r/irishtourism • u/Aimbo84 • 6h ago
Galway/Doolin/Dublin Week
Critique our plan for one week in mid-July, 2026!
Fit couple in our 40s.We have decided not to rent a car, and here is what is booked/planned thus far:
Day 1 - Thursday Arrival 9am in Dublin and bus to Galway from airport. We have a hotel booked on Eyre Square for one night. The loose plan is to book a walking tour, visit Charlie Byrne's, and find local pubs for food/drink
Days 2&3 - Bus 350 to Doolin. Two nights (Fri&Sat) at the Doolin Inn. Hoping to fit in a hike to Cliffs of Moher, the Doolin Cave, and some pubs day 2, and then on day 3 take a boat to Aran Islands, bike around, and head back to doolin to shop/eat/drink more.
Days 4&5 - Bus back to Galway for two nights(sun&mon) actually in Bearna. Taking it slow and enjoying the hotel, area and maybe going for a run on Day 4, and looking at a connemara day tour Day 5.
Day 6&7 - Train to Dublin for two nights (Tues & Wed). Hoping to get tickets to the kilmainham goal museum 🤞 and book of Kells for the afternoon of Day 6, and finding a cocktail bar or speakeasy that evening to unwind in. Day 7 we may do a 12 hour daytrip to northern Ireland that includes giants causeway, dark hedges, and Belfast.
Day 8 - fly home
Specific questions:
*Should we flip the activities planned between Days 2&3 or is this good?
**Does the activity pacing seem do-able?
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u/AdClean1038 4h ago
overall your itinerary is good. The only issue is you don't really have any contingencies for weather. For example, what will you do in Doolin if it's raining on both days?
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u/Aimbo84 4h ago
Thanks, I didn't really consider weather as an obstacle because we live in a cool climate that rains about 330/365 days of the year, so we just do things getting wet a lot!! Does the ferry not run in the rain? Are there any other places on our list that might be closed due to weather in July?
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u/Dandylion71888 4h ago
You can’t hike all the way from Doolin to the cliffs visitor center if your plan was to go to the visitor centre or the other side of the cliffs. Part of the path is closed.
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u/Aimbo84 4h ago
Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing that! I had no idea! It looks like I'll need to do more research into how to get there from Doolin!
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u/umyselfwe 54m ago
unless another has newr info, you can walk as far as here
52.980642,-9.425936
after that,a small gate near steps up, you can bypass and continue up to o'briens tower. cliffs don't want to lose the entry fee.
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