Wild Atlantic Way

£2,295 per person

Tour Dates

8 July 2026 – 19 July 2026 – £2295 per person – Guaranteed but some spaces still available.

This departure will be guided by Lucy Burnett & Anne Smith

7 July 2027 – 18 July 2027 – £2295 per person – Spaces available

This departure will be guided by Lucy Burnett

The above prices are based on a shared room. The single room supplement for this tour is £595; this option will be available during the booking process.

It’s got to be done, if just for the craic! Rugged landscapes, ocean views all the way to Americas (almost), stunning coast and mountain views, and we haven’t yet mentioned the pubs, the music and the Guinness…

Cycling

This 10-day cycling tour is designed to take you on a journey along the stunning Irish coastline, amidst rugged mountains, and passing through charmingly colourful towns and villages. The Irish certainly do know how to have good craic, and the evening destinations have been carefully chosen to enable you to enjoy the apres cycling almost as much as the riding itself – the Guiness in Ireland truly is in a different league. The route starts in the gentle green rolling landscape around Cork, and gets increasingly rugged as it journeys north out and back along the many remarkable peninsulas of counties Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal. Each day we will ride in the region of 60 to 70 miles, leaving time to sightsee at the end of the day, or experience unique Irish experiences like a seaweed bath or some music down the pub. Yes, the west coast of Ireland truly can be wild, but the scenery and the friendly welcome more than makes up for the (occasional) rainy day, and who knows, you might even have the ‘luck of the Irish’ and enjoy back to back days of sun! Either way, the colours and the changing light are bound to blow away any cobwebs that the weather hasn’t already tackled!

Highlights

The Atlantic Ocean: never far off to your left hand side for the entirety of the trip, sometimes tranquil and sometimes wild. It’s not a world class surf destination for nothing.

The sou-wester breeze! It is no coincidence that we are choosing to ride the Wild Atlantic way from south to north, with the predominant wind hopefully at our tails the whole way!
From the moonscape of the Burren to the Connemara hills: observe the geology and mountainscapes shift as you travel north.
The celtic caribbean: those white sands and turqouise seas.
Great overnight stop offs: each of our overnight stop locations has been carefully chosen. From county towns with colourfully painted houses to lively Galway to the seaside resort of Lahinch.
A good old pint of Guiness and Tayto crisps: the non alcoholic version is excellent too. If you are lucky then you might catch some impromptu music sessions en route in front of a roaring fire.

· The colours: from the painted houses to the green hills to the white beaches and turquoise seas, the west coast is a spectacle of colour and rainbows!

Tour Plan

Each day, you’ll be fully supported by our experienced guides and support crew, who will ensure that you have everything you need to enjoy the tour to the fullest. We’ll provide comfortable accommodation, good refreshments, and all the necessary equipment, so you can focus on enjoying the ride.

The Wild Atlantic Way route is flexible and should be seen as a guide only. Local conditions, weather or fitness could lead to changes in our daily plans. All times and distances are approximate.

Bike Transfers

We will happily transport your bike to Cork and back from Belfast at no extra charge. If you drop your bike off at our Sheffield office up to two days before departure we will carefully pack it in the support van, drive it to the start and then return it to Sheffield ready for you to collect.

If that isn’t convenient then depending where you live we may be able to collect your bike on our journey from Sheffield to Ireland. Please get in touch with us to discuss arrangements, any other arrangements will be for an agreed fee.

While we will take all reasonable care while handling your bikes, using padded covers and making sure they are securely stored, we are not liable for any loss or damage during transportation and storage. We recommend you have appropriate insurance.

Taking your bikes to the continent, As we are no longer part of the EU customs unions, any bike we transport to Europe requires an ATA Carnet which incurs a fee of £60 per bike. This cost will be added to your invoice.

10 days of cycling

Approx 592 miles+ Age

Grade 3

Tours in the UK

Destination

Ireland
Starts in

Mizen Head (via Cork transfer)
Ends in

Mallin Head (and transfer to Belfast)
Road surfaces

Tarmac (conditions can vary).
Bike Type

Road bike
Included

Wild Atlantic Way

Accommodation

Lunch

Cycling guide

GPX files

Vehicle support

Baggage transfer
Not Included

Domestic flights

Evening meals (unless specified)

Bike hire

Travel to start & from finish

International flights

Airport transfers

Travel insurance

Cookie Policy (US)

Cookie Policy (US)

Visas

FROM OUR GALLERY

See more images here

Arrival in Cork

Welcome to Ireland! Arrive at our group hotel and check-in, with the afternoon at your leisure to wander around the city of Cork. In the evening, join us for a briefing where we'll provide you with all the essential information for an incredible cycling journey.

Mizen Head to Kenmare

Approx 87km / 53 miles, 3,200 feet ascent

Start your cycling adventure with an early morning transfer from the hotel to the iconic Mizen Head, whose cliffs provide the starting point of our journey. Pedal north along the breathtaking Atlantic coastline, passing through the natural beauty of Glengarriff Nature Reserve and conquering the awe-inspiring Healy Pass into colourful Kenmare.

Kenmare to Tralee (plus visit to Dingle)

Approx 62 miles / 100km, 4300 feet ascent

A day in two parts, riding two of the most spectacular roads in Ireland! First we pass through Killarney National Park via the Gap of Dunloe, and on up to Tralee (at 38 miles) where we will spend the night. After lunch in Tralee we will load your bikes into the van, and you all onto a Bus Eireann bus to Dingle, for the chance to ride the 24 nile Slea Head Loop which loops around the end of the Dingle Peninsula, before dinner in Dingle and the bus back to Tralee. The second part of this day is entirely optional, and you are welcome to spend the afternoon exploring Tralee, but we didn't want you to miss out on the chance to see this most beautiful of Kerry peninsulas.

Tralee to Lahinch

Approx 62 miles / 100km, 2,100 feet ascent

Today we cross from County Kerry into County Clare, via the historic castle in Listowel and a ferry ride across the Shannon estuary. Lahinch itself is a fun small coastal town, whose long sandy beach provides the perfect opportunity for a dip if you are so minded after a day in the saddle. Otherwise, if you still have enough juice in your legs, you could ride up the road to view the famous Cliffs of Moher (an extra loop which adds 12 miles onto the day's mileage). This extra ride is not included in the mileage above and would be self-led. There are also buses to and from the visitor centre from Lahinch.

Lahinch to Galway

Approx 66 miles / 106km, 3,100 feet ascent

The Wild Atlantic Way includes spectacular coastal and mountain riding, and great evening locations to explore, and today's ride includes all three in one day! First we head north along the coast to the Black Head lighthouse (the best known ride / drive in Clare) before we head east to Bakllyvaughan and up onto the Karst limestone plateau of the Burren and the chance to visit the Paleolithic Poulnabrone Dolmen. And then an evening out in lively Galway to round off a wonderful day.

Galway to Clifden

Approx 66 miles / 106km, 2189 feet ascent

We head west along the coast out of Galway, with the chance to nip down to see the beach at Spiddeal and Coral Beach at Carraroe (latter detour not included in above mileage). In the middle part of the day we ride along spectacular Atlantic scenery with the sea to one side and the Connemara mountains on the other, before we cut across the Bog Road to Clifden (you haven't been to Ireland unless you have seen a good bog!!) You may choose to cut your day short in Clifden, or proceed along the renowned 10 mile Sky Road (included in above mileage), which loops around the pensinsula to the west with spectacular views of County Galway's may islands.

Clifden to Westport

Approx 56 miles / 90km, 2,625 feet ascent

The road from Clifden heads north up to Letterfrack, before we bear left to follow the coast road, from where you will be able to view the remains of croft farming on the distinctive slopes of Garraun. Killary Harbour is a fjord-like sea loch that juts inland to Leenaun, with the beautiful mountain of Mweelrea as a backdrop as we ride high above its southern shore. Our own route will curve around the end of the loch and around the foot of Mweelrea before we take a short detour up the stunning Doolough Valley as a perfect spot for lunch. Back en route, we ride over the Sheeffry Pass and down into lovely Westport.

Westport to Sligo

Approx 73 miles / 117km, 2975 feet ascent

Our longest day of the trip, but with only one significant climb! We head north east out of Westport to Castlebar, the county town of Mayo. From there we veer north, up and over the scenic Windy Gap before heading cross country up to Sligo.

Sligo to Donegal

Approx 51 miles / 82km, 1,850 feet ascent

During the early part of today, se quite literally ride 'Under Ben Bulbin', as is the name of the famous poem by WB Yeats, who was desply inspired by the Sligo landscape. The slopes of the hill rise steeply on our right hand side as we make our way north from Sligo town, before we cut west to the coast at Mullaghmore. The Donegal coast is famous for surfing, and we will pass through surf mecca Bundoran, and make the occasional diversion to the most beautiful beaches before arriving in the smashing little town of Donegal itself.

Donegal to Buncrana

Approx 66 miles / 106km, 3,800 feet ascent

Rather than cutting straight across the boggy hinterland of County Donegal, our route heads north to wild and rugged Glenveagh National Park then up to Rathmullan where a handy ferry prevents us from having to detour south around the fjord of Lough Swilly. If you arrive early for the ferry? You might just have to kick back in one of the three highly rated pubs as you wait.

Buncrana to Malin Head

Approx 37 miles / 60km, 2,700 feet ascent

A final lap of honour to the cliffy headland of Mallin Head, the most northerly point of the Irish mainland and a deserved celebration! Today, we reach the pinnacle of our adventure as we cycle from Lough Swilly Fjord to Malin Head, the northernmost point of mainland Ireland! Today might be a shorter day to allow time for the transfer to Belfast afterwards, but we still manage to squeeze in a lot of landscape, including the panoramic views at the Gap of Mamore and Tullagh Strand, before arriving at the wild and ruggled headland itself. It's time to bid farewell to our cycling journey, as we get transferred to our hotel in Belfast city. Our team will pack the bikes in the van.

Depart Belfast

You are free to depart at your leisure, with no set departure time beyond hotel checkout times. Your dedicated crew will be departing early in the morning with the bikes in the van.