Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way & Northern Ireland

(B)= Breakfast, (L)= Lunch, (R)=Reception, (D)= Dinner

Monday, September 1, 2025: Depart home
Depart home on independent flights to Shannon, Ireland.

Tuesday, September 2: Arrive Shannon | Transfer to hotel | Cliffs of Moher | Spanish Point | Welcome reception & dinner
1.5 miles and steep ascent – gravel pathways and rural managed paths
Upon arrival at Shannon Airport (SNN), meet your host and tour manager and transfer as a group to your hotel (time TBD). After a light lunch, take a short trip to the iconic Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights. Five miles long and 750 feet at their highest point, the Cliffs of Moher offer one of the most amazing views in Ireland. On a clear day, the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara. You can walk at your own pace, dividing your time between the scenic walks and wonderful interpretative center as you wish. In the evening, we gather for a welcome reception before dinner at our hotel in Spanish Point. Two nights at the 4-star Armada Hotel. (L,R,D)

Wednesday, September 3: The Burren | Corcomroe Abbey | Dunguaire Castle | Cahermore | Spanish Point
1 mile and ascent in places – hill walk on karst limestone, 0.5 miles and little ascent – pathway (Poulnabrone)
Today we explore the Burren landscape, including its archaeology, history, mythology, geology, and ecology. We will start with a visit to Poulnabrone dolmen, a dramatic Neolithic portal tomb and the earliest megalithic tomb in Ireland, built ca. 3800 B.C. From here, we will visit the beautiful hidden gem that is Temple Cronin, an Early Christian church nestled into a natural escarpment in the Burren. After lunch at the gorgeous Burren Perfumery, we continue on to the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey, a 13th-century Cistercian monastery set in a beautiful fertile valley. From here we head to the town of Kinvarra and visit Dunguaire Castle, a tower house set in a spectacular coastal location. On our way back to our hotel, we will stop at the 9th-century Cahermore stone ringfort, excavated as part of the Third Harvard Archaeological Expedition, led by Hugh O’Neill Hencken in 1934. Dinner is on your own in Spanish Point this evening. (B,L)

Thursday, September 4: Ferry to Inishmore: Dún Aonghasa, The Seven Churches | Ferry to Rossaveel | Galway
1.5 miles and steep ascent in places – mixed walk; roads, paths, uneven terrain; very challenging on route to Dún Aonghasa
This morning (weather permitting) we will catch a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. With a population of about 800, the island is famous for its strong Irish culture, loyalty to the Irish language, and a wealth of Iron Age and ancient Christian sites. Perhaps its most notable monument is Dún Aonghasa (Dún Aengus), a semi-circular stone fort built ca. 1100 B.C. at the edge of a 300-foot-high cliff, offering spectacular views out over the Atlantic. The route to the fort is a partly steep and uneven rough limestone pathway. Ankle support boots are advised. This walk is unsuitable for those with less than optimal stability and requires a good level of fitness. Our taxi will take us on a tour of the island and will include a visit to the Early Christian monastic site of the Seven Churches (Na Seacht dTeampaill). We will spend some time in Kilronan village before travelling by ferry to Rossaveel, and onward to Galway, where we gather for dinner this evening. Overnight at the 4-star Galmont Hotel. (B,D)

Friday, September 5: Connemara landscape and archaeology | Aughnanure Castle | Cong Abbey | Westport
Overall 1.5 miles and some steep ascent – in a parkland setting with some rough pathways (a ride can be arranged for the hilly parts)
This morning we drive through the breathtakingly beautiful landscape of Connemara, the heart of Connaught. We will visit Aughnanure Castle, a Gaelic tower house built by the O’Flaherty’s in the 16th century. From here, we will continue to Cong Abbey, an Augustinian Abbey founded by Turlough O’Connor, High King of Ireland, in the early 12th century. In a practice common at the time, the abbey was built on top of a 6th-century monastery, founded by St. Feichin. We will have lunch in Cong before heading to the beautiful heritage town of Westport, our base for the next three nights. Three nights at the 4-star Westport Coast Hotel. (B,L,D)

Saturday, September 6: Roonagh | Ferry to Clare Island | Ferry to Roonagh | Westport
Up to 5 miles with some ascent – mixed walking, on country roads and pathways, and over some uneven, unmarked terrain
This morning we drive to Roonagh, where we take the ferry to Clare Island. Clare is the largest of the 365 islands in Clew Bay, and this vibrant island has a population of about 160. The survey of Clare Island (1909-1911) was the first multidisciplinary (zoological, botanical, archaeological, and geological) survey of its kind ever conducted in the world. In fact, even today it is still the principal survey in Ireland and Britain, and it paved the way for the ongoing New Clare Island Survey, which commenced in 1991. On our journey, we will see numerous layers of human impact on the island, evident in the field walls, stone mounds and circles, ruins, and crop marks. There is no better way to understand the complexity of human habitation in Ireland than in a once densely-inhabited place. We catch the afternoon ferry back to Roonagh, on the mainland, and drive back to Westport. (B,L,D)

Sunday, September 7: Ballinubber Abbey | Westport
3 miles and gentle ascent – on footpaths
Today we travel the short distance to Ballinubber Abbey, founded by King Cathal Crovdearg O’Conor – Cathal Mór of the wine-red hand. He belonged to the royal lineage of the O’Connors, reigning as King of Connacht and known as a notable patron of the arts. Although historical records often cite 1216 as the year of the Abbey’s foundation, the circumstances surrounding its establishment are steeped in legend. In truth, the imposing abbey is sited in a place of pilgrimage and political significance for centuries before. After lunch in a local restaurant, we will return to Westport, where you can enjoy the rest of the day exploring the town with dinner at your leisure. (B,L)

Monday, September 8: Céide Fields | Green Fort | Sligo
3 miles with ascent in places – mixed walks along boardwalks and rough paths
This morning we drive north to Céide Fields, County Mayo, one of the most interesting and important archaeological sites in Europe, and the world’s most extensive Stone Age monument. It was discovered by local schoolmaster Patrick Caulfield in the 1930s, who noticed something unusual about the clusters and lines of stones he encountered deep within the bogs as he was cutting turf. His son Seamus continued his passion and, inspired to study archaeology, went on to become professor of archaeology at University College Dublin. Using iron probes, Seamus set about systematically recording the depths, orientation, and extent of these stone walls hidden beneath the bogs. He discovered not only walls, but also houses and monuments extending over a known area of some five square miles. After a guided visit around the site, including demonstrations of the probing survey techniques (yes, you can have a go!), and a light lunch in the visitor center, we will head for Sligo. Time and energy permitting, we will take a quick visit to the 17th-century Green Fort, built to protect Sligo Town during the Jacobite war between William of Orange and King James II. Two nights at the 4-star Glasshouse Hotel. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, September 9: Strandhill | Carrowmore | Sligo
3 miles walking – Strandhill beach has sections of water-rolled cobbles which can be slippery; Carrowmore has grassy paths; waterproof footwear is crucial
This morning, we will take a walk along the coast to Strandhill to see Culleenamore shell middens in the company of Sam Moore, a local archaeologist and lecturer at Atlantic University Sligo. The middens are truly remarkable in their age, extent, and sheer scale; people have feasted on seafood here for millennia. After lunch in a local pub we drive to Carrowmore, one of the four large passage tomb complexes in Ireland, to discuss their siting, construction, purpose, and extent in this breathtaking landscape. Time and energy permitting, we may sneak in a few more hidden gems along the way! Dinner in Sligo is under your own arrangements this evening. (B,L)

Wednesday, September 10: Drumcliffe | Creevykeel | Grianan of Aileach |  Derry, Northern Ireland
2 miles and some ascent – three short walks; the path to Grianan of Aileach can be slippery and uneven
This morning we drive northwards, stopping in Drumcliffe to visit the grave of W.B. Yeats, in the shadow of the beautiful Benbulben Mountains, the inspiration for much of his work. Also visit Creevykeel, one of Ireland’s finest examples of a full-court tomb, dating from the Neolithic period but reused in Early Christian times by iron smelters. From here we continue on to Grianan of Aileach, an impressive stone fort that dates back to 1700 B.C. and was restored in the late 19th century. Here we explore the intersection of mythology, history, and archaeology. Continue to Derry, Northern Ireland, where we check-in to our hotel.Two nights at the 4-star The Ebrington Hotel. (B,L,D)

Thursday, September 11: Derry: City tour, Guildhall
2 miles and some ascent – gentle walk around the city walls in an urban environment, steep in places
This morning we are joined by a local guide for a tour of the city of Derry, which is steeped in history and was pivotal to so much of Irish, British, and European history. Derry is the only completely walled city in Ireland, and its impressive, early-17th-century walls acted as a defense from Scottish and English attacks. Derry has a turbulent past and was divided as a city during ‘The Troubles,’ also known as the Northern Ireland Conflict, which began in the 1960s and ended in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. We will see the city murals, known as ‘The People’s Gallery’; these 12 paintings depict key events during ‘The Troubles.’ After lunch we will visit the Guildhall, one of the City’s most recognizable landmarks since 1887. The Guildhall’s most arresting feature is its collection of stunning stained-glass windows. Donated by London Companies, they represent everything from fishmongers to musicians. Enjoy dinner under your own arrangements in the city. (B,L)

Friday, September 12: Dunluce Castle | Giant’s Causeway | Belfast
3 miles and optional significant ascent – paved roads and rough pathways
This morning we head eastwards along the north coastline. Our first stop is the dramatic Dunluce Castle, spectacularly sited on the edge of a basalt outcrop. First built in the 13th century by Richard Óg de Burg, 2nd Earl of Ulster, the castle had a fascinating and complex history, overlooking some key events in Irish and European history such as the Spanish Armada of the late 16th century. From here, we will continue to the Giant’s Causeway. At this UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising 40,000 basalt polygonal columns formed 60 million years ago after a volcanic eruption, we will explore the major themes of mythology, geology, landscape, ecology, culture, and social history. After our visit, we will drive southwards to Belfast city center. Overnight at the 4-star Europa Hotel. (B,L,D)

Saturday, September 13: Belfast | Carlingford, IRELAND | Dublin | Farewell reception & dinner
1.5 miles on paved paths – gentle short walks
This morning we will go on one of the iconic Belfast Cab Tours. Designed to give the visitor an authentic and personal understanding of Belfast and Northern Ireland’s recent political history, this tour will include visits to the Shankill Road, the Peace Wall, and other places that will resonate with anyone who listened and watched ‘The Troubles’ unfold from the ’70s through the ’90s. After our tour, we will travel southwards to the seaside medieval town of Carlingford, Ireland, where we visit some of the town’s most important medieval buildings, including King John’s Castle, before lunch in a local restaurant. Finally, we will complete our journey to Dublin for our farewell reception and dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Portmarnock Hotel. (B,L,R,D)

Sunday, September 14: Fly home
Transfer as a group (time TBD) to Dublin Airport (DUB) for independent flights homeward. (B)