Escape Dublin for day trip along Ireland’s majestic west coast, traveling by both train and coach to the scenic Cliffs of Moher. Take a city tour of Limerick, see Bunratty Castle, walk through the charming Folk Park, admire the Burren and drive along Galway Bay.

Full-day trip by train and coach from Dublin to Limerick, Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and Galway Bay
Learn about Limerick on a guided city tour
See Bunratty Castle and Folk Village
Discover the Cliffs of Moher on the wild Atlantic coast
Explore The Burren's lunar landscape
Soak up a scenic drive along the shores of Galway Bay

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Participants on this tour travel by a mix of rail and bus for a more scenic experience.

What's Included

Host on trains
Information pack
Reserved seats on trains
Qualified driver-guide on coaches
All travel by rail and coach from Dublin Heuston Station

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Dublin Heuston
Heuston Station Saint John's Road West, Saint James' (part of Phoenix Park), Dublin, Ireland
Check in is 20 minutes prior to the departure time. Railtours Ireland Representatives will be waiting in the main concourse area of the station with your travel pack. They will be wearing bright yellow jackets so that they are easily located.

Start time

07:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Depart from Dublin Heuston Station in the early morning on your train to Limerick, and enjoy breakfast on board (own expense) while taking in Ireland’s lush central landscape. Upon arriving in the ancient city of Limerick, enjoy a tour of this city that was once the key settlement for Vikings in Ireland, and is more recently known as the setting of Frank McCourt’s harrowing memoir Angela's Ashes.

Following this rich bit of history, board your northbound coach to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Explore the fine medieval castle, complete with 15th- and 16th-century furnishings, tapestries and traditional works of art. Then tour Folk Park for a taste of Irish village life at the turn of the 20th century, including a schoolhouse, post office, doctor’s office and more.

Next up, take a break for a traditional Irish pub lunch (own expense) at Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin, where you’ll enjoy a steamy bowl of seafood chowder or some crispy fish and chips with a cup of tea (or a pint of Guinness). Then head for the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most famous natural sites.

After a stroll along the cliffs, sit back for a scenic drive along the rocky coastal edge of the Burren and Galway Bay before arriving in Galway. Depending on what time you get to Galway, you may have time for a quick walk through the cobbled streets before catching your evening train back to Dublin. Have a leisurely dinner aboard (own expense) before returning to the train station.

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Cliffs of Moher

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

The Burren (Pass By)

Eyre Square

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
This tour offers stops en route for photographs, shopping, etc.
Due to operational reasons it may, on occasion, be necessary to alter certain itineraries.
Not wheelchair accessible
Children U16 cannot book independently. They must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times.
Service animals allowed

Check in is 20 minutes prior to the departure time.
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
WHEELCHAIR POLICY: Railtours Ireland First Class ltd very successfully offers hosted railtours for the independent traveller. Our tours are a combination of train and luxury coach and include a moderate level of physical activity, such as short walks to meeting points etc. Unfortunately even the most modern luxury coaches (buses) are not wheelchair friendly, thus our tours are not suitable for those with mobility issues, and regretfully walkers, wheelchairs and mobility scooters cannot be accommodated on our tours.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 53 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Alana_G

Wonderful day, thoroughly enjoyed riding the train and seeing the countryside as well as the bus tour. Beautiful scenery at the cliff along with an invigorating hike. Would recommend this tour for anyone coming to Dublin. Made for a great day away from the city!

Reviews

4.5

1,061 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,061 reviews

A lot of “must sees” covered in one trip!

Christine_L, Sept 2023

Bunratty Castle and the folk village was a fascinating experience. The Cliffs of Moher was definitely the highlight of the trip. We were blessed with beautiful sunny weather. If it had not been for the lift (golf cart) provided by the facility, my mom would not have been able to get up there to see it. Sadly, we had a 30 minute wait for the lift. With the 20 minutes it took to get up there and back down, we had about 15 minutes to spend up there and no time for the visitor center or gift shop. I would have traded the time in Galway for more time at the Cliffs! Our tour guide was very nice.

Of course the Cliffs are...

Celine_R, Sept 2023

Of course the Cliffs are very impressive. The guide that was with was extremely interesting. We’ve learned a lot of things (where the term honeymoon comes from….). Everything is well organized

We had a great...

Bryon_E, Sept 2023

We had a great experience, all of the tour was beautiful and our tour guide knowledgable and personable. An unexpected plus was the beautiful drive between the cliffs of moher up to Galway along the west coast. The scenery here was gorgeous.

Beautiful stops

Carol_F, Sept 2023

John was a fantastic tour guide. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable about all the sights. He spent time with each group on the tour. He even took group photos at all the stops. Michael was an amazing driver on some crazy roads leading to Galway! The Burren was unexpectedly breathtaking!

My husband and I had such...

Janice_B, Sept 2023

My husband and I had such an enjoyable time on the trip. It was a long day, but we loved the sights.

An excellent day!

Ken_C, Sept 2023

The Cliffs of Moher were absolutely stunning! We are a family of six so being on the train and bus that long was a trial but absolutely worth it. Bernatty Castle was also one of our most favorite places. It is one of the best castles in Ireland and you will be glad you went there. They don't give you enough time there though so that's a bummer. You'll have enough time to tour the castle and then a little bit of the grounds. We also misunderstood our tour guide (although it is still English, for us Americans, it is still hard for us to understand everything) and delayed our tour. We felt terrible but the tour guide was super forgiving and kind to us (John I think was his name). He did a great job and we were lucky to have him.

John, hardest working tour guide in Ireland

Mary_S, Sept 2023

Wonderful experience. Our tour guide worked so hard to make this a seamless experience for us. Everything worked Iike clockwork. The Cliffs were amazing, just the right amount of time there and the lunch was delicious. John called ahead a pre-ordered lunch so there was little wait. It was a long day but highlight of our trip.

Cliffs of Moher experience

Karen_C, Sept 2023

The cliffs were amazing and the lunch we had at Joseph McHugh was top notch and the best food we have had since arriving in Ireland. Our guide John Todd was the best, very informative. Michael our bus driver was on point.

Truly enjoyable trip to the West Coast of Ireland

Melissa_K, Sept 2023

The day was long, but we were fully warned and prepared for a lot of travel time. Even though we were on the excursion for 13 hours, it didn't seem that long! We enjoyed the scenic train and bus rides/routes. The bus driver and tour guide were fun (and funny!), kind, knowledgable, and made us very comfortable! We were kept on track as far as timing throughout the trip, and although we had an action-packed, jammed full day, we never felt rushed or like we didn't get enough time. Overall wonderful experience.

Fantastic! Brian is great!

Lindsey_B, Aug 2023

Brian was an excellent tour guide! My husband and I had such a fun time. Brian was knowledgeable and funny and gave us a lot of insight into Irish culture/laws/folklore and everything that you come to Ireland for. He really cared and checked in with everyone to make sure they knew how to get home from the train station. Super thoughtful and kind.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi Lindsey, Thank you very much for your review & lovely comments. It was a pleasure to have you on tour. We will make sure to pass along the feedback to Brian, he is indeed an asset to us & he will be very flattered to hear this. If you ever do return to Ireland we will love to have you on tour with us again. Kind Regards, Railtours Ireland.

Good tour, wish we had longer time!

Aaron_T, Aug 2023

Loved being able to see many spots/locations on the tour! However, I wish we had longer time to spend at the coast areas and the castle. The driver we had was driving very fast in tight spaces and rain conditions- we made it ok and safe but it could have been a little bit more smooth.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear Aaron, Delighted you enjoyed our tour and that you noted how our skilled coach drivers navigate the narrow twisting roads on the Wild Atlantic Way. I'm sure you felt as many as our guests do that you were glad you travelled with us car free, carefree. We are usually congratulated on how much we can fit into a day's touring, another of our slogans is that we allow guests to do a big chunk of Ireland in one day. All the best, Railtours Ireland.

A day away

Alana_G, Aug 2023

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hello Alana, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are very glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us, and found it all to be of such a high standard. We look forward to welcoming you back at another time! Many thanks once again for your feedback. Regards, Railtours Ireland

Great Time on the Irish Coast by Train

David_L, Aug 2023

David the tour guide was outstanding. He was very knowledgeable and we had a great time. Tour was well paced and very enjoyable.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear David, Thanks so much for your kind feedback, it was a pleasure to have you on tour with us. We are particularly delighted to read that you found David to be outstanding :) We hope you had a very enjoyable time in Ireland and left us with many happy memories of your visit! Kind regards. Railtours Ireland.

Great trip and great recommendations

Colleen_H, Aug 2023

Great tour and loved the scenery. Terrence and Tony were wonderful and really cared if you had a good time ! Food was excellent from all recommended spots and enough time given to explore all areas

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi Colleen, Thank you for your review. We are thrilled to hear you found Terrence to be wonderful & enjoyed your tour with us. We would love to have you on tour with us again should you have the opportunity to revisit Ireland, you will be very welcome. All the best, Railtours Ireland.

Terrance is the best tour guide

Connor_C, Aug 2023

Terrance was a fantastic tour guide. He knows all the best places to stop on the journey. The Cliffs were immaculate but Terrance from Ireland by Rail made the trip very worthwhile and gave us much history of Ireland we never would have even known about. World class Terrance!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi Connor, Thank you so much for taking the time to write us this lovely review. Terrance will be very happy to know this & we will make sure to pass along the feedback. We hope to welcome you again on tour in the future! Kind Regards, Railtours Ireland.

Amazing Experience

Hayley_G, Aug 2023

The tour was so well planned out. Easy to find our guides in the morning and they were with us all day. We had the perfect amount of time at each stop. Would highly recommend to someone looking for an amazing tour of Ireland.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear Hayley, Thank you so much sharing your feedback about your tour with us, we are very glad to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us and would recommend our tours. We look forward to welcoming you back at another time! Kind regards, Railtours Ireland.

The day was awesome and...

Erin_E, Aug 2023

The day was awesome and Peter our guide was great! The only problem was the AC on the bus. It was 88 degrees Fahrenheit and the air was not working. Otherwise the locations were great and so was the place that we went for lunch!

A great day and we saw many wonderful places!

flick, Aug 2023

A perfect day at the Cliffs of Moher and the scenic ride to Galway! We enjoyed the train and bus rides. We were able to see so many beautiful places in a relatively short period of time. It was a long day but worth every minute. Traveling with 3 generations is not easy but our guide Brian made it very enjoyable and entertaining. He gave us great information on things we were seeing and also the history of the area!! A great start to a special family adventure!! Thanks to Brian and Viator!!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback & comments. We are thrilled to read you enjoyed the train rides and that Brian made it a very enjoyable day for you and your family, he is indeed a great asset to us! We hope you had a very enjoyable time in Ireland and left us with many happy memories of your visit. Kind Regards, Railtours Ireland.

Well organized trip

robbinb516, Aug 2023

This is a long trip but worth every minute. Very well organized and easy to find our group at the train station. I loved that all the transportation was taken care of. Norman was an excellent guide. He made sure we knew when and where to meet so there was no confusion. Plenty of time at each stop for what we wanted to see. Norman gave recommendations for pubs, restaurants and shopping. If you want to see The Cliffs of Moher, this trip is an easy way to travel. Highly recommend

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi Robbin, Thank you so much for your feedback & all the lovely comments. Our team makes great efforts to organize all the logistics & to make sure everything runs smoothly, therefore, we are delighted to receive this review. Norman is indeed excellent and we will pass along this feedback, he will be just as happy as we are to hear this. We hope to welcome you back on tour in the future! Kind Regards, Railtours Ireland

Beautiful

Lisa_G, Jul 2023

The cliffs were beautiful and seeing the countryside was wow. Our guide John, made sure everyone was well taken care of went out of his way to help everyone.

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