Connemara & Kylemore Abbey Coach Tour from Galway
A loop through Connemara with Kylemore Abbey at the far end. Your group leaves Galway on the N59, crosses the bog and lake country under the Twelve Bens, spends the middle of the day at Kylemore, and comes back past Killary Harbour.
What the day covers
- Kylemore Abbey and the walled garden
- Killary Harbour fjord
- Connemara National Park
- Maam Cross and the Twelve Bens
When it runs
- Year-round; garden best June to September
The running order
Out of Galway the N59 runs through Moycullen and Oughterard to Maam Cross, then west past Recess with the Twelve Bens to the north. Kylemore is about 80 km from the city, roughly an hour and a half without stops. Connemara National Park's visitor centre is at Letterfrack, just off the N59, with free entry and parking; check its opening days before you go. The return goes by Leenane at the head of Killary Harbour and back through Maam. A full-size coach handles the Killary road, so any size from the 16-seat minibus up to the 49-seat coach is offered.
Kylemore: booking and time on site
Kylemore offers group rates from fifteen people and strongly advises groups to pre-book so they get in at the time they want. Send the arrival time and headcount to the bookings office ahead of the day. The estate ticket covers the ground-floor rooms of the abbey, the neo-Gothic church, the woodland walks and the Victorian Walled Garden, with a shuttle bus between the abbey and the garden. Admission stops at 5pm. Two to two and a half hours lets a group see the abbey, ride out to the garden and eat at the café.
Who it suits and what to bring
The day suits most groups: the walking at Kylemore is on paths and the shuttle covers the longest stretch. Waterproofs matter more than sun cream in Connemara. The walled garden is at its best from June to September, and guided garden tours run in summer. In winter the day is shorter, so the operator plans the outward leg to reach Kylemore early.
Do we have to walk to the walled garden at Kylemore?
No. A shuttle bus runs between the abbey and the garden and is included in the ticket.
Can we stop at viewpoints along the way?
Yes, where there is room to pull in safely. Tell the operator which views matter most, such as Killary or the Inagh Valley, and the driver plans the stops into the day.
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Send the date, the passenger count and any timed entries you already hold. We come back with a fixed price for Connemara & Kylemore Abbey.