"Colin gave us a lot of interesting background information about the history of Ireland and the destinations. I was introduced to Irish culture in a very approachable way. The trip was long, with exciting traffic obstacles that Sarah masterfully overcame. Despite or because of the weather, it was a unique experience on the cliffs."
No Direct Bus · 3 Hours Each Way · From $87
Cliffs of Moher From Dublin
The Cliffs of Moher sit on the far west coast and Dublin is on the east. There is no direct public transport between them — the do-it-yourself route runs Dublin to Galway, then a second bus, and takes four to five hours each way. That single fact is why almost everyone takes the coach.
Top rated
From
$87
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.7 / 5 6300+ Reviews
- ~3 hrs Each Way by Coach
- No Direct Bus From Dublin, Any Operator
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What This Day Tour Includes
From the operator's own listing — including whether cliffs entry is bundled, which is the line to read.
Highlights
- Drive through the scenic landscape of County Clare, Kildare, and Limerick
- Spend 2 hours at the Cliffs of Moher to explore enjoy the views
- Get premium access to the new Atlantic Edge visitor center at the Cliffs
- Travel along the edge of Europe on the Burren coastal drive
- Explore medieval Galway City, walking tour included (2 hr stop)
What's Included
- Cliffs of Moher
- Walking tours
- Live Irish music in Galway
Not suitable for: Children under 3 years · Not Included: Lunch, Drinks
How the Day Actually Runs
An early start, three hours west, the cliffs, and the Burren or Galway on the way home.
Accept That There Is No Direct Route
Dublin is on the east coast and the cliffs are on the west, and no bus or train runs between them directly. Doing it independently means Dublin to Galway first — two and a half to three and a half hours by train or coach — then Bus Éireann's 350 or the TFI Local Link 351 onward, which takes just over two hours more. That is four to five hours each way before you have looked at anything.
Decide Whether the Drive Is Dead Time
A coach tour covers the same ground in about three hours each way and fills it — the Burren's limestone pavement, a stop in Galway city, sometimes Bunratty or Limerick. That is the real argument for the tour: it converts six hours of transit into the trip itself. If you would rather drive it yourself, hire a car; if you want the transit to count for something, take the coach.
Check Whether Entry Is Included
The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience charges admission, and tours split on whether they bundle it. Some listings say 'with entry' in the title; others leave you to pay at the gate. It is not a large sum either way, but it is the most common small surprise on this route. The official site also advertises up to 45% off for booking ahead and off-peak, so if you are going independently, book online rather than at the door.
Expect a Long Day and Book Free Cancellation
Pickups run from around 6:55 to 7:00am in Dublin city centre and you are back in the evening — a twelve-hour day for roughly two hours at the cliffs. That trade is worth making for most visitors, but go in knowing it. West-coast weather is its own argument for free cancellation: the cliffs in horizontal rain are a very different proposition from the cliffs in sun.
Photo Gallery
The Atlantic Edge
Two hundred metres of vertical Clare coastline, O'Brien's Tower, and the Burren behind it.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Coach, Public Transport, or Rental Car
The cliffs are three hours from Dublin however you travel. All that changes is who drives and what the hours become.
| Feature | WHAT ALMOST EVERYONE DOES Guided Coach | Public Transport, DIY | Rental Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Each Way | About three hours | Four to five hours, with a connection in Galway | About three hours |
| Is There a Direct Route | Yes, door to door from Dublin city centre | No. Dublin to Galway, then Bus Eireann 350 or Local Link 351 | Yes, but you are driving it |
| What It Costs | From $80 to $87 for the main departures | Rail or coach to Galway, plus roughly EUR 2.50 to 9 for the onward bus | Hire, fuel, tolls and parking for the day |
| Who Drives | Someone else, for six hours | Nobody, but you manage a connection | You, for six hours, on the left |
| What the Transit Becomes | The Burren, two hours in Galway, sometimes Bunratty or Limerick | Waiting in Galway for the second leg | Whatever you choose to stop for |
| Realistic as a Dublin Day Trip | Yes - about twelve hours door to door | No. Nine to eleven hours in transit for ninety minutes at the cliffs | Yes, if you are happy to drive it |
| Choose It If | You want the day solved and the driving to count for something | You are not day-tripping at all - stay a night in Galway or Doolin instead | You want the cliffs at sunrise or sunset, or you are staying west |
| Check Availability |
Every Departure Compared
Cliffs of Moher Tours Leaving Dublin
From an $80 coach with entry included up to a private car — plus the one that goes by train, which almost nobody knows about.
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Depart at 7:00 AM from a central Dublin meeting point to begin your journey west. Travel through Kildare, Laois, and Limerick before arriving in County Clare. Arrive …
The Independent Guide
Getting There Is the Whole Problem
Dublin is on the east coast, the cliffs are on the west, and nothing runs directly between them. Here is what each option actually costs you in hours.
Most pages about the Cliffs of Moher from Dublin compare the tours. That is the second question.
The first is whether a tour is the right answer at all — and on this particular route the answer is unusually clear, because the alternative is worse than almost anyone expects.
The fact that decides it
There is no direct bus or train from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher. None. Not a slow one, not an infrequent one — the route does not exist.
Doing it under your own steam means two legs:
- Dublin to Galway — two and a half to three and a half hours, by Irish Rail train or by direct coach.
- Galway to the cliffs — Bus Éireann’s route 350, or the TFI Local Link route 351 along the coast through Kinvara, Ballyvaughan and Doolin. Just over two hours.
That is four to five hours each way, with a connection in the middle, before you have looked at anything. As a Dublin day trip it is theoretically possible and practically miserable: you would spend nine to eleven hours in transit for perhaps ninety minutes at the cliffs, and a single missed connection ends the day.
The Local Link 351 is genuinely good — up to five services daily, Leap Card accepted, tickets between about €2.50 and €9 depending how far you go, and the coastal run is beautiful. But it is a Galway service, not a Dublin one. It only helps you if you have already moved west.
So the honest comparison
| Guided coach | Do it yourself | Rental car | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Each way | ~3 hours | 4–5 hours, one connection | ~3 hours |
| Total day | ~12 hours | Not realistic from Dublin | Yours to set |
| Cost | From $80–87 | Rail/coach + 350 or 351 fares | Hire, fuel, tolls, parking |
| Driving | Someone else | Nobody | You, 6 hours, on the left |
| What the transit becomes | The Burren, Galway city, sometimes Bunratty | Waiting for a connection in Galway | Whatever you stop for |
The point of the coach is not that it is cheap, though at $80 it is cheaper than a day’s car hire. The point is that it converts six hours of unavoidable driving into the trip itself — the Burren’s limestone pavement, two hours in Galway, sometimes Bunratty Castle or Limerick. On a route where the transit is most of the day, that is the whole argument.
The one case for the car: you want the cliffs at 8am or at sunset, when no coach is there, and you are staying west afterwards rather than returning to Dublin.
The one case for DIY public transport: you are not doing it as a day trip at all. Move your base to Galway, Doolin or Lahinch for a night, and the 351 turns the cliffs into an easy morning instead of an endurance event.
Which coach, then?
The three shapes that actually differ:
The balanced one
Cliffs, Atlantic Edge & Galway City
The visitor-centre exhibition plus two hours in Galway on the way home — the version that makes the drive worth something.
Check dates →Cheapest, entry included
Cliffs, Burren & Galway With Entry
Admission to the visitor experience is in the ticket, which removes the most common small surprise on this route.
See what is included →By train, not coach
Rail Tour: Cliffs & Bunratty Castle
The option almost nobody knows exists: the long leg by rail instead of motorway, with Bunratty added. Twice the price, far less road.
See the rail tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from our September 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing — treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Two things worth knowing before you book
Entry is not always included. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience charges admission and the tours split on whether they bundle it — some say “with entry” in the title, others leave you to pay at the gate. If you are going independently, note that the official site advertises up to 45% off for booking ahead and off-peak, so buy online rather than at the door.
The weather is not a detail here. This is an exposed Atlantic clifftop and it can be in cloud when Dublin is bright. Free cancellation is worth more on this route than on most, and if your dates are flexible, keeping the option to move by a day is the single best thing you can do for the trip.
Where to read next
The 18,100-search version of this question — which tour to take — goes through every Dublin departure in detail. The day-trip page covers the timings and what a twelve-hour day actually feels like, and the Galway-stop comparison explains why nearly every itinerary bundles the city and whether that is a bonus or padding.
For the cliffs themselves — the walk, the tower, the best light, what to do once you are standing there — cliffs-of-moher-tour.com covers the site in more depth than a transport page usefully can.
We are not affiliated with the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Bus Éireann, Irish Rail or any tour operator. Tours shown here are sold by GetYourGuide, and we earn a commission if you book through our links at no extra cost to you.
How these facts were checked
Written 4 September 2026:
- That no direct Dublin–Cliffs service exists, and that the independent route runs Dublin→Galway (2.5–3.5 hours by train or coach) then Bus Éireann 350 or TFI Local Link 351 (just over two hours), is consistent across Irish transport and travel sources. The 351’s route — Galway Eyre Square, Oranmore, Kinvara, Ballyvaughan, Fanore, Doolin, Cliffs of Moher coach park — with up to five daily services, Leap Card acceptance and fares of roughly €2.50–€9, is as published by the operator.
- The Burren & Cliffs Explorer free shuttle is listed on the Cliffs of Moher’s own site; it runs seasonally, so check current dates there.
- “Up to 45% off peak — book ahead and save” is the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience’s own published offer on cliffsofmoher.ie. We have deliberately not printed an admission figure: the operator’s site prices through its booking flow and quotes vary by season and how far ahead you book, so a number here would be wrong within weeks. Their two pages also list different opening hours, which is seasonal — take the current ones from the source.
- Coach pickup around 6:55–7:00am from Dublin city centre, roughly three hours each way and about two hours at the cliffs, is the pattern published by the operators running this route.
- Prices, ratings, review counts and inclusions come from the booking platform’s live listings for 15 from-Dublin departures, captured 4 September 2026.
Timetables and fares change. Confirm on the operator’s own site before you build a day around a connection.
Guest Reviews
What Passengers Say
4.7/5
from 6300 verified guests
"Great trip to must see sites. Time you spend in a bus is quite long so preprave for that."
"Fun, fun, fun!!! It was an amazing experience. My husband and I loved it and we both had a great time. Our tour guide Padhraig and driver Steve were very helpful and we felt very safe. The whole morning was a blessing since it didn’t rain so we were able to explore the Cliffs of Moher and Galway without any hassle. This is a must see places in Ireland and the tour organizer, Wild Rover nailed it!"
"Stephen was a great tour guide! We had a great time with him. Although it was a rainy day, we still got to see some beautiful places."
"An intense day that was very well organized. The only thing is that we don't speak much and don't understand English very well, so we miss out on information. But the live guide was super nice and very friendly. Nothing to complain about. The app is very well done. It's great."
"We had an excellent day at the Cliffs of Moher and Galway with Rory and Lisa. Rory was great, he shared a lot of interesting and historic information during the bus ride. The weather was great, the day was sunny and we had great view of the Cliffs. The ride was very comfortable and I think that 2 hours at the Cliffs and 2 hours spent in Galway were enough to see everything without hurry."
"A beautiful day trip from Dublin! Highly recommend!!!"
"Our guide was very humorous and could tell stories in an entertaining way. He did a great job. The chauffeur was also good. Highly recommended👍"
Read all 6300 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Coach and Stop Solving the Transport
Dublin pickup, the Atlantic Edge visitor centre, the Burren and two hours in Galway city on the way back — the version that turns three hours of driving into a tour of the west. Rated 4.7/5 by 6,300 verified guests, from $87. Free cancellation. Starting from $87 per person.
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Cliffs of Moher From Dublin — FAQ
The transport questions first, because on this route they decide everything else.
In two legs, and it takes four to five hours each way — there is no direct bus or train. The route is Dublin to Galway first, two and a half to three and a half hours by Irish Rail or by direct coach, then Bus Eireann's route 350 or the TFI Local Link 351 onward to the cliffs, which is just over two hours more. As a Dublin day trip that means nine to eleven hours in transit for maybe ninety minutes at the cliffs, with a connection that can end the day if missed. It is the reason the coach tours exist.
About three hours each way by road — you are crossing the country. Dublin sits on the Irish Sea and the cliffs are on the Atlantic edge of County Clare. Ireland looks small on a map and is slow on the ground. That three hours is the actual distance rather than an operator padding an itinerary, which is why every honest itinerary builds stops into the drive instead of pretending it is short.
Yes for most visitors, provided the itinerary fills the driving hours. The trade is roughly twelve hours door to door for about two at the cliffs. That sounds bad until you notice the six hours of driving are unavoidable however you travel — so the question is what happens during them. The good tours add Galway city, the Burren, sometimes Bunratty or Limerick. The ones to avoid drive you there, give you ninety minutes and drive you back with nothing in between.
Some do and some do not, and it is the most common small surprise on this route. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience charges admission; certain listings say 'with entry' in the title while others leave you to pay at the gate. An $80 tour with entry bundled can work out cheaper than an $80 tour without. If you are travelling independently rather than on a tour, the official site advertises up to 45% off for booking ahead and off-peak, so buy online rather than at the door.
About two hours on most Dublin departures, and that is genuinely close to right. The main cliff-edge walk and O'Brien's Tower fill it comfortably. This is not a site that needs half a day; it is a site that needs decent weather. If you want longer — for the coastal walk toward Doolin, or for the light at either end of the day — no Dublin tour will give it to you, and the answer is to stay in the west overnight instead.
Not directly, but there is one tour that uses rail for the long leg. Irish Rail runs Dublin to Galway and Dublin to Limerick, neither of which reaches the cliffs — you still need a bus at the far end. However, a rail day tour pairs the cliffs with Bunratty Castle and does the long stretch by train rather than motorway, at $173 and rated 4.8 from 151 reviews. It is roughly twice a coach fare and removes most of the road, which for some people is exactly the trade they want.
From Dublin if you have three or four days in Ireland; from Galway if you have a week. Once you are in the west the cliffs become easy — the Local Link 351 runs the coast road from Galway through Kinvara, Ballyvaughan and Doolin to the cliffs coach park, up to five times a day, with fares of roughly two and a half to nine euro and Leap Card accepted. That turns an endurance day trip into a relaxed morning. From Dublin, the coach is the sensible answer; from Galway, you barely need one.
It is a limestone pavement covering much of north Clare, and it is not filler. The rock is fractured into a grid of slabs and gullies that stretches to the horizon, with flowers growing in the cracks that have no business sharing a habitat. Most Dublin itineraries pass through it and stop briefly. Given that the alternative use of those minutes is more motorway, it is among the better twenty minutes on the route — and it looks like nowhere else in Ireland.
Still have questions? Email us at info@cliffsofmoherfromdublin.com