If you have a little extra time to explore, but not long enough to road trip or really travel around the country, you can still spend two days or a weekend hiking in Ireland and see some incredible views as well as a bit of life outside the urban areas. These two hikes can both be accessed by public transit. One is just outside of Dublin, and one can be a day trip from Galway (and also give you a chance to see a bit of the west coast).
Day 1 – Hiking around Howth
8am – Take the H3 bus to Howth Summit from the Connolly Station area. Download the Visit Howth app so you can use their maps (and reference other useful information).
9am – Arriving at the summit bus stop, you can pick up sort of midway through one of the longer walks and check out the area slightly to the west if you want to see some different terrain and views of the town from above. Otherwise, head southeast a few blocks to the summit area. From there the cliffside trail takes off downhill and then to your right, or you can explore to the left along towards the lighthouse. Allow about 90 minutes to get back into town following the main cliffside trail.
11:30am – Depending on how long you take with the hike and exploring side trails, you may have some time to wander around town and the harbor. There are plenty of places to get lunch – Howth is known for having great seafood, and on Sundays there may be a prepared food market.
1pm – Catch the train to Connolly Station, then take the tram to Euston Station in time to catch the 2:40 train to Galway. (You can reserve a train seat when you purchase your ticket ahead of time, and the trains are plenty comfortable, with outlets and wifi vailable.)
5pm – After arriving in Galway and settling in, check out the area known as the Latin Quarter for people watching, dinner, and whatever else you’re looking for.
Day 2 – Cliffs of Moher
7:30am – Grab coffee and breakfast to go from Gourmet Tart Co. – a local Galway bakery that has grown to 6 locations.
8am – Catch the National Express #350 bus headed to Doolin. You can buy a ticket (including a return trip) from the machine at the train station – the bus leaves from just outside the train station.
10am – Get off the bus at the stop for the Doolin Hotel. From there just walk down to the end of the street and then continue on the path while the road curves to the right. Depending on your comfort level with hiking, do some other research besides reading this before setting out on the hike on your own; the trail can be slippery/muddy, narrow, and is of course.. along the cliffs. I saw a guide leading a group of hikers which seemed like a great option if you prefer not to find your own way.
1pm – While the hike is only about 6km, I found that with the varying trail conditions and incredible views it was nice allow about 3 hours to make it south to the visitor center area. Once there, you may be able to enjoy the music from some buskers, climb an old tower, have lunch at the cafe, and explore the exhibits in the visitor center.
3:20pm – Make your way out past the first coach lot and find the bus stop in time to catch the 3:20 return bus to Galway.
5:30pm – Arrive in Galway. You can catch a 6pm train back to Dublin tonight, arriving around 8:30pm, or stay in Galway for the night.
(See here for ideas of what to do in Dublin before or after your hikes!)
