The Cliffs of Moher

Walking On the Edge of Ireland’s Famous Attraction: The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher located in County Clare are one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions. The Cliffs are dramatic and awe-inspiring as they tower the western coastline. I cannot imagine an Ireland road trip itinerary without a stop here to see nature on display and the spectacular vistas of the Atlantic Ocean and the Aran Islands.

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If you are planning a trip to visit The Cliffs, I highly recommend perusing the official website for opening times, conditions, and advance ticket booking.

My husband and I visited The Cliffs in July during an eight-day road trip through Ireland. The luck of the Irish had clearly rubbed off on us because we had the most amazing weather for our coastal walk.

To read an overview of our full eight-day itinerary through Ireland, click here.

Above photo: The Cliffs of Moher

The best way to visit the Cliffs is by car or a tour organizer. We had rented a car for our road trip and enjoyed having complete flexibility for all of our comings and goings. We had spent the night in Limerick, which was about an hour away from The Cliffs. The biggest piece of advice I can offer is get there early. I mean it!

Summer opening hours start at 8am — and we were there at 8am. We got a great parking space not far from the Visitor Center and we were able to enjoy the walking paths without too many other people around. By the time we left, however, it was much more crowded and the tour buses started rolling up. If you like your space, arriving early is critical.

That being said, The Cliffs would also be an ideal place for a picnic lunch (there are picnic tables all over the place) or a sunset walk. Even though there would be more people, it might be worth it to plan and enjoy other activities.

Above photo: Looking South towards Hag’s Head

Above photos: Looking Northwest

Above photo: O’Brien’s Tower with the Aran Islands in the background

When we first arrived, we followed the signs to the visitor car park. At the parking gate, we exchanged our computer print-outs for our site passes. The site pass is what you will need to have on you in order to gain access to the Visitor Center, Coastal Walk, and O’Brien’s Tower. If you don’t book ahead, you can still purchase tickets when you arrive on site.

The walking paths are very safe and away from the dangerous edge. If weather conditions are blustery, the staff will advise you to keep a safe distance away — or to not walk the paths at all.

Above photos: Coastal Walk

The views are crazy!! Looking south, we were able to see clear down to the Moher Tower at Hag’s Head. Looking out, we were able to see the Aran Islands. Bring your binoculars or borrow them from the Visitor Center because the birds that nest in The Cliffs are also pretty cool.

Above photo: The Atlantic Ocean crashing into the coastline

We enjoyed checking out O’Brien’s Tower, the castle-looking thing that was built on the cliffs in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien. From the top of the tower, the views are even better.

Above photo: O’Brien’s Tower

Above photo: View of the Aran Islands from O’Brien’s Tower and (faintly) the Inis Oirr Lighthouse

We had a fantastic visit to The Cliffs of Moher, and I can only wish everyone else has a similar experience. I know we were lucky though. The weather can be unpredictable, and even on our beautiful day, it was pretty windy. If you end up not having perfect conditions, it is still pretty incredible to see the drop off to the Atlantic Ocean with your own eyes.

We gave ourselves about an hour and a half for our visit, but you don’t necessarily need that long if you don’t plan on walking far on the paths.

Next up for us was Galway and our goal was to make it there for lunch!

Read about the next stop on our Ireland road trip: Galway here.