Please sign in to post.

Backpacker tours from Galway?

Hello! I'll be traveling solo to Ireland and plan to not drive on my own. I'll be flying into Dublin and the end of my trip will involve goofing around Dublin and the area with local friends, but for the 5 days before that, they'll be working so I want to run off to the west coast and see what I can. I found backpacker tours that are 5 days that do Aran Islands, Dingle, Cliffs of Moher, and Galway, but the timing sadly doesn't allow for my other plans with the friends with limited time.

The other backpacker tours are 3 or 4 days and seem to give up either Aran Islands or Dingle... so I'd have to choose. But these tours are all out of Dublin, so I'm wondering if there are any backpacker tours I could take if I take the train as soon as I land to Galway, then take a small group tour from there? I'd assume that not having to drive cross country, it would be much easier to cover Aran Islands and Dingle in a 3 day tour (though perhaps a bit rushed). After some googling, I haven't yet found a Dingle tour from Galway, but maybe I'm not looking in the right place. Does anyone know of such a tour?

Posted by
933 posts

You can easily stay in Galway and just do day trips to the Cliffs/Burren, Aran Islands, Connemara and some other places. This is what I did. I did not look for one to Dingle as I spent several nights in Killarney and went to Dingle from there. Have you looked at this web site
https://www.shamrockeradventures.com/3-9-day-tours/5-day-celtic-rocker.
You may be able to join the tour in Galway, even if it starts in Dublin.

I think you are going to have a problem finding any multi day trip that will fit with your schedule when you have such limited time so it may be best to just stay at the hostel in Galway and do day trips.

Posted by
409 posts

I sort of agree with Anita above, but rather than stay in Galway why not stay along the coast and out of the city? There are some great hostels (you sound like you might be budget conscious!) along the coast and you can do some backpacking staying out of the big city. I've stayed in hostels in Lahinch, Doolin, on Aran Islands, Connemara Park - you don't have to do an organized tour, you can travel at your own pace!

Susan
in Waterville