Causeway, Cliffs & Castles

Introduction
Northern Eastern Ireland Ireland
Hike and explore the coast of Northern Ireland for ten days, including the Giant’s Causeway, the rolling hills and waterfalls of the Glens of Antrim, the wonderful vistas of Rathlin Island, Slieve League, and the coast and mountains of Donegal.
   
Tour Highlights
- Waterfalls in the Glens of Antrim
- Walking at the Giant's Causeway
- A visit to Rathlin Island
- Traditional music in the pubs
- Medieval town of Carlingford
- Stone circles
- Glenarriff Forest Park
- Slieve League - Europe's highest sea cliffs
- Stunning coastal scenery of Donegal
- Poor House Museum in Dunfanaghy
- Beaches and dunes of Horn Head

Accomodation

Accommodations
This is a progressive tour so nights will be spent in different locations.

Description
All our accommodations have been carefully selected and are approved by the high standards of the Irish Tourist Board. We have chosen locations of outstanding natural beauty, so that you can enjoy the best of Irish rural life and scenery. You will enjoy top quality accommodation in small, family run guesthouses and hotels whilst being charmed by the hospitable and friendly hosts.
We stay in small hotels, guest houses, farmhouses, B & B's and occasionally castles.

Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1 & 2: Accommodation in Carlingford
Night 3, 4 & 5: Accommodation in Bushmills
Night 6 & 7: Accommodation in Dunfanaghy
Night 8 & 9: Accommodation in Donegal

Room Occupancy
All rooms are en suite twin, double or single. Singles are available on request for a small supplement.


Meals:
All meals are included in your package except from dinner on Day 4 and 5.

Each morning, in addition to the famous full Irish breakfast, there are alternative options available. Everybody loves the Irish soda bread, with creamy Irish butter. But for the more health conscious, you can be assured of plenty of fruit, juice, yogurts and cereals.

We take packed lunches for our lunch breaks during our walks. These are provided from our accommodation or from local delis.

Our evenings are a time for reviewing the day's activities and shared experiences on the hills. Evening meals are taken either in the places where we are staying or in local restaurants. You will be pleasantly surprised at the fine quality meals you will enjoy on your tour.

Riding

This holiday, guided by someone who really knows and cares for Ireland, is the best way to see this enchanting country; imagine yourself hiking (or walking) over Irish mountains, pausing by Irish lakes, drinking in Irish pubs and listening to traditional Irish music.

These hiking trips show you the best of Ireland, its picturesque scenery, the grandeur of its mountains, the warmth and hospitality of its people and the magic of their music. Call it an Irish walking holiday; a hiking vacation in Ireland; even a sabbatical - maybe you're researching Ireland, perhaps for a thesis or book; or perhaps you want to see the Ireland of your Irish ancestors. Call it any or all of these, but treat yourself to a tour of Erin's Isle anyway.
Our hiking tours of Ireland are fully escorted by experienced, professional guides. We travel through Ireland in groups of no more than twelve people. We will escort you on hikes through Ireland's most scenic trails, walk through undiscovered routes lined with extraordinary vistas.

Ireland has a lot to offer the walker: dramatic sea cliffs, high mountain ridges, quiet green roads, butter roads, fuchsia-lined lanes, heath and moorland, sweeping expanses of beach. And then there are the sleepy villages, oak woods, sky-blue lakes, torrential waterfalls and babbling brooks.
Ireland's climate ideally suits the walker as generally it rarely gets too hot to be uncomfortable. Rain and cloud-formations are what bring the interesting light patterns and rainbows. The Western coast and islands are known for magnificent sunsets.

Don't be surprised at the very few people you will meet whilst walking, after all, the entire population of Ireland is only around four million! Ireland is a birdwatcher's paradise with many rarities such as the corncrake. It is also a great place for botanists, especially the area of the Burren, Co. Clare.

Maybe the best attraction of all is the people, you'll never find another place like it for hospitality, friendliness, warmth, generosity, humor, love of life and love of the land.

Hiking Level
It is important that you are fit and at least a regular hiker / walker. When we do half day walks the distance covered could be from 4 to 9 miles, when we do full day walks the distances covered could be 6 to 13 miles. The pace is relaxed with time to enjoy your surroundings, take pictures, watch the birds, etc. Generally the terrain comprises of combinations of tracks, lanes, moorland, heath, coastal paths, beaches and mountain paths. You may choose not to walk on certain days, it's your holiday, there are always alternatives. You may prefer to relax at our accommodation, draw, paint, read, think...
Generally after a day of walking we can help ourselves to complimentary tea and coffee at our accommodation. We allow for some relaxation time before dinner. We have an official "Diary" which has been kept by previous groups and you may choose to make a contribution at the end of your day. After dinner there is nearly always the option of visiting the local pubs for some traditional music and dancing.

Itinerary

Sample itinerary - subject to changes

The itinerary below is subject to change for varying reasons. Any changes made by the operator and / or the tour leaders will be in the interest and safety of all participants.

Day 1: Arrival
You will be met with a warm welcome at a hotel adjacent to Dublin Airport. Then we travel north to the pretty fishing village of Carlingford in County Louth. There are lovely views across the lough to the Mountains of Mourne, and the village backdrop is the mighty mountain of Slieve Foye. We will take a walk along the lower slopes of Slieve Foye in order to be rewarded with stunning views back over Carlingford Lough.
Carlingford is steeped in medieval history and there are many sites of interest to wander around, including an ancient castle and an abbey ruin.
Terrain: quiet lanes, forest tracks
Walking Distance 2 miles (3.2 km)
Overnight: Carlingford, County Louth 
Meals Included: Dinner
 
Day 2: Cooley Hills or Carlingford Visit
Our first full day walk will be at Ravensdale forest and the Cooley Hills. We will encounter an ancient stone circle and a dolmen (ancient burial site) along the way and learn about the legend of the Cattle Raid of Cooley. After climbing steadily over heathe-covered slopes and moorland on Black Mountain we will enjoy fine views of Newry, Rostrevor and the Mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland.
Alternative Walk Options: stroll around Carlingford at your leisure: visit old castle ruins and ancient abbey.
Terrain: lanes, mountains tracks, moorland | Elev 1800 ft.
Walking Distance 8 miles (12.9 km)
Overnight: Carlingford, County Louth 
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Drive North to County Antrim & Hike the Glens
Today we will head further north and over the border into Northern Ireland. En route we will stop to walk at Glenarriff Forest Park with our resident expert guide. You will enjoy a hike through a wealth of woodland and waterfalls. We then make our way on to the open hillside to look back on the
Glenarriff Valley leading out to sea. Afterwards we will make our way to the Causeway Coast, Co. Antrim. It is obvious to see why the Antrim Coast has been designated an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Alternative Walk Options: the full walk is 6 miles. Alternative option of just 2 miles available.
Terrain: trails | Elev 300 ft.
Walking Distance 6 miles (9.7 km)
Overnight: Bushmills, County Antrim
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Antrim Coast & Giant's Causeway
We take a spectacular walk from Dunseverick Harbour to Portballintrae via the Giant’s Causeway. The Causeway is made up of 37,000 black basalt hexagonal columns. It is the result of a massive underground explosion, which took place some sixty million years ago. In 1693 the Royal Geographical Society publicised it as one of the great wonders of the natural world. Our walk begins at Dunseverick Harbour, then we walk west along the very well-maintained Coastal Path passing rocky coves, high cliffs, sandy beaches, and a ruined castle.
Alternative Walk Options: the full walk is 9 miles. Alternative option of just 5 miles available.
Terrain: cliffs, coast path, sandy beaches | Elev 400 ft.
Walking Distance 9 miles (14.5 km)
Overnight: Bushmills, County Antrim
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5: Rathlin Island
This morning, we take the ferry out to Rathlin Island, the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland. Rathlin is only 15 miles from the Scottish coast at the Mull of Kintyre. We take a trip out to the West Lighthouse, famed for its bird life and home to tens of thousands of seabirds, including kittiwakes, guillemots, puffins and razorbills. Later we will walk down to Rue Point for a fine walk beside lakes and down to see the seals at the southern shore. We return later to the mainland and our guest house to relax and enjoy an excellent meal, perhaps with some locally caught seafood.
Alternative Walk Options: the full walk is 8 miles long, but there is option of just pottering around the island at your own pace.
Terrain: cliff paths, paved lanes | Elev 200 ft.
Walking Distance 8 miles (12.8 km)
Overnight: Bushmills, County Antrim
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6: Travel West to County Donegal
We’re off into the west today to County Donegal: we will be located in the village of Dunfanaghy, in the Gaelic-speaking region of the north west. We will be staying in the award-winning Mill Guest House and Restaurant. This area is famous for excellent traditional Irish music and we will hope to be able to enjoy some music in the pubs.
On our way to Donegal we will stop at Glenveagh National Park for a walk which begins in the wild country in the mountains and finishes at the beautiful Lough Beagh and Glenveagh Castle gardens.
Alternative Walk Options: there is a shorter alternative of hiking just one or two miles.
Terrain: forest path, lakeside track | Elev 50 ft.
Walking Distance 6 miles (9.7 km)
Overnight: Dunfanaghy, County Donegal
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Horn Head Peninsula
Setting out on foot from the hotel, our walk today will be at the Horn Head Peninsula. This is one of the northernmost peninsulas of County Donegal. Our walk will commence through pine woods bringing us through large sand dunes interspersed with wild flowers such as wild mountain thyme and pyramidal orchids. We then come down to a spectacular beach before taking a coast / cliff track around by the sea. We finish near a great natural arch in the sea before turning back towards Dunfanaghy to visit the Poor House Museum.
Alternative Walk Options: shorter 4 mile walk to Tramore Beach and returning the same way to visit the village of Dunfanaghy and the Poor House Museum.
Terrain: forest path, beach, cliff paths | Elev 500 ft.
Walking Distance 9 miles (14.5 km)
Overnight: Dunfanaghy, County Donegal
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Dunlewy Lough
This morning we will head further south in County Donegal, and on our way we stop to walk near Dunlewy Lough and the Poisoned Glen. This is a magnificent walk through hills and forests in the shadows of mighty Mount Errigal, Donegal’s highest mountain.
Alternative Walk Options: if you don’t wish to walk, there is an opportunity to visit the Dunlewy Centre: a community-based culture and arts development centre.
Terrain: grassy / stone track, boggy hills | Elev 400 ft.
Walking Distance 8 miles (12.9 km)
Overnight: Donegal, County Donegal
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Slieve League
We head for Europe’s highest sea cliffs at Slieve League (2000 ft) today. In many people’s opinion Slieve League is Donegal’s piece de resistance. The cliffs are three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher, but less well known due to their remote location. On a fine day, the vista is incredible. An isolated gentle green road brings us out onto the most majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean. This walk is truly an unforgettable one! We will return to our guest house near Donegal Town for another fine meal.
Instead of the long hike at Slieve Leaugue you may prefer to visit Donegal Town and the castle. Approx 2 mile return walk from our accommodation.
Terrain: grassy / stone track, boggy hills | Elev 2000 ft.
Walking Distance 8 miles (12.9 km)
Overnight: Donegal, County Donegal
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Departure
We will drive back to Dublin via Enniskillen and the Fermanagh Lakelands.
Meals Included: Breakfast


Note: Many clients come on a tour who wish to do very little hiking. Every day there are alternative options such as sight-seeing, relaxing, reading, painting, listening to Irish traditional music, and generally just soaking up the Irish atmosphere. You can opt out of the hiking on any day! All our accommodations are based in scenic locations, so you are very welcome to just remain “home” for the day.

Rates and Dates for Causeway, Cliffs & Castles

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: Dublin
Airport: Dublin
Transfer: Dublin

Climate:
                                                    Donegal area