Tour Overview

‘Excellent’

This tour offers arguably the most spectacular landscape in the country and is home to Ireland's highest mountain range. Each day presents you with even more stunning scenery as you cycle through majestic mountain ranges and beautiful lakes coloured by yellow gorse and purple heather that grows everywhere. We avoid the main roads around the Ring of Kerry by taking you on some beautiful quiet backroads that intersect with the Iveragh and Dingle Peninsulas.

  • Tour Dates 2020
    • June 13 
    • July 25
    • August 18

What's included

    *Accommodation is based on a twin sharing basis. Due to the isolated nature of some of our locations, we cannot guarantee the availability of single room accommodation. A limited number of single rooms are available at a supplement of $286 for the week.
  • Special Features of Your Cycling Tour In Ireland
  • 7 nights Bed & Breakfast accommodation with private bathroom facilities
  • 7 full Irish breakfasts
  • 1 Dinner
  • 21 speed touring bike with a pannier bag
  • Maps and necessary equipment
  • Experienced guide driving support van
  • Luggage Transfers

Tour highlights

  • Burren
  • Ceide Fields Visitor Centre
  • Christ Church Cathedral
  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Conor Pass
  • Doolin
  • Dublin Castle
  • Gap of Dunloe
  • Guinness Storehouse
  • Kilmainham Gaol
  • Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms
  • Ring of Kerry
  • Trinity College & Book of Kells
  • Chester Beatty Library
  • James Joyce Centre
  • Killary Harbour
  • Molly Gallivans Cottage & Farm
  • National Museum of Ireland - Collins Barracks
  • Quiet Man
  • Shaw Birthplace Museum
  • Valentia Island
  • Waterford Crystal Centre

Overnights for this tour

  • Killarney for 1 Night
  • Sneem for 1 Nights
  • Glenbeigh for 1 Nights
  • Dingle for 2 Nights
  • Killorglin for 1 Night
  • Killarney for 1 Night

Accommodation options

  • Accommodation
    Accommodation is based on a twin sharing basis in family run hotels and guesthouses with breakfast included. All rooms provide private bathroom facilities. Due to the isolated nature of some of our locations we cannot guarantee the availability of single room accommodation. For people travelling alone we will twin share them with another single person. In exceptional cases we may be able to provide a single room at a supplement of €215.00 for the week.

Day 1 - Dublin to Waterford Castle

Travelling the coastal route, you will first arrive at Powerscourt House & Gardens. Surrounding this 18th Century Palladian House in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, you will find a sublime blend of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, statuary and ornamental lakes together with secret hollows, rambling walks and over 200 varieties of trees and shrubs. Shortly after this, you will arrive at the ancient monastic settlement at Glendalough. The monastic settlement has been a centre for pilgrims and visitors since its foundation by St. Kevin in the 6th century. Continue on to Avoca where you will find the Avoca Handweavers factory, famed worldwide for the quality of its woven fabrics. On to the Dunbrody Famine ship in New Ross before the final leg to Waterford City and the Waterford Crystal Interpretive centre.

Day 2 - Waterford Sightseeing & Further Afield

While you may wish to relax in Waterford city and soak up the Viking heritage, or take a short drive out to the quaint picturesque fishing village of Dunmore East. You have the opportunity to travel inland to the county of Tipperary and visit two historic sites today. First of these is the Rock of Cashel. Cashel was once the seat of the Kings of Munster and capital of this southern province. Kings of Ireland as well as Munster came to this spot and St. Patrick is known to have preached on the rock and converted the local King, Aenghus, here in the 5th Century. Ireland’s most famous High King Brian Boru also used this location from which to continuously thwart the Viking raiders. Next stop is Cahir Castle, once an important stronghold of the powerful Butler family, which retains its impressive keep, tower and much of its original defensive structure. It is one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved castles.

Day 3 - Waterford to Kenmare

You will have quite a long journey today from Waterford to Kenmare. The following route includes visits to Midleton, Youghal & Cobh. Youghal is famous for its point lace (point d'Irlande) which is distinguished by its vivid patterns as well as the fact that the film ‘Moby Dick’ starring Gregory Peck was filmed here in 1956. After Youghal, you will travel to the village of Cobh. Cobh, situated on one of the world’s largest natural harbours, was the last port of call for the ill-fated Titanic in 1912 and was the closest port to the site of the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. The heritage centre sympathetically recounts these events and tells the story of emigration from Ireland to the United States and Australia from the time of the famine in 1847 up to the 1950s. A stop to climb to the Blarney Castle ramparts to ‘Kiss the Blarney Stone’, said to bestow the gift of eloquence, and is a must for those who dare. Across the village green you will find the Blarney Woolen Mills store, a one stop shop for Irish knitwear, crystal, linen and much more. From here you will travel to Kenmare. Kenmare is an excellent location from which to tour the Ring of Kerry or indeed the less travelled but unspoilt Beara Peninsula to the south of Kenmare.

Day 4 - While in Kenmare

Kenmare is the perfect base for you to tour the famous Ring of Kerry, which is a journey through some of Ireland’s most outstanding scenery around the Iveragh Peninsula. Stunning mountain and coastal scenery combined with colourful towns and villages will make this journey one of the highlights of your vacation. For those who wish to take a rest from driving we can pre-arrange a coach tour through this route from Killarney. Muckross House is a stop on your route that you are sure to visit. Muckross House is a wonderful Victorian manor built in 1843 for Henry Arthur Herbert. The location of the House is impressive, close to the eastern shore of Muckross Lake and set below the impressive backdrop of the Torc and Mangerton Mountains. As a substitute to the Ring of Kerry tour you may prefer to take a wonderful tour by pony and trap that takes you through the Black Valley in the Gap of Dunloe and after a snack at Lord Brandon’s Cottage, you can return to Killarney by boat via the beautiful Lakes of Killarney. This evening you will spend another fabulous overnight stay in the luxury Kenmare Park Hotel, perhaps tonight enjoying a sumptuous dinner in the George Bernard Shaw restaurant. Named after the Irish playwright who famously said ‘there is no sincerer love than the love of food. 

Day 5 - Kenmare to Dromoland Castle

Today your journey brings you to Co. Clare to Dromoland Castle. From Kenmare travel to Killarney and onwards the village of Adare in County Limerick. Adare is regarded by many a seasoned traveller as Ireland’s prettiest village with its charming thatched cottages, manicured public park and ancient church. After leaving Adare travel along the N20 towards Limerick City of ‘Angelas Ashes’ fame and home to King Johns Castle. From here continue to Bunratty where you can visit Bunratty Castle. Built in 1425, this majestic castle was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour. Within the grounds of the Castle is Bunratty Folk Park where 19th century Irish life is vividly recreated. Continue from here to Newmarket-On-Fergus where the Castle is located. Dromoland Castle, one of finest castle hotels in Ireland, offers guests the experience of living like landed gentry, surrounded by luxury, beauty and service. The castle, a magnificent Renaissance structure built in the 16th Century, was once the royal seat of the O'Brien Clan. Refurbished and transformed into a luxury castle hotel in 1962, it retains priceless reminders of the castle's historic past.

Day 6 - Clare Sightseeing

This morning travel to the magnificent ‘Cliffs of Moher’. The majestic Cliffs of Moher are without doubt one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights and overlook the Atlantic Ocean and the Aran Islands on the coast of West Clare. Just north of the cliffs is the village of Doolin. Doolin is world-famous for its wealth of Irish folk music and in recent years has been attracting crowds to spontaneous sessions in any one of its excellent pubs. You then have the lunar like Burren region and the ancient Poulnabrone Dolmen Tombs nearby. An alternative to walking the cliffs and Burren region is to see them from the sea. With an early start, you may take the ferry to the Aran Islands from Doolin Pier. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. Take a pony and trap, or a guided tour from the pier up the island to the stone fort of Dun Aonghus. The fort is located on top of a 300ft high sea cliff and is one of the finest prehistoric monuments in Western Europe. This evening, perhaps attend the Bunratty Castle Medieval banquet just 10 minutes from Dromoland.

Day 7 - Clare to Ashford Castle

From Dromoland Castle travel less than an hour north to Galway City. Galway City, known as the ‘City of the Tribes’ is Ireland’s Cultural and festival capital. Sites in Galway include Ireland’s largest medieval parish church, the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra dating back to 1320. Christopher Columbus reputedly worshipped in this church in 1477. Also nearby are Galway Cathedral, the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square. On to Ashford Castle. At Ashford Castle, each guest room is individually designed to provide stylish personal comforts, from the marble fittings of bathrooms to soft coordinated fabrics and furnishings. Ashford Castle’s spacious suites allow an abundance of time to relax in a grand manner and experience the tranquillity which nature provides.

Day 8 - Ashford Castle & Connemara

While there are plenty of activities in and around the Castle Estate to keep you entertained including golf, falconry, clay pigeon archery, bicycle hire and water sports, if you decide to tour the area surrounding the Castle, you will not be short of things to see. Take a cruise on Lough Corrib and visit the ancient ruins on Inchagoill Island, the ferry terminal for which can be found near the village of Cong.  Also in the village you can take the Quiet Man Tour which visits the film locations and settings used in the making of the epic film starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara – The Quiet Man. You could easily travel south to Clifden which is the principle town of Connemara. Here you can peruse the local shops including sweater shops, quality gift shops, enticing boutiques, antique shops as well as many quirky souvenir shops. If not already visited, Kylemore Abbey may also be on your visit list! Known as Ireland’s most romantic Castle the grounds also contains a Gothic Church and a beautiful Victorian walled garden. Just south of the beautiful town of Westport you will find Croagh Patrick which is known locally as Ireland’s 'Holy Mountain' and according to legend St. Patrick spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying here. Return to Ashford Castle this evening for another overnight stay in your superb castle surroundings!

Day 9 - Ashford Castle to Dublin

Today’s journey to Dublin takes in some of Ireland’s most historical landmarks. First of these is the ancient monastic settlement at Clonmacnoise. This is an early Christian site founded by Saint Ciaran in the 6th century on the banks of the River Shannon and includes the ruins of a cathedral, eight, two round towers, three high crosses and a large collection of early Christian grave slabs. From here, we travel either to Dublin or take a slight detour to the megalithic tombs of Newgrange. One of the great wonders of the ancient world, Newgrange is older than Stonehenge, Mycenae or even the Pyramids of Egypt and is foremost among the passage-tombs of Europe. From here, we travel south to Dublin City. Dublin city centre is a compact area, with all points of interest being easily accessible on foot. As a result you will find a large number of walking tours available, the most popular of which include the “Historical Walking Tour” and the “Literary Pub Crawl”. You may of course wish to visit many of the sights in your own time either on foot or with the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus service that stops at all of the major attractions including Dublin Castle, Trinity Castle & the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, the National Museum of Ireland and The Guinness Storehouse to name just a few.

Day 10 - Dublin Sightseeing

Continue your sightseeing in Dublin today visiting the many historical and modern attractions that this cosmopolitan city has to offer. Other attractions include Christchurch Cathedral which was founded in the year 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen, the James Joyce Centre & the Dublin Writers Museum. Of course, you may wish to take time out to shop in Grafton Street or any one of a number of narrow and quaint streets that the café strewn city centre has to offer. The Dublin Hop On Hop Off Bus is an excellent way of visiting many of Dublin’s most historic locations. This evening, why not spend some time in the Temple Bar area. This small area boasts a dazzling choice of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops to suit all tastes and pockets, all within easy walking distance of Temple Bar's many cultural centres and galleries. Its narrow, cobbled streets are pedestrianised and are ideally suited to a leisurely stroll through the quarter. Also worth a visit is EPIC, the Irish emigration museum and the GPO (General Post Office) which houses the ‘GPO Witness History’ visitor attraction. This exhibition tells the story of the 1916 rising and the aftermath of this historic rebellion.

Route map

Tour attractions

Tour Prices

Tour Pricing

Accommodation Type Tour With Standard Rooms Tour With Deluxe Rooms
Jan-Mar & Nov-Dec €3,059 €4,348
April & October €4,090 €5,435
May-June €4,790 €6,390
July -September €4,790 €6,390

Notes

  • Distances
    The average cycling distance is an easy 30m (45km) with longer routes being available most days. The tours are suitable for adults of all ages, but a certain level of fitness is required and taking in a few practice rides is strongly recommended. The tours are not suited for children under 13 years of age. The Ring of Kerry, the Highlands of Donegal and the Antrim tours have more hills than the other routes and are more suited to the keener cyclist.

  • Meals
    Your guide will recommend a lunch stop each day where a snack lunch will cost between €8 and €12. A group evening meal is organised by the guide each night which costs between €18 and €25. One evening meal during the tour is included in the tour price.

  • Your Bicycle
    We supply 18-21 speed hybrid touring models for your tour. Each booking must give your name and approximate height. Repair equipment, helmets and pannier bags are available on request.

  • Starting Times
    Each of the tours start with a meeting group at 6:30pm on the Saturday evening in a central hotel close to the local train station and bus station. This is only a meeting point, typically the group will be staying in nearby guesthouses. The guide is able to return to the meeting place at 9:30pm again that evening and the following morning for those arriving late. After an introductory talk the guide will organise an evening meal and direct you to your first nights accommodation.

  • Insurance
    There is an additional charge of €35 for insurance cover. We insist that riders avail of our insurance policy or else have alternative cover in place

Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.

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