Galway, a harbour city on the opposite coast from Dublin, enjoys pride of place away from the capital's tourist crowds – allowing it to retain an identity that's entirely its own. It doesn't get more Irish than this coastal town, whose local population still speaks Gaelic and whose wealth of culture and atmosphere make up for a lack of major landmarks.
Nearby schools, including the National University of Galway, keep the city's population young and lively. The pub scene is strong, complete with regional beers on tap and Irish folk music performances that last through the night. Just as much fun is had when summer welcomes the Galway International Arts Festival and the Galway International Oyster Festival, the latter of which showcases the bounty of Galway Bay.
While Galway may not offer as many historic sights as other large Irish cities, there are a few landmarks worth checking off in town. Christopher Columbus is rumoured to have prayed at St Nicholas Collegiate Church, a medieval parish founded in the 14th century. During your sightseeing, make sure to stop by Eyre Square, a public park where you'll find many of Galway's main transportation hubs.
For all of Galway's urban charms, there's incredible nature to discover nearby. Hop a ferry bound for Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands home to ancient sites and windswept landscapes. Drive less than two hours down the coast and you'll reach the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland's most famous sights.
Tonight
From per night
Next weekend
From £525 per night
Most popular time to visit | October–December |
Cheapest time to visit | January–March |
Local currency | € 10 = £8.56 |
Language | English |
Average weekend price | £150 per night |
Average weekday price | £127 per night |
Typical stay | 1 night |
Spanish Arch
0.4 miles from city centre
The Market
0.2 miles from city centre
Galway is a cool bustling city, with various markets, wide...
29 April 2024
Galway is a cool bustling city, with various markets, wide range of Restaurants + Cafès for everybody from Vegan to Kosher. There is a Theatre, cinema, beach, art galleries, all within walking distance from Eyre Square. People are friendly, Saturday + Sunday markets , with stalls in town daily. Eyre square shopping mall has all your favourite shops too
Friendly people.
26 April 2024
Friendly people. Lots to explore. Great music, culture, bars, a general feel good place. The weather can be hit and miss sometimes just be prepared. "There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes!"
We prefered to eat and drink in the West End and stayed...
26 April 2024
We prefered to eat and drink in the West End and stayed clear of Shop Street other than when we hit the artists market where we could get locally made stuff. We had great food at Universal and grabbed drinks at the Bierhaus. We listened to fabulous music at the Crane- go for the experience (go upstairs) if nothing else! If you want to go to the Aran Islands, I recommend the Aran Island Ferries. They leave right from Galway Docks and take you to Inishmore. You get about 4 hours on the island (enough to take a horse and cart (a must!) to Dun Aonghasa and back but not much else) then it picks you up and returns via the Cliffs of Mohr. If you want longer or want a different island you'll have to go to one of the other ports (Doolin or Rossaveel) that will take you a while to get to. The weather was incredible, so we were outside the whole time and walked on the promendade to Salthill each night. We didn't have a car- the traffic was pretty heavy, so I was very glad we were on foot. If you do have a car, I would recommend parking at wherever you are staying and walking everywhere else if possible. If we had more time we would have ventured to Spiddal and to Connemara National Park, but we felt we had enough time to see Galway itself.
Galway is one of the best places we have been to and a...
17 April 2024
Galway is one of the best places we have been to and a favourite spot for our 1 or2 day trips very good for shopping and restaurants it’s a lovely city and one of our favour eating cafes is the Quays (the darling girl)and the Skeffington hotel (the Skeff) and Mcswiggens restaurant and the Ayer sq hotel
I found the hotel great.
2 April 2024
I found the hotel great. It was 10 min drive to city center for shopping cafe and pubs. And salthill beach was 10min drive also. Great location to be able to do a range of activities for couples or families The hotel was great very child friendly
Heard for many years that Galway is a beautiful romantic...
25 March 2024
Heard for many years that Galway is a beautiful romantic place and always wanted to go there. Now I've been, and I won't be going back. Average looking place, nothing to really do, everything is very expensive and overpriced, especially the food. Some of the buildings are kinda cool, but the famous landmark road with the painted houses is literally 3 houses painted a colour and you will need to photoshop a bit of contrast to your photo afterwards!
Galway, Ireland
From £137 per night
Galway, Ireland
From £103 per night
Galway, Ireland
From £155 per night
Galway, Ireland
From £300 per night
Apartments
From £50 per night
Villas
From per night
Cabins
From £77 per night
Cottages
From £77 per night
Serviced Apartments
From £56 per night
Holiday Homes
From £77 per night
Guest Houses
From £47 per night
Hostels
From £16 per night
B&Bs
From £39 per night
Homestays
From £69 per night
Self Catering Accommodation
From £18 per night