
The Bikes
You can’t enjoy a great biking trip without a really great bike. On this trip, we’ll use well-tuned, high-quality, local bikes that provide the perfect fit for your size and weight.
The right number of like-minded travellers to make new friends.
Your dates. Your group. Our expertly-designed itinerary.
Tailored to your interests, a bespoke travel experience.
Combines the hallmarks of any B&R itinerary (excellent hotels and beautiful routes) with the freedom of pacing each day exactly the way you like.
Throughout the day, a knowledgeable local guide provides insider access and expert tips. At night, you can explore and dine on your own.
Our B&R guides are with you throughout, anticipating needs, translating languages, providing advice and—above all—facilitating fun.
Biking – 40-50 km (25-30 mi.) a day over relatively flat terrain with a few small hills—all very manageable for people trying their first biking trip.
Walking – 6-10 km (4-6 mi.) a day on country lanes, footpaths and coastal or forest trails, all on relatively flat terrain, perhaps with an occasional hill.
Biking – 40-50 km (25-30 mi.) a day over terrain that’s relatively flat but will include inclines and the occasional climb or two.
Walking – 8-12 km (5-7 mi.) a day over relatively flat terrain, with occasional steeper climbs.
Biking – 40-50 km (25-30 mi.) a day in gently rolling countryside, with occasional longer climbs to points that are well worth the effort.
Walking – 11-15 km (7-10 mi.) a day over rolling terrain on a variety of surfaces. Most days, one or two steeper climbs to spectacular viewpoints or places of interest.
Biking – Roughly 50 km (30 mi.) a day in consistently rolling countryside, with repeated climbs and longer options available.
Walking – 11-15 km (7-10 mi.) over terrain that varies between rolling and hilly, with a few steeper climbs.
Biking – 50-60 km (30-45 mi.) a day over both level and tougher, hillier terrain with multiple 100 km (62 mi.) options. The routes are designed for avid cyclists and include plenty of chances to push yourself.
Walking – 11-15 km (7-10 mi.) a day over fairly hilly terrain offering lots of challenges. Routes are along high meadow paths and/or well-maintained cliffside or alpine trails, with a few steep ascents to make you feel invigorated.
Failté Romhat! The Burren and Connemara are regions steeped in history, with glacial-era geography and thousands of years of human endurance and evolution recorded in the very landscape. Rugged mountains level out into the lunar landscapes of karst and bog, ultimately running right into the Atlantic. This diversity of nature, coupled with the constantly changing weather, Neolithic ruins and pastoral lifestyle breeds a character all its own, and this week will be full of such encounters. In the numerous villages and towns you’ll bike through, and in the real life castles you’ll lay your head to rest at night, one can’t help but feel the true Irish welcome.
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Ready-to-Book private tours are designed to be enjoyed off-the-rack, but there is room for minor adjustments to fit the trip to your needs. If the gap is too great, then we’d be happy to tailor-make you a Bespoke trip from scratch. Simply tell us a few details about your group and select your preferred date. One of our Trip Designers will spring into action, confirming the details or exploring alternatives, over the next 48 hours.
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Get in touch with a Trip Designer to begin planning your perfect vacation.
REQUEST A QUOTEYou’ll be met by your guide at Shannon Airport and then transfer north to The Burren. You’ll have lunch at a legendary lobster bar before starting your ride along the Flaggy Shore – a seaside location that has inspired the works of Yeats and Heaney.
Today you'll catch the ferry to Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran islands. We'll hop off our bikes to sample some fresh-made cheeses at a friend’s goat farm before lunch. Later on, you’ll catch the ferry to Rossaveel in the heart of Gaeltacht, Gaelic country.
Cycle along the dramatic Atlantic shores into the town of Clifdenthis afternoon, the unofficial capital of Connemara. You will stop there for lunch and a wander before returning to Ballynahinch Castle. Tonight, you'll be joined by a traditional storyteller for cocktails by the fire.
Pedal past the 12 Bens Mountains to Ireland's only fjord, Killary. Here you'll meet our pal Tom, a shepherd who will take you through a herding demonstration. Lunch will be a seafood feast with shellfish farmers Kate and Simon Kennedy.
After breakfast, we'll set out on two wheels towards County Clare, the home of your next and final hotel - the mind-blowing Ashford Castle. After a light lunch on the castle grounds or in nearby Cong, you’ll head to Ireland’s oldest school of falconry for a chance to fly one of these majestic birds.
We’d suggest a later departure today, giving you more time to enjoy some morning activities on the Ashford Estate. There are loads of options including archery, kayaking, clay pigeon shooting and horseback riding available. Afterwards you’ll be transferred to the airport where you’ll board your outbound flight.
Have a craic’n time in Gaelic country.
Set amidst 350 acres of private woodland on the shores of Lough Corrib, the 12thC Ashford Castle was purchased by the Guinness family in 1852. Only the opulent interiors and colourful rooms surpass the 5-star hotel’s beautiful grounds, 9-hole golf course, and falconry and horseback riding schools.
A stunning 18th-century manor house in beautiful Ballyvaughan, Gregans Castle is warm Irish hospitality at its best. The property is surrounded by lovingly attended gardens and has spectacular views stretching across the Burren to Galway Bay. Its award-winning restaurant highlights amazing local produce, meat and seafood.
Surrounded by 450 acres of beautiful wooded grounds overlooking its famous salmon fishery, Ballynahinch is one of Ireland’s finest luxury castle hotels. Its rooms are tastefully furnished in casual country elegance and its superb restaurant offers refined Irish classics using delicious local meats and produce.
I have never seen so many shades of green and trying to count them all eventually proved impossible. We did try to capture all the beauty Ireland has to offer and again this proved to be impossible but we brought home the memories of this amazing country.
— Linda MoudryThis trip is rated Recreational, meaning it’s appropriate for travellers who enjoy going for a good ride and can handle an incline or two. The terrain covered is varied. Enjoy some gently rolling hills, open coastal headlands and also encounter a few steeper climbs which will be a bit more demanding, however your vacation will be tailored by your guide to suit your individual preferences. Rewarding views are guaranteed. Daily distances range from 20 to 100 km and options for shorter or longer rides are available on most days.
In a word: everything. In ninety words? Signature B&R guides; local experts; unique, unforgettable biking and walking routes; private tours; authentic local cuisine; lessons and demonstrations; local artisanal wines; wine tastings; all victuals and libations; all the endorphins you can handle; new insight; interesting, fun and like-minded travel companions; a feeling of total freedom. In short: an extraordinary, hassle-free journey of discovery.
You can’t enjoy a great biking trip without a really great bike. On this trip, we’ll use well-tuned, high-quality, local bikes that provide the perfect fit for your size and weight.
Sometimes your B&R trip simply isn’t long enough! Extend your stay for the best vacation possible. If you wish to spend a few days in region either before or after your official B&R trip, and need assistance making those plans, your B&R Travel Advisor can help.
Call us to create an independent travel experience that fits your needs—we can also arrange for a local guide.
We craft extraordinary experiences, tailor made to meet
your every need, with every stitch of every day crafted
just the way you want it. Learn more about Bespoke
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