Private tours for groups are available upon request.
Tour Description
West of Ireland Walking Tour – 7 Day.
Dates: 2023 – May 22nd, Jun 19th, Jul 17th, Aug 21st, Sept 18th Dates: 2024 – Jun 17th, Aug 19th, Sept 16th
Departure Location: Suffolk St – Dublin Small Group Tour: Max 16 Persons.
Walking and Hiking Tour in the West of Ireland.
This tour is designed to bring you from Dublin to enjoy some of the best walks in the West of Ireland and along the Wild Atlantic Way.
The tour is fully guided and you will also visit places of historical interest along the way.
Visiting places such as Galway, Connemara’s National Park, Mayo, West Port, Achill Island, Sligo. Walk on Ireland’s holiest mountain, Croagh Patrick as well as Benbulben, Diamond Hill and Knocknarea. You will also explore some of Ireland’s ancient monuments and fine beaches.
The tour follows along the West section of the Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland’s coastline, bringing you to some of Ireland’s most wild and beautiful locations.
Highlights:
Galway, Connemara National Park, The Wild Atlantic Way, Killary Fjord, Westport, Mayo, Croagh Patrick, Achill Island, Sligo, Benbulben, Knocknarea, Diamond Hill and Strandhill.
Your Tour begins at 09:00am with a Pick up at the Molly Malone Statue on Suffolk St. (Dublin City Center)
Day 1: Drive from Dublin to Galway, Connemara, Clifden.
Walking in Connemara
Morning /Afternoon: We will travel from Dublin to Galway in the West of Ireland with a short break on the way. Once we reach Galway there will be time here to explore this wonderful town. Galway is very well known for its street musicians and has quite a bohemian feel to it.
We then travel out further west to Connemara; this is the film location for “the Quiet Man” and “the Field”. When you visit this place, it will not be difficult to understand why.
Connemara has a real wild and rugged feel to it. The high peaks of the Maumturks and the 12 Bens offer a wonderful back drop to this deserted landscape. The roads are narrow and full of sheep as we make our way through some of the wide valleys and past beautiful lakes. We will be stopping along the way to take in some of the wonderful surroundings.
Evening: There are many places to eat and enjoy a drink while listening to some live Irish musicians in Clifden.
We will be staying in Clifden in the heart of Connemara for the next 2 nights.
Day 2: Connemara National Park, Walk Diamond Hill and visit Kylemore Abbey.
Walking in Conemara
Walk on Diamond Hill – Connemara National Park. Grade: moderate, Length: 7 km, Duration: 2.5 hrs, Ascent: 400m, Terrain: Gravel tracks and paved mountain paths.
Morning / Afternoon: Today we will walk Diamond Hill which sits in the Connemara National Park. It is a 7km loop walk with an ascent of 400m but from its summit you get commanding views of the Connemara mountains and its coastline.
After our walk we will visit Kylemore Abbey, the oldest of the Irish Benedictine abbeys. It sits on a lakeside which is infamous with the area of Connemara. The Benedictine nuns moved here in the 1920s from Belgium to escape the war. They had been in Ireland before but after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and the persecution of Catholics they moved to Belgium. The Castle we see today was or originally built by Mitchell Henry who used to visit here for hunting and fishing and fell in love with the area.
Afterwards we make our back to Clifden.
Day 3: Walk Croagh Patrick or Cycle the Green Way. Westport.
Top of Croagh Patrick
Walk on Croagh Patrick – Ireland’s holiest mountain. Grade: moderate /strenuous, Length: 7 km, Duration: 3.5 – 4 hrs Terrain: Stoney track
Morning / Afternoon: Today we will visit the town of Westport, voted Ireland’s best town.
You can’t mistake the peak of Croagh Patrick as it hovers above Clew Bay; this is the most sacred mountain in Ireland. Legend has it, that this is where St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland.
Croagh Patrick is walked as a pilgrimage on the last Sunday of July, which is known locally as the reeks walk. Don’t be fooled into thinking like many do that because this is a pilgrimage walk it is easy; it’s not but it is well the effort.
Alternative activity: There are is choice of activities to do today, walk on Croagh Patrick or Cycle the new Green-way Cycle track where you can take a great bike ride all the way to Achill Island if you fancy.
The small town of Westport has been voted one of Ireland’s best locations. After our walk or cycle we can take some time to relax and enjoy this town.
Evening: We will be staying in Westport, there are many fine restaurants, cafes and pubs with live Irish music.
Day 4: Walk on Achill Island, Keem Bay.
Walk on Achill Island
Walk on Achill Island: Grade: Moderate, Length: 11 km, Duration: 3 -4 hrs, Ascent: Approx.350m, Terrain: Grassy track and open mountain trail.
The walk on Achill Island will be at the very west of the Island at Keem Bay.
This walk starts from the bay itself and brings us up towards an old lookout shelter. We will travel along the ridge of this hill with great views across the Cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean below us. It is a loop walk and we will be coming back through the valley.
After the walk we can explore the Island and visit one of its many craft and coffee shops before making our way back to Westport for the evening.
Day 5: Sligo, Queen Maeve’s Tomb, Seaweed baths and Carrowmore
Mary, Louise and Edel at Knocknarea
Knocknerea walk: Walk type: easy – moderate, Time: approx. 2hrs.
Morning / Afternoon: In the morning we move onto County Sligo. Sligo is one of the most scenically beautiful counties in Ireland and offers endless opportunities for walkers.
The mountainous landscape, the bog lands, endless stretches of sandy beaches and forests.
We will walk Knocknarea (Queen’s Maeve’s Tomb), which folklore says was built for the mythical Iron Age Queen Maeve, whose father was the high king of Ireland and gave her Connaught as a gift.
After the walk we can visit the Carrowmore Megalithic tombs – This is the largest collection of megalithic tombs in Ireland and is also among the country’s oldest, with monuments ranging from five and a half thousand to six and a half thousand years old
Alternative activity: Surfing in Sligo. There are many fine beaches in Sligo and it is the capital of surfing in Ireland. You can also relax after your walk in a sea weed bath near the strand beach.
We will be Staying in Sligo Town.
Day 6: Walk on Benbulben, Visit Yeats Grave, Lissadell house.
On Benbulben – Sligo
Benbulben Walk: Grade: Moderate – Strenuous, Distance: Approx. 10Km, Ascent: 380m Time: 3-4hrs, Terrain: Mountain roads and open mountain track.
Morning / Afternoon: On the way to our walk on Benbulben we will also visit the grave of W.B. Yeats at Drumcliff.
“Cast a cold eye On life, on death. Horseman, pass by!”
Afternoon / Evening: After our walk we will visit Lissadell house, is the childhood home of Constance Markievicz, the first woman elected to the British House of Commons and Irish Revolutionary.
This is a handsome large house with a fascinating history, and is well worth a visit. Recent famous visitors have included Leonard Cohen, the Irish Cabinet, Charles and Camilla, and now you!
“I do wish your lot had the decency to shoot me.” – Countess Markievicz.
Said to the officer at Kilmainham Jail who had just informed her she was not to be executed for the part she had played in the 1916 rising on account of her gender.
This is our last evening together as a group and we can all enjoy a meal together in the town of Sligo.
Day 7: Short beach Walk, Travel back to Dublin.
In the morning we can take a short drive to one of Sligo’s many beaches for a walk or swim (yes, you can swim in the Atlantic).
We say Goodbye to the West of Ireland and our wonderful adventure here but hopefully you have collected some wonderful memories along the way and some new friends.
We will be stopping on our way back to Dublin.
We should arrive back in Dublin for 6pm, depending on traffic.
Ireland’s climate is of a moderate type and suited to walking all year round. Although it is quite changeable so starting a walk on a fine clear morning may not be the case for the afternoon.
Hill walking Boots.
Waterproof Jacket.
Rucksack for walks (25L)
Walking Trousers for Walking (Not Jeans)
Waterproof Bottoms.
Walking Socks
Thermal top / T-shirt (Not Cotton)
Sun Cream
FAQ
West of Ireland Walking Holiday.
Walks and Fitness Levels:
The walks on this tour are of a mixed level with the option on some days to shorten.
All the walks are taken at a pace to suit the group.
The groups can range from 6 to 16 people in size with a mixed level of fitness and age usually.
If the weather is too bad on a certain day to do the suggested walk, then the guide will suggest an alternative one.
The Guide will have the final say on the day about the walk for the safety of the group.
Accommodation:
We choose our accommodation very carefully, It’s a mix of quality Guest houses and hotels.
There is Free WiFi in all the accommodations we use.
All the rooms are en-suite.
The accommodation we use are well used to us bringing them guests after a day’s walk and know that they somewhere comfortable to relax and freshen up.
Food on this Tour:
Note: The evening meal on your first night is included. Breakfasts are included and there is a wide selection to choose from including a Full Irish, fruit, cereals etc. Lunches for the walks: We will visit some local shops to get supplies. Evening Meals: A known restaurant or Pub will be suggested for evening meals in the places and towns you visit.
There are many places in Ireland that accommodate both Vegan and Vegetarian diets.
What’s Included:
7 Fully Guided Days Exploring Ireland’s Hidden Treasures.
6 Nights of Quality Accommodation with breakfast.
Guided Walks with local Guides to inform and assist you.
Pickup and Transport for 7 Days.
Entrance to Kylemore Abbey.
Entrance to Lissadell House.
The Best of Irish Traditional Music.
Accommodation:
Tourism Ireland Approved Guesthouses and Hotels.
What’s Not Included:
Lunches.
Evening Meals.
Optional Entry Fees & Extra Activity Options.
Gratuities.
Payments:
A deposit of 10% is required to secure your booking and your balance is due 6 weeks prior to Tour / Walk Start date. Your Deposit will be returned to you if we are unsuccessful in securing your trip or accommodation.
Cancellation Policy:
Loss of deposit applies for cancellations made 6 weeks or more in advance.
Cancellation fee of 40% applies for cancellations made less than 41 days in advance.
Cancellation fee of 80% applies for cancellations made less than 4 weeks in advance.
Cancellation fee of 100% applies for cancellations made less than 2 weeks in advance, or in case of no-show.
Balance is due 6 weeks in advance.
The balance of the cost of your tour / walk (including any applicable surcharge) is due not less than 6 weeks prior to scheduled departure.
If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case we shall retain your deposit.
