Overview
Ireland, Land of Saints & Scholars

The itinerary takes us around the very best of the North West and the North of Ireland, visiting the counties of Sligo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Derry, Tyrone, Antrim and Down, and including such scenic highlights as Lough Gill, the Slieve League Cliffs, the Donegal Coast, the Rosses, the Bluestack Mountains, the Sperrin Mountains, the Causeway Coast and Giant’s Causeway, the Glens of Antrim, the Antrim Coast Road, Strangford Lough and St Patrick’s Country. It would be very difficult to devise an itinerary elsewhere that packs so much into two weeks!

This is a less touristed region of Ireland due to its remoteness but certainly not due to any shortcomings in terms of beautiful scenery or sites of interest. The scenery throughout is fabulous and there is a huge amount of variety in the landscapes and in the terrain. In addition there are sites of interest in abundance - museums and art galleries, stately homes and gardens, jaw-dropping natural phenomena such as the Giant’s Causeway and Torr Head, castles and fortresses. The list is endless, and you will certainly find plenty to keep you off the bike for an hour or two each day.

On most days the core route is a ride of around 50 miles on moderate terrain. On all days there is the option to extend this by around 30 miles, while on a couple of days you can ride a century if you get the notion.  

Accommodations are mostly 3-star family-run country hotels with a bit of local flavour and character – the owners are invariably friendly, welcoming and attuned to the need of cyclists. Belfast and Dublin acommodations are 4-star hotels.

Tour Details:
15 Days / 14 Nights

Travel Dates:
July 3 - July 18, 2010

Trip Start / End Location:
Dublin, Ireland

Cost:
$3095 per person / $6190 per tandem team

Average Mileage:
50 miles per day