Connemara Day Trip from Galway with Kylemore Abbey and Sheepdogs

Your tour begins in central Galway

Meet your local guide at the designated meeting point in central Galway and board a comfortable midi-coach. Settle in for the ride west into Connemara, a rugged region of bog land, lakes, and mountains on Ireland's Atlantic coast.

Pause in the lakeside village of Leenane

Pull into Leenane, a harbor village tucked between the Maumturk and Mweelrea mountains, home to Killary Harbour, Ireland's only natural fjord. Take time to grab a coffee, or browse the Connemara Sheep and Wool Centre.

Explore the fairy-tale grounds of Kylemore Abbey

After your break, continue on to the next stop. Step into Kylemore Abbey, a 19th-century neo-Gothic castle turned Benedictine monastery. Follow your guide through the elegant interiors, then set off to wander the Gothic church and Victorian Walled Gardens independently.

Watch border collies at work on a working farm

Depart the Abbey, and head to meet third-generation farmer Joe Joyce and his border collies for an hour-long demo of traditional sheep herding. Cuddle a sheepdog puppy, hold a baby lamb in season, and say hello to miniature ponies and donkeys.

Drive past the peaks of the Twelve Bens

Roll past the Twelve Bens, a chain of quartzite peaks rising over the lakes of Connemara on your way back to Galway. Keep your camera ready as your guide shares tales of the area's bog land, Irish-speaking Gaeltacht traditions, and old legends.