"Great tour. Tip: On Inis Mór, definitely rent a bike and cycle to Fort Dun Aonghasa. There you have a great view over the steep cliffs down to the sea. And later, when you see the Cliffs of Moher from the water, that's when you first realize how massive these cliffs really are."
From Sea Level · Puffins in Early Summer · From $69
Cliffs of Moher Boat Tour
Almost everyone books the clifftop and never learns this exists. A boat along the base of the wall gives you the 214 metres as a vertical scale rather than a panorama — the rock layers, the sea stack at Branaunmore, and the seabird colonies including puffins in early summer. It is not a replacement for the view from above; it is what to add once you have had it.
Booked 12 times yesterday
From
$69
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.6 / 5 1909+ Reviews
- 214 m Height at the highest point
- €12 Entry, booked direct
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What This Tour Includes
From the operator's own listing — including whether the €12 entry is bundled.
Highlights
- Skip the bus and experience the only tour sailing straight from Galway City
- Experience an Irish culture that has survived modern life on Inis Mór
- Appreciate the scale and beauty of the rugged Cliffs of Moher
- Sail on the biggest passenger ferries in Ireland with bar service & refreshments
- View the spectacular Wild Atlantic Way Coastline on a cruise along Galway Bay
What's Included
- Round-trip ferry transfer
- Audio guide
How a Cliffs Boat Tour Runs
Out of Doolin pier, north along the cliff base, turn at the stack, back. Weather decides everything.
Pick Your Departure City First
This decides your whole day before anything else does. Dublin is roughly three hours each way, so a Cliffs day trip from Dublin is a twelve-hour commitment with about two and a half hours actually at the cliffs. Galway is about an hour and a quarter away, which turns the same visit into a half day. If your itinerary allows a night in Galway, the western departure is a materially better day.
Check Whether Entry Is Included
The visitor-centre admission is €12 for an adult booked direct, €7–12 online depending on the time slot, €10 concession and free under 12. Some tours include it in the headline price and some collect it at the gate. It is a small sum but it is the single most common surprise on a Cliffs day, and the listings are not consistent about saying so.
Decide Whether You Want the Cliffs from Above or Below
Almost everyone books the clifftop and never learns the other option exists. A boat tour from Doolin runs beneath the wall and gives you the 214-metre scale in a way the path above cannot — the puffins, the sea stack, and the layers of rock. If you have already seen the standard view, this is the one worth adding.
Allow for the Weather Being the Whole Experience
This is the Atlantic edge of Europe. Cliffs days are frequently wet, always windy, and the view can close in entirely within twenty minutes. That is not a reason to skip it — a heavy sea at the base is spectacular — but it is a reason to build a flexible day rather than a single fixed slot, and to bring a proper jacket rather than an umbrella, which will not survive.
Photo Gallery
The Cliffs
O'Brien's Tower, the Atlantic wall and the Burren behind it.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Four Ways to Reach the Cliffs of Moher
The cliffs are the same. What differs is how much of your day the journey eats, and whether you see them from above or below.
| Feature | MOST BOOKED Day Tour from Dublin | BEST DAY Day Tour from Galway | Boat Tour from Doolin | CHEAPEST Drive & Walk In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From $90 per person, entry sometimes extra | From $58 per person | From $69 per person, on top of getting to Doolin | €12 entry, or nothing at all if you walk in from Doolin |
| How Long It Takes | About 12 hours door to door, roughly 6 on the coach | Half a day, or a full day with the Burren | About an hour on the water | As long as you like |
| Time Actually at the Cliffs | Two to three hours | Two to three hours, without the six-hour drive | You see them from sea level, not from the top | Unlimited |
| What You See | Clifftop, O'Brien's Tower, plus the Burren and Galway city | The same clifftop and Burren, with far less mileage | The 214-metre wall from below, sea stack and seabirds | The clifftop, on foot, on your own schedule |
| Who It Suits | Dublin-based visitors with one day and no car | Anyone whose itinerary can reach Galway | Second visits, photographers, anyone who wants the scale | Drivers who are fit and dressed for Atlantic weather |
| Depth of Evidence | 27,031 reviews on the leading Dublin tour | 4,258 reviews on the leading Galway tour | 1,909 reviews on the Aran cruise and Cliffs boat tour | — |
| Check Availability |
Every Route We Track
Every Boat and Cruise Option We Track
Real prices, ratings and review counts from the booking platform.
BEST FROM GALWAYFrom Galway: Full-Day Cliffs of Moher & Burren Guided Tour
ENTRY INCLUDEDDublin: Cliffs of Moher, Burren & Galway with Entry
SEEN FROM BELOWFrom Galway: Aran Islands Cruise & Cliffs of Moher Boat Tour
CHEAPESTFrom Galway: Cliffs of Moher and The Burren Guided Day Trip
ARAN ISLANDSFrom Galway: Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher Tour & Cruise
HALF DAYFrom Galway: Cliffs of Moher Half-Day Express Trip
The Cliffs Are a Different Object from Below
From the clifftop path you get a panorama: a wall curving away north and south, the sea a long way down, and no real sense of how far down. From a boat at the base you get scale — 214 metres of layered sandstone and shale directly above you, seabirds working the ledges, and the sea stack at Branaunmore standing off the wall like a piece that fell away, which it is.
Most people book the clifftop and never learn the boat exists. Having done both, the honest ranking is: the top first, then the water. The panorama is what you came for. The scale is what you remember.
What You See
- The full cliff face from sea level, including the layering that is invisible from above
- Branaunmore, the 67-metre sea stack below O’Brien’s Tower
- Seabird colonies — guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, and puffins from roughly April to July, which is the specific reason to go in early summer
- The caves at the base, including the one that stood in for the Horcrux cave in Half-Blood Prince
The Options
- $69 — Aran Islands cruise combined with the Cliffs boat tour, 1,909 reviews at 4.6. The best-value way to get both.
- $93 — Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher with a cruise from Galway, 3,614 reviews.
- $150 — small-group Galway to Aran with a Cliffs cruise.
- $150 — from Dublin, with the boat tour and Aillwee Caves attached.
- $145 — Doolin to Inisheer with bike or bus on the island.
Sailings run from Doolin pier, which is about twenty minutes from the visitor centre by road — so a car or a tour that includes both is what makes the combination practical.
Weather Decides This One
More than any other option on this coast, boat tours are cancelled by sea state, and the Atlantic here does not need a storm to be unworkable. Operators cancel and refund rather than sail into it, which is the right call but means:
- Do not make this the only thing on your last day.
- Book early in your trip so a cancellation leaves room to retry.
- Check the swell, not just the forecast for rain. A dry, bright, windy day is more likely to be cancelled than a calm drizzle.
- Take the seasickness question seriously. This is open Atlantic water and boats that carry it well still move a great deal.
Combining It Properly
The neat version of this coast, if you have a full day from Galway: the Aran Islands in the morning, the cliffs from the water on the return leg, and the clifftop the next day from Doolin or Galway. That sequence uses the ferry geography instead of fighting it, and it is why the combined tours exist.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.6/5
from 1909 verified guests
"We loved our trip to Inis Mor and the cliffs of Moher. The island was beautiful and I recommend renting ebikes. Beautiful views! One caution, beyond their control, the water was rough and it was a rocky ride. Several people were sick. They provided bags and cleaned up thoroughly and quickly. Outside upper deck seems great but on the way there people got soaked from seaspray. On the way back, get to the ferry early to grab the upper deck for the better viewing of the Cliffs of Moher. Definitely recommend"
"An experience I recommend to everyone. The Aran Islands are spectacular. We set off with a few drops of rain, and the sea seemed to be rough, but then everything went smoothly. You can visit Inishmore by minibus, by bike, or on a typical horse-drawn carriage. I recommend this experience, which alone is worth a trip. P.S. During the crossing, we saw some groups of whales."
"Highly recommended activity because it offers the possibility of a relaxing time on the island of Inis Mor and because seeing the Cliffs of Moher from the sea is an incredible experience! Excellent organization"
"Beautiful excursion to discover the Aran Islands and the cliffs. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I recommend bringing seasickness wristbands or chewing gum. I would definitely do this excursion again. Thank you."
"A fun day with the family. Possibility to visit the island by bike and see the cliffs from the sea"
"Everything was precise and well organized, including the passage under the cliffs."
"Great day on the island. Easy ride to and from will definitely book again when in the area."
Read all 1909 verified reviews
See All ReviewsThe Cliffs from Sea Level
An Aran Islands cruise combined with the Cliffs of Moher boat tour, rated 4.6 by 1,909 verified guests, from $69. The scale of the wall only really lands from down here. Starting from $69 per person.
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Cliffs of Moher Boat Tour FAQ
What the view from below adds, and the weather risk that comes with it.
Yes as an addition to the clifftop, no as a replacement for it. From above you get the panorama; from the water you get the scale — 214 metres of layered rock directly overhead, the Branaunmore sea stack, and the seabird colonies. Both are worth doing and the order matters: the top first, because that is the view people picture, then the water for what the top cannot show you. The combined Aran cruise and Cliffs boat tour at $69 carries 1,909 reviews at 4.6.
About an hour on the water for a dedicated cliff cruise, though most bookable options combine it with an Aran Islands trip and run a full day. Sailings go from Doolin pier, roughly twenty minutes by road from the visitor centre, so a car or a tour covering both is what makes the combination practical. The hour itself is spent running north along the cliff base, turning at the stack, and coming back — there is no landing.
Yes, roughly April to July, and that window is the main reason to time a boat trip to early summer. Puffins nest on the ledges and on Goat Island below the cliffs, alongside guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes which are present more broadly through the breeding season. Outside that period the seabird interest drops sharply and the trip becomes purely about the rock — still worth it, but a different outing.
Often — this is open Atlantic water and operators cancel on sea state rather than sail into it. Plan accordingly: book early in your trip rather than on the last day, so a cancellation leaves room to retry, and check the swell rather than just the rain forecast. A bright, dry, windy day is more likely to be cancelled than a calm drizzle. Refunds are standard for weather cancellations, but a refund does not give you back the day.
Still have questions? Email us at info@cliffs-of-moher-tour.com