Galway Things to Do by Time of Day
A day built around the clock
Galway’s attractions fall into natural time slots, and a few of them have fixed opening days, so it helps to plan by the hour. Everything here is in euro and within walking distance of Eyre Square unless noted.
Morning (10:00 to 12:00)
- Galway City Museum, Spanish Parade. No admission charge. Doors open at 10:00 from Tuesday to Saturday. The building is a modern one dating from 2006.
- Thomas Dillon’s Claddagh Gold, 1 Quay Street. A free museum behind the shop covers the heart, hands and crown of the Claddagh ring, from Monday to Saturday after 10:00.
- St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, dating from 1320. Saturdays and Sundays bring a market to its churchyard.
Afternoon (13:00 to 17:00)
- Galway Atlantaquaria, Seapoint Promenade, Salthill. Native species, a ray pool and shark tanks. Booking ahead costs €15 for an adult and €10 for a child, against €16 and €11 at the desk.
- Salthill Promenade. About 3.2 km of flat seafront from the Claddagh to the Blackrock Diving Tower. Swimmers use the tower year-round, but the sea is cold and the tide changes the depth, so skip it in rough weather and never jump during a storm.
- Corrib Princess. Guided cruises of about 90 minutes leave Woodquay on afternoons from April to October. It does not run on Mondays.
Early evening (17:00 to 19:00)
Taaffe’s Bar on Shop Street starts its first session around 17:00. Arrive before then if you want a stool near the musicians.
Late evening (21:00 onwards)
The Crane Bar on Sea Road holds sessions every night, and the upstairs room begins at about 21:30. Tigh Neachtain, 17 Cross Street, offers live traditional music through the week. Tig Cóilí on Mainguard Street is another session pub. The musicians play as a circle, so keep conversation down and leave the pop requests at home.
When it rains
Rain can fall in any month. The museum, aquarium and pub sessions all work indoors, and the Corrib cruise runs regardless of drizzle.
Cold water
The Corrib in the city flows fast and cold between weirs. It is not a place to swim or paddle. Galway Bay has no surf, so surf lessons are a drive south into County Clare.
One day outside the city
For a full day away, Connemara National Park costs nothing to enter, and Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór charges adults €5. See the national parks page for current visitor centre days.
Read more: Galway sightseeing and the 3 day plan
Book ahead: Galway activity tickets via Viator