8 Days | Self-Guided Holiday
The Iveragh Peninsula is a stunning region of islands. With Killarney at its epicentre, it is the largest of the ‘five fingers’ of Ireland, better known as the Ring of Kerry. Mystical, beautiful and grand, the route is also a tourist hotspot, so can be a little unkind to cyclists. Our routes maintain the same beauty and splendour but take you off the path to enjoy a more leisurely and quieter mix of inland and coastal scenery.
Weekly departures for this Self-Guided tour
8 Days with prices from $3,595 CAD per person
Killarney
Killarney
Cycling Conditions
Classification: Self-Guided
Activity Level: 3 (Moderate)
Average daily distance: 45km (28 miles)
No. of days cycling: 6
Terrain and route: surface: The suggested cycling mainly follows quiet tarmac roads and lanes.
Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next. A representative will be there to meet you, make sure the bikes are all set up and will be on call throughout the trip should you need.
It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes.
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.
Highlights:
Check into your B&B and then explore the town, choosing from one of its many restaurants for dinner or enjoying some live music. (Staying at Abbey Lodge)
A short warm-up ride through the stunning Killarney National Park follows a series of cycle trails where you’ll see the meeting of the waters where two of the ‘Three Lakes of Killarney’ converge. Marvel at Torc Waterfall, the second highest in Ireland, visit Muckross House and its magnificent gardens, looking out for the famous red deer. (Staying at the Abbey Lodge)
Meals included: breakfast
Leaving Killarney behind, you’ll follow the Fossa Way cycle route, before heading on small country roads as you slowly climb up to the pretty Lough Acoose, below the peak of Carrauntuohill, Ireland’s highest mountain. Descending, you’ll cycle along the shores of Lough Caragh and on to charming Glenbeigh and its blue flag beach. If you have time, pedal down to Rossbeigh Strand and dip your toes in the Atlantic. (Staying at the Towers Hotel)
Meals included: breakfast
You’ll follow the route of the coast today, passing small farms and on to the beautiful and peaceful shores of Kells Bay. Heading along a scenic narrow road fringed by large green meadows and peaks in the distance, a circular loop at the end takes you past Ballycarbery Castle and a wonderful seaside view and two early Christian stone forts. You’ll arrive in the lively town of Cahersiveen, the birthplace of Daniel O’Connell, the Irish political leader (1775-1847). (Staying at the Ring of Kerry Hotel)
Meals included: breakfast
Leaving Cahersiveen on the old road you’ll pass the ruins of Daniel O’Connell’s birth home, before heading back inland where you’ll see ruined abbeys and ancient graveyards. After a short descent, a climb up and over the stunning Ballaghasheen Pass will reward you with views back to Killarney and Ireland’s highest mountain. A long descent on narrow roads alongside a gushing river takes you to Blackstones Bridge and your quirky and welcoming B&B for the night. (Staying at the Blackstones House)
Meals included: breakfast dinner
Meals included: breakfast
Another stunning rural ride today as you head up and over the spectacular Ballaghbeama Gap; you are more likely to encounter sheep on the roads than vehicles. The road takes you through boulder-strewn countryside, cycling by small lakes, following the Blackwater River. Your day finishes in the beautiful town of Kenmare, also called ‘the gateway to Kerry’, and your luxury guesthouse for the night. (Staying at Rockcrest House, B&B)
Meals included: breakfast
As final bike rides go, they don’t get much better than this. You’ll cycle to Moll’s Gap – a panoramic spot that reaches a summit of 860 feet – and continue to the Black Valley. This is one of the last remaining areas of Ireland that is still remote and untouched; with rich fertile meadows and a roaring river, it feels like a land that time forgot. From here you’ll climb to one of the most beautiful places in Ireland, the Gap of Dunloe, which was created during the Ice Age. Cycling along this glaciated valley, you’ll meander around the many glacial lakes dotted throughout and marvel at the sheer jagged rock faces towering above you. You’ll head back into Killarney through the National Park, passing the 15th century Ross Castle, before returning to your B&B for your last night (and perhaps a final Guinness). (Staying at Abbey Lodge)
Meals included: breakfast
We take you to Killarney Station for your onward journey, or perhaps enjoy extra nights in Killarney to finish your trip.
Meals included: breakfast
