A Day Trip to the Cliffs of Moher

If you're planning a road trip to the Cliffs of Moher, there are a few different ways to do it, but I definitely recommend driving. There are a bunch of cool things you can stop and see along the way, and it's a really fun one-day road trip!

What cities are closest to the Cliffs of Moher?

Galway and Limerick are the two Irish cities closest to the Cliffs of Moher. You can stay in either and do this trip in either direction. However, you'll want to look at entry times and driving times to make sure to save yourself enough time for everything. I'll explain everything in the order we did it, since we made a full counterclockwise road trip around the Emerald Isle.

Cliffs of Moher Road Trip

Start in Galway

Galway is the closest city to Burren National Park and the Cliffs of Moher. You can stay just the night before, but I recommend maybe two nights so you have a full day to explore the charming and unique town of Galway. Get a nice early start in the morning so you have time to do the full experience. I promise it was worth it!

Stop One: Aillwee Burren Experience

An hour drive down the coast from Galway will get you to the Aillwee Burren Experience, which provides a very cool Birds of Prey lecture and an equally exciting tour of Aillwee Cave.

Stop Two: The Burren

From there, it's about a thirty-minute drive to the Burren, which is a ridiculously cool and otherworldly landscape made from dissolving limestone and grass growing wherever it can. There's a thirty-minute loop drive, and you'll certainly want some time to get out and walk around on this wild land formation. Don't forget to look out for little critters, of which there are many, including stoat, mink, voles, rabbits, and more.

Stop Two and A Half: Doolin Cave

Doolin is a very cute little town to stop in for lunch. There is an amazing cave here called Doolin Cave that we decided to skip, since we had just toured Aillwee Cave, but you can certainly do both if you're into it. If you're headed from the Burren to the Cliffs, Doolin is literally on the way on Route 479 between the two.

Which cave is better, Doolin Cave or Aillwee Cave?

The reason we opted for Aillwee is that it is more accessible, with an easier descent and easier trek around the cave. The Aillwee Burren Experience is also great for families, so kids (and adults!) can enjoy the Birds of Prey. That said, Doolin Cave is generally considered more impressive, with a more serious descent and more impressive rock formations.

Stop Three: Cliffs of Moher

Drive about thirty minutes south from the Burren, and you'll end up at the north viewpoint of the Cliffs of Moher! There are two viewpoints (north and south) with plenty of parking lots available. The north viewpoint has a visitor center, a few different restaurants, plenty of souvenir shops, bathrooms, and a learning center. You can walk along the cliff quite a way, but the best views are definitely from the second-floor window of O'Brien's Tower.

The south viewpoint is just down the road, so hardly out of the way, and right on the way to the highway that will take you to Limerick. That said, it's not substantially far from the north viewpoint, so you're not going to see a substantially different perspective.

If you want a totally different perspective, the southernmost point of the Cliffs of Moher is at a place called Hag's Head. (Your navigation system might say Moher Fort Site Telegraph Station.) Being less developed, this area is much less populated by tourists. So if you are looking for a quiet, more natural feel, check out this unique spot. Do keep in mind that it's about 20 more minutes out of the way from the south view, so if you're strapped for time, you might need to skip it.

End in Limerick

From here (the north viewpoint at O'Brien's Tower), it's about an hour's drive down to Limerick, Ireland. We truthfully didn't see much of Limerick after such a busy day, but there's a great shopping mall called Arthur's Quay and a cute park called Arthur's Quay Park right on the River Shannon in downtown Limerick.

Alternate End: Galway

We had rented a car in Dublin to drive all around the island, so we opted to drive down to Limerick and continue our road trip around Ireland. But if you choose to fly from Dublin to Galway, turning around and returning to Galway would only take a couple of hours. This would be a bit longer of a day, but it's definitely doable.

Final Thoughts

A road trip to the Cliffs of Moher is the best way to experience all that Ireland has to offer. You get to see a lot more landscape and rural life than if you just take a tour bus from Galway or Limerick to see the cliffs. The Burren is a unique landscape that is so worth the visit, and putting all these stops together makes for a great day trip!