The Wild Atlantic Way
Set Dates: Aug 12th, Sep 9th
Day 1: Start of Tour, Visit the Rock of Cashel, Kiss the Blarney Stone, The Wild Atlantic Way & stay in West Cork.
Morning /Afternoon: We will be travelling south west to County Cork and to the coastline of the Wild Atlantic Way. On the way, we will take one or two diversions to visit the amazing Rock of Cashel (truly one of Ireland’s iconic sites) and then to Blarney Castle to kiss a very important stone.
Evening: We arrive in the West Cork town of Bantry later that evening. We can have dinner and relax in these lovely, historic surroundings.
Accommodation: We will be staying Bantry for the next 2 nights. West Cork is blessed with some incredible coastline and this peninsula is remote, unspoilt and a wonderful place to explore.
Day 2: Walk on Sheeps’ head, West Cork, Guided walk
Morning / Afternoon: Today, we travel to the Sheep’s Head peninsula for our first walk on this trip. The walk chosen is one of the best on this small Peninsula and will give you incredible views over the Atlantic Ocean and the Coastline of Cork and Kerry.
Evening: Dinner in Bantry and relax in one of the traditional Irish pubs or take a walk around the historic town.
Day 3: Gougane Barra, Dingle, County Kerry, Unique Pubs with Irish Music.
Morning / Afternoon: After breakfast, we will be travelling to the small town of Dingle in County Kerry, visiting Gougane Barra along the way. This is an interesting, 6th century monastic site founded by Saint Finbarr. The church sits in a beautiful valley overlooking a lake and we will have time to take a walk in this delightful area.
Evening: Dingle, or “An Daingean” its Gaelic and original name, is a fantastic small fishing village known for its small quaint pubs, live Irish music and relaxed atmosphere. There is plenty to see and do here with great restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, craft stores etc. You may also be surprised when you enter a pub in Dingle that you can also buy a new pair of shoes or have your old ones mended.
Accommodation: Our accommodation is in the centre of Dingle town for the next 2 nights
Day 4: Walk Mount Brandon, a top 5 scenic hike according to National Geographic.
Stay Dingle and visit the South Pole Inn in Annascaul, founded by Antarctic hero, Tom Crean.
Mt Brandon is a Linear route - Walk 8Km – 4 hrs - Ascent 750m.
Morning / Afternoon: After a hearty breakfast, we will travel along The Dingle Peninsula to one of my favourite walks in this area, Mt Brandon. Named after Saint Brendan, the voyager; some think he even got as far as North America. Mount Brandon is a blessed mountain, one of Ireland holiest locations with an ancient pilgrim trail to its summit. It is less than 1000m but even though it is a pilgrim walk, it is quite a challenge. The walk will take about 4hrs and the views from its summit are breathtaking. From it you can see the Atlantic Ocean all around you, the Blasket Islands and The Gillycuddy Reeks, Ireland’s highest Mountain range on the Iveragh Peninsula.
Alternative morning activity: You can also visit the Blasket Islands or do an ECO Tour in this area instead of the walk: (not included in cost but the guide will organise for you)
Evening: In the evening, you have plenty of time to stroll around Dingle, visit some of the craft shops, enjoy dinner, some music and relax.
Day 5: Dingle, Inch beach, ferry across the River Shannon, Cliffs of Moher coastal walk. Stay Doolin
Morning: Inch beach, Cliffs of Moher. Today, we visit one of the finest beaches in all of Ireland, “Inch” Beach. There are many fine beaches on the Dingle Peninsula and this is probably the best of them all. Here you try your hand at some Atlantic Ocean swimming or just enjoy a fine beach walk.
Inch Beach featured in the famous 1960’s “Ryan’s Daughter” film. Take a walk on this beautiful sandy beach, the same spot where Sarah Miles as Rosy Ryan met Robert Mitchum as Charles Shaughnessy and share in their love story. This film did so much for tourism in this area.
Afternoon: In the afternoon, we will travel to the famous “Cliffs of Moher” and Doolin in County Clare.
We will be taking a ferry across the mouth of the River Shannon into County Clare and head north on one of the most scenic coast roads in Ireland with views out across the Atlantic Ocean.
We will stop at the Cliffs of Moher and you can enjoy a beautiful coastal walk into Doolin (approx. 2hrs), our next stop, a great way to arrive in this quant village. This small village is another small fishing port made famous by Irish Musicians, fun times and welcoming residents.
Evening: Doolin really is the capital of Irish music in the West of Ireland, a small and wonderful little village where you can relax and soak up the atmosphere.
Day 6: Doolin and cycle the Aran Islands.
Morning / Afternoon: Aran Islands. Today, weather permitting, we will visit one of the most spectacular places in all of Ireland, the Aran Islands. We will take a ferry from Doolin to Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran Islands. This is a Gaeltacht area where Irish is still the main language. The Island is full of wonder and absolutely beautiful, I'm sure you will not want to leave. We will hire some bicycles, this is the best way to explore this island and we will visit the world heritage site of Dun Aonghasa Fort which stands over a dramatic 300 foot cliff.
Evening: We will then get the Ferry back and relax in Doolin for the rest of the evening.
Accommodation: We will be staying in Doolin for 2 nights.
Day 7: The Burren Walk then Galway City.
Morning: This morning, we will visit a unique area called The Burren. The Burren is a limestone karst landscape whose flora are internationally famous, the bloody Cranesbill, mountain avens and spring gentians are among the many plants from the Arctic, Alps and Mediterranean found here. We then make our way along the coast drive towards Galway known locally as “The City of the Tribes”. Galway has always been a bohemian type town with a real creative and artistic feel to it. It is well worth your while taking some time here to soak up the atmosphere and explore this lively town.
We will return to Dublin after our visit to Galway thus completing our Wild Atlantic Way Tour.
Accommodation: The accommodation along the way is a mix of quality hotels and guesthouses.
Food: Breakfast is included for the duration of the tour with a wide selection to choose from. Lunch and Dinner are not included but we will recommend places to eat catering for all diets. If you have any dietary issues, please let your guide know.
The Walks: All the walks are guided and most of the walks on this tour are at a moderate level and should be achievable by most people. Boots are recommended, sticks optional.
The guide has the right to change a walk for the safety of the group, due to fitness levels, weather and other unpredictable factors.
What’s Included:
o 6 nights in Irish Tourist Board accommodation.
o Transport for the duration of the tour.
o Breakfast each morning.
o Ferry across the Shannon River.
o Numerous guided walks with a full time, qualified and friendly guide.
o Boat trip to the Aran Islands.
o Cycling on the Aran Islands
o Visit places of interest along the Wild Atlantic Way.
o Guide to assist you with plenty of local knowledge and stories.
What’s Not Included: Lunches & Evening Meals, Optional Entry Fees & Activity Options.