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Connemara Day Trip from Galway: Cong and the Kylemore Abbey
4.5

Connemara Day Trip from Galway: Cong and the Kylemore Abbey

By Galway Tour Company
Recommended by 93% of travellers
93% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
About
Take the pain out of exploring Connemara on this full-day coach tour. The cunning route takes in some of the region’s most scenic mountains, lakes, and valleys with stops at Victorian Kylemore Abbey, and the charming village of Cong. Perfect for lovers of architecture and landscape, your local guide explains everything you see.
from
€35.00
per adult
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 3-99, max of 50 per group
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
Highlights
  • Explore historic Connemara without the hassle or expense of renting a car
  • Discover ancient religious monuments with the help of a local guide
  • See Lough Corrib, Loch Na Fooey, Inagh Valley, and Maumturk Mountains
  • Travel between locations in a spacious coach
  • Professional Local Driver/Guide
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
What's not included
  • Food and drinks
  • Entrance Fee to Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
  • Stop at the Kylemore on Tuesday and Wednesday ( 06.11.23-23.12.23 and 08.01.24-11.02.24
  • Entry/Admission - Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
Board your bus at Kinlay Hostel and head out into the Irish countryside. Your first stop is Cong village on the banks of Lough Corrib, for a walk along the cobbled streets, and perhaps take the time to look at 13th-century Ashford Castle, now a hotel. As you cross the border into County Connemara and travel around glacier lake Loch Na Fooey, your guide shares rich tales of Irish culture and traditions. Admire Kylemore Abbey, a spectacular lakeside edifice built during Victorian times, before returning to Galway by way of the Inagh Valley and Maumturk Mountains. Bid your guide farewell at the Kinlay Hostel.
Departure details
  • Kinlay Hostel, Merchants Rd, Eyre Square, Galway, H91 F2KT, Ireland Please check in at the Galway Tour Company Office located on a ground floor of the Kinlay Hostel
Return details
  • Returns to original departure point
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5750CONNEMARA
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Most travellers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travellers
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
What is the pick up location?
We offer pick ups from most hotels in Galway City. Let us know where you are staying in the 'Special Requirements' box in the Traveler Details section during checkout. Or you can let us know after booking by visiting 'Manage my Booking' and emailing us there.
Where is the meeting point?
The meeting point for this tour will be at Kinlay Hostel Galway.
What is the meeting time?
Please be at our departure point by 09:45 AM.
If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5750CONNEMARA
Reserve your spot
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Itinerary
  • You'll start at
    Kinlay Hostel
    Merchants Rd, Eyre Square, Galway, H91 F2KT, Ireland
    Please check in at the Galway Tour Company Office located on a ground floor of the Kinlay Hostel
    See address & details
  • 1
    Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
    Stop: 2 hours - Admission excluded
    See details
  • 2
    Killary Fjord
    Stop: 15 minutes
    See details
  • 3
    Cong
    Stop: 30 minutes
    See details
  • 4
    Royal Abbey of Cong
    Stop: 15 minutes
    See details
  • You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator
See all 5,925 reviews
Galway Tour Company
5,925
Ireland
Joined in January 2008
#3 of 123 Tours & Activities in Galway
  • Brenden T
    Brenden T
    0
    0
    Great tour
    Gary was a real pro! He’s been doing the tour for about 15 years and knows his stuff. Cliffs are indescribable. The other stops are quick, but worthwhile. Lunch was great as well!
  • cotheran121298
    cotheran121298
    0
    0
    Best tour!
    The tour was the best moments of our trip. We did the Burren/ Cliffs of Moher tour and Gary was our tour guide/ driver. We was a wealth of knowledge and gave us so much information about the Ireland and each place we visited. The best part of the tour besides the Cliffs was Gary.
  • do626
    do626
    0
    0
    Go with Gary!
    I cannot put in words how fantastic this trip is! We were unsure of booking a whole day trip but this was so well worth the very reasonable price. Gary was our tour guide and was the best! He shared recommendations, answered questions, and was entertaining the entire day.
  • V8894XNcarolineh
    V8894XNcarolineh
    0
    0
    Must see tour but ask for GARY!
    Gary is incredible! He was able to mix history with stories and we learned so much while learning so much!
  • D272NTkarld
    D272NTkarld
    0
    0
    Fabulous experience
    Anthony, our bus driver/ tour guide was spectacular. He made the trip 12 out of 10 stars. Yes, he was that good. Great way to see the cliffs and Doolin as well as the coastal highway.
  • Happiness56035215476
    Happiness56035215476
    0
    0
    Gary national hero
    Gary was absolutely outstanding and the tour itself was really good. Definitely suggesting this to anyone that would like to travel to the Cliffs!
  • P4153AOtayloro
    P4153AOtayloro
    0
    0
    Epic tour!
    Had an incredible time on this day trip. Very relaxing and the sites were epic! Anthony our driver did an incredible job. Super friendly and we learned a ton. Made thanksgiving a real fun day away from home. Cheers! Recommend the tour and our driver Anthony. 10/10
  • M-P7
    M-P7
    0
    0
    An amazing experience
    Took my sister-in-law here while she was home from Canada. It was beautiful weather wise so the scenery was outstanding. It was magical and one never tires of this place
  • kimberlymR537YL
    kimberlymR537YL
    0
    0
    The perfect Cliffs of Moher expericence
    Highly recommend this tour. Gary is the perfect guide. Funny, kind, so knowledgeable about the entire history of every place we stopped,fantastic driver. He even gave us a recommendation on where to eat dinner when we got back to Galway. It was so great for my husband and me to just get to enjoy the sights and not have to worry about navigating and driving on the narrow winding roads. Worth every penny!
  • willmI7563PW
    willmI7563PW
    0
    0
    Gary the best guide
    Gary was a fantastic guide. Great day hitting all the best spots and missing some of the ones that seemed less interesting.
  • DavidH15814
    DavidH15814
    0
    0
    An action-packed day of beautiful Irish scenery along with interesting historical content provided by driver Gary.
    Fantastic day hosted by local Gary, who clearly loves his job and enjoys showing the sites of western Ireland to eager travelers. Every minute was meticulously planned to squeeze as much site-seeing as possible and we were blessed with good weather as well. A+!
  • bucketlistitinerary
    bucketlistitinerary
    0
    0
    Tour with Tommy
    We had the best time on this tour. We typically don’t love full day tours since we like to explore and do things on our own timeline, but this was the exception. Tommy was so wonderful and knowledgeable! We were laughing the whole drive and the Aran islands were phenomenal. The cliffs were absolutely breathtaking. We were happy to be on the bus with the crazy roads! The whole experience was wonderful.
  • V1508UWleas
    V1508UWleas
    0
    0
    A must see for everyone visiting Ireland!
    The Aran Islands were beautiful and yes there is a lot more to see than we initially expected, especially the shipwreck was quite something! The cliffs of Moher were absolutely impressive especially from the boat. We also had two funny knowledgeable tour guides and a great travel group!
  • darrenm546
    darrenm546
    0
    0
    Great value and great guide
    I had a fantastic day on tour with Michael. He was a very informative guide and good fun. Lots of cool stops on the tour and 2.5 hours at Kylemore is just right. Cong village is lovely to walk around and get a pint before heading back to Galway.
  • ruthannend1
    ruthannend1
    0
    0
    A can't miss tour!
    Fabulous time for a great price! Spectacular scenery! The driver/guide Gary was extraordinary, so knowledgeable and entertaining! Highly recommend!
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4.5
432 reviews
Excellent
361
Very good
45
Average
16
Poor
5
Terrible
5
anameester
Toulouse, France32 contributions
Perfect day
I'm a French visiting (erasmus) student in Galway, and I wanted to take my friend to the Connemara. We were supposed to go there with bus eireann and hike but the weather was bad (the day after the tempest) so as I had promised I would take her there I booked a tour. I thought it would be long and boring but as the Connemara region is beautiful I thought that it would be worth it. And it actually, exceeded all of my expectations. Let me start with the driver, Paul. He is an AMAZING guide, he's full of stories and knowledge, he know everything about everything in the Connemara. He took us to the most beautiful places. He cracked funny jokes all day, and took time to answer all of my questions and he gave my useful pieces of advice on where to go next and what to visit, so that I can make the most of my stay, here in Ireland. To be honest, I'm not sure I would have loved it without Paul, but it's not fair to the other drivers that I don't know. I gushed about the landscapes all day. Please, if you want to go on a tour, pick this one, I could tell by the itinerary that it was the best and I was right. What an amazing day. I have to write down everything that I have learned because it was so interesting ! Thank you Paul, you made this day very special.
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelingtoes
California47 contributions
Fun Tour with a Comedic Driver
Jun 2023 • Couples
We did the 10am-6pm tour of Connemara, Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden, and Cong (35 euros/person). Our guide/driver Mike, who should be a professional comedian, gave a memorable tour with very interesting history and stories of that area (not so sure about the 3 available bachelors looking for wives along the way). The time passed by so quickly because the driver's comments on the bus ride were really funny and poignant at the same time. I highly recommend this tour if you are in Galway.
Written 26 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mizz Kelly
Nova Scotia, Canada4 contributions
Outstanding Tour
This was a brilliant tour. Our tour guide driver, Mike D., did an outstanding job of maneuvering the large, comfortable coach thru the spectacular Connemara countryside. Kylemore Abbey could be a tour all its own with the sprawling and beautiful grounds surrounding the Abbey itself. We experienced both torrential downpours, some hail, and sparkling sunshine throughout the day. Dress for the ever changing Irish weather. I was glad I did. Aside from being outside for roughly a total of 3 hours at Kylemore Abbey and Cong combined, we enjoyed the comfort of the coach which included the informative, knowledgeable, and at times humerous rhetoric of our driver.
Written 16 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suzy52
London, UK521 contributions
loved the Abbey
Jun 2022
It's an all day trip so it's a long day on the coach. I would paid just to see Kylemore Abbey and given Cong village a miss. Staying in Cong village for over a hour is way too long as it will take just 10 minutes to go around the whole village! So I felt this was a waste of time especially as I only had limited time in Galway.

Kylemore Abbey is beautiful and well worth going to. It's quite a big area and there's a shuttle bus that will take you to the gardens which has a house museum for the head gardener, pigs, horses and a trail to the woods.

You had 2.5 hours which is plenty of time to explore the grounds and Abbey.

Mike was very chatty and regaled us with stories and information which helped passed the time on the coach.
Written 6 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susanne S
Dingolfing, Germany9 contributions
An excellent way to explore Connemara
Apr 2022
A day and money well spent! MIKE is a very friendly, humorous and well-informed tour guide. He pointed out hundreds of details of Irish histroy, culture and economy that I surely would have missed if I had travelled alone. Very enjoyable!
We made several photostops just for the magnificient views and two longer stops: Kylemore Abbey - definitely get the discounted ticket (10€) from the bus driver. It is absolutely worth it. Also, without a ticket, you have 1.5 hrs to kill in the gift shop and restaurant.
We also stopped at the village of Cong, which I had never heard of. However, the laid-back Irish village has beautiful ruins to explore, and of course also a café and an Aran sweater shop.
Written 18 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GTCCustomerService
Hi Susanne , thank you for trusting in us to help you with organising your voyage in Ireland and for leaving such gratifying feedback. We are delighted to hear that Mike made your travels even more memorable and we hope to see you all in Ireland again very soon.
Written 3 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ken N
Ocala, FL65 contributions
Great experience
Highly recommend this tour. The bus driver, Mike, was not only knowledgeable but very friendly and told lots of stories and entertained us as we did this day trip.
We had the pleasure of sitting in the front seats and got to watch him master all the narrow roads and sharp turns of the Irish backcountry.
We had plenty of time at Kylemoore Abbey and in Cong to explore. Overall, a great experience!
Written 25 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Celia M
2 contributions
November at Kylemore Abbey.
Nov 2021 • Couples
We didn’t actually do Ross Friary it was to Cong instead, however Cong was interesting anyway. We had visited Kylemore Abbey before but it was great to do so again. Our driver/guide Eamonn was very good and gave an excellent synopsis of Irish history which was good as there were a few different nationalities on board. A very good day out all round
Written 8 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GTCCustomerService
Hi Celia , We are very happy to hear you had a good day touring with Eamonn and thank you very much for your generous review.
Written 16 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
George K
Parma, Italy9 contributions
A jewel in Connemara
Feb 2020
This is one of the most amazing places to visit in Europe. I visited it with my daughter ten years ago and was very happy to have the opportunity of this second visit. The impact of this abbey on the shore of the lake remained undiminished. The Victorian walled garden is highly recommended.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
14Montreal
Montreal, Canada143 contributions
Ask for Michael and have the BEST time!!
Brilliant!

Starting with Michael (❣️), the driver/guide, through the Abbey and especially (for me) the TINY side trip and walk down a shortways to a perfect spot near the lake and sheep... it was so worth every penny and every minute. Michael truly was fantastic, sharing so much history and Irish stories.
Written 22 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon A
Ottawa, Canada9 contributions
TOO MUCH TIME IN THE BUS
This was our first and last bus tour, it was tiring and not worth our time as majority of the time is spent on the bus for a "guided tour," but sitting in the back of the bus we could hardly hear the driver. There was a very loud family sitting beside us who were loud and rowdy and we couldn't hear the driver above their voices. Altogether you spend 2 hours and 20 minutes at the Abbey, which is beautiful but not much selection for food. Then back on the bus to Cong where you only get one hour. I would have much rather spent more time in Cong where there are a variety of restaurants and much to see. We felt rushed when out of the bus and then spent a LONG time in the bus. 3 hours and 20 minutes out of the bus, and 4 hours and 40 minutes on the bus. Someone got sick on the bus which made it smell. After Cong it was just a ride in a bus without any "guiding" not that we could hear the driver anyway. By the end of the tour I cancelled our next tour because it just was not how I want to spend my time when I've travelled all this way. Although the family around us is out of the control of the bus driver, it severely impacted our ability to enjoy, and learn, about the area. The bus was packed and we couldn't move anywhere. The pros are that we got to see Connemara in all its beauty. The landscape is stunning. The Abbey is not worth it, you're better off going somewhere where there is a community, not a monastery.
Written 9 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Connemara Day Trip from Galway: Cong and the Kylemore Abbey provided by Galway Tour Company