Things to Do in Galway — The Complete Guide (2026)
I’ve spent a lot of time in Galway over the years — for festivals, for matches, for weekends away, and once for an entire wet week in October that turned out to be one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. The city has a way of getting under your skin that’s hard to explain until you’ve experienced it yourself.
Galway is Ireland’s fourth largest city with a population of about 80,000 — small enough to feel intimate, large enough to have genuine cultural depth. It sits at the mouth of the River Corrib where it meets Galway Bay, with the wild Atlantic to the west and the mountains of Connemara behind it. The geography alone gives it a drama that most Irish cities lack.
But it’s the atmosphere that makes Galway special. The Latin Quarter with its medieval archways and colourful shopfronts. The buskers on Shop Street. The smell of turf smoke from a pub on a cold evening. The sound of a trad session drifting out into the night. Galway is the most alive city in Ireland and the most difficult to leave.
Why Galway?
Galway punches far above its weight for a city of its size. It has a world-class arts festival, one of Ireland’s great horse racing festivals, a living Irish language tradition, extraordinary natural surroundings — Connemara on one side, the Aran Islands offshore, Clare and the Burren to the south — and a pub and music scene that is genuinely among the finest in Ireland.
It also has a young, energetic population. Galway is a university city — NUI Galway brings thousands of students into the city — and that youth gives it an energy and openness that some Irish cities lack. The food scene in particular has improved dramatically in recent years, driven by a generation of young chefs who have returned from abroad with new ideas and a commitment to local produce.
The City Centre and Spanish Arch
Galway city centre is compact and entirely walkable. The main commercial street runs from Eyre Square — the central public square near the train and bus station — west through William Street and Shop Street to the Latin Quarter and the Spanish Arch on the river. This 15-minute walk takes you through the heart of the city and past most of what you want to see.
Shop Street and the Latin Quarter
Shop Street is Galway’s main pedestrianised thoroughfare — always busy, always alive with buskers, street performers, and the general flow of city life. The medieval archways and narrow lanes that run off it — Abbeygate Street, Kirwan’s Lane, Quay Street — are full of independent shops, restaurants, and pubs. This is the Galway that appears on postcards and it looks exactly as good in person.
The Spanish Arch
The Spanish Arch is a remnant of the medieval city walls, built in 1584 to protect the quays where Spanish trading vessels unloaded their cargo. Galway had strong trading connections with Spain for centuries — hence the arch, the Spanish Parade nearby, and a strong Spanish influence on the city’s architecture and culture.
The area around the Spanish Arch — along the River Corrib and out onto the Long Walk — is one of Galway’s finest spots. On sunny days the grass beside the arch fills with people, street musicians play, and the river flows past with swans riding the current. It has a bohemian, timeless quality that is quintessentially Galway.
Galway Cathedral
Galway Cathedral — the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas — was completed in 1965 and is one of the last great stone cathedrals built in Europe. Its scale is striking given the size of the city, and the interior — with its stunning mosaic floor and dome — is genuinely impressive. Free to visit, on the west bank of the Corrib near the university.
St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church
St Nicholas’ Church on Market Street is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland still in use. Founded in 1320, it has a long association with Christopher Columbus — according to local tradition, Columbus prayed here before his 1492 voyage to America. The Saturday market in the street outside is one of Galway’s finest — fresh produce, street food, crafts, and flowers from early morning.
The Best Pubs in Galway
Galway’s pub scene is exceptional — one of the finest in Ireland, which is saying something. The city has a concentration of genuinely great traditional pubs within a few minutes walk of each other that is hard to match anywhere.
The Crane Bar — Best Guinness and Traditional Music
The Crane Bar on Sea Road is, in my view, the finest pub in Galway. It serves one of the best pints of Guinness in the city and has traditional music sessions most nights of the week — real sessions, not arranged performances, with local musicians who have been playing together for years. The upstairs room in particular, when a session is in full flow, is one of those Irish pub experiences that stays with you for years. A little off the main tourist circuit on Sea Road — which is exactly why it’s so good.
Naughton’s
Naughton’s on Cross Street is another Galway institution — a proper traditional pub with excellent Guinness, genuine character, and a local atmosphere that has survived the tourist boom intact. The kind of pub where you go in for one and find yourself still there three hours later, having talked to everyone at the bar. Cross Street, right in the heart of the Latin Quarter.
Tigh Coili
Tigh Coili on Mainguard Street is one of Galway’s most famous traditional music pubs — sessions happen here most days and the standard of playing is consistently high. Small, dark, and packed most evenings. The Guinness is good and the atmosphere, when it’s full and the music is going, is electric.
Tig Hugh Mhac
Just off Shop Street, Tig Hugh Mhac is a proper old Galway pub — low ceilings, dark wood, traditional music, and excellent stout. Less well known than some of the others which means it’s quieter and more local in feel. Worth seeking out.
→ A dedicated guide to the Best Pubs in Galway is coming soon — covering every great pub in the city with detailed recommendations for music, Guinness quality, and atmosphere.
Galway’s Café Culture
Galway has one of the finest café cultures in Ireland — a network of independent coffee shops and bakeries that reflects the city’s bohemian, creative character. This is not a city of chain coffee shops — Galway drinks its coffee in small, characterful independents with good beans, excellent food, and an atmosphere that makes you want to stay all morning.
The area around Shop Street, Quay Street, and the Spanish Arch has the highest concentration of good cafés. Look for spots with handwritten menus, local artwork on the walls, and queues of students and locals — these are reliably the best ones. Fresh seafood chowder with brown bread, or a proper breakfast with local eggs and sausages, in one of Galway’s café-bakeries is one of the city’s great small pleasures.
The Saturday market outside St Nicholas’ Church on Market Street also has excellent coffee and food stalls — a brilliant way to start a Saturday morning in the city.
Salthill and the Promenade
Salthill is Galway’s seaside suburb — a 20-minute walk or short bus ride west of the city centre along the coast of Galway Bay. It has a long promenade, a pebble beach, amusement arcades that look like they haven’t changed since 1975, traditional seaside pubs, and one of Ireland’s most beloved local traditions.
Kicking the Wall
At the end of the Salthill Promenade, beside the diving boards at Blackrock, there is a low wall. Local tradition — taken seriously by Galwegians of all ages — demands that you kick this wall at the end of your promenade walk before turning back. The tradition is ancient, the origin disputed, and the commitment of locals to maintaining it is genuine and charming. You will see elderly couples, families with children, and teenagers in groups all solemnly kicking the wall before turning around. Do it yourself — it’s one of those small Irish rituals that stays with you.
Swimming at Salthill
Salthill has a long tradition of sea swimming — the water is cold year round but the promenade draws swimmers in all seasons. The diving boards at Blackrock are a local institution. On a sunny summer day the promenade is one of the finest places in Ireland to spend an afternoon — the views across Galway Bay to the Burren in Clare are spectacular.
→ A dedicated Salthill and the Promenade guide is coming soon — covering swimming spots, the best pubs and cafés along the promenade, and the full kicking the wall tradition.
Galway Arts Festival
The Galway International Arts Festival in July is one of Ireland’s premier cultural events — two weeks of theatre, music, visual art, street performance, and literary events that transform the already lively city into something extraordinary. It has been running since 1978 and has grown into one of the most significant arts festivals in Europe.
The festival brings world-class theatre productions, international performers, and major art installations to venues across the city. The street theatre and outdoor performances — which are free — give the entire city centre a carnival atmosphere. Shop Street, Eyre Square, and the Spanish Arch area become performance spaces. Even if you have no interest in the formal programme, being in Galway during the Arts Festival is a wonderful experience.
→ A dedicated Galway Arts Festival guide is coming soon — covering how to get tickets, the best events to book, and how to make the most of the festival week.
The Galway Races
The Galway Races in late July is one of Ireland’s great social events — a week-long horse racing festival at Ballybrit Racecourse that is as much about fashion, socialising, and the craic as it is about the racing itself. It is the largest horse racing festival in Ireland by attendance and one of the most important on the Irish social calendar.
The races draw enormous crowds — particularly on Ladies Day (usually Thursday) and Galway Plate day — with the entire city taking on a festive atmosphere for the week. Racegoers dress up, the pubs are packed from morning, and the atmosphere in the city in the evenings after racing is electric.
The actual racing is excellent — the Galway Plate and the Galway Hurdle are two of the most competitive handicap races in the Irish calendar, attracting top trainers and jockeys. But even for those with no interest in racing, the social spectacle of Galway Race Week is worth experiencing.
→ A dedicated Galway Races guide is coming soon — covering tickets, what to wear, where to stay, and how to make the most of Race Week.
Aran Islands Day Trip
The three Aran Islands — Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr — sit at the mouth of Galway Bay, accessible by ferry from Rossaveal (30km west of Galway city) or by small plane from Connemara Airport. They are among the most extraordinary places in Ireland — a living Irish-speaking community with a culture and landscape unlike anywhere else.
Inis Mór, the largest island, is the most visited and the most dramatic. The Iron Age fort of Dún Aonghasa perches on a 90-metre cliff above the Atlantic — one of the most dramatic prehistoric monuments in Europe. The limestone landscape, the stone walls dividing tiny fields, the traditional currachs (canvas boats) on the shore, and the complete absence of cars gives Inis Mór a timeless quality that is profoundly moving.
A day trip from Galway to Inis Mór — ferry from Rossaveal, hire a bike on the island, cycle to Dún Aonghasa and back, return ferry — is one of the finest day trips from any Irish city. A rental car is useful for getting to Rossaveal pier — though bus connections are available from Galway city.
→ A dedicated Aran Islands Day Trip guide is coming soon — covering ferries, what to see on each island, and how to make the most of your visit.
Connemara Day Trip
Connemara is Galway’s wild hinterland — a vast, sparsely populated region of bog, lake, and mountain that begins almost immediately west of the city. It is one of the most atmospherically beautiful landscapes in Ireland — the combination of the Twelve Bens mountain range, the dark Connemara lakes, the sparse bog land stretching to the horizon, and the quality of the Atlantic light creates scenery that has inspired artists and writers for centuries.
The drive west from Galway through Oughterard, past Lough Corrib, and into the heart of Connemara is one of Ireland’s finest. Clifden — the capital of Connemara — is a beautiful small town 80km west of Galway with excellent accommodation and restaurants. The Sky Road around the Clifden peninsula is one of Ireland’s finest short coastal drives.
Connemara is best explored by car — book your rental car in advance if you plan to drive out from Galway. The roads are slow and scenic and you’ll want to stop frequently.
→ A dedicated Connemara Road Trip guide is coming soon — covering the full route, the best stops, and where to stay in Connemara.
Where to Eat in Galway
Galway’s food scene is one of the best in Ireland outside Dublin — driven by exceptional local produce (Connemara lamb, Galway Bay seafood, local cheeses and dairy) and a generation of talented young chefs who have made the city a genuine food destination.
Seafood
Galway is synonymous with oysters — the native Galway oyster is one of Ireland’s great delicacies and the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival in late September is one of the world’s great food festivals. Moran’s Oyster Cottage at Kilcolgan — 16km south of Galway on the road to Kinvara — is one of Ireland’s most famous seafood restaurants, serving oysters, mussels, and chowder from a thatched cottage on the edge of Dunbulcaun Bay since 1760. The drive out is worth it.
The Saturday Market
The Saturday market outside St Nicholas’ Church is unmissable for food lovers — one of Ireland’s finest farmers’ and food markets with local produce, artisan bread and cheese, street food from around the world, and excellent coffee. Arrives early — the best stalls sell out.
Casual Dining
Quay Street and the Latin Quarter have Galway’s best concentration of casual restaurants — from excellent fish and chips to creative modern Irish cooking. The city has a good number of vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants reflecting its progressive, student-heavy population.
Where to Stay in Galway
Galway city centre is the best base — everything is walkable and you’re perfectly positioned for both the city and day trips to Connemara and the Aran Islands. The area around Eyre Square and the Latin Quarter has the highest concentration of hotels, guesthouses, and hostels.
The city gets very busy during the Arts Festival (July) and Race Week (late July) — accommodation during these periods books out months in advance at significantly inflated prices. Book early if your dates overlap with either event.
How long do you need? Two days for the city. Three days to add a day trip to the Aran Islands or Connemara. A week if you want to use Galway as a base for the western Wild Atlantic Way.
Don’t miss: A session in The Crane Bar, the Saturday market, a walk along the Spanish Arch and the Long Walk, and kicking the wall at Salthill.
Best time to visit: July for the Arts Festival and Races — book months ahead. May and September for quieter, better-value visits with excellent weather.
The honest truth: Galway is the most alive city in Ireland. Give it the time it deserves and it will give you memories that last for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two full days covers the city highlights — the Latin Quarter, Spanish Arch, Salthill, the pubs, and the Saturday market. Add a third day for a day trip to the Aran Islands or Connemara. If you’re attending the Arts Festival or the Races, allow at least three nights to fully experience the atmosphere.
Absolutely — Galway is consistently rated one of the best cities in Europe for atmosphere, culture, and quality of life. Its combination of traditional Irish character, outstanding music and pub scene, excellent food, and extraordinary natural surroundings makes it genuinely special. Many visitors who come for a weekend end up wishing they’d stayed a week.
Galway is famous for its traditional music scene, its Arts Festival, the Galway Races, Galway Bay oysters, the Aran Islands, Connemara, and its bohemian city character. It is also one of Ireland’s strongest Irish language communities — you’ll hear Irish spoken naturally in the city and throughout County Galway.
For the city itself, no — Galway is entirely walkable and the bus connections are good. For day trips to Connemara, the Aran Islands ferry port at Rossaveal, or the Cliffs of Moher, a car is very useful. Book your rental car in advance if you plan to explore beyond the city — and pick it up on the day you leave Galway rather than using it in the city itself.
May and September are the best months for a city break — good weather, lower prices, and a more local atmosphere than the peak summer months. July is extraordinary if you can get tickets and accommodation for the Arts Festival or Races, but prices are at their highest. The city is quieter and very affordable in winter, with Christmas a particularly atmospheric time to visit.
Galway is one of Europe’s finest weekend break destinations. Two nights gives you enough time to explore the city, spend an evening in The Crane Bar with a session, walk the Spanish Arch and Salthill, and eat well. Many visitors return year after year — the city has a way of becoming a habit.
Ready to visit Galway? Compare hotels and guesthouses in Galway city for your dates — and if you’re planning to explore Connemara or reach the Aran Islands ferry, book your rental car in advance for the best rates.
