Ireland: Connemara and Galway Bay

All accommodations while on tour, including fine country hotels, all private baths

All meals included except two lunches and one dinner; alcoholic beverages are not included

Walk Rating: Easy to moderate terrain; average of 5 to 8 miles per day with shorter and longer options

DAY 1
Arrival. Poulnacapple warm-up walk. Cliffs of Moher; 4-5 miles, easy to moderate
Just hours after departing Shannon you stroll through a historic landscape rich with remnants of medieval life, including a 15th-century castle, Romanesque church, and High Crosses.
After lunch you visit one of Ireland’s most dramatic coastlines: the Cliffs of Moher. Rising sheer from the Atlantic to a vertiginous 700 feet, these cliffs are home to active seabird colonies. Following your visit, you begin an afternoon walk in the town of Poulnacapple, crossing the shale lands into the Burren. Spectacular views over the Burren hillsides unfold throughout the walk.
You arrive at a Georgian country manor house nestled in the heart of the Burren in time to relax before indulging in the first night’s feast.
Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan

DAY 2
The Burren; 6 miles, easy to moderate. Optional additional walk; 3 mile, easy
Today you venture into the heart of the Burren. Here, the shapes and textures of the bare limestone that give this site its Gaelic name (meaning "a rocky place") make for fascinating walking. The thin soil hosts unusual and diverse flora, whereby plants from the high arctic and alpine regions of Europe bloom alongside those from the Mediterranean region. Your guide engages the group with his knowledge of history, geology, and plant life-for the Burren proves rich in all these subjects.
You travel along the Burren Way, a six-mile trail from Ballinalacken to the abandoned Formoyle Chapel. Lovely views of the sea appear along this ancient path that was once a cattle-driving trail. The walk circles back into Ballyvaughan, where you indulge in a midday lunch.
The afternoon is filled with short journeys into prehistory. Visits to an Iron-Age stone ring fort, a Bronze-Age burial site, and a Celtic high cross, transport you through thousands of years in a few short hours.
Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan

DAY 3
Colman Kilmacduagh; 2.5-6.5 miles, easy to moderate
Today’s walk takes you to the ruins of Colman Kilmacduagh, an early Christian monastery. These relatively unknown ruins are set in a magical, mystical setting. Here, you explore the monastery and its holy well, which is still honored today.
After lunch in Galway, your private minibus takes you to the westernmost part of the Connemara region. Gaining altitude this afternoon, the road reaches 900 feet negotiating through the Mám Éan pass in the Mamturk Mountains. From this mountain vantage point, spread out before you are panoramic views of the lake-studded peatlands that comprise south Connemara.
Your hotel for the next two nights is a first-class country house in Letterfrack. Dinner this evening is in the hotel’s beautiful dining room.
Rosleague Manor Hotel, Letterfrack

DAY 4
Killary Harbor; 5 miles, easy to moderate. Renvyle Peninsula; 2.5 miles, easy, with longer options. Optional visit to Kylemore Abbey
Today’s walk explores the country’s only fjord: Killary Harbor. You walk four miles along a harborside trackway, passing the deserted village of Foher and its evocative famine graveyard. The deep bay affords views of inland mountains and magical islands.
Lunch is at a pub in Letterfrack, where later you can browse among the displays of handwoven arts and crafts.
The afternoon walk moves up the Renvyle Peninsula for two and a half miles. Here, small farms framed by stone walls, green pastureland, and grand coastal views typify the Irish landscape.
An alternative option to the afternoon walk is a visit to Kylemore Abbey and the Victorian Walled Garden. Kylemore Abbey, originally built in 1868 by Mitchell Henry in memory of his wife, Margaret, has been home to the Irish Benedictine Nuns since 1920.
Tonight you enjoy a dinner of local specialties such as Connemara lamb or Wild Renvyle salmon at the hotel.
Rosleague Manor Hotel, Letterfrack

DAY 5
Sheeauns; 2 miles, moderate. Inishbofin Island; 4 miles, easy to moderate
Following breakfast, you depart for a one-hour drive to the town land of Sheeauns ("fairy hills"). Here, peat was cut for fuel in recent times, exposing Bronze-Age hut sites, field systems, and track ways.
After this scenic and educational walk, you leave the fairy hills for the little fishing town of Cleggan. You then catch the midday ferry to Inishbofin, a serene island with a breathtaking coastline.
This evening you retire to your hotel in the quaint town of Clifden, the capital of Connemara. You are free to choose from one of Clifden’s many restaurants and pubs for dinner this evening.
The Quay House, Clifden

DAY 6
Roundstone Bog; 4-5 miles, easy to moderate. Omey Island; 4 miles, easy
Roundstone Bog, one of the largest examples of western-blanket bog in the world, is your destination today. Starting out following a little-used roadway, you can leave the road for a short diversion across the bog proper if it has been dry for the previous few days. Here your guide points out the flora specially adapted to living in wet acid soils: heather-clad outcroppings of rock, insectivorous plants, and sedges. In summer, the eerie cries of breeding golden plover and merlin drift overhead.
This afternoon, an island visit is on the agenda. You reach Omey Island by foot along a causeway cut off by high tide. This low-lying island of pink granite is covered by sand dunes. Recent excavations have provided anthropologists with a wealth of new information on the form and customs of early Christian monasteries in Ireland.
Tonight’s farewell dinner is in a favorite local restaurant.
The Quay House, Clifden

DAY 7
Farewell
After a hearty Irish breakfast, you transfer by minibus to Shannon, where you bid farewell to new-found friends.

Itinerary Changes: Please bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual walks and sites may vary due to season, special events, or weather. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary since tour arrangements are made up to a year in advance, and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve the tour and your experience.

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
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Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Cliffs of Moher

Irish fare, pub lunches, and lots of storytelling

The Burren's limestone landscape

Celtic crosses, Iron and Bronze Age sites

Walks along Killary Harbor, Ireland's only fjord

Your Guides

Michael Miller: Michael, a native Irishman, has extensive guiding experience and a comprehensive knowledge of Ireland’s fascinating history. However, his true love is traditional Irish folk music. Michael is a delightful travel companion and insightful "walking encyclopedia".

Pól O'Colmain: Pól has lived in Ireland for his entire life. His many interests include art history, literature, philosophy, film, Irish music and folklore, as well as the Irish language. His natural wit and charm combined with his talent for storytelling are enjoyed by our many guests in Ireland.

Dubhaltach O'Colmain: Dubhaltach is a working artist and musician, often writing his own music and illustrating stories. Fluent in English, Irish and Greek, he grew up on the Great Blasket Island. Dubhaltach enjoys sharing his love of the sea and outdoors with travelers to Ireland.

Marie Cullen: A native of Ireland, Marie lived on the Great Blasket Island for ten years. She has worked as a teacher and restaurateur, and is now a visual artist of growing renown. Marie enjoys sharing her great love of the Irish landscape and culture with guests while on tour.

Itinerary Changes: Please bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual walks and sites may vary due to season, special events, or weather. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary since tour arrangements are made up to a year in advance, and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve the tour and your experience.

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