Compare Cycling the Coast and Villages of Ireland’s Connemara by Road Scholar vs Classic Walks of Scotland by Intrepid Travel
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
4.5 | Great
|
4.5 | Great
|
| Duration | 10 days | 6 days |
| Price From | Check price | $ 1,740 |
| Price Per Day | Check price | $ 290 |
| Highlights |
|
|
| Trip Style | Group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
| Physical Level |
|
|
| Travel Themes |
|
|
| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
|
|
| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
|
N/A |
| Meals Included |
8 Breakfasts and 8 Dinners |
N/A |
| Description |
This trip has been discontinued. Instead see
On quiet country lanes and paths along the rugged west coast of Ireland, cycle from seaside village to village in the area called “Wild Connemara.” Find an area rich with megalithic tombs, craggy mountains, moorland and loughs, with glittering islands of the Irish Sea never far in the distance. Learn how — in a land that has been inhabited for more than 6,000 years — the old ways live on in the crafts, language, music and stories the locals still love to tell. |
Sample some of Scotland’s most iconic walks like the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way and conquer Ben Nevis - the highest peak in Scotland and the entire United Kingdom – with two expert guides by your side. Fort William, a charming town located on the shores of Loch Linnhe, is famous for being the gateway to Ben Nevis and will be your home away from home on this trip which takes you through an ever changing landscape that is famous for its Scottish culture, dramatic landscapes, and breathtaking natural scenery. Add a charming Scottish town and atmospheric pubs to enjoy at the end of each day and this walking trip has it all. |
Day 1: Departure
In Transit: Board an overnight flight.
Day 2: Arrival Shannon Airport / Transfer to Oughterard ...
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Ross Lake House Hotel
Arrival Shannon Airport / Transfer to Oughterard / Bike Fitting & Testing / Welcome Dinner
Arrive To: Shannon Airport.
Morning: Board a coach for the 90-minute transfer to Oughterard. Check-in at Ross Lake House Hotel.
Afternoon: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet you with a warm welcome and will review the up-to-date daily program schedule and any changes, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have.
Please be aware that indicated times are approximate and that program activities and schedules could change due to local circumstances such as weather, traffic conditions, etc. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
During free time, the Group Leader will often be available to guide informal excursions, activities, or meals not included in the program. You are welcome to join if you wish, with associated costs (if any) on your own, or explore independently.
Following the orientation, bicycles will be fitted to the participant and skill testing will take place. The remainder of the afternoon is free for you to settle in and relax or explore independently.
Dinner: The group meets for the welcome dinner in the hotel dining room. Daily dinners consist of three-course meals featuring tasty local cuisine: appetizer, entrée, dessert and tap water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At leisure. The evening is free to continue becoming acquainted with your fellow participants or take a stroll on the hotel grounds. Get a good night's sleep for the full day tomorrow.
Day 3: Safety & Corner System Lecture / Aughnanure Castl...
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Connemara Coast Hotel
Note: Biking Distance: Approximately 25 miles
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, choose from a cold buffet with meats, cheeses, yogurts, cereals, breads, juices and beverages. Hot breakfast foods such as oatmeal, or a full Irish breakfast can be ordered each morning and is included in your program cost.
Morning: After fueling up with a hearty Irish breakfast, listen carefully to lectures on safety, rules of the road and the IBT corner system. Mount your bicycle for the first cycle of the program and head toward Aughnanure Castle to be thrust back in time for a peek into old Irish nobility. Gain insight into one of Galway's most notable lord families of Gaelic stock during a lecture and guided walk through one of over 200 crumbling tower houses, built by the "ferocious" O’Flahertys. Discover why the people of Galway regarded the O'Flahertys as "mountainous and wild people."
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the food of your choice in the Garden Cafe at Brigit's Celtic-Inspired Gardens.
Afternoon: Continue bicycling through the lush countryside of Moycullen onto our seaside retreat in Furbo. You might want to take a dip in the hotel swimming pool or venture outside onto the beach prior to dinner.
Dinner: Hotel dining room.
Evening: At leisure. Your evenings are free to spend time with new Road Scholar friends, relax, or explore on your own.
Day 4: Irish Cultural Immersion - Music, Song, Dance & t...
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Connemara Coast Hotel
Irish Cultural Immersion - Music, Song, Dance & the Gaelic Language / Spiddal Independent Exploration / Furbo / Celtic Tales Storytelling Session
Note: Biking Distance: Approximately 6 miles
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.
Morning: Start the day with a visit to a restored 17th-century hill village for an immersion into authentic Irish culture, nature and heritage. Celebrate traditional music, song, and dance. Marvel at the secrets of Connemara's ancient Bogland. Learn the origins of the Gaelic language and possibly test out a few phrases for use in the days to come.
Catching the distinct scent of salty ocean spray, it's time to cycle to the small and pristine seaside village of Spiddal, where all signposts are in Irish, as is the language used by those who frequent the pubs or peddle their warm, handwoven sweaters.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the food of your choice in Spiddal.
Afternoon: Return to Furbo by bicycle in the soft afternoon sunlight that dances over the water, furnishing magnificent views of the Aran Islands. Before dinner, find a comfortable seat and listen attentively as a local storyteller rivets your imagination with an animated presentation of Celtic Tales.
Dinner: Hotel dining room.
Evening: At leisure.
Day 5: Celtic Mythology Presentation / Carna Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Ostan Cuan Carna
Note: Biking Distance: 28 miles
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.
Morning: After a full Irish breakfast, attend a presentation on Celtic Mythology. Bid the accommodating staff at the hotel goodbye before boarding a coach for a short transfer to mount your two-wheeler to continue your exploration of Connemara.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the food and cuisine of your choice.
Afternoon: Bicycle along secondary roads where the sea is never too far away until reaching our dwelling for the evening. On arrival, explore the quiet village of Carna and drink up the view of Carna Bay and Mweenish Island.
Dinner: Hotel dining room.
Evening: Take a walk after dinner with your group leader or enjoy chatting with the locals in the hotel pub.
Day 6: Glinsk / Cashel Bay / Roundstone Independent Expl...
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Foyles Hotel
Glinsk / Cashel Bay / Roundstone Independent Exploration / Ballyconneely / Filleting Demonstration & Salmon Tasting at Connemara Smokehouse / Clifden
Note: Biking Distance: Approximately 35 miles
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.
Morning: Our cycling route leads us through Glinsk and around Cashel Bay to Roundstone. Whet your appetite and marvel at the charms of this artsy bay village, notable for its "Galway Hookers" (uniquely Irish fishing boats), which return daily with nets and crates brimming with lobster, crab, shrimp, mackerel and cod.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the food and cuisine of your choice in Roundstone. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
Afternoon: Mount your iron horse and cycle to Ballyconneely to delight your taste buds with a sample of fresh Atlantic smoked salmon during a lecture and fish filleting demonstration at Connemara Smokehouse. From here, it's a short ride to Clifden, our home for the night.
Dinner: Hotel dining room.
Evening: At leisure.
Day 7: Sky Road / Streamstown Bay / Clifden Independent ...
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Foyles Hotel
Note: Biking Distance: Approximately 8 miles
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.
Morning: Embark on a scenic bicycle ride along the infamous and stunning Sky Road, which overlooks offshore islands, Inishturk and Turbot. A quick stop in Streamstown Bay affords a glimpse of untouched, rugged Ireland before we circle back toward Clifden.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the food and cuisine of your choice in Clifden. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
Afternoon: Take this opportunity for independent exploration in Clifden to do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. Poke around craft shops or relish a pint of Guinness in any one of the old town pubs that line the village.
Dinner: Hotel dining room.
Evening: At leisure.
Day 8: Kylemore Abbey / Kylemore Pass
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Kylemore Pass Hotel
Note: Biking Distance: Approximately 13 miles
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.
Morning: Take notice of the peat bogs that line the landscape along the route to Kylemore Abbey, which sits at the base of the "12 Bens," the more mountainous region of Connemara. Admire the grandeur of this historic estate during a guided talk of the mansion. Independently explore the Mausoleum, Gothic Church and Victorian Walled Garden that populate the manicured property.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the food and cuisine of your choice at Kylemore Abbey.
Afternoon: Having explored the grounds of the Abbey, we pedal to our hotel just down the road at Kylemore Pass. Upon arrival, bid your bicycle "slán" before spending the late afternoon relaxing with an independent stroll or perhaps a rejuvenating snooze.
Dinner: Hotel dining room.
Evening: At leisure.
Day 9: Transfer to Galway / Galway City Walk / Galway In...
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Forster Court Hotel
Transfer to Galway / Galway City Walk / Galway Independent Exploration / Farewell Dinner
Note: With the bicycling concluded, we transfer by coach to Galway.
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.
Morning: Hop an early coach transfer to the cultural core of Ireland, and its third largest city, Galway. Upon arrival at the hotel, partake in an enriching overview of this cultural hub of Ireland via a lecture and field trip of the city. The guided walk pulls us through the medieval roots and complex history of Galway into its present day allure: highlights include The Spanish Arch, Eyre Square/JFK Memorial Park, Galway’s street of sin and other notable public buildings.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the food and cuisine of your choice in Galway. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
Afternoon: Free Afternoon. Take this opportunity for independent exploration in Galway to do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. Whether it’s being roused by dance and music at An Pucan Pub, engrossment in artistic expression at Galway Arts Centre or the Galway City Museum, or unwinding with a canal walk before the last evening of festivities.
Dinner: Recap your adventures and share your favorite memories with your fellow participants tonight at our farewell dinner in the hotel dining room. Get a good night's sleep and prepare for departure in the morning.
Evening: At leisure.
Day 10: Departure
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast: Hotel dining room. This concludes our program.
Morning: Transfers to Shannon Airport for onward travel.
We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you return on more rewarding programs in the future. Please be in touch via the Road Scholar Social Network, where you can share memories, pictures, and comments. Best wishes for all your journeys!
Day 1 Fort William
Welcome to the Highlands! Your adventure begins in Fort William, cradled amidst the captivating landscapes of the Scottish West Highlands. The town is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, offering exceptional hiking, climbing, winter and water sports opportunities. The imposing presence of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, looms large, making this town a mecca for those seeking Highland mountain adventures. With a rich history and friendly community, Fort William will be your home for the next five nights. After you’ve settled into your accommodation, meet your leader and the rest of your group at a welcome meeting, then enjoy an easy hike to stretch the legs, maybe to a ruined castle on a historic battle site.
Day 2 Devil's Staircase
This morning, you’ll catch the local bus to nearby Glencoe, where you’ll hike the West Highland Way from Glencoe to Kinlochleven, over the famous Devil’s Staircase. As you ascend, you'll quickly understand why it's called the Devil's Staircase. The path climbs steeply, zigzagging its way up the mountainside. This section can be challenging but immensely rewarding, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the vast expanse of the region. Keep an eye out for deer as you take in the tranquil views on this occasionally challenging but rewarding hike. There’s no need to walk back to where you started on this point-to point walk as a short transfer will take you back to Fort William for a relaxing night.
Day 3 West Highland Way
After a hearty breakfast, you’ll take a public bus to the start of the hike in Kinlochleven, a scenic village located at the eastern end of Loch Leven. From here, hike the final stage of the West Highland Way, which will take you over the mountain pass and through the picturesque valley, on your way back to Fort William. This leg of the West Highland Way marks the official end of the famous trail, and serves as the starting point for the Great Glen Way, which you'll explore tomorrow. In the evening, there is the option to join your fellow travelers for dinner, to reflect on the day’s’ adventure.
Day 4 Great Glen Way
Today is a bit of an easier day today, which could be considered as a rest day for tired legs! The Great Glen Way is a long-distance walking route that spans from Fort William to Inverness, following the picturesque Great Glen, which cuts through the Scottish Highlands. Today, you’ll hike the opening stage. Starting from the accommodation, the hike takes you from Fort William and follows the banks of the Caledonian Canal. Built in the 19th century, the Caledonian Canal is a man-made waterway that links east to west Scotland. Your route continues onto the small highland settlement of Gairloch. Follow a country lane to the nearby Commando Memorial which has amazing views across the Ben Nevis mountain range, before finishing in Spean Bridge.
Day 5 Ben Nevis
Today marks the pinnacle of your Scottish walking adventure with the challenging ascent of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland (and in fact, the entire United Kingdom). The name Ben Nevis means 'mountain with its head in the clouds' in ancient Gaelic. This walk is considered a must do by hikers around the world. Starting at sea level, follow a rough trail to the summit at 1345 m. This is a challenging full day in the mountains, so you’ll need excellent physical preparation and determination to reach the summit. To assist on your ascent, the group will be accompanied by two seasoned guides who will provide expertise, support and motivation for a successful climb and descent. When you’ve accomplished this feat, a private transfer will take you back to the accommodation where you can unwind and relax with a sense of achievement.
Day 6 Cow Hill
After breakfast, head out for a final hike with great views across Ben Nevis and the surrounding area, a celebratory victory walk after conquering the mighty peak. Starting directly from your accommodation, hike into Glen Nevis and head uphill to reach the summit of Cow Hill. Your efforts are rewarded with fantastic views of Glen Nevis and the many peaks which surround it, as well as across Fort William to Loch Linnhe and beyond. It’s a memorable place to finish the trip and reflect on an amazing week of hiking in Scotland. A short steep descent completes the circuit and takes you back into Fort William by lunchtime, giving you time to catch a bus to Inverness, or a train south to Glasgow.
