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The city that never quite sits down
Galway is where Irish people go when they want a weekend with a bit of life in it. The centre is tiny (you can walk from Eyre Square to the Spanish Arch in ten minutes), but in those ten minutes you’ll pass buskers, bookshops, a few dozen pubs and some of the best restaurants in the west. On a sunny bank holiday, the whole city seems to be outside, and on a wet one, it’s all inside the pubs, which is nearly as good.
It’s also a brilliant base. Connemara, the Burren and the Aran Islands are all within day-trip distance, so you can mix city nights with wild days.
A day in the city
- The Latin Quarter: Shop Street, High Street and Quay Street, with street performers most days and the medieval Lynch’s Castle, now a bank, on Shop Street.
- The Spanish Arch and the river: watch the Corrib rush out to sea, then cross to the Claddagh, the old fishing village that gave its name to the Claddagh ring.
- Galway Market: beside St Nicholas’ Church on Saturdays, with Sunday and holiday markets too. Come hungry.
- Galway City Museum: by the Spanish Arch, free, and good on a wet afternoon.
- The Hall of the Red Earl: the excavated remains of a 13th-century hall under glass in the middle of the city, free to visit.
- Galway Cathedral: finished in 1965, with a grand interior that surprises most first-time visitors.
Salthill and the prom
The Salthill promenade runs west from the city along Galway Bay, and walking it is a Galway ritual. Go to the far end and “kick the wall” at Blackrock diving tower, as Galwegians have done for generations, and if you’re brave, join the year-round swimmers who jump in off the tower. With children, Galway Atlantaquaria, the national aquarium, is on the prom too.
Music, food and evenings
Live traditional music is a nightly thing in Galway’s pubs, usually from around 9pm, and you rarely have to look hard for it. The quieter sessions are often the best, so if you find a corner where musicians are sitting around a table rather than on a stage, stay put and keep your voice down.
Galway’s food scene is excellent for a city its size, from seafood chowder and oysters to modern Irish cooking and great cafés. Book dinner on bank holiday weekends, as the good places fill up. The Galway Oyster and Seafood Festival in September is one of the oldest food festivals in the country.
Day trips
Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, makes a superb day: take the ferry from Rossaveal (there’s a shuttle bus from the city), hire a bike at the pier and cycle out to the cliff fort of Dún Aonghasa. See our Aran Islands guide if you’d like to stay over.
Connemara is about an hour away by car, with Kylemore Abbey and the Sky Road at Clifden, and the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are a little over an hour in the other direction. Tour coaches run to all three if you don’t have a car. Our Connemara and Burren guides have more.
When it rains
Galway does rain well. Spend the morning in the City Museum and the Hall of the Red Earl, take in a show at the Druid Theatre or the Town Hall Theatre, and settle into a pub with a fire and an early session. The cathedral and the aquarium are good stops too.
When to go
Galway is at its busiest during the Galway International Arts Festival in July and the Galway Races, which finish on the August bank holiday weekend. Both are great fun, but prices jump and rooms go early. For better value and a calmer city, the May, June and October bank holidays are ideal, and the St Brigid’s Day weekend in February is quiet and cosy. From November, the Christmas market fills Eyre Square: see our Christmas markets guide.
Which area to stay in
The Latin Quarter and the streets around Eyre Square put you within a few minutes’ walk of everything, including the train station, but expect some late-night noise at weekends. The docks area is central but calmer. Salthill has seafront hotels and B&Bs about 30 minutes’ walk from town, often at better prices, and it’s ideal if you want a morning swim or a sea view.
A two-night plan
Friday: arrive by train, walk the Latin Quarter and find a music session after dinner.
Saturday: the market in the morning, the Spanish Arch and the Claddagh, then the Salthill prom and dinner in the city.
Sunday: a day trip to Inis Mór, Connemara or the Burren, or a slow morning and the museum before the train home.
Frequently asked questions
Is Galway good for a weekend without a car?
Very. The train and coaches from Dublin arrive in the centre, the city is walkable, and tours run to Connemara, the Burren and the Aran Islands.
How many days do you need in Galway?
Two nights covers the city and its music. Three nights lets you add a day trip to the Aran Islands, Connemara or the Burren.
When is the Galway Races?
The summer festival runs for a week at the end of July and finishes on the August bank holiday weekend. Book accommodation early, as the city fills up.
Where is the best area to stay in Galway?
The Latin Quarter and the area around Eyre Square put you within walking distance of everything. Salthill is quieter and often better value, about 30 minutes’ walk or a short bus ride away.
Where we’d stay
Colourful design hotel and spa a short drive from the centre.
Boutique hotel in the Latin Quarter, close to the pubs.
Simple, central rooms beside the Spanish Arch. Formerly Jurys Inn.
We may earn a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Getting there
Easy by train or coach from Dublin, and the city centre is small enough to walk end to end.
- By train: Dublin Heuston to Galway Ceannt, about two hours 20 minutes. The station is on Eyre Square.
- By coach: frequent services from Dublin city centre and Dublin Airport.
- In Galway: local buses run to Salthill. Ferries to the Aran Islands leave from Rossaveal, with a shuttle bus from the city, and in season from Doolin.
Timetables change, especially on bank holidays, so check with the operator before you travel.
