West Ireland tour: The Burren, Galway Bay & Cliffs of Moher
Explore a part of Ireland that refuses to conform to the island’s signature green landscapes! The west coast is a land of twisted limestone, towering cliffs and ancient ruins – and home to Ireland’s only Michelin-starred inn.
Highlights
Step into the deeper stories behind the world-famous sights such as the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands and Europe’s largest stalactite.
Explore The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, from its highest point to the caves beneath its surface.
Mine the knowledge of your Tour leader, a leading geology expert full of stories that bring these landscapes to life – and answers to your curious questions.
Hear the human stories of Ireland’s west coast as you sail to an Iron Age fort and movie-worthy scenery on the striking Aran Islands.
Toast Irish hospitality as you nod your head to traditional music, stay in Ireland’s only Michelin-starred pub, and explore Dublin from a boutique hotel.
Group size 6 to 12.
The Cliffs of Moher
Overview
Time, people and, if you ask us, a touch of magic have all played a part in shaping Ireland’s incredible West Coast. Here, towering cliffs teem with seabirds, medieval forts sit hidden in limestone landscapes, and villages steeped in history hug the wild Atlantic coastline. Below ground, there are cave systems so vast you half expect a dragon to emerge.
While Ireland is famous for its lush green landscapes, The Burren stands apart. Its karst landscapes form a geological wonder of hypnotic patterns, edged by the wild Atlantic and dotted with traces of past civilisations. No wonder the area has starred in movies such as Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Banshees of Inisherin.
Your journey begins in the heart of Dublin with a guided tour of the city, before heading west to your base for the next four nights – Ireland’s only Michelin-starred pub. Wild Honey Inn is perfectly placed for seeing the area’s jaw-dropping sights, like the Cliffs of Moher. From here, you’ll spend the rest of the week immersed in the stories behind the archaeology, geology, botany and culture that collide to create one of the world’s most iconic landscapes.
- Start / finish: Your tour starts and finishes in Dublin, Ireland.
- Activity level: Leisurely, walks are generally less than 5km (3 miles), with optional longer walks and hikes across Ireland’s landscape (view our activity level definitions).
- Transport: Comfortable small coach, and passenger boat to and from the Aran Islands.
- Weather: May in the west of Ireland is typically mild. Rain is always possible, and guests should be prepared with warm and waterproof clothing.
- Accommodation: First and final night at The Wilder Townhouse, Central Dublin. Four nights at the Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna, an ideal base to explore the surrounding Geopark.
Where you will visit…
Where better to start your Ireland vacation than Dublin, the country’s lively capital? Our local tourist guide will meet you in the hotel early afternoon to welcome you all. Then you’ll hop on our small coach for a private guided afternoon tour of Dublin, first visiting the award-winning EPIC Irish emigration museum, one of Europe’s leading visitor attractions. This is the place to visit if you’re interested in exploring whether you have any Irish ancestors.
Then we’ll hop back on the private bus for a tour of the city, including O’Connell St, St Stephens Green and Parliament Building.
If you arrive a day earlier – and we highly recommend you do – take the opportunity to see The Book of Kells, an exquisite Early Christian illuminated manuscript, and walk in the footsteps of Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde at Trinity College. There’s also Dublin Castle and a plethora of free museums to explore.
We’ll be back at the hotel late afternoon. Time to relax in your room before we head out to a nearby restaurant for a group dinner within walking distance of the hotel.
- Hotel: The Wilder Townhouse, Central Dublin
- Group dinner
Time for a road trip! After your (award-winning) breakfast, it’s time to leave Dublin behind and zip across Ireland to the spectacular West Coast, shaped by pounding waves and powerful geological forces.
We’ll enter County Clare from the north, taking in the impressive sight of Dunguaire Castle and Galway Bay on the Wild Atlantic Way. Your home for the next four nights is Wild Honey Inn, a renowned Michelin-starred inn.
- Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
- Group dinner in a nearby restaurant or pub
Fill up with a full Irish breakfast at the Wild Honey Inn. Today you’re off to explore The Burren & Cliffs of Moher Global Geopark, one of Ireland’s most jaw-dropping landscapes: 530 square kms of twisted limestone pavements, wild flowers and Atlantic-pounded cliffs, all underpinned by a vast cave system.
It’s extraordinary to look at and the stories behind it are just as mind-boggling. Your Tour Leader, Professor John Walsh, a leading structural geologist from University College Dublin. Who better to unravel the secrets of the processes that crafted this distinctive terrain over the millennia?
- Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
- Group dinner at nearby restaurant or pub
Today, we set sail for Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands. It once nurtured a significant Iron Age population, and it’s still the most populated of the islands.
Its rocky surface is home to structures roughly the same age as Stonehenge. It was also a filming location for the snortingly funny TV series, Father Ted; fans of the show might recognise Inishmore as Craggy Island…
Much as we love iconic 90s sitcoms, we’re here to see Dún Aonghasa. Set at the very edge of an 87-metre-tall sea cliff, the hill fort’s imposing stone walls and jagged defences tell the story of the people who once lived here.
- Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
- Free evening
Movie goers and geology buffs alike will relish the adventures planned for today.
We’ll start with one of Ireland’s most dramatic natural landmarks. Get ready to feel awe and marvel at the beauty of the Cliffs of Moher. Reaching 214m (702 ft) in height, the cliff face is strikingly vertical. They look impenetrable. You might recognise them films such as The Princess Bride and Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince.
As well as looking incredible, the Cliffs of Moher have plenty of geological points of interest. For starters, as well as being a great hiding place for a horcrux (that’s one for the Potterheads!), they’re an excellent example of sedimentation and ancient delta formation.
Afterwards, you’ll visit the geologically impressive coastal features of the Bridges of Ross and Loop Head, and examine the world-renowned deep-water turbidite sequences of the Clare Basin.
- Hotel: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
- Group dinner at local restaurant or pub
On the last day of your Ireland tour, you’ll top and tail The Burren, travelling from its hidden depths to its heights.
After breakfast, we explore the underworld of The Burren, in Doolin Cave, discovered by chance in the 1950s, As you adapt to the steady 11C temperature, you’ll spot a church organ-like column hanging overhead – Europe’s largest stalactite.
Back above ground we’ll ascend Mullaghmore, one of the highest points in the Geopark. At 180 metres (590ft) above sea level, it’s not exactly a towering peak but it’s still the spot for incredible views. Do look down too – the mountain itself is made up of irregular sequences of folded limestone. It’s the perfect place to say goodbye to County Clare, before we travel back to Dublin.
- Hotel: The Wilder Townhouse, Lisdoonvarna
- Group Dinner
Enjoy a final Irish breakfast before departing Dublin – or extend you stay to explore more of the city. Whenever you head home, you’ll take with you unforgettable memories of Ireland’s wildest landscapes, ancient history, and warm hospitality.
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternative accommodation, of equal or higher quality or adapt the itinerary on your vacation package to Ireland, if required.
Key information
Double room for single occupancy is £620 for the May 2025 tour and £650 for the May 2026 tour.
Your tour starts and finishes in Dublin, Ireland.
The activity level is rated as LEISURELY, requiring an average level of fitness (view our activity level definitions). The tour will involve walks that are generally less than 5km (3 miles) long in generally easy terrain, with the option of longer walks and hikes across Ireland’s landscape. Good walking boots are required (please note, some paths may be uneven and loose underfoot).
If walking is an issue, alternative arrangements can be made during the scheduled longer walks, so please let GeoCultura know in advance.
Transport will be by comfortable small coach. This tour also involves boarding and disembarking from a passenger boat to Aran.
May in the west of Ireland is typically mild. Rain is always possible, so you should bring warm and waterproof clothing.
The tour includes:
- The services of your tour expert and local guide, who will be with the group throughout the tour, providing pre-visit briefings, walking seminars and availability to answer questions.
- Your guide will provide additional historical and cultural insights to entertain and enhance your trip.
- All transportation costs from the start to the end of the tour, including the services of a professional coach driver.
- All accommodation costs for the nights stated, assuming two people sharing a double room. Single occupancy rooms are available for a surcharge. Please see top of the page for prices.
- All breakfasts and 5 dinners, 1 free evening.
- Entry fees, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour.
- All service charges and most gratuities.
The tour excludes:
- Travel insurance. Guests should carry their own health and travel insurance.
- Alcoholic drinks with meals are not included.
- Lunches not included and 1 dinner.
- Extra or optional activities not described in the itinerary.
- Personal expenditures at hotels, including bar bills, laundry bills.
- Transportation to the start venue or from the end venue of the tour (air fares are not included).
- Passport and visa fees.
Our tour leader is happy to provide suggestions for alternative activities for guests who prefer not to participate in certain parts of the tour walks, visits or group dinners.
Night 1: The Wilder Townhouse, Dublin
Nights 2-5: Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna, County Clare
Ideally situated in the Burren Geopark. Bedrooms are ‘uncluttered’ with ‘many fine touches: duck-down duvets, hand-woven throws and glossy magazines’. Offering warm hospitality to all guests. Good Hotel Guide (46th edition)
Night 6: The Wilder Townhouse, Dublin
The perfect blend of historic charm and modern luxury on a sleepy residential street.
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternative accommodation of equal or higher quality or adapt the itinerary if required.
Deposit: A deposit of 10% of the tour price is due upon registration for a tour.
Final payment: Full payment is due 60 days before a tour begins, or upon registration if within the 60-day window.
Cancellation by participant: A participant may cancel a registration after securing a confirmed place on a tour for any reason. The following refund terms will apply:
- Greater than 60 days before tour begins: Any monies paid plus half of the deposit will be refunded
- 30 to 59 days before tour begins: 35% of tour price will be refunded
- 15 to 29 days before tour begins: 25% of tour price will be refunded
- Within 14 days of tour or during the tour: No monies will be refunded
Cancellation by GeoCultura: GeoCultura reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrolment, inability to run the tour or concerns about the safety, health or welfare of participants. If a tour is cancelled before it begins, all monies paid will be refunded (including any deposit).
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for additional details.
Your tour leader
John Walsh
Expert tour guide
With an extensive background in hiking and exploring Ireland’s geological gems, John Walsh is ideally placed to take you around, above and below the country to visit its most fascinating features.
John is a great communicator and known for his super public speaking.
John is Professor of Structural Geology at University College Dublin, Co-Director of the internationally recognised Fault Analysis Group, and in 2015 became the first Irish Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society of London.
John has served on the editorial boards of five geological journals and has published countless papers. He is the Founding Director (2014-2018) and Earth Resources Theme Leader of the Irish Institute for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), which works in areas including protecting water sources, sustainable energy production and assessing the effects of climate change.
John has won prestigious awards for his research and contributions to geology – he is also known for his success as a stand-up comedian, including impersonations of Father Ted!
Meet John on the West Ireland tour: The Burren, Galway Bay & Cliffs of Moher and visit our scheduled tours page for a full list of GeoCultura tours.
Limestone pavement, Burren Geopark, Ireland.
Bedroom in Wild Honey Inn, Burren Geopark, Ireland.
Wild Honey Inn, Burren Geopark, Ireland.
Enticing dish from Michelin-starred Wild Honey Inn pub, Ireland.
A "wormhole" on Inis Mor, Aran Islands, Ireland.
Testimonials
Just got back from the Scilly Isles tour it was FANTASTIC. Your organisation and communications were faultless, your guides on the Islands are a credit to your company. The hotel and staff were excellent, and the food was outstanding we look forward to travelling with you again.
Isles of Scilly Holidays – Small group guided tours | Bryan B, September 2024
Some trips are memorable for the destinations, others for the experiences. This tour was both. I’ve travelled extensively, and I can now say Utah is the most beautiful, visually exciting place I’ve seen. There was so much to look at, I didn’t want to blink, but the team’s attention to the little details also made the trip a joy. The small group experience meant we could always both see and hear, something you can’t [always] count on when you sign up to a tour.
Landscapes and Cultures of Utah, USA | Kate B, September 2023
Paula and I had a fantastic trip to Bath and the Jurassic Coast. Our guides brought their own distinctive experiences to our tour – Seren was a perfect guide and [we appreciated] Jonathan’s rich experience with south coast geology.
[In Dorset], there was a wonderful stop with the St. Catherine’s chapel gracing a solitary hilltop overlooking the Channel. Lyme Regis lived up to our high expectations, and the ammonite pavement was spectacular! We look forward to doing another Geocultura adventure.
Treasures of Southern England | Tom D, September 2023
Prices from GBP £3,499 pp
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