Whether you’re visiting Ireland for the first time or have lived in Ireland all your life, the incredible Aran Islands need to be on your travel bucket list. This is the ultimate Aran Islands travel guide with everything you need to plan a weekend break in the Aran Islands including things to do, see and eat.
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As a Galway Girl I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to visit the Aran Islands. I had heard such wonderful things but even in the travel blogging world, this traditional Irish escape seems a fairly undiscovered gem. Perhaps that’s what makes it so special. The serene and idyllic atmosphere on the Aran Islands is sure to capture the hearts of all visitors.
Aran Islands travel guide if you’re in a hurry
Steal my one-day Aran Islands Travel guide if you’re in a hurry!
Stay: Book the Aran Islands Hotel
Do: Explore the island by bike
Eat: ‘The Bar’ for lunch, I recommend the seafood chowder
See: Poll na bPéist (The Worm Hole) and Dún Aonghosa
If you’re not able to stay on the Aran Islands, day trips are another popular way to see the islands. Book a day trip from Galway to see the Aran Islands and combine it with a visit to the Cliffs of Moher.
Don’t forget my top travel tips for visiting the Aran Islands:
- Make sure to book your travel insurance
- Book your accomodation in advance, weekends during peak season book up quickly!
- Prepare for all weather conditions, I’d pack some waterproof trousers, walking boots and a good rain coat
- This is one place you don’t need to plan your meals in advance. With the exception of Madigan’s restaurant in the hotel you can pretty much walk into most of the food spots and get a table
Where to stay on the Aran Islands
If you’re planning a trip to the Aran Islands, you’re probably visiting the biggest of the three beautiful islands off the coast of Co. Galway in Ireland – Inis Mór. I’ll be focussing mostly on Inis Mór in this Aran Islands travel guide.
Hotel accomodation on the Aran Islands
Inis Mór has some lovely tourist accomodation to choose from and suit all budgets, although you should book your Aran Islands accommodation ahead as the accomodation choices get booked up quickly, especially during peak season. The main hotel visitors stay at, on the Aran Islands, is the Aran Islands hotel, on Inis Mór. They have a limited number of hotel rooms and sea view chalets which make a perfect base for exploring the islands. I stayed in a sea view chalet and will be posting my hotel blog review soon.
The other main accomodation option people go for on the Aran Islands is the Aran Islands Camping & Glamping. They have some beautiful camping pods available and a sauna on site that I was tempted to try and visit.
Places to stay on the Aran Islands:
- Aran Islands Hotel
- Aran Islands camping & glamping
- Seacrest B&B
- Aran Walkers Lodge
- Pier House Bed & Breakfast
- Tigh Fitz Apartments
If you’re planning to stay on one of the other Aran Islands, there aren’t as many accomodation choices, you could book Inisheer Hotel or An Creagán Rooms but I recommend staying on Inis Mór and visiting the other islands if you have time.
How to get to the Aran Islands
The Aran Islands are located off the Coast of Galway in Ireland. You can either fly or sail to the Aran Islands. I travelled there by ferry with Aran Island ferries. The ferry departed from Ros a Mhíl harbour in Co. Galway and was over to Inis Mór in about 40 minutes. There’s a direct bus from Galway city centre to the ferry departure area which you can request when booking your ticket.
You can also to fly to Inis Mór! Apparently it’s a very short flight, I took the ferry and despite it being an extremely choppy day for sailing, everything was perfect. The boat ride back to Ros a Mhíl after our stay was incredible with the morning sun on the calm sea. I highly recommend standing at the back of the ferry for a bit while you take in the beautiful last look at the Aran Islands.
What makes the Aran Islands so special
The most important thing to know about the Aran Islands is that they are located in the Gaeltacht or Irish-speaking part of Ireland.All of the signage and everything here is as Gaeilge or in Irish. That’s not to say the locals don’t speak English of course but it’s respectful to learn a cúpla focal (few words) and respect our traditional language. I absolutely loved hearing the Irish language spoken so much, it took me right back to my days of studying Irish and attending Irish Summer camps close by (Gaeltacht).
This is one of the most traditional and undisturbed parts of the world so it’s important as always to be respectful of nature and protect the beauty of the Aran Islands. There aren’t coffee shops on every corner and that’s part of what makes the experience so special, you’ll find the nicest people, the most breathtaking scenery, fabulous local Irish food and brilliant craic.
Things to do on the Aran Islands
In my opinion the best things to do on the Aran Islands are only discovered by putting on your hiking boots and getting out and exploring the Aran Islands or hiring a bike to cycle around. If you prefer to book a tour or activity there are lots of things to do on the Aran Islands.
You don’t want to miss these things to do on the Aran Islands:
- See the worm hole (Poll na bPéist) – a unique natural pool in the cliffs
- Hike to the Black Fort for stunning cliff views
- Visit the seal colony view point, don’t forget your binoculars
- Stop at any of the beautiful tropical beaches on the island, yes I said tropical beaches, in Ireland!
- See an ancient stone fort at Dún Aonghosa with a 100m high cliff view
- Go scuba diving off the coast of the Aran Islands
- Enjoy hiking the many nature filled trails on the island and spot the ancient monuments on your walks
- Combine a food tasting and sight seeing tour
Where to eat on the Aran Islands
Seize the chance to try some underrated local Irish food. That ranges from freshly caught Irish seafood to Irish curry chicken, Irish stew to Irish sausages. I miss Irish food a lot when I’m travelling and it was fantastic to try such fresh and high quality food on the Aran Islands. Here are some of the best places to eat at on your visit to the Aran Islands:
- Aran Islands hotel – Madigan’s Seaview restaurant
- ‘The Bar’ Kilronan (I had lunch and dinner here, loved it!)
- Aran islands Seafoods (The best fish and chips)
- Tigh Joe Watty
- Minnie’s Cafe
- Teach Nan Phaidi
- Bayview restaurant
FAQs about visiting the Aran Islands
Where are the Aran Islands?
The Aran Islands are made up of three islands off the coast of Galway in Ireland.
How long should I visit the Aran Islands for?
You can pretty much see all of Inis Mór on a day trip. It is really an incredible experience to spend more time there and take it all in at a more leisurely pace so I recommend a weekend on the Aran Islands. I found that the more popular accommodation choices required a two night booking minimum so that’s what we did.
What language is spoken on the Aran Islands?
The Aran Islands are located in the Gaeltacht or Irish speaking part of Ireland so Irish (Gaeilge) is the language spoken. Most people also speak English there but as always it’s respectful to learn a few basic words and phrases in Irish. The hotel actually had a sign up with the Irish language phrases to order lots of different types of drinks at the bar, which I thought was a great idea.
What is the best time of year to visit the Aran Islands?
You can visit the Aran Islands all year round with Spring/Summer being the more popular times. Given the small size of the islands the weather can be quite changeable. It’s absolutely stunning in the sunshine, but it’s also likely you can have rain and wind the next day. I would prepare for all weather possibilities.
Thank you for reading my Ultimate Aran Islands Travel Guide, I hope it inspires your Irish travels. Don’t forget to follow my @BoopFoodie social media accounts for more food and travel recommendations.
Watch my Aran Islands Weekend Travel Vlog
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