The 5 Best Tour Agencies in Galway
Galway is home to many tourist spots such as the Galway Cathedral, Cliff of Moher, and Kylemore Abbey. If you want to tour the city, we recommend hiring a tour agency.
Here, we’ve created a list of the best tour agencies in Galway. We made sure to pick only the best to give you a memorable trip in the city.
The Cost of Tour Agencies in Galway
The following are the price ranges of different tour agencies in Galway.
The Best Tour Agencies in Galway
To choose the tour agencies, we used the following criteria:
1. Lally Tours
Representatives | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Experience | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Responsiveness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Convenience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Ease of booking | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Website | ★★★★★ (4/5) |
Price | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Lally Tours has one of the most diverse selections of spots, which includes places from Connemara to Galway City itself. Each location has a dedicated itinerary that is well-made and exciting both for locals and tourists.
We found their representatives to be very friendly and accommodating while guiding. They are highly familiar with the highlights of each spot.
Our favorite aspect of Lally Tours is how easy it was to book a trip with them. Through their website, you can easily browse and book your destinations.
They also provide short and helpful descriptions here, such as “Small Group Tour” and “Award Winning Day Tour,” making choosing faster for you. Once you select one, booking and paying are a breeze.
There are discounts both for student and adult tourists. You can also save more if you purchase more trips.
A downside is that some customers were not satisfied with the quality of the buses provided, which may affect the overall experience.
Pros
- Many tourist spots available
- Offers many discounts
- Easy booking process
- Well-informed representatives
Cons
- Issues with the quality of buses provided
Customer Reviews
Every tour I’ve done with Lally has been amazing
“Every tour I’ve done with Lally has been amazing. I took my mom on the Connemara/Diamond Hill day tour with Gerard and we had a great time. Gerard was very helpful and had good tips. The experience itself was beautiful and we got to see a lot!” – Madison Swackhamer, Google Reviews
Good communication, on time, and reasonably punctual
“If you want to visit the Cliffs of Moher, Lally Tours is the way to go. Good communication, on time, and reasonably punctual. Went smoothly and they have everything figured out. Our tour guide, Gerard, was very enthusiastic about the places covered and told a lot of great stories and facts. There was just so much more to know and see than I expected. We also really enjoyed the Aillwee Cave, a separate tour led by cave staff that was timed into the day trip. Took a lot of pictures and will take home good memories!” – Joshua Hansen, Google Reviews
2. Galway Tour Company
Representatives | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Responsiveness | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Convenience | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Ease of booking | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Website | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Price | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Customer Service | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
The agency is well-known, as they’ve been the recipient of TripAdvisors’ Travellers Choice for 14 years. They specialise in tours of Galway’s cliffs and abbeys.
Many have complimented their drivers and guides to be an equal balance of informative and entertaining. Many tourists say that they quickly became fond of the team because of how well they represent Irish culture through their humour, slang, and stories.
We also liked their bespoke and private hire offerings, as they’re customizable in terms of group size, destination, and travel methods. For the last one, you can include airport transfers and the use of buses or Mercedes cars.
Their representatives are recognized by Fáilte Ireland, the tourism development authority of Ireland.
If this is one of your priorities, you will be glad to hear that they promote eco-friendly tours to protect the tourist spots you visit. They ensure that every tourist is fully informed about proper disposal methods when travelling, which we appreciate.
The only downside is that they have minor issues with processing refunds. Some customers have also reported having trip dates moved without notice, which is highly inconvenient.
Pros
- Well-informed and entertaining guides
- Many destination options
- Representatives recognized by Fáilte Ireland
- Eco-friendly tours
Cons
- Has issues with customer service
Customer Reviews
I would definitely recommend this company
“It was such a great tour. The guide was really good and easy to understand and funny. He made the time fly. 8 hours did not seem like 8 hours. I would definitely recommend this company and the price was food for the time and the stops. I know everyone says more time at the stops but honestly 10-15 mins is all you need at most. And the one that counted we got two hours which was the cliffs of Moher so I was happy that! I believe Gary was our tour guides name. I hope they are paying him well he was great!” – Elsa Ruiz, Google Reviews
Professional and responsive staff
“Professional and responsive staff. Replies to email questions quickly. We did the Cliffs of Moher day tour, it was a very nicely arranged with several interesting stops on the way. Our tour guide, Gary, was very friendly, energetic, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, with great sense of humor, as he explained many aspects of the Irish life and the region along the way that made the tour very interesting and joyful.” – Bruce F, Google Reviews
3. Wild Atlantic Ways
Representatives | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Responsiveness | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Convenience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Ease of booking | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Website | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Price | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Customer Service | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
If you want to visit Limerick and Ennis too, Wild Atlantic Ways is the agency for you. They’re known for creating trips that are “off the beaten path” so that tourists get a deeper and more exciting view of the destinations they visit.
We liked their choices of destinations, along with the planned itineraries for each one. Their prices are also affordable and reasonable for their inclusions.
Their website is one of their best features, as it’s aesthetically pleasing and also very helpful for booking your tours. Choosing the number of participants, checking travel information, and finalizing details are done easily here.
We also liked their approach to introducing their representatives, as catchy details such as “good singer” and “sports freak” make it easy to match them with tourists they are compatible with.
This is especially important if you want to create a customised tour. With this arrangement, you can plan your day, method of transportation, and guide.
A downside with them is that some customers were displeased with their customer service, as it’s sometimes unresponsive.
Pros
- Best if you want to travel Limerick and Ennis too
- Unique perspective on travelling
- Well-made website
- Good option for customised tours
Cons
- Unresponsive customer service
Customer Reviews
I would 100% recommend it!
“I would 100% recommend! 😊
My husband and I had booked a tour to the Cliffs of Moher, but when it turned out it was only the two of us and the tour wouldn’t leave with so few people (other people had signed up for it but didn’t show up), Damien handled things very professionally. He sent us on a tour to Connemara on him, so that we didn’t waste that day, and moved our Cliffs of Moher tour for another day (that worked for us of course, and we were offered a refund if we couldn’t do the tour on a different day).” – Ma. Cecilia Ayala, Google Reviews
Excellent and well organized tour
“Excellent and well organize tour. Damien is an excellent your guide I would absolutely recommend the trip. And as he would say the boat leaves Inisheer at 13:45 and our boat is blue on the bottom and white on top.
Seeing the cliffs of moher from the sea is a totally different experience because as Damien would again say: From the Cliffs you see the sea but for the sea you see the Cliffs.
Thank you so much for the excellent tour!” – Emmanouil Zacharakis, Google Reviews
4. Galway City Walking Tours
Representatives | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Responsiveness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Convenience | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Ease of booking | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Website | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Price | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
If you want an in-depth tour of Galway and its history, Galway City Walking Tours is a good choice. Their tours mainly revolve around the old city of Galway, but they include visits to nearby pubs too for you to be immersed in its culture.
It’s headed by Brian Nolan, who has 20 years of experience in guiding tourists in Ireland. He’s praised by many for being engaging and entertaining.
As seen in their tour options, they focus on seeing historical landmarks, pubs, and esplanades. Although simplistic in nature, the cultural background of these are interesting and are explained well by Nolan.
We found their booking process to be convenient and easy too. It can be done through their website, by phone, or through email.
Starting at €10 per person, their rates are affordable. They also offer discounts if you will add more participants.
They are also flexible and can accommodate requests for private tours.
Pros
- Specialises in tours within Galway City
- Affordable
- Entertaining and well-informed guide
- Easy booking process
Cons
- Limited destination options
Customer Reviews
Absolutely the best part of our trip
“10/10!!—Absolutely the best part of our trip! Do not miss the chance to see Galway with Brian, he is incredible, with so much history and so many fun details to share— and really brilliant at guiding you towards the best way to maximize your experience of this amazing area! Really cannot say enough good things about him—so much fun and such a great way to discover Galway!” – Katherine Henly, Google Reviews
Engaging and funny
“We had an amazing walking tour w Brian today!
He is very knowledgeable and passionate about all things Galway. Engaging and funny, too!
We could have spent all day w him.
Highly recommend!!” – Irene K, Google Reviews
5. Tribes Tours Galway
Representatives | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Responsiveness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Convenience | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Ease of booking | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Website | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Price | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Customer Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Tribes Tours is notable for implementing the free tour model, which doesn’t require a booking fee and instead, only asks for a tip by the end. Through this, you are free to adjust the price depending on how the day went.
They also have a pub crawl tour, which we liked because of the interesting choice of destinations and drinks included in it. It’s a great representation of Galway’s nightlife.
We liked how informative and well-designed their website is. It’s also easy to book a tour here.
Many customers have praised their representatives for being informative, adept in storytelling, and friendly. They are excellent at accompanying tourists—from a walking tour in the morning up to pub crawling at night.
Every part of the tour is also well-planned, as we saw from their itinerary. Their guides also explain each destination well and in-depth.
However, the only issue is that their destinations are limited to locations within Galway City. They aren’t the choice for those who want to explore Galway’s cliffs and abbeys.
Pros
- Implements a free tour model
- Excellent pub-crawling tour
- Well-planned itinerary
- Well-made website
Cons
- Limited destinations
Customer Reviews
What an excellent tour we were treated to today!
“What an excellent tour we were treated to today! Eilish did an amazing job–an enjoyable blend of down-to-earth humor, knowledge, great story-telling skills, and some from the heart sharing–there were a few times I was brought to tears, especially the stories of true multi-faith community at St. Nicholas Church. A great way to begin our trip (we’ve been here all of two days) and also Eilish gave great advice on evening venues! We were treated to music at both places she suggested, and just had a great day.” – Kathleen Gorman-Coombs, Google Reviews
What a fantastic tour!
“What a fantastic tour! We visited on a rather rainy Saturday, and despite the weather and large group size Ailish was engaging, kept the tour to a good pace, gave us loads of interesting info, and told us some fantastic stories. This is definitely the best way to get a feel for Galway and I’d really recommend it to anyone visiting the city. Thank you so much!” – Emma Stroud, Google Reviews
FAQs about Tours in Galway
With that, our list of the best tour agencies in Galway ends. We hope that you will be able to enjoy Galway through them.
In case you want to travel to more places in Ireland, we recommend checking these articles out.