Ultimate Itinerary for 2 Days in Galway, Ireland – A Perfect Irish Adventure!

Our Top Things To Do In Galway

Tucked away in a protected harbour off the Atlantic coast and on the opposite side of the country to Dublin, lies the colourful and bustling Irish town of Galway.  We spent several days here and thoroughly enjoyed the vibe of the city. If you are visiting the “Emerald Isle” you need to use our ultimate itinerary for 2 days in Galway, Ireland to make the most of your visit.

2 Days In Galway Overview

Day One: Orientation By Land And Water Plus Some Relaxation Time

Begin your day 1 with a walking tour and get the most out of your two days in Galway! Learn the historical and cultural highlights of this beautiful town. Then enjoy a tour on a cruise boat to gain a different perspective.

Enjoy some leisure time in the park area of Eyre’s Square, explore the Spanish Arch, walk along the beautiful harbour and delight in the colourful buildings set against the calm blue waters. Lastly, head to a famous pub.

Morning Walking Tour

With a population of around 85,000 people and an active downtown core, Galway City is the perfect size for walking.  As we have mentioned before, like in Brussels, we enjoy doing a city tour on our first day when we visit a new place. This allows us to get a great overview of our destination and learn a lot about the history and culture in just a couple of hours.

We took a Galway City walking tour to get our bearings and learn about the history, culture and heritage of this beautiful town.  Most walking tours take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and it’s a great way to navigate the most important parts of the city.  Our knowledgeable local guide pointed out quirks and little known facts about the different landmarks that we would not have known about had we gone on our own.

We visited many of the places that we mention in this blog on the walking tour, and others that we didn’t visit on the tour, we got to afterwards.  Our guide also provided some great recommendations for pubs and restaurants that we took advantage of during our stay in Galway. 

We highly recommend doing a guided tour of the city, especially if you are only here for a couple of days.

✅ This is a 5 star tour that will give you an excellent overview of the city within a short period of time. If you can, schedule it for your first day.

Afternoon Cruise On The River

If you are looking for a great way to spend a couple of hours and get a different perspective of Galway and the surrounding area, then we suggest taking a Corrib River cruise.  You will spend around 2 hours on a leisurely cruise of the River Corrib.

This is the perfect way to take in the lush green countryside around the harbour town and get some wonderful photographs that would not be possible on land.  You will also pass by some significant historical sites and even a castle or two.  The cruise takes you right up to Lough Corrib, the largest lake in Ireland before returning back to Woodquay in the heart of Galway.

✅ A great way to save time with your sightseeing is to combine a walking tour with the riverboat cruise. This is a perfect tour for doing just that!

Relax At The Park At Eyres Square

Eyre Square and the park that surrounds it have been around since the Middle Ages.  The rectangular square is situated where the ancient entrance gates to the city used to be and was referred to as the Green.  It is here that local merchants set up their market to supply the townspeople with food.

The square got its name from Mayor Edward Eyre, who presented the plot of land to the city in 1710.  In 1965 the square was officially renamed John F. Kennedy Memorial Park after the late President who had given a speech here in 1963 just before his assassination, however, it is still mostly referred to as Eyre Square.

Today, after undergoing several reconstructions over the centuries, Eyre Square is a great gathering place for locals and visitors alike.  There is a considerably younger crowd here mostly due to Galway being a University town. 

There are several interesting sculptures and historical artifacts in the square that add texture to the flat open space.  One of these is Brown’s Doorway, a section of a medieval house that was relocated to the park.  The house belonged to the Brown family, one of 14 merchant tribes in the area. 

There is a sculpture made from rusted metal that represents a Galway Hooker, the boats that were used by the fisherman in Galway.  The sculpture is a depiction of the sails of the iconic boat.  The tiled structure that surrounds the sculpture has been allocated as a skateboard park and provides a safe place for boarders to show off their skills.

There are lots of grassy areas in the park for picnics, practicing yoga or just generally relaxing.  If you are looking to spend some quiet time and just want to stroll around, the park at Eyre Square is a good place to go.

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Check Out The Spanish Arch

The Spanish Arch is one of the few remnants of the ancient city that is still visible in Galway.  It is located on the shores of the left bank of the Corrib River in the Claddagh area where the city borders the sea.

The Spanish Arch has been here since 1584 but it is part of the original city wall that was constructed by the Normans in the 12th century.  Now that’s old!

This is another great part of Galway to spend some time because its scenic location with views out over the water (keep an eye out for the Galway Hooker boats) makes it a great spot to gather with friends or just enjoy the local buskers who are often found here.

Take A Stroll On The Long Walk

The Long Walk is one of the most iconic streets in Galway City, but don’t be fooled by its name.  Barely over 300 metres in length, this tiny lane will take you under 3 minutes to get from one end to the other.  Still, it is one of the most photographed spots in all of Ireland.

The quaint street is only a short distance from the Spanish Arch and runs along the banks of the River Corrib.  Built in the early 1700s, it was initially used as a breakwater but was partially destroyed in a tsunami caused by an earthquake in Portugal in 1755.

What makes the street famous are the brightly coloured 18th century houses that line the shore side of the Long Walk.  These houses were originally used by local artisans in the area.  If this street seems romantically familiar, that’s because it has been used in countless music videos, television shows and travel advertisements marketing Ireland.

The best view and perfect spot to take a postcard worthy photo of the Long Walk is actually across the river on the Claddagh Quay or from Nimmos Pier.  And if you want to get a truly spectacular view, be sure to come early in the morning when the rising sun from the east casts a golden glow across the historic houses.

Enjoy Your Evening At Kings Head Pub

You can’t visit Galway and not stop at Kings Head Pub.  This iconic “Local” has been a fixture at 15 High Street in the centre of Galway for over 800 years and is one of the best pubs in Galway.  Built in the 13th century it was originally the home of the Mayor of Galway.

Its colourful history and connection with royalty and revolution spawned the descriptive name that the pub holds today – the King’s Head.  After King Charles 1 was beheaded in 1649, Cromwell’s forces, led by Colonel Peter Stubbers, came to Ireland and laid siege to Galway. 

Stubbers seized the mayor’s office and home at 15 High Street in 1653 and installed himself as the first English mayor of Galway.  Turns out Stubbers was the executioner who had beheaded King Charles and that is how the future pub got its name.

Today, the medieval Kings Head brings a modern vibe with lively music, great food, a variety of local and craft beers and creative cocktails.  The pub spans 3 floors and you can’t help but feel the fascinating history of the place as you enjoy some good “Craic” over a local brew or Irish whiskey.

And don’t forget to stop and admire the magnificent fireplace inside the front door.  This fireplace dates back to 1612 and has a Marriage Stone on the mantle from 1784 engraved with the names John and Mary and 3 coats of arms.

We quite enjoyed our stop at this iconic pub in Galway.

✅ Perhaps you are looking for an easier way to cover more ground on your first day? This 5-star tour on an e-bike is the perfect option.

Day Two: Enjoy The Food Scene, Visit Historical Sights And End Your Day With Some Entertainment

Start your day 2 with a walking food tour to take in the eclectic food offerings of Galway. With the food tour ending at the market you can enjoy shopping for wonderful souvenirs.

Then spend the afternoon taking in some iconic locations like Lynch’s Castle, St Nicholas Collegiate Church and the Charlie Byrne Bookshop. And end your day by shopping along Galway’s famous Quay Street. Don’t forget to stop into a local pub for a pint or a famous Irish Whiskey tasting.

Morning Food Tour

If you are like us and love to try local food and beverages from the place you are visiting, then we recommend doing a food tour.  While we don’t do a food tour in every city that we visit, we usually try and do one in each new country. 

We chose to do a food tour in Galway because this was our first trip to Ireland and we wanted to experience some of the local favourites, especially in a port town like Galway. With the proximity to the water we were lucky to enjoy both mussels and fresh sushi.

Similar to the walking tour, the food tour covers the highlights of old Galway but mixes it in with several stops along the way to try locally produced dishes and beverages from reputable places.  We made several stops along the way including a whiskey tasting and the King’s Head pub where we enjoyed a sampling of beer and a wonderful goat cheese with salad appetizer.

Depending on how much time you have, you can do either a food tour on its own or combine it with a walking tour, but either way, we highly recommend it.

✅ This is the food tour that we took while in Galway. We went to several different stops while exploring the city. It was a great way to spend the morning.

Explore The Galway Market

The Galway Market has been an institution in the ancient town since the 15th century when it was granted a royal charter by King Edward III.  Tucked beside St. Nicolas on Church Lane, this lively market boasts a wonderful array of fresh produce, cheese, meat, clothes, arts and crafts. 

And we love markets – we search them out on our travels and have visited many such as the ones in Buenos Aires, Narbonne, and Malta.

It attracts both locals and visitors from around the world and is a must see on your visit to Galway.  We spent quite a bit of time here and bought a unique handmade pottery garlic scraper to bring home with us.  You will also find lots of merchants that will let you sample from their selection of cheese, nuts and honey.

Note that the market is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Learn About The Lynch Castle

One of the more curious buildings in the City of Galway, and what has become one of the icons of the city, is Lynch Castle.  While the building currently houses the AIB Bank, it was once the medieval fortified home of the Lynch family, one of the powerful 14 tribes of Galway. 

Parts of the house date back to the 1300s, but most of the structure dates to the 16th century.  The 4 story rectangular house has ornately carved windows and features many gargoyles and cornices. The Gothic style facade is what makes the building stand out from all of the surrounding structures.

If you visit Lynch Castle while the bank is open, you can have a look inside on the ground floor where there is an exhibit of the history of the building. 

One of the most fascinating stories related to Lynch Castle happened in 1493 when John Lynch Fitzpatrick, who was the Mayor of Galway at the time, hanged his son from one of the castle’s windows for murdering a Spanish sailor.  This is where the term “lynching” is derived!

Check Out St Nicholas Collegiate Church

Located right in the heart of Galway, this church is an easy place to visit on your stay in Galway.  It is along the main corridor between the Latin Quarter and Eyre Square and has been an iconic landmark in Galway for over 700 years.

St. Nicholas Collegiate Church has been a continuous place of worship and a centrepiece in the heart of Galway since the early 1300s when it was founded by the Normans. 

The Church was named for St. Nicholas, who was believed to have been the bishop of Myra and is recognized as the patron saint of mariners. In fact, Christopher Columbus made a stop in Galway in 1477 before one of his voyages to the New World to pray at St. Nicholas Church.

Later, in the 1600s, Cromwell’s troops occupied the church destroyed many of the tombs and defaced most of the religious images including the angels that were sculpted into the columns.  Only one of the angels remains and is known affectionately as “the Smug Angel”.  Have a look at it when you visit the church.

Browse At Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop

If you’re a bookworm, you won’t find a better place to spend an hour or two than at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop located in the heart of the town on Middle Street.  

This iconic shop has been at its current location in the Cornerstore for nearly 30 years. And over that time it has become a must-see destination in Galway.  

The shop boasts over 100,000 titles located in 6 separate rooms covering every genre imaginable.  Regardless of your reading preference, you will definitely find something that suits your taste here!  

And if you are looking for that one-of-a-kind hard to find masterpiece, you may find it here as the bookshop has a large collection of rare and out of print selections.

Stroll Quay Street

Quay Street is one of the most celebrated and well known streets in Galway.  It is noted for its colourful shops, plentiful pubs and lively vibe.  This was one of our favourite places because there is just so much going on here.

While it does get busy it is also one of the best places to be if you like to be in the middle of everything.  And if you are into people watching, you can’t find a better place to do it because everyone comes to Quay Street.  Just stop by one of the plentiful pubs, order a pint of Guinness settle into a seat on the patio and watch the world go by – literally!

 

A Bonus: Galway Golf Course

If you are a lover of golf (as I am), and you want to extend your stay in Galway for another half day, then we recommend booking a reservation and heading to Galway Golf Course.  Located just 5 kilometres west along the coastal road, this is a beautiful parkland style course that overlooks Galway Bay and is the perfect place to golf!

This beautiful hidden gem is well kept with beautifully manicured greens.  While it is not a long course, it does require a fair bit of accuracy.  I lost more than a few balls by hitting my driver off the tee into the pretty but unforgiving wild gorse that lines some of the fairways.

It was a fair but challenging course and one that I would gladly play again.

FAQs

Where To Stay In Galway

We stayed at the Victoria Hotel during our weekend in Galway. It was a great place to stay in a good location making it easy to get around Galway. The rooms were simple but comfortable – make sure you ask for an inside room to avoid the noise of the street – and the onsite restaurant and bar were convenient.

Anothere option also within walking distance of all the sights is The Galmont Hotel and Spa. It has many more amanities onsite such as a full service spa and fitness centre, swiiming pool, sauna and jacuzzi. The rooms are spacious and many have a nice view to the water.

Where To Eat In Galway

The food options in Galway are quite varied and we had some good meals while there. We enjoyed the traditional pub of John Keogh’s. The atmosphere was lively, the service very friendly and the food was great.

For a good meal where the cocktails are the star of the show, try Hyde Bar. This amazing gin bar has some fantastic cocktails in a modern and stylish setting. We loved the large selection of gin and tonics.

Our splurge meal in Galway was at Ard Bia at Nimmos. This location was fine dining and offered an amazing food experience in a unique setting. And the staff there were absolutely amazing!

Is 2 Days In Galway Enough?

2 Days in Galway is enough to see the major sights in the city. However, this is also a great base if you want to visit the Connemara area with Kylemore Abbey, the Cliffs of Moher or a trip to the Aran Islands.

Is Galway Or Dublin Better To Visit?

Having visited both Dublin and Galway, we would say we enjoyed Galway better. Since Galway is smaller, it seems to have a more charming feel to it and everything can be easily reached by walking.

The Final Word…How to Spend 2 Days In Galway

If you are visiting Ireland, you don’t want to miss the wonderful sparkle and festive feel of Galway.  Known as the City of Tribes it is reputed to have some of the best food and nightlife in all of Ireland.  

There are so many things to see and do in Galway that we highly recommend spending at least 2 days in this colourful city to get a true appreciation of this wonderful coastal town.