Connemara Private
Tour Choice
The haunting beauty and isolation of the sea-sloping hills of Connemara reflects the courage and strength our ancestors had to survive. nThis really is a must-do journey to understand the evolution of rural Ireland...
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Full Day Tour
- Depart - 9:00am
- Visit Connemara National Park
- Choice of activities along the way
- Return Galway City 6:30pm
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Long Day Tour
- Depart - 9:00am
- Visit Connemara National Park
- Choice of activities along the way
- Return Galway City 8:30pm
* All Timings & Itineraries are flexible
Activities Menu
Enhance your Connemara experience.
Craft your journey to Connemara with a choice from our selection of activities along the way ...
Heritage Activities
- Kylemore Abbey
- Dan O'Haras Cottage
- Glengowla Mines
Cultural Activities
- Galway City
- The Quiet Man Cottage & Musuem
- Connemara Smokehouse
Adventure Activities
- Killary Adventure Company
- Hiking in Connemara National Park
- Real Adventure Sea Kayaking
- Real Adventure Surfing
Maggie's Recommendation:
Choose a laneway off the Sky Road to find your own pocket of paradise with vista views of the Wild Atlantic Way.
The Tour Highlights
Connemara National Park
With almost 3,000 hectares of nostalgic bogland, topped with a hazy heather hue rolling over the mesmorising hills of Connemara National Park, its hard not to get bewitched by the wilderness.
Walking trails etched into the land and mapped out by the very helpful (not to mention extremely interesting) visitor centre, call for the ascension of the gleaming Diamond Hill, where you will see the Twelve Bens mountains escaping the horizon and reaching for the sky.
The deeper you delve into this park, the more you will find. And among the smooth lulling slopes, you will discover still lakes, flowing forests, cruising rivers and a plethora of wildlife coupled with a feeling that something profoundly sorrowful once occurred in these hills.
The Sky Road & Clifden Castle
Take the high road (or the low road) for an exhilirating experience of Connemara's craggy coastline. Wind along the narrow lanes of this 11km route which loops the penninsula and you are bound to be blown away by the sheer beauty that enfolds behind each bend.
One particular highlight on this route is Clifden Castle which, though dilapidated, stoically stands alone in a field with a watchful eye on the tempermental ocean.
There are an endless amount of paths veering off the sky road and leading down to the ocean and you are sure to find your own private paradise at the end of one of them.
Clifden Town
All roads leading to the hill-hanging town of Clifden are lined with awe-inspiring scenery, making this tradional Irish town the perfect base to explore the region.
Clifden is often referred to as the 'Capital of Connemara', serving as the epicentre of trade and agriculture for the wider community. And it has seamlessly adopted its thriving tourism with comfy B&B's, rustic restaurants and bustling bars open to all.
With a packed social calender, from fairs and markets, to festivals and dancing, there is always an opportunity to get amongst the locals and experience rural Irish life.
Choose Your Activity
Choose from our selection of fantastic activities and uncover The Culture, Nature and Adventure of Dublin & it's surrounds.
Heritage Activities
Kylemore Abbey
Sitting snugly within a crook of Connemara's mystical vale, this intriguing gothic castle was built in the 1860's as a man's romantic gesture to his wife. It is easy to see why the Mitchell family fell in love with Kylemore, as it is the perfect retreat from the barren landscape of the boggy hills. Now home to an order of Benedictine nuns, this elegant estate and its immaculate 6-acre walled Victorian garden is open for the public to explore.
Among other things, the craft shop sells local pottery along with confectionary and skincare made by the nuns themselves!
Activity Price : €13 Adult/ €10 OAP / €9 Student
Activity Time : Approx 1 Hour
Dan O'Hara Heritage
The Connemara History & Heritage Centre is huddled against the fringes of the Twelve Bens mountain range. Here, the Breathnach/
Walsh Family give you an opportunity to step back in time and experience Ireland through the ages with exhibitions of pre-Celtic architecture, demostrations of traditional turf-cutting and even irish cookery classes.
You will also gain an authentic insight into what life was like for local families in this area during the famine. In particular, the mournful story of Dan O'Hara, a farmer whose family was forced to emigrate, is honorably told and his home is aptly restored to its alluring simplicity.
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Activity Price : € 8 Adult - Family Rates Available
Activity Time : Approx 1.5 Hours
Sheep Dog Demonstrations
Joyce Country Sheepdogs is part of a family run farm located in Connemara on the West of Ireland. Joyce Contry Sheepdogs offers you the opportunity to visit a working hill sheep farm and watch the Border Collie sheepdogs herding Connemara Blackface sheep. Border Collie sheepdogs and puppies are available to buy.
Joe Joyce is the third generation of his family to farm sheep in the Joyce Country area. The farm is nestled between the Maumturk and Partry Mountains. Joe is delighted to share his love of sheep farming and dog handling with visitors, young and old a like.
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Activity Cost: Adults €10, under 12yrs €5, under 5yrs free
Activity Time: Approx 1 Hour
Cultural Activities
Galway City
The maritime west coast city of Galway is the bohemian heartland of Ireland. Take in the sights and sounds of the 'city of the tribes' as you stroll along the cobbled lanes and market stalls and feel the fresh breeze billowing up from the sea. The streets are lined with some of the country's best buskers who charm passersby with their eclectic melodies and make the whole city feel like its moving to the music.
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There are also plenty of cultural delights to keep you busy. A walk up the river Corrib will take you to some of the historical gems of Galway city such as The Spanish Arch, Lynches Castle, St Nicholas Church and the excellent Galway Museum.
Activity Cost : Free for City Visit
Activity Time : 2 Hours Approx
Quiet Man Cottage & Bridge
A perfect tribute to one of the greatest movies set in Ireland, the Quiet Man Musuem is located at the original site in the stunning village of Cong. The cottage has recently been declared a protected structure and an exact replica has been built nearby for visitors to experience the set.
The late Maureen O'Hara, the beautiful Irish actress who played the lead role in the movie, and the family of her co-star John Wayne returned several times to visit the musuem, as well as millions of others.
This is a great activity for everyone to experience what it was like to live in 1920's rural Ireland and to imagine what it was like to live in a 1950's irish village that was taken over by Hollywood!
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Activity Cost : Free
Activity Time : Approx 1 Hours
Connemara Smokehouse
A big advantage of being battered by the wild atlantic ocean is having a delectable array of seafood on your doorstep. And over time, Connemara people have developed expert skills and knowledge in catching, cooking and keeping this seafood.
The oldest smokehouse in Connemara opened in 1979 and is a second- generation family establishment run by Graham and Saoirse Roberts. The family invite you to their smokehouse, which sits on the edge of Bunowen pier, where they will take you through the skillful craft of hand-filleting, salting, smoking and hand-slicing the seafood, with opportunities to sample the produce at the end.
This is a really interesting activity where you will learn alot about the industry that supports many of our coastal villages.
Activity Cost : Free
Activity Time : Approx 1 Hour
Adventure Activities
Treking in Connemara National Park
The Connemara National park is Ireland at it's most dramatic. A trek across the park will take you across varying terrains including luch pasture, barren wetlands, heather decked bogland and lakes, rivers & mountains.
A great excursion for all the family!
Activity Cost: Free (Guided Trek - 20 Per Hour)
Activity Time: 2 Hours
Glengowla Mines
Go deep beneath the Connemara mountains in the excavated marble chambers of the Glengowla mines. Abandoned in 1862 and restored in 1992, these mines are known for having produced rare octahedral crystals such as flourite and quartz, as well as lead and silver
In addition to being a working farm, there is also a musuem, a working seismograph (as Glengowla is part of the national seismic network) and a gem store. The area was also used for the set of An Klondike, the first Irish Western. With so many interesting things to see and do, this is a perfect activity for the families.
Activity Cost : €10 Adults, €4 children, €9 Students
Activity Time : hours
Real Adventures - Surfing
Try surfing and learn how to ride your first waves or improve the basics in the ideal setting along the Wild Atlantic Way. Ballyconneely is the peninsula, jutting into the Atlantic between Clifden, Co Galway to the north and Roundstone to the south, it contains some of the most tranquil, unspoilt and interesting beaches and countryside to be found anywhere in the country.
Top class surf coaches will teach you everything you need to know to get you up, surfing and looking like a pro within a matter of a few hours.
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Activity Cost : €40 for an adult and €35 for a child
Activity Time : 2.5 Hours
Real Adventure
Sea Kayaking & Surfing
This is a unique coastal kayaking journey that will take you completely off the beaten track to one of the most stunning places in Connemara. The Real Adventure Guides will safely bring you in and around the stunning Connemara coastline, taking in fabulous sea caves, sea arches and along the magnificent cliffs near Cleggan head.
Activity Cost : €50 for an adult and €40 for a child
Activity Time : 2.5 Hours
