The Diamond Hill Hike In Galway: Trail Overview + Maps

There are 2 versions of the Diamond Hill hike – the Lower Trail and the Upper Trail.

You’ll find Diamond Hill in Galway – head for Connemara National Park in Letterfrack and there’s a large car park at the visitor centre. 

Below, I’ll take you through both trails (there’s a map for each):

• The Upper Trail: 6km long and takes around 2 hours
• The Lower Trail: 2.8km long and takes around 45 minutes

Some quick need-to-knows about the Diamond Hill hike

The Diamond Hill loop walks are straightforward once you understand the lay-of-the-land. Here’s some key info:

1. Location

Diamond Hill in Galway is part of the Twelve Bens Mountain range in Connemara. It is located in Letterfrack, a 20-minute drive from Clifden, a 40-minute drive from Roundstone and a 1 hour and 15-minute drive from Galway City.

2. Height

Diamond Hill stands at 1,450 ft (442 metres) in height. While it isn’t one of the most challenging walks in Galway, it is one of the most rewarding view-wise.

3. Parking + warning

There is a large car park at the visitor centre (here on maps). Please note, as this is one of the more popular things to do in Galway, it can get very busy during the summer months, so arrive early.

4. The two trails

The Lower Trail is 2.8km long and takes around 45 minutes. While steepish in places, it will be doable for those with moderate fitness. The Upper Trail is 6km long and takes around 2 hours. It’s pretty steep at times, so you’ll need good mobility and decent fitness levels.

An overview of the two Diamond Hill walks

Take a moment to look at the map above, as it’ll give you a quick glimpse at where both trails take you.

As you can see, the lower trail avoids the steep hike to the summit while the upper trail offers an outstanding view of Connemara National Park on a clear day.

Below, you’ll find an overview of each route.

1. The Lower Diamond Hill walk

The Lower Diamond Hill walk is a looped trail that measures 2.8km in length.

Although doable for those with moderate fitness levels, it does have some modest climbs along the way.

I know of several people that have done this trail with kids (10+) and found it very doable.

While you won’t get the eagle-eye view that the summit affords, you’ll still be able to enjoy fantastic views of the surrounding Connemara countryside, coastline, and islands.

Things to know

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Time to climb: 45 minutes
• Starting point: Connemara National Park Visitor Centre

2. The Upper Diamond Hill walk

The Upper Diamond Hill walk is a continuation of the Lower Trail. It takes you up to the summit of Diamond Hill via a narrow ridge of quartzite that stretches for around half a kilometre.

For those that fancy giving this a go, the entire circuit of the Lower and Upper trails measures around 7km and should take you around 2 hours.

At the 445m-high summit, you’ll be treated to panoramic views across all of Connemara. Few hikes in Ireland offer a view that compares.

Things to know

• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Time to climb: 2 hours
• Starting point: Connemara National Park Visitor Centre

Places to visit nearby

When you finish up, you’re a stone’s throw from a heap of other things to do in Connemara. Here are a few suggestions:

• Clifden Town (18-minute drive)
• The Sky Road (23-minute drive)
• Kylemore Abbey (7-minute drive)
• Glassilaun Beach (18-minute drive)
• Leenaun (23-minute drive)