Ireland – Day 4 – Travels with Carolyne

Cliffs of Moher/Doolin/Galway – Day 4 of a 9-Day Trip in Ireland

Day 4 was a visit to the Cliffs of Moher! The Cliffs are a popular tourist attraction with approximately 1.5 million visitors per year. It is a natural phenomenon that stretches 14km in length and can reach a maximum of 214m in height above the sea level depending on which section of the Cliffs you are at.

Day 4
cliffs of Moher/Doolin/Galway

The day started off cloudy and slightly rainy. I had a quick breakfast at the Airbnb and headed to the bus station to catch the 8am 350 bus to the Cliffs of Moher. The bus to the Cliffs accepts TFI Leap Cards and the one-way fare is about 4 euros cheaper if you use a TFI Leap Card. I was honestly a bit confused initially, so I bought a standard bus ticket without using my leap card just to be safe (I could not find any staff to answer my questions!). I would have much preferred tapping my card while boarding the bus as it would have saved me a bit of money. The bus ride to the Cliffs is just over 2 hours and is a really nice drive through the countryside. The roads are very narrow at certain spots and winding as well.

The entrance fee to the Cliffs of Moher is 12euros/person, which includes access to their Visitor Centre. If you hike up from the nearest town, you can bypass the admission fee (unless you want to go to the Visitor Centre). The Visitor Centre has a cafe and gift shop, as well as a small exhibition with photos and information on the cliffs. The Cliffs, themselves, are magnificent. I wandered the area, going up and down the stairs, and passing by the O’Brien’s Tower. It started to clear up while I was there, going from clouds to sun.

Most visitors would take the bus directly back from the Cliffs of Moher, but I decided to hike down to the nearest town, Doolin. The hike is about 1.5 hours long and there is a clear route to take. It is also a lovely cliff hike. Not many people choose to hike down from the Cliffs of Moher so the trail is not busy at all.

I also passed by the Doonagore Castle, a 16th century castle (you can see it in the distance in the last photo above). The castle is not open to the public however and is privately owned. About 15 minutes past Doonagore Castle is Doolin, the end of my hike. Doolin is a cute town and a popular base for tourists due to its proximity to the Cliffs, the Burren (an area with beautiful rocky landscapes), and the ferries to the Aran Islands.

I was famished, so I headed to Gus O’Connor’s Pub for lunch. I ordered a pint of cider and a bowl of the Guinness Stew. The cider was refreshing especially on such a hot day! The Guinness Stew was filling and delicious as well.

The next bus back to Galway did not come until 3:31pm, so I took my time at lunch and wandered the stores in Doolin. Around 2:30pm, I headed to the bus stop outside the Doolin Hotel. I was first in line and lucky too, as only the first two people were allowed on the bus due to it being quite full. This is because most people get on at the Cliffs of Moher. The rest of the line had to wait for the next bus. The bus only comes every few hours, so plan accordingly!

I arrived back at Galway around dinner time. The restaurant I went to was The Dough Bros, which was highly recommended to me by a coworker. The Dough Bros is a popular pizzeria in Galway, which has also been voted as the best pizzeria in Ireland and 37th in the world (in 2022). I ordered the Stinger pizza – I’m not enough of a pizza connoisseur to say it is the best in Ireland, but it was definitely delicious!