Things to Do Near the Cliffs of Moher
The short answer. The best things to do near the Cliffs of Moher are inland on the Burren and north around Doolin. Poulnabrone Dolmen is free and open all year. Aillwee Cave costs €28 for an adult. Doolin Cave holds Europe’s largest stalactite, and Inis Oírr is 15 minutes by ferry from Doolin. Most guided days from Galway already fit two or three of these into the route.
The Burren stops, already in the fare
Dunguaire Castle, Poulnabrone and ninety minutes on the cliff top with entry included, from $64 a person.
You need ninety minutes to two hours on the cliffs. What you do with the rest of the day is the real choice, and nearly every Ireland Cliffs of Moher tour that starts in Galway makes it for you from the ten stops below.
The nearby stops at a glance
| Stop | What it is | Entry | Where | On a guided day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poulnabrone Dolmen | Portal tomb | Free | Burren plateau | Galway coach, 20 min |
| Aillwee Cave | Show cave, birds of prey | €28 adult | Ballyvaughan | Aillwee Galway day, 30 min |
| Doolin Cave | Europe’s largest stalactite | Not published online | 20 min drive, R479 | No tour stops |
| Burren National Park | 1,800 hectares of limestone | Free | Start at Corofin | Dublin car day, 1 hour |
| Caherconnell Stone Fort | Stone fort, sheepdogs | Not published online | Carron, Kilfenora | Private Galway day, 1 hour |
| Doolin village | Music and the ferry pier | Free | North of the cliffs | Galway coach, 40 min |
| Inis Oírr | Smallest Aran island | Ferry fare | 15 min ferry from Doolin | Galway island days, 2 hours |
| The cliffs by boat | Cruise under the wall | Boat fare | Doolin Pier | Galway island days |
| The coastal walk | Trail, partly closed | Free | Doolin to Surfers Path | Doolin hike, 3 to 4 hours |
| Dunguaire Castle | 1520 tower house | Outside only on the tours | Near Kinvara | Galway coach, 15 to 20 min |
Four of the ten are free. If a stop you want is already on a guided day, you pay less than adding it yourself.
On the Burren: stone, caves and a fort
The Burren is where a Cliffs of Moher tour from Galway stops on the way to the cliffs, and it is where you see the difference between one fare and the next.
1. Poulnabrone Dolmen
Poulnabrone Dolmen is a portal tomb on the high limestone plateau, the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland. You can visit all year for free, a short walk from a free car park. The Cliffs of Moher and Burren tour from Galway gives you 20 minutes there, and the private Galway day gives you 30.
Did you know? Excavation in the 1980s found the remains of 33 people. The tomb was in use for about 600 years, between 5,200 and 5,800 years ago.
2. Aillwee Cave and the Birds of Prey Centre
Aillwee, near Ballyvaughan, was found in 1940 and pairs a show cave with a birds of prey centre. An adult ticket is €28, a child aged 5 to 17 €18. It opens daily until 1 November in 2026. The Galway day that stops here ($76) gives you 30 minutes, and you pay cave entry on top.
3. Doolin Cave and the Great Stalactite
Doolin Cave’s Great Stalactite hangs 7.3 metres and weighs 10 tonnes, the largest in Europe. Tours are guided, in English. The cave is on the R479, 20 minutes’ drive from the cliffs. No Galway day stops here, so you need a car or a bed in the village.
4. Burren National Park
The park covers 1,800 hectares. You start at the Information Point in Corofin, open April to the end of September, with free parking; the trailhead has none. Guided walks are free but you must book. The Dublin luxury car day ($1,532 a group) spends an hour here.
5. Caherconnell Stone Fort
A stone fort about a thousand years old near Kilfenora, open 10am to 4pm daily, with sheepdog demonstrations. The private Cliffs of Moher tour from Galway gives you an hour here for $678 a group, cliff admission not included.
North of the cliffs: Doolin, the island and the water
6. Doolin village
Doolin is known for live Irish music and hosts the Micho Russell Festival and the Doolin Folk Festival. It is also where you board for the islands and the cruise. The two-hour cliffs day ($69) gives you an hour at Hotel Doolin.
7. Inis Oírr
The direct ferry to Inis Oírr takes 15 minutes. The Aran Islands Cliffs of Moher tour from Galway gives you two hours ashore. From Doolin itself, a five-hour day ($144) adds a bike or tractor-and-trailer tour of the island, with tea and scones.
8. The cliffs from the water
The 50-minute Cliffs of Moher boat tour runs along the base of the wall and shows you the one view the top cannot. The Aran Islands day with the cliffs cruise folds it into a Galway day; read what the cruise shows you from the water before you choose.
The island, the cruise and the cliff top in one day
Two hours on Inis Oírr, an hour under the cliffs and an hour on top with entry included, from $97.
The coastal walk: what is open in 2026
9. The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk
The free 20 km trail between Liscannor and Doolin is not open end to end this year. The attraction’s notice of 1 August 2026 closes the 6 km section from Liscannor. From Doolin you can walk only as far as Surfers Path, where you are told to turn back.
At the visitor centre you still have 3.5 km of path: north past O’Brien’s Tower, including 800 metres beyond it that has reopened, and out to the southern platform. The Cliffs of Moher walking tours start in Doolin; the small-group hike ($40, rated 5.0) runs three to four hours.
Useful tip. Plan the walk as an out-and-back from Doolin. For the cliff top, check the opening hours and gate prices at the cliffs before you go.
On the road from Galway, and in the villages closer by
10. Dunguaire Castle
Dunguaire was built in 1520 on the shore of Galway Bay, near Kinvara. The Galway coach days stop for 15 to 20 minutes so you can photograph it from the shore.
If you are staying closer to the cliffs:
- Liscannor, 4 km away, gives its name to the Liscannor stone.
- Lisdoonvarna, 15 km away, holds Europe’s largest matchmaking festival.
- Lahinch has 2 km of beach and a leading surf centre.
Adding the stops yourself, or booking a day that already has them
A guided day from Galway packages two or three of these with the cliffs, and most carry the cliff admission. On your own, you pay a separate car park and ticket at each, and the free Burren & Cliffs Explorer shuttle finished for 2026 on 20 September. With a car and a night in Doolin, you can add the caves and the park easily; the guide to visiting the cliffs without a tour has the parking detail.
Questions about the area around the cliffs
Can you walk from Doolin to the Cliffs of Moher?
How long is the ferry from Doolin to Inis Oírr?
Which is better, Doolin Cave or Aillwee Cave?
The caves, the dolmen and the island are all a day out of Galway. Compare the Galway days that stop at them.
Days that add the nearby stops
Galway to Cliffs of Moher, Aillwee Cave & Dunguaire Castle Tour
Four stops rather than two, with free hotel pick-up on a day's notice — and two admissions to settle at the gate.
From $76 per person
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Cliffs of Moher & Burren Day Tour with a 2 hour stop at Cliffs
Two hours on top, named in the title and paid for in the fare, on an eight-hour day out of Merchants Road.
From $69 per person
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Private Cliffs of Moher Day Tour
One fare for up to seven travellers, two hours at the cliffs and a sheepdog demonstration on the Burren on the way.
From $678 per group, up to 7
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From Doolin: Day Trip to Inisheer with Bike or Bus Tour
An island day out of Doolin by ferry and bicycle, with the cliffs seen at a distance from the crossing.
From $144 per person
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Cliffs Of Moher Hiking Tour from Doolin - Small Group
The cheapest way onto these cliffs: a guided climb up the coastal trail from Doolin, outside the paid area altogether.
From $40 per person
Check AvailabilityWhich days stop at the dolmen, the caves or the island is marked on every card at Cliffs of Moher Tours.