Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting The Cliffs of Moher!
If you are planning a trip to Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher HAVE to be on your list of things to see! Learn about the cliffs, where they are, the price of parking and literally everything you need to know before visiting the Cliffs of Moher!
About the Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher are located along the Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast of the island. The cliffs span about 14 km/9 miles along the coast and peak at about 214 meters/700 ft tall!
On a clear day you can see the Aran Islands (inspiration for the Iron Islands on Game of Thrones?!?! (not sure) and parts of the Dingle Peninsula.
Fun fact: You may recognize the Cliffs of Moher in the Harry Potter movie Half Blood Prince as Harry and Dumbledore go find one of Voldemorts Horcruxes in the cave!
Getting There
The Cliffs of Moher are located on the west coast of Ireland. You can access them by busing or driving southwest from Dublin.
By Car:
- About a 3 hour drive
- Like most roads in Ireland, it is a winding road, so be prepared
- Also, be prepared for tolls on the road from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher
By Bus:
- No direct route to the cliffs
- Could take up to 5 hours due to stopping and changing of buses
- Take the 300 bus from Dublin to Dunnes/Friars walk in Ennis. Walk to the Ennis bus station and take the 350 bus to the Galway Station. From there, get on the County Clare/Cliffs of Moher stop.
- Visit this Rome2Rio page for more details on the bus routes!
By Tour:
- If you are primarily staying in the city of Dublin and looking for day trips, you can also take a tour with a tour guide for about $60.
If you have opted for the car rental form of transportation, you can visit the Cliffs of Moher via the southern route as well. Visit our 10-Day itinerary to see our route to the Cliffs of Moher.
Pricing and parking
Technically, it is free to see the Cliffs of Moher.
- However, if you want to go to the visitor center or are going to park, you have to pay.
- There is a parking lot across the road from the cliffs.
- Tickets at the gate are around 10 euros and give you access to all of the facilities on the premise such as the visitor center and bathrooms.
- You can save around 3 euros by buying tickets online and visit between 8-11 am.
Weather
The Cliffs of Moher are on the west coast of the island and catch ALL of the wind from the Atlantic Ocean.
- Average wind speeds are between 65-80 kmph with gusts up to 110-130 kmph.
- The highest wind speed ever recorded was 191 kmph/119 mph.
- There are three categories of wind speeds: yellow, orange and red, with orange being the average speeds mentioned above.
- The cliffs have been known to close if the speeds climb into the red category.
For current weather status, go to www.met.ie.
What to wear
As I mentioned, the weather is unpredictable and mostly not ideal. Here are my recommendations on what to wear when visiting the Cliffs of Moher:
- Wear some sort of rain jacket. An umbrella is out of the question due to the wind and you never know when rain will pop up. It is also not uncommon to get water spraying from the ocean that rides the wind up the cliffs.
- Hats are definitely not recommended and even my beanie had a hard time staying on through the gusts.
- If you are going to wear a scarf, have it tucked into your jacket and secure. I saw many scarves wrapped around the barbed wire fence that runs along the trail around the cliffs.
Visiting the cliffs of moher
Just thinking back on the views at the Cliffs of Moher gives me chills, so I am excited for you to go see them! In summary, know that it will be windy and that the cliffs are found along the Wild Atlantic Way which is most easily accessed by renting a car. But however you get there, it is worth the trip. For all information on the Cliffs of Moher and to book your tickets online, visit the official website of the Cliffs of Moher!
Looking for other recommendations on what to do in Ireland? Click here!