The Cliffs of Moher are the most visited tourist spot in the entire country of Ireland. Yet I hesitated to go. I thought touring a whiskey distillery would be more enjoyable, but at the last minute booked a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher from Dublin — and I’m so glad I did.

There’s a reason the Cliffs of Moher are so popular: they are breathtaking. The 702 foot high cliffs run along Ireland’s coast for 14 miles, creating a striking contrast of green and blue. That is, if the notoriously temperamental Irish weather clears up, which it did the day I went.

Plus the Viator tour I took included stops at the Burren (where the so-called “mini cliffs” are), the Cliffs of Moher, lunch in the tiny town of Doolin nearby, and a tour of King John’s Castle. It was an intense 13-hour day with a lot of driving, but one of the most memorable of my entire trip to Ireland.

A Day Trip to the Cliffs of Moher from Dublin

Logistics & Tours to the Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher are on Ireland’s west coast, about a three hour drive from Dublin. You can rent a car to drive yourself, or book a guided day trip like I did. I’m a huge fan of day trip tours because they’re so convenient and allow me to relax instead of stress about directions. (It’s a huge plus when traveling alone!)

Plenty of guided tours go from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher. Some go straight there while others tack on other places, like Galway City. The tour I took went to the Buuren, Doolin, and King John’s Castle in Limerick.

As someone who gets car sick and also hates being in cars in general (there’s a reason I don’t have one), I stressed about driving so much. But it wasn’t bad at all! The Irish countryside is beautiful — it’s completely green and dotted with ruins of ancient castles — and the minibus was comfortable (bonus: it had wifi!). Cue me sleeping and drooling in my seat like a weirdo. :)

The Buuren

Our first stop on the day trip was a pit stop at Barack Obama Plaza. Yes, seriously. Apparently former US President Barack Obama has family history ties to Moneygall, Ireland, and a gas station is named after him there. Count that as something I learned that day!

Then we made our way to The Burren, an area in County Clare famous for unique geological formations, and Lisdoonvarna, a tiny town famous for a matchmaking festival every fall. (Note to self: find out when that is to find an Irishman!) Our short stop was surprisingly pretty.

Boat Tour of the Cliffs

Because the weather was so perfectly pretty — something our driver mentioned so many times eventually I believed it was an anomaly and not part of his tour schtick — we got to take a boat tour to see the Cliffs of Moher from below. The ferry goes along the bay in seriously choppy seas. (The boat staff echoed how good the weather was and how “calm” the seas were, even though several people got seasick. Fun.)

The boat tour put the size of the cliffs into perspective, both in length and height. But even then it was tough to see just how tall they are. (Those little dots at the top of the cliffs are people… squint hard and you might make them out.)

The Cliffs of Moher

Once we were (thankfully) back securely on dry, non-moving land, we made our way to the cliffs. They were so much more beautiful than I imagined. The perfect weather didn’t hurt (look at me, joining team Let’s Talk About the Good Weather) but they were breathtaking.

Apparently 1.5 million people visit the cliffs every year and the commercialism is obvious: guide rails, manicured stairways, and paved paths line the cliffs. But our guide reported that people still fall off every year and it’s not surprising considering how many people hopped the railing to get closer to the edge. (I admit I did it but my fear of heights quickly made me regret it!)

The cliffs have been a popular tourist destination since the Victorian times and I love that after all these years we humans still marvel at the beauty of mother nature. Also, I can’t imagine walking around the cliffs in a Victorian dress!

Lunch in Doolin

After spending an hour or so at the Cliffs, we stopped in the nearby town of Doolin for lunch. It was so adorably small and cute. And when I say small, I’m not exaggerating; the population of Doolin is 280. Famously a hub for traditional Irish music, I would have loved to spend more time there.

King John’s Castle in Limerick

But after some Irish stew we were onto the next stop: Limerick. Limerick is the 3rd largest city in Ireland but is quite small. (Population: 160,000.) Along the River Shannon that runs through the city is King John’s Castle.

Built for the King of England in 1200, it’s one of the best preserved Norman castles in Europe, despite the many sieges that took place there. For history buffs interested in how tunnel sieges and “undermining” happened in the Medieval times, it’s an interesting spot. But for those looking for fairytale-like castles, maybe not so much. As for me, the best part of the castle was climbing to the top of the keep for a picture of Limerick and the River Shannon. But to each their own.

From the Cliffs of Moher to Dublin

Then we drove the 3.5 hours back to Dublin. It was an exciting, exhausting day zig-zagging all around Ireland. And even though I was happy to have experienced everything I did, I think I could have skipped everything but the Cliffs of Moher themselves and been happy. The Burren and King John’s Castle were overrated (especially compared to the Cliffs) and watching seasick people on the ferry ruined the boat tour for me.

So decide what you really want to experience on your day trip to the Cliffs of Moher from Dublin and plan accordingly. Next time, I’ll go straight for the cliffs and spend more time at the cute pubs in Doolin.

(Also, if you’re planning to stay in Galway like I did, the Cliffs of Moher are much easier to get to from there!)

•••

Related :: 6 Reasons to Go to Dublin, What to Eat in Ireland, and Two Days in Galway

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and I may receive a commission from them. Thank you for supporting the companies that support Whiskied Wanderlust.