Connemara, Cong & Kylemore Abbey Tour from Galway
4.5
Connemara, Cong & Kylemore Abbey Tour from Galway
By Galway Tour Company
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
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.
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 ( English only )
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Live commentary on board
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Entrance Fee to Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
- Gratuities
- 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.
- Start:
- Kinlay Hostel, Merchants Rd, Eyre Square, Galway, H91 F2KT, IrelandPlease check in the office 15-20 minutes prior to departure. Please allow enough time to get to the departure point (if you travel by car ) due to a high traffic in Galway City. There is car parking available on Merchants Rd.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting 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
- Public car park near ( Q-Park Eyre Square , Q-Park Hynes Yard)
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Seats are not assigned
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- 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.Answered Jul 2019
- Where is the meeting point?
- The meeting point for this tour will be at Kinlay Hostel Galway.Answered Nov 2022
- What is the meeting time?
- Please be at our departure point by 09:45 AM.Answered Jul 2019
The tour operator has provided the following answers to customers’ questions.- 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
From
£34.04
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Merchants Rd, Eyre Square, Galway, H91 F2KT, IrelandPlease check in the office 15-20 minutes prior to departure. Please allow enough time to get to the departure point (if you travel by car ) due to a high traffic in Galway City. There is car parking available on Merchants Rd.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- M1145OXjavierg0 contributionsWonderfull and exciting experience!Great views and landscapes. Tommy, the bus driver, was very funny and very informative, with lots of insider, cultural and historical stories. At lunchtime we went to a typical Irish pub where we could feast on Irish beef with Guinness. We were lucky with the weather. Wonderful experience, again and again...Written 29 January 2025
- J6788UOangelah0 contributionsExceeded expectations!Really excellent day, which exceeded expectations. The coach driver, Gary, really made the trip. His commentary and knowledge was invaluable and impressive. The views and places visited were breathtaking..I would definitely do another trip like this based on this brilliant experience.Written 22 January 2025
- meghanw9950 contributionsHighly Recommend!Galway Tour Company is absolutely amazing. Tommy and Anthony are not only incredibly knowledgable, but they are incredibly kind and hospitable as well. I truly cannot imagine what I would have done without them! Cannot recommend enough :)Written 21 January 2025
- faolank0 contributionsGalway Tours of GalwayTommy and Anthony are the best tour guides ever. Tommy is a wonderful chat and very knowledgeable, as well as a total hoot when we all explored together. Anthony is just as knowledgeable and attests to the consistency of the Galway Tour Company drivers. He is also a great dancer :)Written 19 January 2025
- kylieboe0 contributionsHighly Recommend Galway tour company!!I cannot recommend Galway tour company enough!! The company took great care of my group while we visited Galway and nearby attractions as well as Kilkenny. Our drivers, Tommy and Anthony, were so extremely friendly and also informative! They gave us a great impression of the cities we visited!Written 18 January 2025
- Ally M0 contributionsGreat Drivers!The drivers Tommy and Anthony were amazing and made our experience in Ireland so much better. They had so much knowledge to share and were extremely kind and funny to our group. Anthony even played hurling with us! Thank you for everything, your company made this trip unforgettable!Written 18 January 2025
- julianab92470 contributionsTommy and Antony were great!Galway Tour Company was great!! Tommy and Anthony were both amazing guides. They brought us to all of the important sights and shared such valuable information along the way.Written 18 January 2025
- Keira F0 contributionsExperienced all of GalwayDid all of their tours during our stay. Highly recommend. Had the guides Tommy and Anthony, both were very fun and informative.Written 18 January 2025
- Mia D0 contributionsSuch a wonderful experience! Thank you Tommy and Anthony!I had such a great time with Galway Tour Company! I did multiple trips with Tommy and Anthony and they were such amazing drivers! They were extremely knowledgeable, super friendly, and made my experience in Ireland so enjoyable. I really felt like I was able to learn a lot about Irish history from them, but also have fun and enjoy the culture.Written 18 January 2025
- 645raeganc0 contributionsTommy the top tour guide and the beautiful Cliffs of MoherMy partner and I went on the cliffs of Moher & Burren tour today. Tommy was our tour guide and coach driver and we honestly had the best time. Tommy had so much knowledge all things Ireland which was great as it kept us intrigued at the views throughout. We went to a lovely Irish pub for lunch which was super cosy and the food was bloody lovely. We had Irish coffees, Irish stew and seafood chowder. The cliffs of Moher are breathtaking - we had clear skys and lots of winds, it was an an amazing experience and the 8 hour tour flys by!!! I have to reiterate how brilliant Tommy our tour guide was - he was super accommodating and had the best craic. 100% recommend this tour if you’re staying in Galway.Written 18 January 2025
- miacatapano0 contributionsGreat experienceMy classmates and I used the galway tour company for a school trip and they were amazing! The drivers Tommy and Anthony were a ton of fun. They were hilarious and know a ton about Irish history.Written 18 January 2025
- Emily F0 contributionsGreat guides and comfortable bus!I had a great time with both Tommy and Anthony as tour guides for our trip. They both gave us their own knowledge on the tour, which was especially helpful for our educational trip. The bus was great quality too!Written 18 January 2025
- Jet024879228370 contributionsAn absolute must!!!!I had the pleasure of doing multiple tours with the Galway tour company. We had two amazing bus drivers, Tommy and Anthony. They were both great tour guides, providing bits of information throughout the drive and pointing out interesting areas. The Galway Tour company is essential to getting to see many parts of Ireland.Written 17 January 2025
- F9299NSgeorgias0 contributionsHad an amazing visit!I had an amazing time with Galway Tour Company! I got to learn so much about Irish history during my trip. I would highly recommend getting a tour with Tommy or Anthony. They were both so friendly and very informative, and really made my experience so much more enjoyable! Thank you so much for an amazing two weeks!Written 17 January 2025
- lilyk9980 contributionsGreat!The buses were very comfortable and drivers were great storytellers and were super funny! I loved hearing Irish history from them. I had Tommy and Anthony as my drivers and they were both splendid people.Written 16 January 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members 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.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
530 reviews
Excellent
446
Very good
53
Average
19
Poor
5
Terrible
7
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
Companion13049209583
5 contributions
Jun 2024 • Friends
Ray was our driver/guide and he had piles of information about the area as well as more specific details about the towns and villages, mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes as he drove past. He interspersed his documentary with jokes and songs as well as his signature phrases - 'if it makes sense' and 'if you know what I mean'. Rain was forecast on the day we went and, in fact, it did rain but Ray kept insisting that the sun would appear and eventually it did as soon as we arrived at Kylemore Abbey. I had been quite enthralled by pictures of Kylemore Abbey and the estate did not disappoint. It is stunning and the location is beautiful. If you're in Galway, I would definitely recommend doing the day tour to Connemara with the Galway Tour Company
Written 22 June 2024
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.
Melissa F
81 contributions
Very good excursion, unfortunately the accent of our driver/guide was quite complicated compared to the others so it was quite complicated to understand. But the landscapes were beautiful, excursion made in autumn so the trees were very orange, beautiful. You can see the lakes on the way and stop only once for a lake. The abbey is really beautiful, we have time to visit everything inside and the church to rate and also eat typical Irish dishes, very very good and cheap!! I recommend.
Automatically translated
Written 17 November 2024
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
California42 contributions
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.
Trip50338092222
10 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
It is winter. I should have chosen the tour company that offers earlier times. This tour is best for summer time. They should started early during winter and just end it early. Imagine you'll go to Cong at 4pm and it is already dark? Cong offers a castle in the woods which would have been nice to see if we arrive before the sun down. Plus if it is a Sunday, there is 11.30am mass offered in Kylemore Abbey. We arrived 12nn. Imagine travelling from 10am to 12nn and then you are only left for 2 hours to explore the Garden, Kylemore Abbey, Musoleo, the Gothic Church plus you have to take lunch as well. Time is too short for this tour and you will not enjoy it cause you will always feel that you don't have that much time. If you don't want a fast paced tour, find a tour that offers more hours or departs earlier. This tour feels like you are on a race and need to finish every spot as soon as possible. Minute to win it. Plus bring your own food. The food is so expensive in the Kylemore abbey and it doesn't taste good. Also, please be generous and try to donate to the Benedictine Sisters even €1 makes a difference. They need support.
Written 30 December 2024
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.
Kitti
3 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
It was two weeks ago now, so I hope that I remember correctly the name of the Bus-driver who was the most amazing host, guide and comedian in one person. Michel was giving us information about the countries history. This was my first day and first experience and I fell in love with Irish countryside.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this tour.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this tour.
Written 1 July 2024
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.
Mike K
1 contribution
Sept 2024 • Couples
Very scenic tour through the area. Mountains & valleys & lakes on the way to Kylemore Abbey and returning through Cong, where “The Quiet Man” was filmed. Tommie Dixon was our driver/tour guide and did a great job narrating & navigating the narrow roads of the countryside.
Written 25 September 2024
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.
Giovanna T
2 contributions
Apr 2024 • Business
we went on a tour to the Connemara park on April 28th. Terrible bus driver, arrogant, rude, without any respect for the travellers, who he treated like cattle to be put out to pasture. He spoke English quickly, even though he knew that there were not only English-speaking travelers in the bus. Nothing to say about the tour, but it created an unpleasant atmosphere for the whole trip....and that's absolutely not good, as the atmosphere of the trip itself is supposed to be relaxing and pleasant. Never again. The advice is to carefully select the drivers!
Written 29 April 2024
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.
Kavita B
1 contribution
Apr 2024 • Solo
The tour is oerated well. Buses are nice and some even have wifi. The tour itself was nice. Conemara is abeautiful region and our driver and guide was very entertatining full of stories and mostly gave us enough time at each stop. The exteriors of Kylemore Abbey were amazing. You dont get to access the entire Castle, restricted to just the main floor which was a bit dissapointing. Gardens and Tea house are nice. Cong was a bit dissapointing. There are a few hikes there to enjoy Kong but the bus does not stop there. Main attraction (Quiet Man museum) was closed for some reason. we finished the tour early. Maybe we could have spent more time at Cong.
Written 15 April 2024
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.
Melanie R
4 contributions
Sept 2023 • Friends
The price is really good for everything you get for it - very good for us two students. Our driver Mike was very funny and told us lots of interesting things about Irish culture and history, but also some fun facts about buildings we drove past. All with a very likeable sense of humor. We enjoyed listening to him. The route through the Conemara landscape is very beautiful and I really liked Kylemore Abbey. It is also very picturesque in the Irish landscape. It was also cool that we were able to walk a few meters down a hill and thus get a closer look at the landscape. Overall, the tour is highly recommended if you are in Galway without a car and want to experience a bit of Irish countryside.
Written 23 September 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.
Aditi S
Dublin, Ireland6 contributions
Oct 2021
The tour was really great, the landscape is just magnificent and the Eamon did a great job. The tour was informative of Irish history, geography, landscape, historical/cultural significance of the places that we visited. Eamon had a great Irish sense of humor that made the trip fun.
We made a lot of stops to click photographs, walk around capturing the beautiful landscape of Lough Corrib, Inagh Valley and Killary harbour. The tour did not cover Ross Errily Frairy for some reason but it was all made up for by the other places we got to visit.
We spent about an hour exploring the Cong village, another beautiful spot, it's a small village with lots of beautiful sites, that you can walk around , the Cong Abbey is in ruin but makes a beautiful site . Eamon did a great job with the description of The Quite Man and it's relevance to the village. The village has a thorough map of what could be explored. It was worth the visit.
Kylemore abbey is beautiful inside and out. I thought 2 hours was a bit less if you want to cover both Kylemore Abbey and the gardens but it was a great tour anyway. Information brochures are provided at the abbey. The entry tickets provided by the tour cost less than if you buy them online or at the entrance. Since you're given only 2 hours I would recommend to go with what you like, the house, the church and the mausoleum will roughly take an hour and a half if you want to explore properly, the Victorian gardens will take another hour. So it's a matter of choice on how you ration your time. The café in the Abbey is really great too, Covid guidelines are strictly adhered too.
Eamon did a great job being a great guide with his knowledge, wit and experience. The Connemara National park is absolutely stunning that makes the bus ride very pleasant.
We made a lot of stops to click photographs, walk around capturing the beautiful landscape of Lough Corrib, Inagh Valley and Killary harbour. The tour did not cover Ross Errily Frairy for some reason but it was all made up for by the other places we got to visit.
We spent about an hour exploring the Cong village, another beautiful spot, it's a small village with lots of beautiful sites, that you can walk around , the Cong Abbey is in ruin but makes a beautiful site . Eamon did a great job with the description of The Quite Man and it's relevance to the village. The village has a thorough map of what could be explored. It was worth the visit.
Kylemore abbey is beautiful inside and out. I thought 2 hours was a bit less if you want to cover both Kylemore Abbey and the gardens but it was a great tour anyway. Information brochures are provided at the abbey. The entry tickets provided by the tour cost less than if you buy them online or at the entrance. Since you're given only 2 hours I would recommend to go with what you like, the house, the church and the mausoleum will roughly take an hour and a half if you want to explore properly, the Victorian gardens will take another hour. So it's a matter of choice on how you ration your time. The café in the Abbey is really great too, Covid guidelines are strictly adhered too.
Eamon did a great job being a great guide with his knowledge, wit and experience. The Connemara National park is absolutely stunning that makes the bus ride very pleasant.
Written 12 October 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.
Thank you, Aditi, so much for taking the time to send us feedback about your Connemara Tour with Eamonn. We are delighted to hear that you had a great trip and that you had enjoyed new experiences. We hope we will be able to welcome you back to Galway in the future.
Written 14 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Does the tour offer a time to see the Quiet Man Museum?
Written 19 September 2019
We had roughly 45 minutes in Cong, and as others have shared, you would have time to see the museum. We weighed out the other options and decided to forego the museum. Prior to leaving the States, we were told that a more interesting site was the building that served as the pub in the movie. Could be an option.
Written 23 September 2019
this was a full day like 8-5! really enjoyed the day- hope you will too
Written 27 August 2019
Hi ! I'm physically disabled so i would like to know if it's possible for me to do this trip (i will be with my friend, my wheelchair and my crutches !). Thanks for your informations. Déborah, France
Written 15 July 2019
salut!!! Je crois que oui. pour moi c'est difficile pensar como un handicape mais je rappele que le promene par l’abadie c’est facile. je pense que la plus dificulte c’est monter et descender du bus. j’espere que l’information c’est utile.
À profiter!!!
Soledad, España
Written 15 July 2019
How long are the renovations of the Kylemore Abbey going on? We will be there in July and I don't want to get tickets if it is closed.
Written 29 April 2019
Hi! How much time do you have to walk around in the Parc?
Written 17 April 2019
I believe about 2 hours, I felt I had plenty of time to really enjoy.
Written 20 October 2019
Yes. We stopped in Cong for enough time to walk around the town. We saw the Pat Cohan bar...you can go in and have lunch or a pint, The Quiet Man Museum, John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara statue...Just make sure when you buy your tickets it includes Cong as a stop.
Written 11 April 2019
Is Ashford castle within walking distance from the drop-off point in Cong village? If so, was anybody able to go inside and look around or are much of the grounds private?
Written 12 March 2019
It's roughly a 15 minute walk. We didn't make the walk, but are of the understanding that the grounds are private.
Written 30 March 2019
Bonjour existe t il cette excursion avec un guide français. Merci de votre réponse
Written 13 February 2019
No, the guide/bus driver spoke only English.
Written 18 February 2019
Do you have tours guided in spanish?
Thank you
Written 4 February 2019
Hola!!!
Creo que las excursiones en español a la abadía de Kylemore salen desde Dublin. Desde Galway creo que solo son en inglés. Espero que te ayude
Written 21 July 2019
Showing results 1-10 of 18
Buy it with
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.