Getting from Galway to the Aran Islands – everything you need to know for a perfect day trip

If you like horse drawn carts and feeling like you have stepped back into another time then you simply must visit the Aran Islands. Located in the middle of the Wild Atlantic Way, the Aran Islands, are one of the most incredible sights in Ireland, and the good news is they aren’t swarming with tourists either. So if you are looking for an authentically Irish experience then make sure you plan a visit.

There are a few different parts of Ireland you can leave from to reach the islands, but in this post we tell you everything you need to know about getting from Galway to the Aran Islands. On top of that we go through the best things to do when you get there, provide you with an Aran Islands Map, and give you top tips for planning the perfect Aran Islands day trip.

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From Galway to the Aran Islands – Before you go

Before you start planning your trip from Galway to the Aran Islands here is a bit of a factsheet with some basic information.

Country: Ireland

Language(s) spoken: Irish Gaelic and English

Currency: Euro

Population: Approximately 1200

The Aran Islands consist of 3 islands that essentially sit in the mouth of Galway Bay. They are famous for having ancient sites, and for being on of the few remaining parts of Ireland that primarily speak Irish. The three islands are Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer, with Inishmore being the largest of the group.

For more information and other ideas for things to do in Ireland you can read this post.

And if you are wondering if Ireland is worth visiting this is a handy post.

Where to start on your Aran Islands Day Trip

So you might be wondering how on earth you get to the Aran islands, and where to start your Aran Islands day trip from? From mainland Ireland you can get the ferry over to the Aran islands from either Rossaveal near Galway or Doolin which is quite close to the Cliffs of Moher. Here is a bit of information on each option.

From Galway to the Aran Islands

If you are travelling from Galway to the Aran Islands, then you will need to make your way to Rosaveel which is just under an hour away from the centre of Galway. From Rosaveel you then need to hop on a ferry that will take you to Inis Mór (or Inishmore if you are anglicising it).

If you travel via Aran Islands Ferries, you should be able to book a visit to any of the islands, although Inishmore is the more popular of the three. Ferries depart from Rosaveel year round.

From Doolin to the Aran Islands

If you are travelling between March and October, then you can get a ferry from Doolin to the Aran Islands. Inisheer is the closest island from Doolin, but again you can visit all 3 islands from here.

Flying to the Aran Islands

If for whatever reason you decide you don’t want to get the ferry over, then you can opt to fly to the Aran Islands. You need to travel with Aer Arann Islands, and flights leave from Connemara Airport. The airport is around a 40 minute drive from Galway.

Getting from Galway to the Aran Islands – Rosaveel

This post predominately focuses on getting from Galway to the Aran Islands, so our main focus will be getting the ferry over from Rossaveel.

Obviously your first step to getting from Galway to the Aran Islands will be to make your way to Rossaveel. If you book your trip through Aran Island Ferries, you can include a connecting shuttle bus transfer. The bus departs from Queen Street in the City Centre. You could also go with Bus Eireann. Route 424 provides a regular service from Galway.

If you have your own car (although keep in mind you will not be able to take this to the Aran Islands), you just follow the R336 road, west towards Rossaveel. You are looking at about a 50 minute drive each way.

Galway to the Aran Islands – By Ferry

Once you are in Rossaveel, you then need to get on a ferry to your chosen island. We chose to visit Inishmore which as mentioned above is one of the biggest and most popular of the Aran Islands. You can pre-book your ferry ticket here for Inishmore or here for Inish Oirr.

There are also a few day trips you can book like this one that takes you from Galway to the Aran Islands (Inis Oirr) and includes a Cliffs of Moher cruise.

Or this one that takes you from Galway to the Aran Islands (Inisheer Island) and the Cliffs of Moher cruise.

Galway to the Aran Islands – Ferry travel times and tips

Inishmore is the closest of the Aran islands to Galway, so it will probably take you around 40 minutes on the ferry to get here. For the other islands, you are probably looking at around an hour and ten minutes. Although if you are visiting these other islands, you might be closer leaving from Doolin.

Our experience on the ferry was an interesting one. Admittedly the ferry ride is not all smooth sailing, especially on the day we travelled, and we started to realise why it is called the WILD Atlantic Way. It can get pretty choppy out there, and I’m pretty confident that both Dave and I turned an unhealthy shade of green part way through.

For this reason we highly recommend taking a seasickness tablet. I’m usually fine on boats but this was a little bit too much even for me. That being said we have been told that we visited on an unusually choppy day.

If you aren’t feeling sick you can buy things like tea, coffee, and snacks on board the boat. Obviously we decided not to avail of this, but it’s always good to know.

How to get around on your Aran Islands day trip

Once you have docked in Inishmore your next question is going to be how to get around on your Aran Islands day trip? There are a number of ways to see Inishmore including travelling by bike, pony and trap, or just a good old fashioned bus tour.

Inishmore is a big enough island, that you won’t be able to do a day trip and see everything by walking, so you will need to arrange some sort of mode of transport. Initially we wanted to cycle, but we were a bit put off by the wind and rain as we arrived. But if this is your preferred option you can very easily rent a bike for the day and cycle around the island.

Close to where the ferries come in you will see Aran Islands Bike Hire. You can choose from a range of bikes like your standard mountain bike, or even a tandem bike if you want something a little different. You are looking at about €20 for standard mountain bike hire, which is a great deal really.

I’m not a fan of the whole horse and trap thing, so will skip over that option for now, but the other way to get yourself around the island is to book an organised tour. Don’t worry if you haven’t booked something in advance because when your ferry docks, you will be greeted by several small tour buses. We found one, paid the fee, and off we went.

Tours range in price but you can expect to pay somewhere between €15 – €20 per person. Also we recommend asking for Martin Mullen. I don’t know if he is still doing tours, but honestly we visited the islands a few years ago and I still think about his tour. He knows everyone on the island and gives you some fantastic insight into life here. He also had the whole bus in stitches at times too.

Things to do on Inishmore – top attractions

Now that we have gone through how to get from Galway to the Aran Islands, here are some of the best things to see and do in Inishmore.

Dún Aonghasa

One of the best things to do on Inishmore has to be visiting Dún Aonghasa. Honestly if you see nothing else on the island, make it this.

Dún Aonghasa is an ancient stone fortress located on a particularly rugged cliff. It is the largest prehistoric stone fortress on the island as well, so definitely worth a visit. When the fort was excavated back in the 1990s, there was evidence that humans inhabited it way back in 1500 BC!

As mentioned the fort is located very close to a sharp cliff edge. Unlike other places you might visit there are no barriers or fences stopping you from getting too close to the cliffs edge which is really part of the beauty of the place. Just make sure you exercise caution.

The Wormhole

If you carry on eastwards on the cliffs of Dún Aonghasa you will stumble upon The Wormhole. Visiting is now one of the more popular things to do on Inishmore, partly due to its role in the Red Bull Cliff Diving Competition. The Worm Hole is a natural rectangular shaped pool, and when the tide is in water gushes through an underground cave network pushing water up over the edges. The coolest bit about it is that the Wormhole is perfectly rectangular and you would think that someone created this intentionally. But alas this is not the case it is completely natural.

Na Seacht Teampaill (The Seven Churches)

Another of the best things to do on Inishmore has to be visiting Na Seacht Teampaill, the site of a graveyard and ruined church. The ruins date back to the 800’s which is amazing when you think about what this site has seen over the years.

Explore the coastline

If you are visiting the Aran Islands in the summer months particularly one of the best things to do is to explore the coastline. It’s actually really interesting seeing how different the coastline is in different parts of the island. For instance you have your sandy beaches which are perfect for swimming or building sandcastles. Kilmurvey Beach is a great beach to go to, as it doesn’t have strong currents so is perfect for a relaxing day.

You also have a more rugged and rocky side to the coastline too. Not only are these parts of the island atmospheric but they are a great reminder of how far from mainland Ireland you really are.

Visit the seal colony

One of the newer things to do on Inishmore has to be visiting the seal colony. About 10 minutes away from Kilmurvey beach, you may see a number of seals bathing. Obviously there is no guarantee you will see them, but even trying to find them is a lot of fun, and gives you the opportunity to further explore the islands weather beaten landscape.

Things to do on Inishmore – eating and drinking

One of the best things to do on Inishmore (and probably all of Ireland for that matter) is to get yourself to a traditional and cosy pub. The aptly named – The Bar – is a great place to go for a bit of a tipple, particularly as you work up the courage to get back on the boat (although that might just be our excuse).

Another great place is Joe Watty’s Bar, particularly if on your things to do on Inishmore bucket list contains listening to trad music. They serve fresh seafood, and have a fireplace as well, so you can get cosy with a pint after a long days walk.

If you are looking for food, whilst exploring the island, one of our favourite places to eat in Inishmore is the Dun Aengus Cafe. It’s located in a really quaint thatched cottage, and is popular with tourists because of its proximity to the stone fort and cliffs. The soup and bread is honestly incredible and is a nice warm treat especially on a cold windy day on the island.

How much money do I need for my Aran Islands day trip?

Visiting the Aran Islands isn’t necessarily the cheapest but we assure you it is worth it. When planning your Aran Islands day trip you need to factor in the following:

⚓ Ferry

Getting the ferry from Rosaveel will costs around €30 return for a standard adult ticket.

⚓ Shuttle bus transfer

If you are factoring in a shuttle bus transfer a return for an adult will set you back €9.

⚓ Bike Hire/ Tour costs

If you decide to rent a bike on your Aran Islands day trip then this will set you back around €20 per person. This will of course depend on the type of bike you want to rent so this is an average amount.

If you instead wish to do a tour, you are looking at about €15 – €20 per person for this.

⚓ Food & Drink

This again depends on what you want to eat and drink but I would say €20 per person is reasonable.

Best time of year to plan an Aran Islands day trip

The summer months are going to be the best for enjoying the full beauty of the Aran Islands. July, and August are your warmest months, but these are also the busiest in terms of tourist footfall.

The winter months as well as November, March and April, tend to be quite rainy. You also have shorter days in terms of sunlight hours so an Aran Islands day trip might not be ideal.

May, June and September are great if you want decent weather, and less tourists.

One thing to keep in mind when visiting is that the weather is quite mild on the islands. In the winter months average temperatures are between 6 and 11 degrees celsius. In the summer months you are looking at between 12 and 18 degrees celsius.

Trying to decide between Cork and Galway? – Here is a handy guide

Want more than just an Aran Islands day trip? Where to stay

If one day in the Aran Islands just isn’t enough then why not stay overnight. The plus side of an overnight stay is you get to experience the island after all the ferries and day trippers have long departed.

For a weekend break there are a number of different accommodation options on Inishmore. These range from Glamping options a number of B & Bs, and even hotels. One of the best hotels on the island has to be the Aran Islands hotel. Especially if you splash out and opt for one of the sea view chalets.

Aran Islands Map

Here is an Aran Islands map just to give you a bit of perspective on getting from Galway to the Aran Islands.

Tips for visiting the Aran Islands

Here are some of our top tips for planning your Aran Islands day trip.

• Bring warm clothes including a jumper/ light jacket in summer and a heavy coat and scarf in the winter. The wind can really bring down the temperatures.
• Wear decent shoes, because you will do a lot of walking.
• Bring a rain jacket, the weather can be slightly unpredictable.
• Sailings from Galway to the Aran Islands can be called off due to bad weather so check this in advance.

So Should I plan an Aran Islands day trip?

Hopefully this guide has armed you with all the information you need to get from Galway to the Aran Islands, but particularly Inishmore. The islands are almost one of the hidden gems of Ireland because a lot of people tend to avoid visiting due to time constraints. Those that do visit however are treated to gorgeous rugged coastline, and are given an insight into the Ireland of yesteryear.

If you found this guide on getting to Galway to the Aran Islands useful please don’t forget to Pin it for later.

Also if you are getting to Galway from Dublin here is a handy guide to help you plan the trip.