A grand Guided Hiking / Walking tour all around Ireland from the Giant's Causeway of Antrim to the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry. An unforgettable journey and all the best walks Ireland has to offer.
Itinerary-
Day 1:
Drive from Dublin up to Ballycastle in Co. Antrim. The Antrim Coast has been designated an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". After dinner, a short walk will take us down around the coast at Ballintoy and to Carrick-a-Rede: a tiny island with a salmon fishery, joined to the mainland by a rope bridge, and back up via the harbour of Ballintoy. We will be accommodated at the Fullerton Arms in Ballintoy for the next two nights. There should be some excellent traditional music in the Carrick-a-Rede pub tonight.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 3 miles
Day 2:
On the agenda today is a spectacular walk starting from White Park Bay on the Antrim coast and finishing at the Giants Causeway. On a clear day you will be able to see right across to Scotland. The Causeway is made up of 37,000 black basalt columns, mostly hexagonal. It is the result of a massive underground explosion some sixty million years ago. In 1693 the Royal Geographical Society publicised it as one of the great wonders of the natural world. Sarah, your guide, will take you on this walk and entertain you with history, culture and folklore.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 8 miles
Day 3:
We now must move on into the west to County Donegal: our base for the next two nights is the Carrig Rua Hotel in the village of Dunfanaghy, in the Gaeltacht (Gaelic-speaking region). Hopefully we shall find some excellent traditional music here. We will stop en route at Glenveagh National Park for a walk, which begins in the lonely wilderness of the mountains and finishes alongside the beautiful Lough Beagh and Glenveagh Castle gardens. A visit to Donegal is like a trip back in time: hay is still stacked by hand, and most farms only yield enough produce for one family. Beautiful day-walks and spectacular sunsets are promised along the rugged Donegal coastline.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 6 miles
Day 4:
Setting out on foot from the hotel, our walk today will be at the Horn Head Peninsula. The walk will bring us through woods, along a spectacular beach (bring your swimming costume), coastal tracks, with views of an arch in the sea. We will also have time to visit the Poor House museum in Dunfanaghy.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 8 miles
Day 5:
This morning we will head south to County Sligo, but on our way we stop to walk near Dunlewy Lough and the Poisoned Glen, in Donegal. This is a magnificent walk through the hills and forests of Donegal in the shadows of mighty Mount Errigal. You will be guided by John McGroary, a local expert guide. Tonight we will stay at the Drumcliff in County Sligo.
Hiking / Walking Distance 8 miles
Day 6:
After visting Drumcliff Church and the grave of W.B. Yeats we will head south past Sligo Town to walk at Knocknarea Mountain overlooking a magnificent bay and the original Coney Island. Tonight we will stay at Kilmena on the shores of Clew Bay on the outskirts of Westport Town, County Mayo. Our guest house is located on the sea shore and after dinner we can venture out to one of the islands via a causeway accessible at low tide.
Hiking / Walking Distance 6 miles
Day 7:
From Galway City, we will head south to the Burren Region of County Clare - a huge plateau of limestone and shale aptly summed up with the words, "savage land, yielding neither water enough to drown a man, nor a tree to hang him, nor soil enough to bury him". Our walk today is at the highest point in the Burren: Slieve Elva. We will be rewarded with great views across Galway Bay to the Aran Islands. For the next two nights we will be accommodated in the Kincora Guest House in Lisdoonvarna. After dinner, we can venture into the village in search of traditional music in the pubs.
Walking / Hiking Distance: 6 miles
Day 8:
Today we will be accompanied by our local expert guide. He will take us to sites of botanical, geological and archaeological interest. This will include walking in two separate parts of the Burren with a break for lunch. The Burren regions is famous for it's flora: you will never see anything like the carpets of primroses, or the white flower of the blackthorn cascading over all the hedgerows. Rare and spectacular plants occur in abundance. Nowhere else in Ireland, Britain or even north west Europe can such quantities of the blue Spring Gentian, cream Mountain Avens or yellow Shrubby Cinquefoil be encountered. At the end of the afternoon we may have time for a pint in County Clare's oldest pub.
Walking / Hiking Distance: 10 miles
Day 9:
The Cliffs of Moher: one of Ireland's most visited sights will be the location of our walk, but fear not, leaving the bustling car park behind, we can enjoy relative solitude walking along the cliffs to Hag's Head. Please keep away from the cliff edges! Leaving County Clare, we will drive south to County Kerry via the Killimer to Tarbert ferry across the Shannon. For the next three nights we will stay in O'Connor's guest house in the tiny village of Cloghane at the foot of Mount Brandon.
Walking / Hiking Distance: 6 miles
Day 10:
A lovely walk is on today's agenda: at Beenbo Mountain and the spectacular green valley of Magha na Bo. Enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this valley and witness 40 shades of green! We then cross over the top of the pass and drop down to Annascaul village via Lake Annascaul.
Walking / Hiking Distance: 9 miles
Day 11:
Some say this is the best walk in Ireland: weather permitting, we will climb Mount Brandon, Ireland's second highest peak. This is a steady ascent with spectacular views of Brandon Bay and then the Pater Noster Lakes. This is excellent walking country in a mountainous landscape dotted by a series of small lakes. We will then return to Dingle for an excellent meal and a review of the day’s activity.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 7 miles
Day 12:
Today we will walk at Inch Beach (the setting for the film, Ryan's Daughter). We begin with views across to Glenbeigh and Ireland's highest mountains, the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, then on rounding the peninsula we have views back towards the Dingle Peninsula and the Slieve Mish Mountains. Look out for rabbits and lots of estuary birds. We move on then to the Gougane Barra region of County Cork. Our accommodation is the Gougane Barra Hotel: we stay here for 2 nights. This is a stunning location on the shores of a lake in a deep valley.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 7 miles
Day 13:
Wake up to peace and tranquility and fine lake views. Catherine, our local guide today will take us on a circuit of Gougane Barra Lake and the source of the River Lee. We will be able to walk directly from the hotel. This is a walk that follows very little in the way of track. It can be rugged and tough underfoot, but well worth the effort. If you prefer a more restful day then this is the ideal spot to enjoy the quiet tracks beside the lake and forest.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 8 miles
Day 14:
Cahir in County Tipperary: the town is dominated by a 13th century castle, one of the largest in Ireland. After taking a tour of the castle we will walk along the banks of the River Suir to the "Swiss Cottage": an exquisite thatched cottage designed by John Nash as a retreat for the 12th Baron Cahir. ". We will be accommodated in the town of Cashel at the lovely Legend's Guest House. Highly recommended entertainment tonight comes in the form of music and dance "Riverdance" style at the Bru Boru Centre.
Hiking / Walking Distance: 3 miles
Day 15:
We must say Goodbye to Ireland after our 2 hour drive back to Dublin Airport.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Tour dates for 2008: June 28 - July 12, August 3 - 17, September 17 - Ocober 1, $3899 per person sharing.
Price includes: Free Transfers to and from Dublin Airport, 14 nights 3-4 star accommodation en suite, all land transportation, 14 breakfasts, 14 packed lunches, 12 evening meals, transportation to evening entertainment, service of guide / guides throughout.
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