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How to get from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher (and whether to do it in a day)
The Cliffs of Moher are on the Atlantic edge of County Clare, right across the country from Dublin, and the day trips from Dublin we found advertised run from 9 h 45 min to 12 hours. Our own day tours are planned at 8 hours at most, so we do not sell Dublin and back as one day. Two plans work better: a night in the west, or a one-way transfer followed by the cliffs from Shannon.
Why a day from Dublin is a long one
From Dublin, the cliffs sit at the end of a cross-country drive. Dublin city to Shannon Airport alone takes 2 h 40 min on the motorway, and the cliffs lie another 1 h 10 min beyond the airport, up the N85 and out along the coast road.
Drive that out and back in one day, add a walk on the cliff paths, and the arithmetic does the rest. In the Dublin day trips we compared, most of the hours are spent on the road rather than at the edge of the Atlantic.
Our day tours stop at eight hours, and Dublin to the cliffs and back does not fit inside that. Rather than stretch the rule, we suggest one of the two plans below.
Plan one: move west and stay the night
The cliffs are easiest from a base in Clare, Limerick or Galway. A one-way transfer takes the party and the luggage across the country in one car, and the cliffs turn into a short morning run instead of the far end of a long day.
From Dublin Airport, Limerick is 2 h 15 min and Galway 2 h 15 min. Either makes a natural first night in the west, and each is quoted as one fixed price for the whole car, from EUR 620 to Limerick and EUR 640 to Galway.
Plan two: a one-way transfer, then the cliffs from Shannon
If the trip carries on west or south anyway, split the cliffs off into a day of their own. One day crosses the country. The next is the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren as a private full day from Shannon, Limerick or Galway, with two hours at the cliffs and lunch in Doolin.
If you have not booked flights yet, there is a shorter way in. From Shannon Airport the cliffs are 1 h 10 min by road, and a one-way transfer to the visitor centre is from EUR 195 for the car. On a one-way fare the car does not wait; keeping it while you walk is priced as a touring day.
The three plans side by side
The question is less how to reach the cliffs than how many days the trip can give them.
| Plan | The driving | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin and back in one day | Across the country and back, 9 h 45 min to 12 hours in the day trips we compared | Not a tour we offer |
| A night in the west | One cross-country transfer, then a short run out to the coast | Anyone with a night to spare |
| Transfer, then a day from Shannon | One travel day, then one touring day of up to 8 hours | Trips going on to Galway or Kerry |
Sources
- Day trips from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher advertised by other operators, compared 27 October 2026
- Irish Transfer day tour programme for the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
- Irish Transfer journey times and price list for routes from Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport