Full Itinerary

Pick-up in Galway

Your chauffeur meets you at your hotel or accommodation in Galway City at 8:00 AM, and you set off north into County Mayo.

Knock Shrine

Begin the day at Knock, one of the most important Marian pilgrimage sites in the world. On 21 August 1879, fifteen villagers reported an apparition of Our Lady, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist at the gable wall of the parish church. Today, more than a million pilgrims visit every year. Here you can see the Apparition Chapel, the Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Ireland, and the Knock Museum. Popes St John Paul II and Francis have both visited the shrine. If you would like to attend Mass, just let us know when you book, and we will plan your pick-up time around it.

Cong Village

Cong sits between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, and it is where John Ford filmed the Oscar-winning classic “The Quiet Man” (1952), starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. You can walk through the charming village, see the film locations and the ruins of Cong Abbey, and look out over Ashford Castle, one of Ireland’s most famous luxury hotels.

Scenic Drive through the Mountains

From Cong, the road takes you into wild, remote country past Lough Nafooey, a glacial lake that is one of the most photographed hidden gems in the west of Ireland, with the Maumturk Mountains rising around you.

Aasleagh Falls & Killary Fjord

Stop at Aasleagh Falls, a picturesque waterfall on the Erriff River where it flows into Killary Harbour. Killary is Ireland’s only true fjord, running around 16 km inland between steep mountains to the village of Leenane.

Lunch in Leenane

Take a relaxed lunch break in Leenane, a small village beautifully set at the head of Killary Fjord. It is also where the film “The Field” (1990), starring Richard Harris, was shot.

Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden

The highlight of the day. Kylemore Abbey stands on the shore of Pollacapall Lough, against the backdrop of the Twelve Bens mountains. Mitchell Henry built it as a castle in the 1860s for his wife Margaret. Since 1920, it has been home to Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium during the First World War. With 1.5 hours here, you can see the restored rooms of the Abbey and the beautiful Neo-Gothic Church, and stroll through the six-acre Victorian Walled Garden.

Inagh Valley & Pine Island

The return journey takes you through the Inagh Valley, one of the most scenic drives in Connemara, between the Twelve Bens and the Maumturk Mountains. Stop at Derryclare Lough to photograph Pine Island, an iconic tree-covered islet and one of the most recognisable views in Ireland.

The Quiet Man Bridge

Just before Oughterard, make a short stop at the Quiet Man Bridge, featured in one of the best-known scenes of the film.

Return to Galway

Sit back and enjoy a comfortable drive back to your hotel in Galway, arriving at around 6:00 PM, with memories of an unforgettable day in the west of Ireland.