Many hiking enthusiasts head to Doolin, Ireland to explore the Cliffs of Moher.

However, if you are traveling with kids, you will probably not be hiking the slow cliffside trail, so you will need to find other kid-friendly activities in County Clare. We found Doolin to be a great home base for two nights while we explored the west coast of Ireland and the Cliffs of Moher.

Here are our some of our favorite activities and places from our 48 hours in Doolin.

a view of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland from a boat — Cliffs of Moher from the water

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#1: Cliffs of Moher: Visitor Center and walk

Cost: 10 euros if you go at peak time; 8 euros off-peak; kids are free.
Recommended age: Any! but be prepared to carry the littles ones as it is a climb up the stairs to get some views
Tip: Buy ahead online to save money! (It’s 12 euros per adult if you buy at the gate.)
While most of the Cliffs themselves are not kid-friendly, and the recommended age is at least 10 years old for hiking the long trail along the water’s edge, the visitor center and the area immediately surrounding the Cliffs of Moher experience is perfectly kid-safe. Our daughter especially enjoyed the 4-D show, and the interactive exhibits inside. If you just want to visit the family-friendly areas, take photos, and walk up O’Brien’s tower then you can plan to spend less than an hour and a half here.

A child walks through the Cliffs of Moher Experience which includes video screens and a large puffin in the background. — Cliff of Moher Visitor Center, aka, Cliffs of Moher Experience- kid-friendly section

#2: Cliffs of Moher boat tour (Doolin Ferry)

Cost 70 euros (for our family of 3)
Recommended age: any! just remember those motion sickness patches or bracelets if you have some sensitive travelers

For the best view of the cliffs, take to the sea. From the Doolin pier you can cruise along the bottom of the cliffs. This is safer than hiking with small children, as there is plenty of seating. We booked in advance with Doolin Ferry Co online, but on the day of our trip, we noticed there were still last minute tickets available. If you want to wait and see what the weather’s doing, you might be able to get a seat on the boat in the afternoon. On the way out, you will simply sail to the cliffs. On the return trip, there will be commentary that helps you understand how the cliffs were formed, and share some of the movies that were filmed here. (And if you have not watched The Princess Bride, you should definitely watch it before you visit. It will be so much more fun imagining Wesley climbing up the cliffs to save Buttercup!)

#3: Moher Hill Open Farm and Leisure Park

Cost: $10 per person (including children); under 3 is cheaper, and under 18 months was free

Recommended age: I would say that anyone from a crawling infant to a 7 year old would love it here. Beyond 7 or 8 might feel too big for the play spaces.

Farm Animals + Play Area, what more could you ask for?

This family fun farm is just about 5 minutes past the Cliffs of Moher visitor center, so you could easily visit the Cliffs first and then spend the afternoon at the farm. There is plenty to keep your kiddos busy for about 2 hours there. Upon arrival, each person receives a bag of feed for the animals, and you can walk the grounds, which are fairly large, stopping along the fence line to feed. Just skip the pigs, they bite. We saw sheep, goats, highland cows, alpaca, emus, chickens, bunnies, and more. In addition, there are some repurposed farm buildings that now have play spaces. Our daughter was in awe of the room where there was just sand and digging toys. I think she was ready to move in.

Tip: This was not on ANY lists or websites that we searched when planning for our trip. Our B&B host recommended this for our daughter, and we were prepared to drive an hour away to find a similar activity. Make sure you save the location on Google Maps!

Moher Hill open Farm; Cliffs of Moher and Doolin with kids

Feeing the deer; Doolin Cliffs of Moher with kids

#4: Aillwee Burren Experience

Cost: 60 euros for our family of 3

Recommended age: 4 and up; you need your kiddo to do a lot of walking and not be afraid of the dark

The Burren is a national park full of beautiful hikes, and offers a very different view of Ireland than the cliffs. Tucked into this area, down some windy roads near Ballyvaughan is the Aillwee Burren Experience. It’s a pricier family outing, but it comes with a couple guided tours and access to some hiking. We arrived late in the day, at 3pm, but were able to see a bird of prey demonstration and walk a cave tour. Our daughter enjoyed watching the vultures and hawks fly around (they were very well-trained). Then we head over to experience the Aillwee cave with our wonderful tour guide who was a great story teller. He explained the natural features and how the cave was discovered. It was really a great experience, and our 5-year-old was able to walk the entire cave system herself (it’s about 1 km).

Tickets go on sale for a morning slot (10am-1:30pm) or afternoon slot (1:30pm-5:00pm). At 5pm, the last cave tour departs, but bathrooms and other facilities will be closed, so arriving by 2pm would give you enough time to experience everything and still use the WC.

#5: Eating out in Doolin

Most pubs will have a kid’s menu if you ask; we had one of our best meals at McDermott’s, and even on a Friday night, we could find parking nearby You could also try Gus O’Connors pub, as they are right next to Doolin Ice Cream, which is a perk. Many of the other pubs offer kid’s menus too, but the adult menus were more lacking.

If you are here on a weekend, call in advance to reserve a table. If you cannot reserve one, go right in and get on a waitlist.

Music will start between 8:30 and 9:30 at most pubs. In the smaller towns, children are more welcome in the pubs at nights than in the cities, so you should not have an issue having kids out late. Consider having a midday nap so you can enjoy a late dinner at the beginning of some traditional music.