Destinations
10 Days in Ireland: The Complete Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
Ten days in Ireland day by day: the route, the drives that take longer than they look, and where the extra three days over a week go.
Province
Connacht
The wild west that has not been smoothed for visitors
Connacht is where Ireland stops trying to impress you and just is. Connemara's stone walls and bogs, the Aran Islands where Irish is still the daily language, Sligo's Yeats country, and Mayo's empty beaches. Five counties, the smallest province, and arguably the most honest version of Ireland you will find.
Counties
5
Guides
13
Itineraries
1
5 Counties
County Galway
The west's cultural capital. Connemara, Aran Islands, and city pubs.
County Mayo
Empty beaches, Croagh Patrick, and Achill Island. Deeply underrated.
County Sligo
Yeats country. Benbulben, surfing, and passage tombs.
County Roscommon
Castle country at the heart of the island. Quiet and authentic.
County Leitrim
Ireland's least populated county. A hidden corner worth finding.
Latest from Connacht
Itineraries
7 Day Ireland Itinerary: The Classic Route
Seven days in Ireland on the classic route: Dublin, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, Kerry and Dingle, and what the week really fits.
Destinations
Top Things to Do in Galway: Music, Food and Day Trips
Things to do in Galway: the city on foot, the music, the food, and the day trips that make it a good base for the west.
Things to Do
5 Day Trips from Galway (2026)
Five day trips from Galway: the Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, Connemara and the Aran Islands, with how to book each one.
Things to Do
How to Get Doolin Ferry to Inishmore (Inis Mór) on the Aran Islands
Getting the Doolin ferry to Inis Mor: the operators, the crossing, and how to combine it with the Cliffs of Moher cruise.
Things to Do
Dún Aonghasa | Inishmore, Aran Islands
Dun Aonghasa on Inis Mor: the fort on the cliff edge, how to reach it from the pier, and how long the walk really takes.
Getting to Connacht
Fly in
Ireland West Airport Knock
Drive from Dublin
2h 30m to Galway, 3h to Westport
Rail
Dublin to Galway (2h 30m), Dublin to Westport (3h 20m).
Bus
Bus Eireann and Citylink. Local Link for rural areas.
Heritage & Ancestry
Connacht's history is one of resilience - 'to hell or to Connacht' was Cromwell's threat, and the province's west-facing counties bore the worst of the Famine. O'Flaherty, Joyce, Conneely in Galway; McDonnell, Gibbons in Mayo - the surnames map to townlands that have barely changed.