7 Sligo Tours Worth the Day

1.Guided Tour to Shed Distillery of PJ Rigney in Leitrim

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 82 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $25Our pick

Spend about two hours at The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, learning how its whiskey and gin are made with an expert ambassador. Taste Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, then finish with a Gunpowder Gin and Tonic in the Honey Badger bar’s botanical glasshouse. The tour is in English and groups are capped at 26.

“Whiskey tasting. Free Gin & Tonic at the end of the tour and chatting to other participants of the tour.”

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2.Sligo Dark Tales Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $156

Join a Sligo native, often guide Melissa, for a private 90-minute to two-hour walk through town. Expect Sligo Abbey, local characters, murder and ghost stories, cemetery history, and links to the Americas. Umbrellas and ponchos are available, and the route ends in central Sligo.

“We had a great tour, though it rained the entire time. Our guide was kind enough to have shown up with umbrellas. We learned the town’s history and about its famous residents. It was quite funny and charming.”

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3.Surf Lesson Experience in Strandhill

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $78

Meet Atlantic Surf School at Strandhill National Surf Centre for a 2.5-hour beginner-friendly lesson with certified coaches. You’ll get a wetsuit, boots, and board, walk to the beach for a safety briefing, then spend about an hour catching waves. Instructors including Zuhe, Marianna, Rory, Shane, and Yusa coach you in the water.

“This is the most amazing family experience and we wish to thank Zuhe, Marianna, Rory and Shane for a wonderful experience. From not knowing how to surf at the start of the week to being very proficient at the end is wonderful. Very much go and join this session with Zuhe with his team. Barry, Natalia and Filip.”

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4.Experience a Surf Lesson in Strandhill, County Sligo – 2.5 hrs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $66

At Rebelle Surf School in Strandhill, you’ll learn surf safety, board skills, and wave technique in a beginner-friendly 2.5-hour session. Michael, Melanie, Deb, and the team provide wetsuits, boards, heated changing rooms, and hot showers. Sessions run at 10am or 2pm, based on the tide.

“The instructors were really nice and helpfull. I enjoyed a lot and my friends also, I would do it again.”

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5.Surf Lessons in Co. Sligo, on The Wild Atlantic Way

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6 reviews · from $66

Spend 2.5 hours learning to surf at Strandhill, Ireland’s famous beach break. Qualified Irish Surf Association instructors teach beginners and intermediate surfers aged 8 and up. Your wetsuit, boots, board, lesson, showers, and changing facilities are included. Bring only swimwear and a towel.

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6.Literary Walking Tour – Wilde, Yeats & Joyce

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · from $25

Join Dr Philip Taylor on a two-hour, small-group walk through Dublin's literary heart. You'll explore Stephen's Green, the National Library's Yeats exhibition, Joyce's Sweny's Pharmacy, and Oscar Wilde's memorial in Merrion Square. Expect English-language storytelling, literary context, and a relaxed group of no more than eight adults.

“This is an excellent tour and is well worth the money. There is a very good reason why Dublin is an UNESCO City of Literature, With four Nobel prize winners (Yeats, Beckett, Shaw and Heaney), Philip will tell you all about these great writers. He was very informative patient and well able to field any questions I had It's a tour and a Tour Guide I would highly recommend”

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7.Sligo surfing. Sligo. Guided. 2½ hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $101

Meet at Carrowbunnaun for a guided surf lesson at Strandhill Beach on Sligo’s Wild Atlantic coast. You’ll learn basic technique on land, then practise in the water with equipment supplied. The class welcomes beginners and experienced surfers, with a maximum of 15 people. Allow up to three hours, including check-in.

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