Europe
Ireland
Province of Munster
County Clare
Things to Do in County Clare
See all things to do

The Burren

See all things to do
See all things to do
The Burren
4.5
715 reviews
#14 of 169 things to do in County Clare
Geologic Formations
Read more
Write a review
About
Bare limestone plateau characterized by carboniferous limestone abounding in corals, mollusks and other fossils that lived in the shallow seas over 300 million years ago.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience The Burren
See all
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
2 within 3 miles
Gregans Castle Hotel Restaurant
146
2.7 mi$$$$ • Irish • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Cassidy's Pub and Restaurant
162
2.8 mi$$ - $$$ • Irish • Bar • European
See all
Attractions
19 within 6 miles
Poulnabrone Dolmen
788
53 ftHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Caherconnell Stone Fort & Sheepdog Demonstrations
379
0.5 miHistoric Sites
Gleninsheen Wedge Tomb
12
0.4 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Burren way
218
1.9 miHiking Trails
Burren Birds of Prey Centre
715
Nature & Wildlife Areas
The Burren National Park
598
National Parks • Parks
Aillwee Cave
1,357
2.9 miCaverns & Caves
Burren Exposure
140
History Museums
Carran Medieval Church
11
1.9 miHistoric Sites • Ancient Ruins
Michael Cusack Centre
41
Speciality Museums
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
715 reviews
Excellent
426
Very good
234
Average
50
Poor
2
Terrible
3
MeeShellMidwifeRN
Turlock, CA528 contributions
Quick stop to see it all
Aug 2022 • Couples
The Burren history is interesting, the sea floor that has risen to the lands surface. Reminds me a bit of lava rock but with more cracks and very deep crevices. A quick 15 minutes stop is all you need here.
Written August 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mountain Hiker
6 contributions
Amazing Day
Aug 2021
This is definitely worth seeing if you are near the Cliffs of Moher, but one can hike, sit on a rock and contemplate life or gaze across the ocean to Galway bay and the seven bends of Conamara. you feel like you are in another place or time, see the Poulnabrone (an ancient tomb almost 6,000 years old). As you drive through the whole Burren area - go slowly - there are many places you will want to stop and take pictures and if you drive too quickly, There are some interesting signs with information about the area.
Written September 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
machinmad
Yaxley, UK2,278 contributions
Wild coastline…
Jun 2022 • Couples
The drive along the R477 coastline is magnificent…we visited on a day when an Atlantic storm was screaming against the shoreline. The white water it made and the giant waves that crashed against the rocks made for an exciting vista. The rocky geology creates are “moonscape” which is unlike any other landscape I’ve seen. There are several info boards along the road to tell you all about the history of the area.

Well worth a look if you are in the area.
Written June 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Loraineangel
Las Vegas19 contributions
Beautiful part of Ireland
We stayed in a thatched cottage for a week in the area known as The Burren, County Clare. If you are looking for peace and quiet, this is the place for you! The Burren is famous for it's flowers and rural landscape, but there are plenty of pubs and restaurants if you want to liven things up a little! We stayed in Oughtdarra, just outside Doolin which is known as the music capital of Ireland. It has several pubs with live Irish music every night - we found it to be quite a wild party, and the Guinness flowed freely! We happened to be there on St John's Eve, and the local lads built an enormous bonfire outside our favorite pub, MacDiarmadas. The Burren has a lovely perfumery which makes teas and soaps from local flowers, and there are lots of other attractions - The Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands an easy ferry ride away, and several caves, castles and stately homes. It's a great place to get a taste of the rural life and to see some unspoilt Irish scenery. Probably the highlight of the trip though, was the people. We found the Irish to be kind and friendly - they have great senses of humor and a twinkle in their eyes - those Irish eyes always seemed to be smiling!
Written July 25, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason G
Baltimore, MD680 contributions
Make It Your Own
Jul 2018 • Couples
The Burren is definitely an iconic area of Ireland that you need to visit, if nothing else for it's unique rocky landscape. As for how long you spend, you can honestly see the highlights in a few hours, or you can spend a day if you really want to hike and explore. At the very least, stop at Leamaneh Castle for a few quick pics from the outside (you can't go in), pay to visit Caherconnell Ring Fort (if you haven't seen other ring forts in Ireland), see Poulnabrone Dolmen (it's free and unique), and explore Aillwee Caves (if you're a lover of caves--otherwise, you can probably skip this).
Written August 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MAChivers
Belleair Beach, FL258 contributions
Disappointed
Jun 2017 • Couples
The Burren was listed as the top 10 Most Beautiful places to visit, but I disagree. It is barren and boring. We parked our car and walked a trail just because - the trail ended at a little cottage that offered tea and biscuits that were really good. It's really the only thing we did while we are there. I do think there are other things to see there that may be interesting and maybe we just missed out. I would not recommend it - although my husband said he thought it was pretty cool.
Written August 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara L
13 contributions
Burren Walk - Shane Connolly
Oct 2016 • Friends
My friend and I booked a walking tour of the Burren area before arriving in Ireland. Shane met us at the church in Ballyvaughan and drove us and another couple to the beginning spot for the tour. He was incredibly knowledgeable, informative and funny. We stopped multiple times along the way to learn about the geology, farm animals, ring forts, etc. I highly recommend booking this tour before you go - we ended up changing our travelling route so we could experience this, and it was definitely worth it!
Written October 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DoloresJacoby.Let’sTravel.98368
West Palm Beach, FL9,968 contributions
Beautiful land
Dec 2016 • Solo
Hiring a car to drive through this area was a brilliant thing to do. Underground lakes, rocks, limestone formations, caves, abbeys, and more. I was blessed to see two rainbows over the landscapes. The terrain seems otherworldly in some areas. There are many castles, abbeys, churches lakes and sights to see along the way. I love the Burren Perfumery for a stop--it's a real destination visit.
Written December 23, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert B
Philadelphia, PA195 contributions
Not for everyone
May 2013 • Solo
Mile for mile, The Burren is perhaps the most fascinating area in the country - but it takes a certain mentality to really appreciate it.

It is the polar opposite of the lush greenery that most of the world rhapsodizes about when they come to Ireland. Grey and sparse, barren and cracked, it doesn't resemble much you'll see anywhere on the planet. What you're looking at, in essence, is a gigantic TUMS tablet.

Really really. Calcium Carbonate, for as far as the eye can see.

Those cracks you see everywhere are called "grikes;" its where the rainfall has worn ten billion little rivulets in the surface, eventually falling into the greatest unexplored cave system on the planet - the whole area is shot through with a network of caves eroded over millennia.There are surface entrances everywhere - I know of seven within three miles of Ballylacken Castle. There's a few bodies down there, of indeterminate age, well documented and left in peace in their final resting places. You Do NOT seek out these caves. You Do NOT enter these caves. You WILL Die in there.

Inside, there are rivers of what locals used to call "moonmilk," which is essentially the TUMS dissolved to near liquid, flowing like toothpaste on the floors and walls. Amusingly, it was used as a folk remedy for sour stomachs. It is also as slick as mucus, and will slide you down and out of sight to be found by some future caver. Repeat - do NOT seek these caves out, and do NOT enter them.

Above all that, the surface of The Burren is the thickest accumulation of archeology you'll find anywhere - you can't walk 100 yards in any direction without moving past some vague memory of human habitation. Some are obvious, some are hidden, and some are barely recognizable, a depression or line of unnatural rocks cataloged in the 1800's and now long forgotten. The Burren is populated by untold legions of ghosts.

What is most likely to strike you as a casual observer is the incredible scenery, and your reaction to it may be wildy different from the person beside you. It is desolation in 1000 forms; some will see the beauty in it, and others will see a 60-square mile unfinished parking lot. There's no right answer.

Except the ones who see beauty are right...

Because of the odd winds of the area, the Burren holds an incredible mix of wildflowers and plants. Plants that don't belong there. Plants from Norway. Plants from Italy. Plants from just about anywhere in Western Europe. Somewhere, deep in the shattered landscape, The Burren Perfumery cultivates the plants they find here and hand-make perfumes, soaps, moisturizers and colognes using them as the ingredients. If you're feeling dauntless, take a drive down ten miles of single lane road and seek them out.

And hope you don't meet anyone coming from the other direction.

Obviously, I could go on a even greater length. To stop now, all I can say is, if this is your kind of thing, it's just the thing you're looking for.
Written March 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bernie H
Ennis, Ireland165 contributions
My favourite place in the world.
The burren offers so much to explore .. a stunning landscape, amazing archaeological sites, great walks and wonderful gems of places to eat and drink .. I visit and walk here as often as possible and it never fails to delight and surprise - should be on everyone's bucket list.
Written January 23, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 569
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing

The Burren (County Clare) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about The Burren
We recommend booking The Burren tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 19 The Burren tours on Tripadvisor