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Sligo itineraries

Sligo Itineraries

Half a day or a full weekend. Here are the best ways to spend your time in Sligo, planned step by step.

Whether you have a few hours off the train or a full weekend to explore, these itineraries give you a local’s route through Sligo. Each one links directly to the restaurants and activities along the way.

Half-Day Sligo Town Heritage Walk·Half day (approx. 4 hours)Full-Day Yeats Country & Lough Gill·Full day (approx. 8 hours)Rainy Day: Indoor Sligo·Half to full day, flexible

Half-Day Sligo Town Heritage Walk

Half day (approx. 4 hours)Year-round

A compact town-centre loop covering Sligo's medieval abbey, its contemporary art gallery, and the riverside streets in between, finishing with lunch. Everything on this itinerary is walkable from the town centre, no car needed.

First time visitorsCulture loversNo car needed
  1. 1
    10:00·1 hour

    Sligo Abbey

    Start at the medieval Dominican priory in the town centre, allowing an hour to take in the cloister, high altar and graveyard.

    View Sligo Abbey
  2. 2
    11:15·1 hour

    Walk to The Model

    A 10-minute walk from the abbey to The Mall for The Model gallery and the Niland Collection.

    View The Model
  3. 3
    12:30·1 hour

    Lunch at Kate's Kitchen

    A short walk back into the town centre for lunch at Kate's Kitchen on Castle Street.

    View Kate's Kitchen
  4. 4
    13:30·1 hour

    Garavogue River walk

    Finish with an easy stretch of the riverside walk along the Garavogue, as far as suits your time.

    View Garavogue River & Doorly Park Walk

Full-Day Yeats Country & Lough Gill

Full day (approx. 8 hours)spring-summer-autumn

A full day out by car covering the two landscapes that shaped Yeats's poetry: Benbulben and Drumcliffe to the north, then Lough Gill and Hazelwood to the east, with Carrowmore's Neolithic tombs worked in on the way back. Best done with a car, since public transport doesn't reach most of these stops directly.

Literature fansScenic drivesHistory lovers
  1. 1
    09:30·45 minutes

    Drumcliffe and Yeats's grave

    Drive 8 minutes north to Drumcliffe to see the poet's grave, the high cross, and Benbulben towering behind the churchyard.

    View W.B. Yeats's Grave at Drumcliffe
  2. 2
    11:00·1.5 hours

    Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

    Head back through town and out toward Strandhill to Carrowmore, Ireland's largest Neolithic tomb complex.

    View Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
  3. 3
    13:00·1 hour

    Lunch back in town

    Return to the town centre for lunch at Eala Bhán on Rockwood Parade.

    View Eala Bhán
  4. 4
    14:30·2 hours

    The Lough Gill Drive

    Follow the signed circular drive around Lough Gill, stopping for the Lake Isle of Innisfree viewpoint and Dooney Rock.

    View The Lough Gill Drive
  5. 5
    16:30·1.5 hours

    Hazelwood Sculpture Trail

    Stretch your legs on the lakeshore walk at Hazelwood before heading back into town.

    View Hazelwood Sculpture Trail

Rainy Day: Indoor Sligo

Half to full day, flexibleYear-round

An indoor-weighted plan for a wet Atlantic day, built around the town's galleries, theatre and food scene rather than the outdoor landscape stops.

Wet weatherFood loversCouples
  1. 1
    10:30·1.5 hours

    The Model

    Start indoors at The Model gallery on The Mall; free entry and a café on site.

    View The Model
  2. 2
    12:30·1 hour

    Lunch at The Gourmet Parlour

    Lunch at the long-established Gourmet Parlour on Bridge Street.

    View The Gourmet Parlour
  3. 3
    14:00·1 hour

    Sligo Abbey

    The abbey's cloister and covered sections make it a reasonable wet-weather option, though parts are open-air.

    View Sligo Abbey
  4. 4
    19:00·2 hours

    Dinner at Hargadon Bros

    Finish with dinner and a pint in Sligo's landmark Victorian pub.

    View Hargadon Bros

Ready to plan your visit?

Check tide times, live train departures, and the weather forecast before you head out.

Planning Tips & Packing GuideGetting to Sligo