★★★★★
Kylemore Abbey day from Galway · Leenane and Killary
Shane added a stop to feed sheep and gave the group extra time at the abbey, which it deserved.
Andrew M. · Traveller · August 2026
Connemara Day Trip Including Leenane Village and Kylemore Abbey from Galway
Abbey ticket includedFrom Galway
The day to book if you want the abbey ticket sorted before you leave Galway. You meet the coach outside the HYDE Hotel at 09:45 and cross Connemara by Oughterard and Maam Cross. You stop in Leenane and at Killary, then get two hours at Kylemore. The ticket for the abbey and its walled garden is already in your fare, so you walk straight in.
Leenane, Killary and two hours inside the Kylemore estate
Your ticket is paid
Entry to the abbey and the walled garden is in the fare: no cash, no queue to buy.
Two hours at Kylemore
Enough for the ground-floor rooms, the church and the garden if you take the shuttle.
Leenane village
Thirty minutes in the village at the head of Killary Harbour.
Killary Fjord
A fifteen-minute stop on the long sea inlet between Galway and Mayo.
Home by the coast
Past the national park, a break in Spiddal, then Salthill into Galway.
Hotel pickup on request
Ask Lally Tours at least 24 hours ahead and they collect you in Galway.
Why this Kylemore day starts with the ticket in hand
Most coach days from Galway sell you a seat and leave the abbey ticket to you. On this one the entry fee for the abbey and the Victorian Walled Garden is part of the fare. You get off the coach with nothing to pay and two full hours to spend. From $76 per person you get the coach, a driver-guide, and that ticket.
The ticket covers the whole estate, not just the house. It opens the restored ground-floor rooms, the Neo-Gothic Church and the Mausoleum, the lakeshore and woodland walks, and the walled garden with its shuttle bus there and back. Lunch is not in the fare. The Kylemore Kitchen café sits by the car park, outside the paid area, so you can eat without losing your place in the grounds.
Leenane and Killary before the abbey
The drive out is half the point. You leave Galway by Oughterard, cross the bog at Maam Cross and pass under the Twelve Bens. Then comes a proper break in Leenane, a small village at the head of Killary Harbour. After that you stop for fifteen minutes by the fjord itself, the long inlet that runs out to the Atlantic between Galway and Mayo.
Two hours at Kylemore feels short to some travellers and right to others. One reviewer's guide gave the group extra time at the abbey; another wished for more. If you want to see everything, go to the garden first on the shuttle, then walk back to the house and the church. Compare this Kylemore Abbey tour with the other days from Galway before you choose.
The road back by Spiddal
From Kylemore the coach heads back past Connemara National Park and its visitor centre. It then turns along the south Connemara coast to Spiddal, a seaside village where Irish is spoken, for a fifteen-minute break. The last stretch runs along the promenade at Salthill into Galway, and the day ends where it started.
How the seven and a half hours run
- 09:45, outside the HYDE Hotel. Meet the Lally Tours team on Forster Street; the coach sets off at 10:00.
- Across Connemara. Past Oughterard, over Maam Cross and under the Twelve Bens, without stopping.
- Leenane, 30 minutes. Stretch your legs in the village at the head of Killary Harbour.
- Killary Fjord, 15 minutes. A stop beside the inlet for photographs.
- Kylemore Abbey, 2 hours. The abbey, the church and the Victorian Walled Garden, ticket paid.
- Past the national park. The coach passes Connemara National Park and its visitor centre.
- Spiddal, 15 minutes. A break in the seaside village, then Salthill and back to Galway.
Who this suits: first-timers who want the ticket sorted
Book this if
This is your first trip to Kylemore and you want the simplest day: one kerb in Galway, one fare, and the abbey ticket already paid. It suits couples, families with older children and anyone happy on a full-size coach.
Book something else if
You want the lowest fare and may skip the paid visit: the Connemara and Cong day costs less and sells the ticket in cash on board. If you would rather travel with 25 people than 61, Lally's own small-group sheepdog day keeps the ticket in the fare. If you want to set the pace yourselves, look at the private day from Galway.
What the fare covers
In the fare
- Hotel pickup (request from the operator at least 24 hours ahead)
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Driver/guide
- Entrance fee to Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden
Not in the fare
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Lunch at the Kylemore Kitchen or elsewhere
Where the coach leaves: the HYDE Hotel on Forster Street
Meet outside the HYDE Hotel, Forster Street, Galway (H91 PY7E), at 09:45. Look for the Lally Tours team in blue jackets. The day ends back at the same spot, on the street that runs off Eyre Square.
Staying outside the centre? Hotel pickup is included, but you must ask Lally Tours for it at least 24 hours before the tour. Getting to Kylemore Abbey compares the two Galway kerbs the coaches use, and the Kylemore Abbey map shows the route.
Know before you go
- Bring lunch money. Food is not in the fare; the Kylemore Kitchen café is by the car park and needs no ticket.
- It is a big coach. The tour takes up to 61 travellers, so expect a full-size coach rather than a minibus.
- Bring a child seat for under-fives. Infants under 5 need one, and Lally Tours does not supply it.
- Minimum numbers apply. If too few book, you are offered another date or a full refund.
- Not wheelchair accessible. Strollers are fine; the coach itself is not suitable for wheelchairs.
- Dress for rain. The walk from the abbey to the church and the garden is outdoors, whatever the weather.
What travellers said about the Leenane day
★★★★★
Kylemore Abbey day from Galway · Leenane and Killary
Brian was patient with a child who got car-sick on the winding roads, and the abbey and its grounds were lovely.
Lisa C. · Family · Traveller · August 2026
★★★★★
Kylemore Abbey day from Galway · Leenane and Killary
They would love to see the abbey in sunshine one day, but in the west of Ireland those days are rare.
Darlene B. · Traveller · August 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is the Kylemore Abbey ticket included?
Yes. The entrance fee for Kylemore Abbey and the Victorian Walled Garden is in the fare, so you have nothing to pay at the gate. Food and tips are extra.
Can I choose Connemara National Park instead of the abbey?
Not on this day: it stops at Kylemore and passes the park. The Connemara National Park or Kylemore Abbey day gives you three hours and lets you pick one. Its driver sells abbey tickets for cash.
Is there a cheaper day from Galway?
Yes. The Connemara and Cong day costs less and adds Cong, but the abbey ticket is not in the fare: you buy it from the driver in cash.
Is there a smaller group?
Yes. Lally Tours also runs a small-group day capped at 25, with a sheepdog demonstration and the abbey ticket both in the fare. See it on the bus tours from Galway to Kylemore Abbey page.
How long do we get at Kylemore?
Two hours. Take the shuttle to the garden first, then walk back to the abbey and the church, and you will see the main parts of the estate.
Do you pick up from hotels?
Yes, on request. Contact Lally Tours at least 24 hours before your tour; otherwise meet the coach outside the HYDE Hotel at 09:45.
Other ways to reach Kylemore from Galway
Ready for Leenane, Killary and Kylemore?
Check dates for the Galway day with the abbey ticket in the fare, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability