Walking Tours Taste the Wild Atlantic Way Cycling Tour
Taste the Wild Atlantic Way Cycling Tour
Discover a bounty of world-class produce along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way on this 7-day gourmet cycling experience. Savour the very best natural flavours from Connemara as you explore this stunning corner of Ireland. Find the true magic of the west of Ireland, its breathtaking scenery, heritage, history and the unique warmth of its people.
Tour Highlights
- Explore dramatic coastlines, mountains and valleys on stunning off-the-beaten-track cycling routes.
- Dine in award-winning restaurants, hand-picked for their passionate chefs, innovative menus and the freshest, locally-sourced produce.
- Relax with the very best of Connemara hospitality in hand-picked hotels, castles & manor houses.
- Upgrade to Ashford Castle on your last night for the ultimate luxury experience.
Why choose this tour
This tour combines the very finest of Irish produce, hospitality and scenery. From fresh seafood and shellfish to perfect lamb and game, the local produce of Connemara is truly superb, matched only by the spectacular routes we’ve chosen to share our very favourite places with you.
Itinerary
Taste the Wild Atlantic Way Cycling Tour
- Lough Inagh - Renvyle - Clifden - Roundstone - Cong
- Stunning cycling routes to explore at your own pace.
- Average 40-45km (25-30 miles) a day, with shorter and longer options available on most days.
- Starts at Lough Inagh Lodge in Connemara and finishes at The Lodge at Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo.
Welcome to Connemara. Failte go Conamara! We’ll meet you at Galway, Westport or Knock Airport and bring you to your first night’s accommodation at Lough Inagh Lodge, a picturesque Victorian lodge perched on the shores of one of Connemara's most spectacular lakes. The hotel is located in a wonderfully secluded valley surrounded by the majestic Maamturk and Twelve Bens mountain ranges.
You’ll dine tonight in the hotel’s beautiful restaurant overlooking the lake. Seafood and game are a speciality here, with delicious home-baked Irish soda bread to accompany your meal.
Your bike and equipment will be waiting for you at your accommodation, giving you the chance to try everything out and make sure it’s perfect before your cycling adventure begins the next morning.
Meals included: Dinner
Distance:
30km
After a hearty Irish breakfast, your first day of cycling will bring you along the coast with breathtaking vistas over Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fjord, and on to the pristine white sands of Glassilaun and Lettergesh beaches where the contrast with the green ocean waters and the rocky hillsides creates a vivid palette.
Your route brings you into the heart of the Renvyle Peninsula - an enchanting, rugged promontory peppered with archaeological sites, historical ruins and hidden beaches, and home to a vibrant and welcoming farming and fishing community.
You’ll spend two nights here at Renvyle House Hotel, an historic country house hotel right on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, where you’ll dine each night in the multi-award-winning restaurant. The 150-acre-site includes a private lake, a 9-hole golf course, a beach, woodlands, gardens and numerous other activities on-site.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
24km
Today you’ll explore the Renvyle Peninsula. Your route will bring you through the pretty village of Tullycross with its traditional thatched cottages. Then it’s on to Letterfrack village, home of the Connemara National Park where you can enjoy a walk on the looped trails with sweeping views out over the Atlantic to the islands beyond, or have a coffee and find out more about this ancient Irish landscape at the charming visitor centre.
From here you’ll cycle the short distance to Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. This magical gothic-style castle has a long and fascinating history. Built in 1867, it boasts one of Ireland's finest Victorian walled gardens and is a great place for lunch.
You’ll return to Renvyle along leafy back roads to enjoy another evening of fine dining at the Renvyle House Hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
25-50 km (16-30 miles)
From Renvyle your route brings you towards Clifden, known as the ‘Capital of Connemara’. There are various route options. Don’t miss the cycle along the Sky Road at the very edge of Connemara, with soaring views over the wild Atlantic coastline and the islands lying offshore.
Clifden is bursting with culture, quaint streets, colourful shops, cosy pubs and cafes and you’re never far from traditional Irish music. Enjoy an evening in this friendly town where everyone knows each other but the warmth towards visitors is legendary.
Tonight you’ll dine and sleep at a wonderful gem, The Ardagh Hotel in Clifden. The team at the Ardagh Hotel are passionate about regional food and you’ll have a wonderful fine dining experience here in the beautiful dining room with panoramic views.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
63km
Today you’ll explore south Connemara. Your journey will bring you into the Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking) region, so listen out for this ancient, musical language being spoken around you. Cycle along empty bog roads to the charming coastal village of Ballyconneely, where you can visit the acclaimed Connemara Smokehouse, which specialises in wild and organic salmon, smoked and marinated with traditional methods. Owner Gordon Roberts is one of Rick Stein’s food heroes and his smoked tuna appears in Stein’s restaurant.
Your destination is the picturesque fishing village of Roundstone, a haven over the years for artists, musicians and those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the world. Its picturesque harbour has a wonderful panorama across the Atlantic to the jagged peaks of the Twelve Bens mountain range.
You’ll stay at Screebe House tonight where an evening of fine dining at Scriob Restaurant awaits in its elegant dining room with spectacular views overlooking Camus Bay.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
40-63km
The last day of your tour brings you across the stunning Maam Valley mountain pass where the surrounding steep-sided hills and green valleys seem endless in every direction. The route brings you to the Mám Éan Geotrail, a fascinating trail that explores the geological links between the west of Ireland and north eastern America which were once connected before being separated by the Atlantic Ocean 100 million years ago!
The road then brings you along the shores of Lough Corrib, where the ruins of a castle are still visible on one of the islands in the lake. Passing through the pretty villages of Cornamona and Clonbur you’ll arrive in Cong. This quaint village was made famous by the Oscar-winning, John Ford film, The Quiet Man, Craft shops, cafes, cosy pubs and winding streets make it a lovely place to wander and absorb its lively atmosphere. It also boasts several notable historical sites including an inscribed 14th century stone cross and the ruins of Ashford Abbey, founded in 1128.
Tonight you will stay and dine at The Lodge at Ashford Castle, one of Ireland's gems. Or treat yourself and add an upgrade to the world-renowned Ashford Castle Hotel, former residence of the Guinness family. What a way to enjoy your last day on the Wild Atlantic Way!
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast it’s the end of your tour! We’ll transfer you to Galway, Westport or Knock Airport for your onward journey, bringing your unforgettable memories of Ireland with you. Slan go foil! – we’ll see you again soon.
Meals included: Breakfast
Welcome to Connemara. Failte go Conamara! We’ll meet you at Galway, Westport or Knock Airport and bring you to your first night’s accommodation at Lough Inagh Lodge, a picturesque Victorian lodge perched on the shores of one of Connemara's most spectacular lakes. The hotel is located in a wonderfully secluded valley surrounded by the majestic Maamturk and Twelve Bens mountain ranges.
You’ll dine tonight in the hotel’s beautiful restaurant overlooking the lake. Seafood and game are a speciality here, with delicious home-baked Irish soda bread to accompany your meal.
Your bike and equipment will be waiting for you at your accommodation, giving you the chance to try everything out and make sure it’s perfect before your cycling adventure begins the next morning.
Meals included: Dinner
Distance:
30km
After a hearty Irish breakfast, your first day of cycling will bring you along the coast with breathtaking vistas over Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fjord, and on to the pristine white sands of Glassilaun and Lettergesh beaches where the contrast with the green ocean waters and the rocky hillsides creates a vivid palette.
Your route brings you into the heart of the Renvyle Peninsula - an enchanting, rugged promontory peppered with archaeological sites, historical ruins and hidden beaches, and home to a vibrant and welcoming farming and fishing community.
You’ll spend two nights here at Renvyle House Hotel, an historic country house hotel right on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, where you’ll dine each night in the multi-award-winning restaurant. The 150-acre-site includes a private lake, a 9-hole golf course, a beach, woodlands, gardens and numerous other activities on-site.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
24km
Today you’ll explore the Renvyle Peninsula. Your route will bring you through the pretty village of Tullycross with its traditional thatched cottages. Then it’s on to Letterfrack village, home of the Connemara National Park where you can enjoy a walk on the looped trails with sweeping views out over the Atlantic to the islands beyond, or have a coffee and find out more about this ancient Irish landscape at the charming visitor centre.
From here you’ll cycle the short distance to Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. This magical gothic-style castle has a long and fascinating history. Built in 1867, it boasts one of Ireland's finest Victorian walled gardens and is a great place for lunch.
You’ll return to Renvyle along leafy back roads to enjoy another evening of fine dining at the Renvyle House Hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
25-50 km (16-30 miles)
From Renvyle your route brings you towards Clifden, known as the ‘Capital of Connemara’. There are various route options. Don’t miss the cycle along the Sky Road at the very edge of Connemara, with soaring views over the wild Atlantic coastline and the islands lying offshore.
Clifden is bursting with culture, quaint streets, colourful shops, cosy pubs and cafes and you’re never far from traditional Irish music. Enjoy an evening in this friendly town where everyone knows each other but the warmth towards visitors is legendary.
Tonight you’ll dine and sleep at a wonderful gem, The Ardagh Hotel in Clifden. The team at the Ardagh Hotel are passionate about regional food and you’ll have a wonderful fine dining experience here in the beautiful dining room with panoramic views.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
63km
Today you’ll explore south Connemara. Your journey will bring you into the Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking) region, so listen out for this ancient, musical language being spoken around you. Cycle along empty bog roads to the charming coastal village of Ballyconneely, where you can visit the acclaimed Connemara Smokehouse, which specialises in wild and organic salmon, smoked and marinated with traditional methods. Owner Gordon Roberts is one of Rick Stein’s food heroes and his smoked tuna appears in Stein’s restaurant.
Your destination is the picturesque fishing village of Roundstone, a haven over the years for artists, musicians and those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the world. Its picturesque harbour has a wonderful panorama across the Atlantic to the jagged peaks of the Twelve Bens mountain range.
You’ll stay at Screebe House tonight where an evening of fine dining at Scriob Restaurant awaits in its elegant dining room with spectacular views overlooking Camus Bay.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance:
40-63km
The last day of your tour brings you across the stunning Maam Valley mountain pass where the surrounding steep-sided hills and green valleys seem endless in every direction. The route brings you to the Mám Éan Geotrail, a fascinating trail that explores the geological links between the west of Ireland and north eastern America which were once connected before being separated by the Atlantic Ocean 100 million years ago!
The road then brings you along the shores of Lough Corrib, where the ruins of a castle are still visible on one of the islands in the lake. Passing through the pretty villages of Cornamona and Clonbur you’ll arrive in Cong. This quaint village was made famous by the Oscar-winning, John Ford film, The Quiet Man, Craft shops, cafes, cosy pubs and winding streets make it a lovely place to wander and absorb its lively atmosphere. It also boasts several notable historical sites including an inscribed 14th century stone cross and the ruins of Ashford Abbey, founded in 1128.
Tonight you will stay and dine at The Lodge at Ashford Castle, one of Ireland's gems. Or treat yourself and add an upgrade to the world-renowned Ashford Castle Hotel, former residence of the Guinness family. What a way to enjoy your last day on the Wild Atlantic Way!
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast it’s the end of your tour! We’ll transfer you to Galway, Westport or Knock Airport for your onward journey, bringing your unforgettable memories of Ireland with you. Slan go foil! – we’ll see you again soon.
Meals included: Breakfast
Our favourite on this tour
Killary Mussels are a "must". Grown, harvested and brought to your plate directly from the crystal clear waters of Killary Fjord, they are simply the finest, freshest mussels you will ever taste.
Our Reviews
See what our guests have to say about travelling in Ireland with Connemara Adventure Tours.
About your tour
Tour
Essentials
Duration: 7 days, 6 nights
Start day: Any day. April to October.
Start/end location:
The tour starts at Lough Inagh Lodge in Connemara and finishes at The Lodge at Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo.
How to get here
Difficulty level: Medium
The terrain is gentle rolling countryside on low-traffic back-roads with some occasional hills. Longer & shorter route options are available most days. You’ll be cycling for 4-5 hours a day so we recommend you have some cycling experience.
DIFFICULTY
What's
included
Accommodation: You’ll relax each night in a private en-suite room in some of Connemara’s finest 4* & 5* hotels, manors & castles.
Meals: Full Irish breakfast each morning and six gourmet dinners are included.
Transfers: Private transfer from/to Galway, Westport or Knock Airport at the start & end of your tour.
Luggage transfers: Our local team will transfer your luggage to your next accommodation every day, leaving you free to explore at your ease.
What to Bring on your tour
Extras:
- Entrance tickets for Kylemore Abbey
- Traditional Sheep Farm Visit or Killary Fjord Boat Tour
- Visit to Connemara SmokeHouse
- Printed route notes
Roadmap for Discovery App: Your bespoke tour app with itinerary, routes and lots of local insider info ready to download before you arrive.
Bikes
& equipment
Bikes & Equipment: Everything you need for your cycling tour is provided – just turn up and go.
- Touring bike or E-Bike
- Bike helmet
- Front handler bag with repair kit
- Lock
- Side pannier rental
Add-on
experiences
Add these amazing experiences on to your tour
- Visit the Cliffs of Moher by bus with 1 extra night in Galway
- Visit the Aran islands (Inis Mor) for 2 nights + 1 night in Galway
- Visit the Aran islands (Inis Mor) AND the Cliffs of Moher (2 nights in Galway & 2 nights on Inis Mor)
- Dublin City Experience - 1 night in Dublin + whiskey tasting tour.
Customer
service
Our dedicated local team will meet you on arrival and be on hand for advice and help throughout your stay.
Customise your tour
Everything you could
wish for & more
Make this tour into your own truly Irish experience with
a Tailor-Made Tour. All our tours can be customised. You can add extras, lengthen or shorten your tour to suit your needs or schedule.
Visit a remote, ancient island, follow in St Patrick’s footsteps, taste the finest Irish whiskey. The options are endless!
Get in touch with our Ireland travel experts and we’ll build the trip of a lifetime just for you.
Customise your tour
