One Day in Galway: How To Spend 24 Hours In Galway, Ireland
Galway is a small city that can be seen quickly if you know what you’re doing, but you have to be smart. Even though the main streets are small and easy to walk, and there are many interesting cultural attractions nearby, there is still a lot to find out about the Connacht capital. If you only have 24 hours in the City of Tribes, here’s how to make the most of every minute with our perfect day.
One Day in Galway #Morning
In Ireland, there is only one way to start the day, and that is with a greasy, delicious full Irish breakfast. It usually includes eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, hash browns, tea, toast, and the feared black pudding (blood sausage). It will set you up for a day of high-energy exploring. Lohan’s in Salthill is one of many options, and it’s right by the best place to spend your morning, which is the Salthill promenade.
Once a stop on the Volvo Round the World boat race, the seaside promenade is now an old-fashioned tourist resort with big hotels, an aquarium, lots of traditional slot machines, and views of Galway Bay. If you’re feeling brave, the best way to jump into the Atlantic is from the high-diving boards, which take you close to a floating platform just off the sea wall where you can lie down to warm up. The walk is also great early in the morning when the sun is shining on the hills across the bay.
By midmorning, after you’ve played the penny slots and tried the local ice cream at The Bean and Cone, you can walk back to the city center via The Claddagh, where you can often see the symbolic (usually red) sails of a Galway Hooker floating off the coast or pass a game of Gaelic football at the Father Griffins GAA club in South Park. Check out the Famine Ship Memorial as you go by, or walk some of the narrow path to Mutton Island to get a better view of the coast.
One Day in Galway #Afternoon
When you get to the Corrib River, many of Galway’s best museums are just a few steps away. This is a good place to spend a couple of hours. If you had the full Irish, you won’t need much else for lunch. A stop at trendy Mexican restaurant Boojum or popular local fish-and-chip shop McDonagh’s will do.
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Visit the Fisheries Watchtower Museum, an odd-shaped square building on the Corrib with beautiful views and guides who can tell you amazing details about Galway’s history. Listen to what they have to say about the famine, salmon, and the history of The Claddagh. From there, you can walk through the Spanish Arch, which has a rustic look. On the other side, you’ll find The Galway City Museum, which has changing exhibits about things like prehistoric Galway, the walled city in the Middle Ages, the Gaelic Athletics Association, and the work of one of the many talented local artists.
After taking a quick walk around the docks to see some of the city’s stark street art, head to Shop Street, William Street, and High Street, where street musicians often play outside and almost every pub is worth a look. This is the city’s heart, and the three streets make up a stretch to Eyre Square, where Lynch’s Castle (now a bank) and a lot of shops that sell souvenirs are located. The best places to go are the Claddagh Ring shops (one of which has a small museum at the Claddagh end of the street), the beautiful independent toy store Wooden Hearts, and the “Treasure Chest” souvenir store.
There should still be time for a quick walk over to Galway Cathedral to see the soaring 1960s architecture and John F. Kennedy mural. On the way, you can stop by Nora Barnacle’s House, the former home of James Joyce’s wife and muse, to see another bend in the Corrib.
One Day in Galway #Evening
If you can get a table at Kai, it’s Galway’s best restaurant. It focuses on organic and local food and changes its menu almost every day to reflect what’s in season. You won’t be short on good choices, though. Monroe’s simply “pizza in pub” is a great choice for tired travelers who want something easy. Ard Bia at Nimmos is another place that has a wide range of options and always serves high-quality food in an artsy setting. For oysters, the purpose-built bar at Hotel Meyrick is a good bet.
Galway’s nightlife is where it really shines, though, so you’ll want to check out the best beer and buzz. Roisin Dubh, which is both a live music venue and a club, is the most popular place in the area. It often has world-class indie/pop musicians play there. Many of the best bars in the city are on Dominick Street and nearby William Street, which are a little out of the way. Try some Galway Hooker at the rustic Crane Bar, one of the most appealing old-school trad music pubs in the city, or go to An Pucan for a happy tourist buzz, Guinness, and thick Irish stews.
You can’t go wrong with a pub crawl down Shop Street and High Street to end the night. If you want to do something memorable at 3 a.m., you can join the local college students at SuperMacs on the corner of Eyre Square, where they have raves every weekend.
One Day in Galway #Sleeping
If you’re going out a lot at night, you might as well save money by sleeping at Barnacles, a lively hostel that’s clean, central, and cheap. If you want something a little more upscale, you can stay at the Radisson Blu, which has a high-end spa. The afternoon teas at the House Hotel are the best part of an upper-middle-range boutique hotel.
Topic: One Day in Galway: How To Spend 24 Hours In Galway, Ireland
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