I Landed in Ireland (Part 3): The Way from Galway to the Cliffs of Moher!

- June 27-28, 2026, Saturday to Sunday.

- It's a long way to Galway, but I made it anyway! Galway is Ireland's "cultural capital" and celebrates the traditional Irish culture and language regularly. It is around two hours by train from Dublin. If Dublin is in the far east of Ireland, Galway is in the far west. I'm glad I had the time to squeeze in Galway in my trip, even for a short stay!

- I arrived in the evening of the 27th. My hostel was conveniently located in the next block from the train station, so it took me no time to walk to my hostel. Kinlay Hostel is one of the best hostels I've stayed in in my UK-Ireland trip as it is spacious, modern, and extremely clean (at least when I stayed.) It also has a nice simple buffet breakfast. Some tours out of the city also meet at the lobby of our hostel, which makes it all the more convenient! One of these tours is the Cliffs of Moher tour that I booked for my first full day in western Ireland!

Even while riding the train through the Irish countryside, it's not impossible to see random things like a castle or two.

My hostel room. I'm in the top bunk huhu.

- My Cliffs of Moher Tour, which I booked on GetYourGuide, started with a brief visit to Dunguaire Castle. It was built in the 16th century, and named after King Guaire. Currently, the castle can only be seen from the outside due to property disputes and funding.

Dunguaire Castle.

- We later visited the Poulnabrone Dolmen in the Burren. A "dolmen" is a kind of megalithic ancient tomb with a single chamber. The Poulnabrone Dolmen dates back to 5th millennium BCE, and is one of the oldest in Ireland. It is one of hundreds in the country, and gives insight on some of the earliest people that inhabited Ireland.   

Fish and chips, as usual.

The pub looks nice!!

This is our pub.

- Our tour group later had a quick lunch at a nice pub before heading to the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs run for around 14 kilometers, look flat on top and wavy on its side due to erosion from sea waves. To me, it looks like a cake! I've been wanting to see the cliffs since I saw various photos online in the past years. Seeing it in front of me felt surreal!

It still does not look real. Even in person, it looks like you're looking at CGI haha.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince filmed here; they found Voldemort's locket inside the cave.

O'Brien's Tower, built in 1835, is the highest point in the cliffs. It was built as an observation deck. (A very very windy one too.)

Other side of the cliffs.

I'm so glad the sun came out! It was fairly cloudy earlier that afternoon.

It was also hard to keep my hair down because of the wind!!

Yes, I am finally here!

- As a last treat from our tour, we drove along the Wild Atlantic Way, which is a long drive along Western Ireland. Specifically, we had a brief stop at the limestone coast of the Burren. Just like the rest of the Burren, this coast isn't sandy, but rocky. It is often compared to the surface of the moon, giving it an otherworldly feel. It is said that the whole are used to be underwater millions of years before, which explains the different geology of the area.

Is it like the moon? We'll never know.

It does look different though. (Pardon my shirt, it was EXTREMELY windy.)

- An hour or so later we arrived in Galway. I spend some time exploring Eyre Square because I wanted to look for dinner. I also took some time to rest that evening after a long day out of the city.

At Eyre Square.

They have banners of the different clans.

- My first day in Galway started out strong, seeing all the breathtaking sites of Western Ireland. However, there was one major thing I have yet to do in Galway: to see Galway! And of course, that was next on my agenda for my Galway adventures!

** Check out my other adventures in the UK, Ireland, and the Maldives here!!

ENGLAND

Part 1: Big Ben and Westminster, Camden Market, Tate Britain, Platform 9 3/4, Les Miserables - here 

Part 2: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Tate Modern - here

Part 3: British Museum, National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Piccadilly Circus, Chinatown - here

Part 4: Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor Palace - here

Part 5: Buckingham Palace, Notting Hill, Titanique - here

Part 6: Abbey Road, Kensington, Albertopolis - here

WALES

Part 1: Cardiff Castle and Cardiff's City Center - here

Part 2: Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff Bay - here

IRELAND

Part 1: Dublin City Center and Riverdance - here

Part 2: Kilmainham Gaol, Jeanie Johnston, Immigration Museum, Post Office - here

Part 4: Galway City Center - here

Part 5: Book of Kells and Other Museums of Dublin - here

NORTHERN IRELAND

Part 1: Giant's Causeway And Surroundings - here

Part 2: Titanic Museum Ulster Museum, and Belfast City Center - here

SCOTLAND

Part 1: Edinburgh City Center - here

Part 2: Edinburgh Castle And Surroundings - here

Part 3: Scottish Highlands - here

Part 4: Glasgow - here

Part 5: Dean Village, Palace of Holywoodhouse, Museums, and Ghost Tour - here

MALDIVES

Part 1: Male - here

Part 2: Luxury Resort Day Trip - here