quaint villages and enjoy views unmatched anywhere else in Ireland. Connemara is unique in the fact that it has no official boundaries to tell you that you are in Connemara. You just know you're there! Not far into the journey you will stop at the famous bridge used in the “Quiet Man” film with John Wayne. Take a picture with your guide as they all think they are John Waynes!
At roughly 1100h (11.00 am) you will stop at Maam Cross where you can see for the first time one of numerous lakes that make Connemara so famous. This is a Gaeltacht region where the locals speak Irish so you may have to learn a few words on your journey if you want a cup of tea! Not all of Connemara is a Gaeltacht region but some pockets keep Irish alive as their first language.
While driving, you will have the Maumturk mountains to your right before seeing the magnificent Glencoaghan Horseshoe. This is part of the 12 Bens mountain range – one of Ireland's famous hiking routes. You will arrive in the lovely village of Recess where you will break for a short while. This is where Alcock and Brown famously landed their plane in a bog after their record-breaking non-stop flight from North America to Europe. This is also where Marconi based himself during his productive years and before marrying one of the Hennessy brandy girls!
The tour continues through the wonderful Inagh Valley and takes a circular route to the other side of Connemara where there is a stop at Kylemore Abbey, one of the most distinctive buildings in Ireland, splendidly located at the foot of a stunning mountain with a lake in front. The coach stops here so you can take pictures before going on to Killary fjord.
For the highlight of your day, you will be taken for a boat ride for an 1 ½ hours on the beautiful Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fjord. The Connemara Lady will take you on this trip, and you can have your lunch on board (payable direct). You will be able to walk on deck and hopefully see dolphins following the boat. Marvel at all the mussel beds in the fjord as you look at Mweelrea, the highest mountain on the west coast of Ireland.
Boarding the coach again, you’ll take a trip to the little village of Leenane where the enigmatic movie "The Field" was filmed. You will take a circular route that will include a picture stop of the Sheefry Hills before making your way back to Maum and then onto Galway City.
Spend an hour walking and sightseeing around Galway city before departing back for Dublin. Visit the main shopping district. Walk down to the busy harbour and see the Spanish Arch. Galway is a bohemian and happy city with a very young population. Home to the Claddagh Ring and 14 families, there is amazing history in this city. This was the last place Christopher Columbus visited before making his way over to the West Indies.
When you arrive back in Dublin you will be dropped off at the point where you were picked up.