Cliffs of Moher Full-Day Tour from Cork

Limerick and King John's Castle

The first stop of this Cliffs of Moher tour from Cork is Limerick, the capital of Ireland's mid-west, where the coach pauses for about 15 minutes on the banks of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. Across the water rises King John's Castle, a powerful stone fortress built in the early 1200s on King's Island on the orders of the English king it is named after.

With its round drum towers, curtain walls and riverside setting, the castle is one of the best-preserved Norman fortresses in Ireland and a classic photo from the Thomond Bridge side. Limerick also played a key role in the wars of the 1690s, ending with the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. The stop is short and focused on the view, giving you a taste of the city before the drive continues into County Clare.

The Burren on the Wild Atlantic Way

From Limerick the route heads into the Burren, whose name comes from the Irish word boireann, meaning rocky place. It is one of the strangest landscapes in Europe: grey limestone hills and wide pavements of bare rock cracked into slabs, formed on an ancient sea bed hundreds of millions of years ago.

Despite its lunar look, the Burren is famous for flowers. Arctic, alpine and Mediterranean plants grow side by side in the cracks of the rock, with spring gentians and orchids at their best from May to June. The region is also scattered with stone forts and prehistoric tombs. On this tour you enjoy the Burren as a panoramic drive on part of the Wild Atlantic Way, the coastal touring route of the west of Ireland, while your guide explains its geology and history from the comfort of the coach.

The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher run for about 14 kilometres along the coast of County Clare and rise to 214 metres above the Atlantic at their highest point. Layers of shale and sandstone, laid down some 300 million years ago, form sheer walls that drop straight into the ocean. On clear days you can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay and the mountains of Connemara to the north.

You have about 90 minutes here, enough to walk the paved paths north to O'Brien's Tower, a viewing tower built in 1835, and south toward the sea stack of Branaunmore. From April to July the cliffs are a nesting site for thousands of seabirds, including puffins. Is the Cliffs of Moher worth visiting? Standing on the edge of Europe as Atlantic waves crash below is one of the most memorable moments of any Ireland trip.

Atlantic Edge Exhibition and Visitor Centre

Your Cliffs of Moher tickets include the Atlantic Edge exhibition, housed in the visitor centre that is built into the hillside so it barely interrupts the landscape. Its grass roof and earth walls keep the view of the cliffs untouched, and inside you find cafés, toilets, shops and the exhibition halls.

Atlantic Edge looks at the cliffs from several perspectives: the rocks and how they formed, the ocean and its sea life, the birds that nest on the ledges and the people who have lived on this coast. Interactive screens and an immersive film-style projection give the feeling of flying over the cliff face and diving beneath the waves. Plan about 20 to 30 minutes inside, ideally after your walk if the weather is clear, or first if rain is passing.

Liscannor and Doolin

Depending on how busy the area is, lunch is in Liscannor or Doolin, two small villages a few minutes from the cliffs, with about an hour at your leisure. Liscannor is a fishing village on Liscannor Bay, known for the local Liscannor stone, a rippled flagstone used in floors and walls across Ireland.

Doolin, just north of the cliffs, is the best-known village of this coast, famous for traditional Irish music and as the harbour for ferries to the Aran Islands in summer. Both villages offer cafés and restaurants serving soups, sandwiches, chowder and fresh fish. Lunch is not included, so it is a good chance to try local seafood at your own pace before the return journey begins.

Bunratty Castle and the Golden Vale

On the way back the coach stops at Bunratty Castle, a 15th-century tower house built around 1425 near the Shannon estuary and later the seat of the powerful O'Brien family. Carefully restored in the 1950s, it is among the most complete medieval castles in Ireland, with a folk park beside it recreating a village of the 1800s.

This is a refreshment stop: you can stroll around the grounds, take photos of the castle and grab a coffee, water or soft drink. Entry inside the castle is not included. The last part of the drive crosses the Golden Vale, a broad sweep of rich farmland and rolling hills famous for its dairy herds, and you arrive back in Cork in good time for dinner.