A Guided Walking Holiday on the Wild Atlantic Way
This walking tour of the Wild Atlantic Way North-West takes in two of the most magnificent counties that Ireland has to offer: County Galway and County Mayo. As we travel along the highways and byways of the North-West coast, you will encounter quaint villages and lively towns where you can enjoy lots of traditional music and craic. You’ll also take in some spectacular views of the wild Atlantic Ocean and the green and beautiful rolling countryside.
The first town we visit on our Wild Atlantic route is Clifden, where we will spend two nights. A vibrant town on the very edge of Europe, Clifden is known as the “Capital of Connemara” with a population of just under 3000.
From here, we carry on walking the Wild Atlantic Way through Connemara National Park and on to Killary Fjord and into the county of Mayo. We will venture through the town of Westport and on to the magical island of Achill.
Achill Island is the largest island off the coast of Ireland (24km x 19km) with a population of just under 2700. The island is made up of rugged mountains, sea cliffs, peat bogs, and — of course — warm hospitality. We will be spending two nights on this magical island.
The Northern Wild Atlantic Way Walk
Our final adventure takes us further north following the Wild Atlantic Coastline to the Erris Head Peninsula. A designated Special Area of Conservation, situated on the North-West corner of County Mayo, Erris Head Peninsula was voted the Best Place to Go Wild in Ireland 2014.
The peninsula offers breath-taking beauty, a rugged and dramatic coastlin of wind-swept towering sea cliffs, white sandy beaches, and one of the largest areas of blanket bog in Ireland.
For an alternative route, check out our Southwestern Wild Atlantic Way Guided Tour. If you’re not set on walking the Wild Atlantic Way with us, you can explore our other guided walking tours of Ireland for more inspiration. You may also want to browse our self-guided walking tours of Ireland if you’d prefer to go on your own schedule.
Do feel free to get in touch with any questions at all. We love to chat about the many routes and marvellous destinations with walking tours!
Our Guided Wild Atlantic Walk (NW)
Prices / Dates
Price: €1,389 per person sharing
Saturday to Saturday
Single Supplement: +€350
Tour Dates:
Saturday, 14 May to Saturday 21 May 2022 –
Sunday, 25 September to Sunday 2 October 2022
Tour Grade: Easy
Accommodation: Family Operated Guesthouses & Small Hotels
Included / Excluded
- All accommodation is approved and all rooms are en-suite.
- Meals to include: 7 breakfasts and 6 packed lunches.
- All transport to include pickup and return to Dublin Airport.
- All transport to and from walks and evenings out.
- Killary Fjord Boat Tours
- Evening Meals
- Lunch on day 1 and day 8.
North-West Wild Atlantic Way Walking Holiday Itinerary
We will pick you up at Dublin Airport at 1:30 pm and transfer you to Clifden. The travel time to our destination is approximately 4-hours, including several stops along the way.
After checking in to your accommodation, we will do a short walk to explore the town and its many shops and pubs. Clifden is a lively town, packed with places to see and things to do. We guarantee you won't be bored here!
Overnight: Clifden
Our Wild Atlantic walking tour officially starts off with a visit to the uninhabited Omey Island. An enchanted island that lies 600 metres off-shore, on the western edge of Connemara in County Galway and is accessed at low tide across a causeway.
The island is made up of mostly granite and covered with sand blown in from the wild Atlantic ocean. Because of its good drainage, you will find many varieties of wildflowers growing in the short grass.
In the early 7th century, St Feichin founded a monastic settlement on Omey; the ruins of his church can be seen to this day.
Our walk starts on the mainland just outside the village of Claddaghduff and takes us across the causeway to the island. We will walk the island in a clockwise direction, taking in the ruins of St Feichin's Church and holy well and the beautiful landscape that the island has to offer.
Overnight: Clifden
Distance: 7.5 km/4.6 miles, Ascent: 120 m/393 ft
Today, our adventure walking the Wild Atlantic Way sees us leaving Clifden and driving North to Connemara National Park. Here, we will take a short tour of the national park's visitor centre and exhibition on the Connemara Landscape, followed by a short low-level walk on one of the magnificent nature trails the park has to offer.
A short drive from the park takes us to the village of Leenane where we will do a 90 minute boat tour on Killary Fjord. You will get an indenpt history of the fjord, it's legents and folklore as you travel along, taking in the panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, rising from the glittering waters, with frequent shifts in light and shadow that create different colours on the peaks and valleys.
The final part of our journey today takes us through the Connemara Mountain and into County Mayo, finishing our day on Achill Island.
Overnight: Achill Island
Distance 6 km/3.7 miles, Ascent: 210 m/688 ft
The first settlers arrived on Achill Island approximately 5,000 years ago. Since then, the island has witnessed a checkered past, some of which we will see evidence of on our walk today.
Our Wild Atlantic walk starts a short distance from our accommodation and sees us visiting one of the island's many Megalithic Tombs, positioned on the lower slopes of Slievemore Mountain. From here, you will have stunning views across to Keel Lough, Trawmore, and out to the Atlantic Ocean.
Our adventure continues along the base of Slievemore to a deserted village that has between 90 and 100 derelict stone dwellings scattered for 1.6 km along the side of the mountain. Here, we will spend some time exploring the ruins and listening to some of the histories that this village has to offer.
Our homeward journey takes us down into the village of Keel, across Trawmore beach, and back to our accommodation.
Overnight: Achill Island
Distance: 9 km/5.6 miles, Ascent: 120 m/393 ft
Ballycroy National Park covers 11,000 hectares of wild Atlantic blanket bog, covering a vast uninhabited and unspoilt wilderness dominated by the Nephin Beg mountain range. The park is home to the last intact active blanket bog systems in Ireland and Western Europe.
Our walk takes us on part of a countrywide network of high-quality circular paths called the Letterkeen Bothy Loop. The trail follows an old cattle road, through the lowlands of the Nephin Beg Mountains and along part of the Western Way, one of Ireland's national waymarked trails.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Ballycroy National Park Visitor Centre and Exhibition before proceeding to our final accommodation in Belmullet.
Overnight: Belmullet
Distance: 6.5 km/4 miles, Ascent: 180 m/590 ft
This is probably one of the most spectacular sea cliff walks that you are going to find anywhere in Ireland: Benwee, An Bhinn Bhuí (Irish for 'the yellow cliff').
Our walk starts in the small village of Carrowteige and takes us South-West to reach Dún Ceann Tire (Beach). Here the trail turns North-West to take us along the dramatic cliffs that overlook Broad Haven Bay and the wild Atlantic Ocean.
We will also take in the Children of Lir sculpture along the way. The well-known legend tells the story of children who were turned into swans and condemned to wander the countryside for 900 years.
Our trail turns inland and takes us through some wide open countryside and back to the village of Carrowteige.
Overnight: Belmullet
Distance: 10.5 km/6.5 miles, Ascent: 180 m/590 ft
Our final day on this Wild Atlantic Way walking holiday takes us on a wonderfully refreshing walk along Cross Beach. From the moment we set foot on Cross Beach you will know you are in a magical place of great beauty, a place that has inspired poets, and artists down through the centuries.
The afternoon is free for you to explore the town of Belmullit, do that last minute shopping or relax in your hotel room with a good book.
Overnight: Belmullet
Distance: 9 Km/5.6 miles, Ascent: 50 m/164 ft
After a hearty breakfast, we will depart for Dublin Airport, arriving between 14.00 & 15.00 hours
