David & Jenna see lots of whiskey, the Cliffs of Moher, and the beautiful countryside on their drive from Dublin to Galway!
Dublin
Activities
Guinness Storehouse tour
The Guinness Storehouse is the home of Guinness. There is a big museum that is very interesting and well done about how they brew Guinness and the history of the beer. The highlight for us was the 360* gravity bar on the top floor, with a wonderful view of Dublin and a complementary Guinness on tap.
University College tour & the Book of Kells
We went on the tour of the 500 year old Trinity College Dublin campus. The University library was impressive – they filmed part of the Harry Potter movies there. This tour is the only way to see the Book of Kells. This is a manuscript containing the 4 Gospels of the New Testament written in Latin by Irish monks in the year 800. It was a great tour given by students at the college.
Trinity University Library
St. Patrick’s Cathedral & Christ Church Cathedral
These are the 2 cathedrals in Dublin. Both are gorgeous Gothic style cathedrals; St. Patrick’s built in 1191 and Christ Church built in 1030. Both are open during the day for the public to visit and there is an admission fee to enter both, but of course there is no fee to attend a service. They were both so impressive; we’re glad we saw them!
Temple Bar
At night, Temple Bar is the main bar scene downtown. It’s advertised as Dublin’s cultural quarter and it’s bursting with pubs, restaurants, galleries and people – both tourists and locals. We had a lot of fun checking out the pubs and the nightlife scene. During the day it’s a destination for galleries, photography institutes, as well as the Irish Stock Exchange and Central Bank of Ireland.
Restaurants
All the food was good but nothing really stood out in particular. Definitely try some traditional Irish food! I had the sheppard’s pie and lots of fish and chips.
Hotel
Kinlay House
In Dublin we stayed at the Kinlay House, which was close to Temple Bar. Kinlay House was a run-of-the-mill hostel, not fabulous, but not terrible either.
Transportation
While in Dublin we just walked around to get everywhere and we used the Airbus to get to/from the airport.
Galway
Activities
We drove from Dublin to Galway, and Galway was amazing! So many cute shops and live music, delicious food everywhere you go and the nicest people.
Galway Whiskey Trail
We found this pamphlet in the oldest bar The Kings Head for the Galway Whiskey Trail which involved trying whiskey in 10 bars in Galway. So much fun (I recommend splitting each tasting with someone…otherwise things could get hairy.) We met so many great people and found so many great bars!
Cliffs of Moher
From Galway we went to the famous Cliffs of Moher and went on a fantastic 4 hour hike all the way to the end- well worth it if you have the time to spend! The views are beautiful. The Cliffs of Moher were less than a 2 hour drive south of Galway.
Hotel
Savoy Hostel
In Galway we stayed in Savoy Hostel which was close to everything! It was AMAZING – super clean, really good quality beds and very spacious.
Transportation From Dublin to Galway
We were brave and rented a car (with full coverage of course) to get from Dublin to Galway. HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS!!! We saw so much of the countryside and were able to take our time and stop off in a few towns and churches. Driving truly wasn’t as scary as we expected.
A church we discovered on our drive from Dublin to Galway
from Dublin to Galway – Ireland Travel Tips:
Timing – There were so many things to see and do in Dublin, but it was mainly just another big city. You would be good to spend only 1-2 days there. We loved the countryside WAY more, and wished we spent less time in Dublin and more time in the countryside. Had we known this, we would have set out on our drive from Dublin to Galway sooner, and been able to take more time on the drive.
Weather – It’s still cold in the summer – we were there in June – so heads up on that.
People – Everyone is so nice and welcoming!
Other Travel Guides You Might Like:
London, England – Must See Spots in London
Paris, France – 3 Days in Paris: Experience Paris City Life
Rome, Tuscany, Naples & Sicily, Italy – 2 Weeks in Italy: Rome, Tuscany, Naples & Sicily
Oia, Santorini, Greece – Guide to Oia: Where to Stay in Santorini
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