Season guide · Galway · Ireland
Galway in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Wet, windy and short days, but the Christmas market, cosy pub sessions and the lowest room rates. Expect highs up to 9°C (48°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 51 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 9°C (48°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 51
- Sea
- 9°C (48°F) to 11°C (52°F)
- Crowds
- Very quiet
- Hotel prices
- Lowest
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C (48°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 18 | 8 h | 1/5 |
| February | 9°C (48°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 15 | 9.7 h | 1/5 |
| December | 9°C (48°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 18 | 7.5 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 9°C (48°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 51 of the year's roughly 182 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 1/5 and hotel prices 1/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- December: Galway Christmas Market continues (usually until just before Christmas)
Good choices for winter
Aquarium · Salthill
Galway Atlantaquarium
Combine it with the playground and promenade nearby for a full rainy-morning plan with kids.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Experience · Latin Quarter
Traditional music sessions
Galway is one of the best places in Ireland to hear informal trad sessions, with fiddles, flutes, bodhráns and uilleann pipes.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- After dark
- Couples
- Rainy day
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
Dedicated in 1965, the domed limestone cathedral beside the Salmon Weir Bridge is often described as one of the last great stone cathedrals built in Europe.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Clifden and the Sky Road (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car or coach) — Connemara's main town is the start of the Sky Road, a loop with high views over Clifden Bay and the Atlantic islands.
- Cong and Ashford Castle (About 50 minutes by car) — The village of Cong between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, where the film The Quiet Man was shot, has a ruined Augustinian abbey and woodland walks into the grounds of Ashford Castle, now a luxury hotel.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Galway?
It is a trade-off: Wet, windy and short days, but the Christmas market, cosy pub sessions and the lowest room rates. The best months overall are May–June and September.
+What is the weather like in Galway in winter?
Highs of up to 9°C (48°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 51 rainy days over the season.