Solo travel · Galway · Ireland
Solo travel in Galway
How to enjoy Galway at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
_(26131600653).jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Galway is one of Ireland's easiest cities for solo travellers: it is small, sociable and full of students, and pub sessions and day tours make meeting people natural. Many solo travellers base themselves in Latin Quarter.
Key facts
- Base
- Latin Quarter
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 or 999
- Language
- English and Irish
Solo travel tips
- Hostels around Eyre Square and the Latin Quarter organise pub crawls and day tours.
- Sitting at the bar during a trad session is a natural way to start a conversation.
- Day tours to the Cliffs of Moher, Connemara and the Aran Islands are cheaper and simpler alone than hiring a car.
- Book accommodation early for summer weekends; single rooms disappear fast.
- Keep an eye on your belongings in crowded pubs during festival weeks.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, couples and solo travellers
Latin Quarter
The medieval core between Eyre Square and the Spanish Arch holds Shop Street, High Street, Quay Street and Cross Street, with Lynch's Castle, St Nicholas' Collegiate Church and the city's best-known music pubs. Staying here puts every city sight within a few minutes' walk, though rooms are limited and lively at night.
- Good
- Everything within walking distance; Music and pubs on the doorstep; Characterful streets
- Watch out
- Noisy late at night, especially in summer; Few large hotels and high festival prices
- Nearby
- Spanish Arch, St Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway City Museum, Lynch's Castle
Great on your own
Historic site · Latin Quarter
Spanish Arch
Buy fish and chips on Quay Street and eat them on the river wall here at sunset.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
Museum · Latin Quarter
Galway City Museum
Head to the top floor for the view over the Spanish Arch and Galway Bay.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Religious site · Woodquay
Galway Cathedral
Visit outside service times and look for the mosaic that includes President John F. Kennedy.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
.jpg){kind=link}
Religious site · Latin Quarter
St Nicholas' Collegiate Church
Visit on a Saturday morning and combine it with the Galway Market, which sets up on the lanes around the church.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Waterfront · Salthill
Salthill Promenade
Walk out from the Claddagh along the shore in the late afternoon and finish with a drink in Salthill.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
Waterfront · Claddagh
The Claddagh and Nimmo's Pier
For the ring's history, visit the small museum in Thomas Dillon's shop on Quay Street, which claims to be the oldest Claddagh ring maker.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Couples
- Photo spot
Meeting people
- Saturday at Galway Market — Graze the street-food stalls and pick up local cheese, bread and smoked fish on Church Lane by St Nicholas' Church.
- Oysters at the source — Drive or take a tour south to the oyster bars of Clarinbridge and Kilcolgan on Galway Bay, where native oysters are served a few kilometres from the beds.
- Latin Quarter — Quay Street, Cross Street and High Street hold the city's best-known pubs, including Tigh Neachtain, the Quays and Tig Cóilí, with music most nights.
- West End — Dominick Street and around have the Crane Bar's upstairs sessions, small gig venues and a younger crowd.
Sensible precautions
Galway is relaxed for visitors; the main issues are late-night drunkenness around the Latin Quarter and Eyre Square at weekends and pickpocketing in crowded festival weeks. On the coast and cliffs, Atlantic waves and wind are strong, so keep well back from edges and swim only at lifeguarded beaches.
- Emergency number
- 112 or 999
- Staying connected
- Mobile coverage is good in the city and patchy in remote parts of Connemara and the Aran Islands; EU roaming applies to European SIMs.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Galway good for solo travellers?
Galway is one of Ireland's easiest cities for solo travellers: it is small, sociable and full of students, and pub sessions and day tours make meeting people natural.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Galway?
Latin Quarter: Pedestrian Shop Street and Quay Street, buskers and traditional pubs.