This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Overview the Irish Whiskey tasting holiday – one week

• Day 1-4 Long Weekend Itinerary
• Day 5 – Tullamore & Tullamore D.E.W
• Day 6 – Galway & Cliffs of Moher
• Day 7 – Galway & Departure

Day 5 – Tullamore

In the morning some bacon loaded French Toast is calling your name at The Foxy Bean in Tullamore. Their Latte is also delicious!

Afterwards the hotel can help you book a taxi for the roughly 5km to the Tullamore Distillery (and organise the transfer back, after the tour) where you can visit the newly reopened visitors centre. The earliest tour starts at 11am!

The tour starts with an Irish coffee, includes visiting the still house, the distillery and the warehouse where you can try a whiskey straight from the barrel. At the end you get a taste of three Tullamore D.E.W. Whiskeys. Make sure you have non-carry-on luggage if you want to bring a bottle home with you!

When you look for tours to visit Tullamore Distillery from Dublin the prices are astronomic. Which is odd, since you can see how easily you can do the same thing by yourself, for a fraction of the cost. I linked their official booking site above.

After the tour you still have more than enough time to get from Tullamore to Galway, again by intercity train and check in to The Victoria Hotel* or to Four Seasons B&B* when you’re a solo traveller.

If you can, stop on the way at Athlone and visit Sean’s Bar. Allegedly the oldest bar in the country (1000+ years old!).

Day 6 – Galway

Your first day in Galway starts by leaving the city (I listed breakfast options under Day 7 if you don’t have breakfast included). The city is the ideal starting point to explore the “Wild Atlantic Way” and this full day tour is the most comprehensive one.

It includes a guided tour through the alien-planet-looking Burren landscape, as well as a two hour stop at the Cliffs of Moher, with several medieval castles and historic places as stops on the way.

The Cliffs of Moher are a must-see while in Ireland, in my opinion. Of course that means that there will always be many people there to see them, but when you’re here outside of the main season people spread out over the area.

If you have the energy for it I recommend an evening food and drink tour of Galway. More than that, you get a good overview of Irish and specifically Galway history and culture. And you actually get decent sizes of food and drinks! Perfect after a full day on the road.

Day 7 – Galway & Departure

Your last day on this itinerary has surprisingly little alcohol: Start with a good breakfast either at your chosen hotel or Ard Bia at Nimmos for pancakes, WYLDE for pastries or fruit bowls and last but not least The Pear Tree Café & Wine Bar for a full (or mini) Irish Breakfast.

If your chosen accommodation doesn’t let you leave the luggage there, you can bring it to Radical Storage Galway*! They have several locations across the city and it’s super easy to book and to use. One is directly at Galway Bus Station*.

Take a walk through the city and learn more about Galway inside the Galway City Museum, one of the best curated and designed city museums I have been in across the world.

Galway to Dublin

From Galway back to Dublin I recommend taking the 761 bus, instead of a train, since the bus will take you from Galway coach station directly to Terminal 1 of Dublin airport and only takes a little over 3 hours. The train and then a connecting bus at least 3,5 to 4+ hours.

Are you looking for a different length for your holiday? I have similar itineraries for two more Irish Whiskey tasting holidays:

Der Beitrag The ultimate Irish Whiskey tasting holiday – one week erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Overview of the ultimate Irish Whiskey tasting holiday – long weekend

• Day 1 – Arrival in Dublin & First Tasting
• Day 2 – Museum, Jameson Distillery & Temple Bar
• Day 3 – Irish history & Whiskey Cocktail Workshop or Guinness Beer
• Day 4 – Trinity College, Teeling Distillery & Departure

Day 1 – Arrival in Dublin & First Tastings

On the way from the airport to the inner city you can stop at the National Botanical Gardens of Ireland about half way. Admission is free and the paths are paved and flat, so you can bring your luggage.

Check in at Castle Hotel

Under 100€ per night is a small miracle in Dublin, but for a little more (the earlier you book, the more affordable it will be) is the Castle Hotel*. Breakfast is included and they offer single rooms for solo travellers!

Irish Whiskey Museum

The Irish Whiskey Museum* was founded by an Irish family in 2014 and operates independendly from any one distillery. Over the years they have amassed a varied selection if Irish Whiskeys from all over the country. The tour starts with an hour long introduction to Irish Whiskeys history in general, the rise – the fall – the revival. Then a whiskey tasting follows, the kind and amount depends on which tour was chosen. The one I have linked has options for three (the one I did) or a more premium one. The whiskeys are selected for you, but you can ask about specific ones, or tell them which you have already tried or are included later in the itinerary (e.g. Bushmills & Hinch from Northern Ireland) to maximise your tasting experience!

Afterwards you can eat dinner at Masa. Tacos and a drink for under 15€! In Dublin, you can find good international food!

Day 2 – Museum, Jameson Distillery & Temple Bar

Day 2 begins with a hearty breakfast at Castle Hotel, then you can take the green line from Parnell to Dawson to visit the:

Little Museum of Dublin

The Little Museum of Dublin is located in a former residential house and filled with all kinds of knick-knacks from the past, most of which were donated to the museum. Every wall is filled with pictures, paintings, posters, newspaper articles and much more. Not many of the artefacts have an explanation written down anywhere (since most people don’t read them anyway), but the tour guides there will happily answer all the questions you have.

The museums tour is short, sweet, to the point and very interactive. It was obvious that the guide was passionate about his job, as well as the rich history of his city and country.

After the visit to the museum you can cross the Ha’Penny Bridge and take a leisurely walk along the Liffey river until you reach the Four Courts (the old domed building houses the main courts of Ireland). From there you walk past it, turn towards the city and walk another 500m to the Jameson Distillery.

Jameson Distillery

At the Jameson Distillery* you have two choices (and no, you can’t do both in one day).

A 45 minute tour* about John Jameson and how the Distillery at Bow Street started the company off in 1780 as one of the six main Dublin Whiskeys, followed by a tasting (maybe 10 – 20 ml) of three Whiskeys. This is not a distillery tour – the Jameson Whiskey today is distilled in Cork.

Or the Jameson Distillery Secret Whiskey Tasting Experience* with four premium Jameson Whiskeys. What makes this special is the setting in John Jameson’s secret office where they present the seasonal Marker’s Choice Whiskey.

Lunch at Han Sung Restaurant

13 minutes away on foot is the Han Sung Restaurant where you get good Korean food. Again, international food in Dublin is good and affordable.

Temple Bar – the most famous part of Dublin

At the edge of the Temple Bar quarter the Ha’Penny Bridge (you’ve seen it before) crosses the Liffey river. This pedestrian bridge is named after the half penny it cost once upon a time to cross it. Today you can cross it for free on the way from lunch to the next tour. Your way will also take your through Temple Bar, a colourful quarter of Dublin with many pubs, most famously the the red The Temple Bar (I don’t recommend it for a drink though, you pay for the name and it’s always packed).

Whiskey Tasting Tour with food pairings

Instead go for a tasting tour of five Irish Whiskeys* with food pairings of Irish Cheeses and chocolates that starts at Lincolns Inn and ends at the Palace Bar (that’s a total of 800 meters walking during this two hour tour). With a tour like this you are not confined to only one brand of Whiskey.

If you are like me: You will be hungry after this tour. The pairings are delicious and well chosen, but a rich, satisfying meal was calling my name after this much alcohol in one day.

Irish Pub dinner

From an Irish Bar to an Irish Pub, this time for food! At Darkey Kelly’s you can get some drinks, of course, but more importantly a DELICIOUS fried chicken (and other meals, but I had fried chicken)!

Day 3 – Irish history & Cocktail Workshop or Guinness Beer

Day 3 begins once again with a hearty breakfast at Castle Hotel, then you can take the 13 Bus from Parnell Square East, stop 261 to Inchicore Library to visit the:

Kilmainham Gaol Jail

The Kilmainham Gaol Jail is a former prison where many Irish revolutionaries, including leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916, were imprisoned and later executed. But the oldest cells date back much further than that.

The prison was built in the 17-hundreds and some of the very old cells serve as a reminder of the horrible conditions prisoners faced back then. The Kilmainham Gaol Jail Museum offers student discounts to any student with a valid ID.

Lunch at URBAN8

I often don’t trust restaurants with a very diverse menu. If there are many different dishes it often means none of them are great. However at URBAN8 neither me, nor the people I met during the tour of the jail and had lunch with had any complaints and we had very different food (burger, pasta, waffles). I had a “dessert” for lunch, the waffle.

Roe and Co Distillery Cocktail Workshop Experience

There are two workshops offered at Roe and Co Distillery*: Whiskey cocktail creation or Whiskey blend creation. Both workshops start with a tour of the Roe and Co Distillery (which has been located inside the old Guinness Powerhouse! since 2017) and end with a cocktail in their own industrial-chic Power House Bar.

The cocktail workshop seeks to explore the different pillars of flavour (like sweet, sour, etc.) and create your perfect flavour profile for your own signature Whiskey cocktail.

Meanwhile the Whiskey blend workshop starts with a tasting of three of their Whiskeys, paired with chocolates, then you can blend your own Whiskey, according to your tastes.

or visit Guinness Beer

If you had enough Whiskey and want to break things up a bit, visit the Guinness Storehouse* instead! It was once the old fermentation plant of the beer brewery. Today it is a visitor centre & museum about the history and production of Ireland’s most well known beer. Even the air around it smells like beer (The more direct sunlight, the stronger the smell)!

Personally, I don’t like beer. But the museum is incredibly well done, modern, interactive and -for those who care- very instagrammable.

After the self guided tour you can drink a freshly poured Guinness beer at their Gravity Bar, included in your ticket. The view from the bar is usually amazing, especially during sunset (second picture in the gallery below).**

or National Museums – Archaeology

The third option is for those who need a break from drinking. The Archeology Museum has a unique building, which gives you the opportunity to travel back in time over a century to when it was built. The artifacts are sorted time period and the audio guide is very pleasant to listen to as you follow the numbers through the exhibitions.

Drunk-food dinner

At Mad Yolks you can get burgers, bowls and sandwiches. In short: Everything you might want after a (or a few) drink(s). As the name suggests the restaurant specialises in egg-dishes. Try the Huevos Rancheros bowl or the bacon sandwich.

Day 4 – Trinity College & Teeling Distillery

One last breakfast at Castle Hotel and then it’s already time to check out!

Where to leave your luggage in Dublin?

If your chosen accommodation doesn’t let your leave your luggage with them, I recommend Radical Storage Dublin*. They have 41! possible locations all over the city and it’s super easy to book online and store your luggage.

Trinity College and The National Library

To visit Trinity College, The National Library and the Book of Kells Experience I recommend booking a tour. I recommend the “Book of Kells Experience & Trinity Trails Campus Tour”. First you get a guided tour of the campus of Trinity College (about 45 minutes), then you get access to a self guided tour of the National Library and Book of Kells, which takes about 90 minutes to complete, but you can stay in the Library for longer.

If you only want to visit and have a look around, both the College itself and the Library are free of charge!

Lunch with a view

Half way between the College and the next Distillery (15 minutes on foot) – go to Sophie’s. They describe themselves as “European Cuisine” so make of that what you will. It was good food, although a bit expensive in my opinion. However you definitely partly also pay for the amazing view.

Only a small detour on the way to the distillery you can also stop and admire St. Patrick’s Cathedral and its surrounding park. Admission to the church is 8€. It is gorgeous inside, but it is something to consider spending elsewhere, you might also not have the time.

Tour & Tasting at Teeling Whiskey Distillery

The first and only actual Distillery Tour* of this itinerary. The Teeling Disitllery of today is located in the former “Whiskey Triangle of Dublin” and is still used to produce the Teeling Whiskey you get in stores, pubs and restaurants. After a tour of their facility, including a small company history exhibition and the distillation rooms you get to try three Teeling Whiskeys (more ml than at Jameson). After the tasting you get exclusive access to the Teeling Bar above the Distillery where you can enjoy another cocktail if you want to. I went with an Irish Coffee, with Teeling Whiskey of course

Then you will have to head back home – or stay for longer?

Are you looking for a longer holiday? I have similar itineraries for two more Irish Whiskey tasting holidays that build on this one:

**View from the Gravity Bar and the Ha’Penny Bridge pictures are from Renata Moraes, not from me. I only took them years back and the quality is atrocious.

Der Beitrag The ultimate Irish Whiskey tasting holiday – long weekend erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Limerick Day 1

My first stop in Limerick was at the MM Café, I walked past it and the many flowers and pastel colours drew me in, especially since the rest of the street was very dark and gloomy (mostly because of the rainy weather). Inside I originally ordered a pumpkin feta salad, but they were out, so instead, I got a salted caramel cheesecake and a gingerbread Latte.

Even though it was too early I went to my accommodation again to leave my luggage there. I stayed at the Old Quarter Townhouse*, a hotel above a pub, in a pub street. After you book they send you an e-mail, informing you about the noise level and giving you the opportunity to either confirm your booking anyway or to cancel it without cost so they are very upfront about it.

With my luggage stored away, I went to King John’s Castle, the main reason I wanted to visit Limerick. If only walls could talk, these walls could tell some stories. But even without talking walls the museum in the castle does a fantastic job of showcasing the history of this place. With multimedia-assisted expositions and interactive screens and displays, they manage to entrance you into history and package even the more gruesome parts suitable for all ages. Admission is quite high, but they offer several discounts for students and seniors.

The Old Quarter Pub is a gastro pub open to the public right underneath the Old Quarter Townhouse. They serve pub food from a small menu and drinks, beers and cocktails from a larger menu. While they are very popular and it is recommended that you come early or reserve a table in advance they try to fit in the hotel guests even without a reservation.

Limerick Day 2

When you walk through Limerick only the old buildings and bridges give you an idea of how much history is hidden in this city between the time of King John and the modern day. The Limerick Museum covers the history of the city with a special focus on the pre-and industrial era. Many artefacts tell the story of Limerick silver, Limerick lace, examples of local printing and media, as well as military artefacts and much more. Admission is free and I would recommend this museum to everyone who visits Limerick as it shows very impressively how fleeting everything is and how quickly a town can drop from international importance, no matter how famous it was at one point.

The Abby River Coffee is a tiny Café on the edge of the Matthew Bridge crossing the Shannon. In 2021 they added their own micro-roastery where they roast the coffee beans they use in the cafe. Below the cafe, next to the parking spot at the potato market they have outside seating under the bridge with blankets and pillows.

St. Mary’s Cathedral in Limerick is one of several churches in the city, but the only one I got to see since the others were busy with festivities or funerals. The church does charge an admission of 5€ but also has some of the more extensive explanations in the church of the interior and the stained glass windows. On top of that, the church is an interesting architectural mix of gothic and romanesque styles.

The Milk Market is an old market with a long tradition in Limerick, where farmers and producers sell fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products, baked goods and handicrafts. It was an interesting place to visit, but when you don’t want to buy produce and are instead looking for something to eat, this is not that kind of market.

Since I didn’t find any food ready to eat for lunch at the market I went to the Coqbull, a restaurant specializing in chicken dishes and beef burgers. They were voted best burgers in Ireland 2019 and their Bacon Burger was a good burger, but honestly, I was most impressed with the fries.

On my way back to the hotel I stopped by M. Cahill & Son, one, if not the oldest shop in Limerick. They sell tobacco, cigars, tea, shaving utensils, lighters, leather goods and more. So if you are looking for something unique to bring home, or just want to get a whiff of history, I recommend checking this one out.

Ireland on a Budget

Do you want to travel to Ireland, but are on a budget? Check out my other post about travelling to Ireland for a week for under 100€ a day (including flights, accommodation, food and attractions): Ireland on a Budget – A student travels

Der Beitrag 2 Days in Limerick – Ireland erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

In the early morning, two buses stopped in front of the Kinley Hostel, Galway, one mini-bus and a classic big tour bus. Ours was the smaller one and our group of 15 picked their seats.

Cong

The first stop of the tour was Cong (I don’t know why, either…), where the ruins of Cong Abbey and the Ashford Castle Hotel are the main attractions. There isn’t much left of the Abbey and there are also no plaques or explanations near the remains. Ashford Castle has been turned into a high-end hotel and you only get in when you have booked a room or are daring. As long as you walk like you own the place and don’t look too much like “I am here on a day tour and could never afford to stay here even for one night nor would I care to“ they won’t stop you from going in.

If you have seen the movie “The Quiet Man” you are in luck, since Cong is also the home of a Museum dedicated to the movie. If you were not alive in 1952 to see this romantic comedy-drama film when it was released, you may have seen it because you are a John Wane fan or you – like me – had never heard of it before.

Apart from that Cong is a very sleepy little village with some pretty nature surrounding it. I had hoped to find a cafe or a bakery, or at least a grocery shop, but the only thing open was the gas station.

Connemara National Park

The next stop was at Lough Corrib, before we drove on to the Connemara National Park, with several stops at scenic points on the way.

At those spots where we got out of the bus, walked around by ourselves and once the engine had been turned off and people shut up, you couldn’t hear anything but wind and water. It filled me with a strange nostalgia as if I had been there before. Maybe in a different life.

There were no other people, no other tours and almost no animals either. Every now and then we saw a herd of sheep or a few Connemara ponies, but that was about it.

Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abby was the last and longest stop of the tour. This impressive building was originally an estate built in the 1860s by the Henry family, then it was turned into an Abby, a school and today serves as a museum to its rich history. The Benedictine Nuns of the Abby still live here and take care of the building, walled Victorian gardens and a Neo-Gothic Church.

The lake on the Abbeys grounds is called Lough Pollucapal and was used to boat on, teach swimming and cool off on hot summer days.

In the 1860’s Mitchell Henry, a British industrialist and politician built the castle-like estate as a wedding gift for his wife Margaret Henry.

While the locals didn’t like him at first, an English man building himself a pompous estate in the Irish countryside, their opinion quickly changed when the construction created about 300 jobs and he paid good money for resources and fair wages workers.

Margaret Henry also made a name for herself, helping out women and families in the surrounding villages and managing the estate while her husband was in Westminster. Despite being born in England the Henrys were big supporters of Irish independence and Mitchell Henry served as MP for County Galway from 1871 to 1885.

The Henrys raised their nine children (five daughters and four sons) in Kylemore.

After the death of Margaret, the family stayed at Kylemore less and less until they completely abandoned the estate. It was reinhabited in 1920 by a group of Benedictine nuns, who had fled from Ypres during WWI, and turned into an Abbey.

Mitchell Henry had a Turkish bath installed at Kylemore next to the main house, for the enjoyment of family and guests. In the 1930s, the nuns converted the building into an international boarding school for catholic girls and later a day school for local girls, but the school was forced to close in 2010.

A multimedia exhibition brings the stories of Kylemore to life, from the Henry family to the nuns and the school until the present day. They have restored some of the rooms to how they looked in certain time periods, with the aid of historical photographs, artefacts from the Kylemore archive and historical costumes. Modern audio-visual displays make the exhibition more personal as the actors tell the stories from the historical figure’s point of view (see above the talking portraits of Henry and Margaret Mitchell).

Neo-Gothic Church and Victorian Gardens

After the death of his wife Mitchell Henry had a church built in memory of Margaret. It was built between 1877 and 1881 as a miniature cathedral in a neo-gothic style.

Some features of the gothic style, such as figures of gargoyles were replaced with flowers, birds and angels to honour Margaret Henry.

The inside has special acoustics which attracts music ensembles and music lovers from all over the world.

Almost 2km away from the main house are the Victorian walled gardens, they are made up of a decorative garden, originally used as a walking space and relaxing area, and the kitchen gardens used to supply the kitchens with herbs, veggies and fruits. A small brook separates the decorative garden from the supply garden. Originally 21 heated greenhouses ensured the estate was self-sufficient during all seasons, only two of them could be restored after the garden fell into disrepair once the Henrys had left.

Once the nuns arrived in 1920, the gardens were brought back into use under the supervision of the local farmer and gardener Sr. Benedict, who also ran a nearby farm with beef, dairy cattle, and poultry.

To this day, the garden largely supplies the nuns and the Kylemore Kitchens where visitors can grab a bite to eat, whether they have chosen to visit the Abby or not.

In the Kylemore Kitchens, I was also finally able to get some food on this tour. They serve hearty and traditional meals, like pea-eggplant-quiche with sides of potato salad and tomato salad, all of it was rich and very filling for an affordable price.

In a small souvenir store near the kitchens, they also offer handmade delicacies souvenirs by the nuns and local artisans. I bought some brandy butter for Christmas time and a spice mix for Irish lamb stew to make at home.

After our time at Kylemore was up we all got back on the bus and drove straight back to Galway, along a scenic route, but without any more stops.

When I was in Galway, I didn’t have several tours to choose from, there was only one Connemara National Park & Kylemore Abbey Tour* being offered. Now that things are at the new normal I would advise you to look through the available tours (I linked* some down below) and decide on a tour that offers exactly what you want to see. Just remember to bring snacks.

Have you been on any day tours in Ireland?

If so, which one was your favourite? And if not, which one is on your bucket list?

Der Beitrag Connemara National Park & Kylemore Abbey Tour erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

The perfect itinerary for four days in Galway

• Day 1 – Cathedrals and Museums
• Day 2 – Day Trip to Connemara National Park & Kylemore Abbey
• Day 3 – Day trip to the cliffs of Moher
• Day 4 – City Beaches, coffee and award winning food
• Map for four days in Galway

Galway Day 1 – Cathedrals and Museums

My train from Dublin arrived in Galway at around 1:33 pm, way too early to check into my accommodation (one bedroom St Bridget’s Apartments*), but I went anyway and was able to leave my luggage at The Western Hotel, where you also check in for the apartments.

For a more traditional Inn feel and higher end accommodation without breaking the bank you should look at The Huntsmann Inn*.

I had been to Ireland once before, in 2014 on my last school trip. We had an overnight stay in Galway from Dublin, before visiting the Cliffs of Moher the next day. During our stay, we only got an hour of free time to explore the city and I didn’t get to see any sights. Since that day the Galway Cathedral was on top of my list since both buses we took stopped right in front of it. During this trip, I finally had the chance to see it from the inside!

Inside the cathedral, they set up a line of informative plaques which tell the history from the first stone of the foundation until the renovations made between 2014 and the present day. There are explanations all over the church under the stained glass windows, statues of saints and other peculiarities of this church. The ceiling of the central dome of the cathedral is painted blue and illuminated day and night.

After the cathedral, I went to the Galway City Museum, which offers free entry, but at the time restricted the number of visitors inside the building at one time to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Since it was November I didn’t have a problem getting in. The museum covers the archaeology, history and culture of the city of Galway like most city museums do, but here the text is in Gaelic and English, with the Gaelic text first, as it is still the official language of the nation.

The Galway City Museum is one of the best museums I have visited anywhere in the world, both with the standard expositions and the changing ones. They also offer a virtual tour and have a very detailed and user-friendly website which I absolutely recommend you visit, whether you are planning to go there or not.

For dinner (because, yes, I forgot to eat lunch since I was in the museum for hours) I went to Tuco’s Taqueria because as I said before, foreign food is good and less expensive in Ireland. I had the Tacos Carnita (twice) and a Lemon Soda, which I can both recommend.

Galway Day 2 – Connemara National Park, Cong & Kylemore Abbey Day Tour

The next day I went on a day tour from Galway, which I probably wouldn’t have chosen if I hadn’t seen the Cliffs of Moher before, to the National Park of Connemara. We were a small group and picked up in a mini-bus where everyone had to wear a mask inside.

The first stop of the tour was Cong, where The Quiet Man Museum, the ruins of Cong Abbey and the Ashford Castle hotel are the main attractions. The next stop was in the middle of Connemara National park where once the car had been turned off and people shut up you couldn’t hear anything but wind and water. It filled me with a strange nostalgia as if I had been there before. Maybe in a different life.

Kylemore Abbey was the last stop of the tour. This impressive building was originally an estate built in the 1860s by the Henry family, then it was turned into an Abby, a school and today serves as a museum of its rich history. The Benedictine Nuns of the Abby still live close by and take care of the building, walled victorian gardens and a Neo-Gothic Church.

In the Kylemore Kitchens, I was also finally able to get some food. The kitchens are manned by the nuns as well and they serve hearty and traditional meals. I had a quiche and a potato salad which were both very rich and filling.

A more detailed post on the tour here: Connemara National Park & Kylemore Abbey Tour

For dinner, after the tour, I went to Java’s Cafe & Creperie which serves French cuisine. Because I couldn’t decide what to get I got two Crêpes, one with caramel and one with strawberries and chocolate spread. Afterwards, I went for a crème brûlée and finished my glass of apple cider. For this place I definitely recommend calling ahead!

Galway Day 3 – Day Trip to the Cliffs of Moher

From Galway you can take a bus directly to the Cliffs of Moher. Of course you can join a guided tour, but it is totally possible to do this by yourself. Which is what I did.

From the bus station in Galway you take the 8 AM bus 350 towards Ennis. The route of the bus takes you along coast, on the Wild Atlantic Way. One way of the trip takes about 2 hours. On the way there you can see the Aran Islands in the distance and on the way back you can get a great view of Galway Bay. The station you need to disembark at is named “Cliffs of Moher”.

Once you are there, take a walk along one of the cliff-paths and take in the breathtaking scenery and don’t miss out on the Visitor Centre either.

Beware that the last 350 bus leaves at the cliffs at 6:14 PM!

Galway Day 4 – City Beaches, coffee and award winning food

On my last day in Galway I decided to take it slow, but also get a lot of walking in, since the previous day I had spent several hours in a bus. My first stop after breakfast at the hotel was Grattan beach, a small city beach between the city and Salthill.

From there I grabbed a Coffee at Kali Coffee Bar, before continuing on to Salthill Promenade. Kali is a cute little cafe with not much room inside, but benches right outside the door and a garden. They focus on speciality coffee and sustainability, feature different local artists in their cafe and are also dog and deaf ISL (international sign language) friendly.

I got an early lunch of Fish & Chips at Hooked, a seafood restaurant with several locations in Galway, which had been recommended to me by a person from the Kylemore Abbey tour.

Map of four days in Galway

How to read the map: Blue are places to see directly in Galway, orange are cafes and restaurants and green are the day tours mentioned above.

You can save the map on your device here.

Ireland on a Budget

Do you want to travel to Ireland, but are on a budget? Check out my other post about travelling to Ireland for a week for under 100€ a day (including flights, accommodation, food and attractions): Ireland on a Budget – A student travels

Der Beitrag Four Days in Galway – Ireland erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Overview of my long weekend in Dublin

• Where to stay in Dublin
• Museum hopping in Dublin
• Other significant locations in Dublin
• My favourite Cafes and places to eat in Dublin
• Tours and transportation in Dublin
• Map of a long weekend in Dublin

Where to stay for a long weekend in Dublin

Dublin itself is a quite expensive city, especially when solo travelling. Paying 100€ for a room with two or more people is already a bit steep, but when you’re by yourself it’s over-budget for most people. The trick to visit Dublin on a budget is definitely early planning. The earlier you book, the better the deals.

There’s one AirBnB I can recommend for young female travellers in Dublin Blanchardstown, it’s a little outside of the city centre (okay, like an hour by bus outside the city centre), but it’s quiet, safe, clean, inexpensive (39€ / night) and the host Paola is lovely.

If you are looking for something more central and don’t mind a Hostel I can recommend the Abbey Court Hostel*. At 30,33€ / night for a bed in a 12 bed-dorm it is a little less expensive and breakfast is included, but the smaller the dorms, the more expensive it becomes.

If you want a single occupancy room you can find one at Castle Hotel*, with breakfast included, for around 107€ / night.

Auf Airbnb ansehen GIRLS ONLY comfy single room North of Dublin

Museum hopping in Dublin

National Museums of Dublin – Archaeology

The building of the Archeology Museum is still the same as over a century ago when it was built and is worth a visit just by itself. The artifacts are sorted by date or rather time period and the audio guide is very pleasant to listen to as you follow the numbers through the exhibitions.

Since I kept looking up at the embellished ceiling one of the guards approached me and asked why I am so interested in it. When I replied that it is a very impressive ceiling he explained why it was built this way. When the museum was built it was lit by gas lamps, so the ceiling windows had to be opened every hour to let out the gas. The levers to open the ceiling are still there to this day.

When I started to head down again he left me with another piece of advice: Look at the doors. So I went back through the entire museum and looked at the doors, which all carry wood carvings of the artifacts originally stored behind them.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was used by the English and then the British as their seat in Ireland, has seen many historical events unfold and is still used to this day by the Irish government for the inauguration of each President of Ireland and other government matters. Some of the rooms have been restored to certain periods in time, others have been preserved to show off the ornate ceilings, floors and furniture.

Kilmainham Gaol Jail Tour

The Kilmainham Gaol Jail is a former prison, where many Irish revolutionaries, including leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916, were imprisoned and later executed. But the oldest cells date back much further than that. The prison was built in the 17-hundreds and some of the very old cells serve as a reminder of the horrible conditions prisoners faced back then.

St. Patricks Cathedral

I spend about an hour in the park next to the St. Patrick’s Cathedral and took some more pretty pictures just before sunset. A ticket to see the inside was 8€ and I had another cathedral on my list for this vacation, so I decided that my budget was better allocated elsewhere.

National Gallery

At the National Gallery I didn’t take any pictures inside, but the building itself is pretty nice as well. You can see that the windows are mostly bricked up, except for the entryway and stairwell to protect the colours of the old paintings. A lot of the time I don’t make the time to go to national galleries, since to me everyday objects from different time periods are much more interesting than paintings. But I have to admit it is very impressive to stand in front of a painting like “The Battle of the Boyne” by Jan Wyck spanning over 3m horizontally.

Little Museum of Dublin

The Little Museum of Dublin is the exact opposite of the National Gallery. It’s located in a residential house and filled with all kinds of knick-knacks, most of which were donated to the museum. Every wall is filled with pictures, paintings, posters, newspaper articles and much more. Not many of the artefacts have an explanation written down anywhere (since most people don’t read them anyway), but the guides there will happily answer all the questions you have. I advise you to take part in a tour of the museum, the one I was a part of was short, sweet, to the point and very interactive. It was obvious that the guide was passionate about his job, as well as the rich history of his city and country.

Other significant locations to visit during a long weekend in Dublin

Botanical Gardens

At the The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland the paths between the plant beds and beautiful greenhouses are mostly paved, so carrying your trolley with you isn’t a problem. Entry is free and I wholeheartedly recommend a visit during any season. Sadly, when I was there the Visitor Centre, Herbarium and Library were closed due to the Covid-19 situation, but I will be back one day.

Temple Bar Quarter with Ha’Penny Bridge

Temple Bar is probably most well known for the Temple Bar Pub where people had lined up to get inside, despite the weather. The red outside of the pub and the Christmas decorations made for a pretty picture though.

At the edge of the quarter the Ha’Penny Bridge crosses the Liffey river. This pedestrian bridge is named after the half penny it cost once upon a time to cross it.

The Spire

The Spire of Dublin is a 120m tall, stainless steel, pin-like monument in the middle of O’Connell Street.

My favourite Cafes and places to eat in Dublin

I had my favourite lunch, Mandu, at Han Sung Asian Market. You have to walk through the shelves and then into the back of the store, you can get good Korean food for a good price.

The chain restaurants of Eddies Rockets, American 50s / 60s diner-themed restaurants, serve fast food like burgers, wings, onion rings and something called “tater tots”. Those aren’t something we have in Germany. They are fried potato pockets, soft on the inside with a crunchy shell. This is definitely a recommended food choice after a whisky tasting or an additional Irish Coffee.

Since I need coffee to function in the morning I picked a spot near my accommodation for breakfast: The Art of Coffee. A small cafe, adjacent to Saint Brigid’s Shopping Centre in Blanchardstown. I went with a strawberry tart and a Latte Macchiato. The tart was extremely sweet and dry, but the sugar gave me an energy jump start for the day.

My favourite Cafés in Dublin ended up being Coffee Works, especially the one in Blanchardstown close to my AirBnB, where I could easily store my suitcase under my table. I had an amazing Latte Macchiato and a vanilla pudding and chocolate chip twist, then another time a Matcha Latte while I was working on travel content.

Tours and transportation in Dublin

Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour

When in Dublin you have several options for tours, such as of the Jameson Whiskey Distillery, or Guiness Beer. I had seen the Jameson Distillery back in 2014, so this time I booked tickets for the Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour* online. The distillery also has a bar inside where you can try different cocktails made with Teeling Whiskey, like Irish Coffee.

The tour begins with a small museum within the distillery, showcasing the history of whiskey distilleries in Ireland and the Teeling Distillery in particular. Afterwards, the guide leads the group through the brewing room and explains the process from mixing the grains and water to distillation to the different casks the whiskey ages in and what happens during the ageing process. At the end of the tour, depending on which package you book, you get to sample some Teeling Whiskeys.

Visitor Leap Card for a long weekend in Dublin

The first thing I did after arriving at the airport was buying a 72-hours leap visitor card. With the leap card, you can use the Dublin Bus, Luas (tram), DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) and the Commuter Rail. When staying outside of the city centre the cost of transportation between your accommodation and anything you want to do or see is higher than buying this card. The best deal is the 72 hours one for 15,00€ (in comparison the 24-hour one is 8€).

Map of a long weekend in Dublin

How to read the map: The green ones are significant locations, blue ones are museums, galleries and such, orange are cafes and restaurants and purple are locations of accommodations.

You can download the map here.

Ireland on a Budget

Do you want to travel to Ireland, but are on a budget? Check out my other post about travelling to Ireland for a week for under 100€ a day (including flights, accommodation, food and attractions): Ireland on a Budget – A student travels

Der Beitrag Long weekend in Dublin – Ireland erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

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Overview of 7 day in Ireland on a Budget

• How to get to Ireland on a budget
• Where to stay in Ireland on a budget
• What to do in Ireland on a budget
• Where to eat in Ireland on a budget
• TLDR just show me the budget and the map

How to get to Ireland on a Budget:

Now your first thought might be “Ryanair”, but with Ryanair the prices are tricky. Especially when carrying a lot of luggage. And when you are visiting Ireland in November you will need a lot of luggage.

My advice is to book your plane ticket with Aer Lingus, they’re the national airline of Ireland. When flying from Germany they have a basic price of 30,51€ for most airports to go to Dublin. You can take a carry-on-sized bag for free, but you will have to check it in. A small carry-on, like a purse, a small backpack or a laptop bag are also included in the ticket price.

Transport in Ireland on a Budget

In the smaller cities, you can honestly just walk everywhere. I know that sounds like the most basic cheapskate thing to say and do, but the distances you have to walk between attractions, restaurants and cafés are super short. (You’ll still end up walking a lot, but it feels less when you only walk shorter distances at a time.)

To get around Dublin you want to consider getting a leap visitor card. With the leap card, you can use the Dublin Bus, Luas (tram), DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) and the Commuter Rail. It costs depending on how long you will use it, the best deal is the 72 hours one for 16,00€ (in comparison the 24-hour one is 8€).

You can get the leap visitor card directly at the airport, so you don’t have to pay any extra charge to get from the airport into the city.

Getting from A to B

Railway connections between some Irish Towns are great, they’re reliable, fast and cheap. A student ticket from Dublin to Galway or from Limerick to Dublin is only 11,49€ (even normal tickets start at 14,99€). When you book online on the Irish Rail Website you can get the tickets for cheaper than on the ticket machine at the train station.

From Galway to Limerick a student ticket is 4,49€ (the normal tickets start from 7,49€).

Where to stay in Ireland on a Budget

Your first thought here might be AirBnB, but I am here to tell you: Not everywhere in Ireland are AirBnB’s the cheapest option. I also want to say: You might not want to pick the cheapest-cheapest option, because without a good night’s sleep or with a disgustingly dirty shower, it might ruin your holiday altogether.

Dublin

There’s one AirBnB I can recommend for young female travellers in Dublin Blanchardstown, it’s a little outside of the city centre (okay, like an hour by bus outside the city centre), but it’s quiet, safe, clean, inexpensive (39€ / night) and the host Paola is lovely.

If you are looking for something more central and don’t mind a Hostel I can recommend the Abbey Court Hostel*. At 30,33€ a night for a bed in a 12 bed-dorm it is a little less expensive and breakfast is included, but the smaller the dorms, the more expensive it becomes.

Auf Airbnb ansehen GIRLS ONLY comfy single room North of Dublin

Galway

In Galway, there are some good Hostel options. The Nest Boutique Hostel* is the cheapest option for a 6-bed-dorm at 34,25€ / night. There are cheaper options (in 12-bed-dorms), but they are rated worse and the location of the Hostel I linked is excellent. On top of that it is modern and has a really cool interior.

When you plan well ahead and prefer your own room the Black Cat* in Galway has a single bed room for 70€ / night. It is close to the centre and has excellent reviews.

When I was in Galway in November of 2021, I stayed at The Western Hotel. There weren’t many options, and while still on the more inexpensive side it was way less expensive (80€/night) than it is today. It looks very old from the outside, but some of the rooms have already been refurbished. The rooms were clean and the wifi held up as well. Their Irish breakfast was also the best I’ve had while in the country (and I had LOTS).

Limerick

In Limerick in 2021 I didn’t really have good cheap accommodation. There are some which are more inexpensive than others, but considering I didn’t call the one in Galway cheap I can’t call any of the options I had back then cheap either.

By far the cheapest I’ve found in 2024 (that isn’t too far out of the city) is the Woodfield House Hotel* for 100€ / night. For 140€ a night (92,50€ / night in 2021) you can get a room at the George Limerick Hotel* right in the city centre, next to a pub-street.

In 2021 I stayed at the Old Quarter Townhouse*. their rooms are currently between 119€ and 169€ per night, depending on the dates. The noise at night is… a lot. After you book they send you an e-mail, informing you about the noise level and giving you the opportunity to either confirm your booking anyway or to reverse it without cost. I thought with earplugs I would be fine, but when the walls vibrate, not even earplugs will help.

What to do in Ireland on a Budget

Some museums in Ireland are free, while others range from cheap, to affordable, to expensive.

Along the free ones is the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin (all four locations: Decorative Arts & History, Country Life, Natural History, Archaeology), the National Gallery of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland and The National Photographic Archive in the Temple Bar distric in Dublin, as well as the Galway City Museum and the Limerick Museum.

Most museums and attractions offer a student discount as well. For example the Dublin Castle, the Kilmainham Gaol Jail in Dublin and King Johns Castle in Limerick.

Of course, visiting museums isn’t the only way to pass your time while in Ireland on a budget. But they are definitely worth it since this country has a long and eventful history, of which parts are hidden in every corner and sometimes in plain sight. Examples here include the Treaty Stone on the shore of the Shannon River and the Milk Market in Limerick, the Latin Quarter in Galway and the National Botanical Gardens of Ireland and Trinity College in Dublin.

Or maybe a tour of a whiskey distillery? The Teeling Whiskey Distillery offers tours of their facility, including a tasting of three of their whiskeys for 25€ (17€ in 2021) or a tour with a tasting of one Whiskey and a Whiskey Cocktail for 20€*.

Where to eat in Ireland on a Budget

I linked all of the mentioned foods in the map at the end of the blogpost.

In Dublin, you can find good international food for a low price (under 15€ with a drink). For example Han Sung Asian Market in the city centre where you can find Han Sung Korean Restaurant in the back of the store and get good Korean food for a low price. Or Masa Tacos where you can get Mexican Tacos near Dublin Castle.

You can find Cafés where you pay 10-12€ for french toast and a cappuccino, or eggs benedict and a latte macchiato, it just tasks a bit of digging or walking around. For your convenience here are some:

• The Art of Coffee – Dublin
• Coffee Works – Dublin
• Java’s Café – Galway

When choosing where to stay during your travels you should pay close attention if it includes breakfast, because that can save you a lot of money when you don’t have to worry about one meal of the day. If you can save a lot of money by not booking accommodation including breakfast you can always grab a sandwich at Tesco or Dunnes.

What 7 days in Ireland on a budget can look like (actual budget)

The accommodations I would stay at today (the OQT is the same I stayed at in 2021!), the attractions I went to (both free and paid for, with updated prices). Train tickets have stayed the same and plane tickets have only gotten 1€ more expensive!

Map of 7 days in Ireland on a Budget

How to read the map: Accommodations are burgundy, attractions and places are light blue, restaurants light green and cafés dark green. The transport routes aren’t on the map, because you can’t add public transport to those maps. I took the train from Dublin to Galway, then from Galway to Limerick and finally from Limerick to Dublin and a bus from the Dublin train-station to the airport.

Der Beitrag Ireland on a Budget – A Student travels in 2024 erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour

You can book the different tours on their Website or buy tickets directly at the counter in the distillery, just be aware that you might not be able to get in directly as the tours have limited tickets and sell out quickly.

I had booked my ticket for the Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour online, but misread the time, so I got there over an hour early. The customer service team at the counter suggested several things I could visit close by, such as the St. Patrick’s Cathedral, but when I told her I had already spent an hour in the park near the cathedral and that most museums had closed at 5 pm and it was now 5:15 pm she gave me a wristband, which you normally get after your tour, which allows you to enter the bar upstairs (for one-hour max. during covid, to avoid overcrowding). So I went into the bar through the exit and got an Irish Coffee.

Irish Coffee: A hot drink consisting of coffee, Irish whiskey and sugar, topped with whipped, but still runny cream.

The tour begins with a small museum within the distillery, showcasing the history of whiskey distilleries in Ireland and Dublin in particular, as well as the family history of the Teelings, who opened their first Distillery in 1782 and opened this new Distillery in 2015.

Afterwards, the guide lead the group through the active distillery and explained the process from mixing the grains and water to distillation. Not only how the process works, but also why each step is important and how it affects the end product. You get to see the three pot stills essential to the production of Teeling Whiskey and learn a cute family fact about them as well.

Through a corridor illuminated by different coloured lights simulating the different stages of ageing Whiskey, through planks from former whiskey barrels, you reach the next room where they put up a display of whiskey casks and bottles to explain how much the whiskey changes inside the barrels during the ageing process and how evaporation and the barrels themselves affect it.

They also have an exhibit made of the different types of barrels they use and have used in the past to age their whiskey. Including Rum, Bourbon, Port, Cabernet Sauvignon and others.

Teeling Whiskey Tasting

Der Beitrag Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour & Tasting erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.