Ireland’s world-famous Wild Atlantic Way.
Footfalls offer an eight-day walking vacation along part of the Wild Atlantic Way. This popular walking tour takes you through three spectacular counties along the South-West and West of Ireland, Cork, Kerry and Clare.
Officially the Wild Atlantic Way starts in the town of Kinsale but we decided to start our guided walking tour a little farther east, in the historic town of Cobh, County Cork. Between 1848 and 1950, over 6 million adults and children departed from Cobh Harbour in search of a better life in America. It was also from Cobh that the ill-fated Titanic made its last port of call in April 1912.
From here, our walking journey along the Wild Atlantic Way takes us through Kinsale and on to the unspoilt Sheepshead Peninsula, where you will enjoy some of the finest scenery in the South-West of Ireland.
Our next adventure takes us onto the town of Glengariff where we will visit Garnish Island and the Glengariff Nature Reserve.
As our tour comes to an end, we will spend our second last day exploring The Dingle Peninsula, officially recognised as the stronghold of Irish language and culture.
The final day of our Wild Atlantic Guided Walking Tour takes us into County Clare and the Burren region. Here we will visit the famous Cliffs of Moher and Poulnabrone dolmen which dates to the period between 4200 BC and 2900 BC.
Prices / Dates
Price: €1,203 per person sharing
Single Supplement: +€350
Tour Dates:
Saturday, 18 September to Saturday 25 September 2021
Saturday 7 May to Saturday 14 May 2022 Sunday 18 September to Sunday 25th September 2022
Tour Grade: Easy
Accommodation: Family Operated 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.
- Guided historical tour of Cobh.
- Boat trip to and from Garnish Island.
- Evening Meals
- Lunch on day 1 and day 8.
Our tour starts at Dublin Airport at 1 pm. You will be met by our Footfalls tour guide and transported by bus to the village of Cobh in the South of County Cork. It was from Cobh that many hundreds of thousands of Irish men and women embarked on their journey to America.
Overnight in Cobh
In the morning we will take a short walk around the village of Cobh before meeting our guide Michael Martin for a historical walk along the Titanic Trail. We will hear all about the ill-fated Titanic and the colourful history of Cobh. In the afternoon we will take an easy 4 km walk in Tracton Woods, a short distance west of Cobh. Here we will have an opportunity to learn about the flora and fauna of this enchanted gem.
Overnight in Cobh
The Sheep’s Head is a peaceful and unspoilt peninsula which boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in Ireland. The first part of the day sees us taking a scenic drive to the very tip of the peninsula, stopping many times as we travel for photos and for the sheer enjoyment of admiring the stunning views. You are never far from the Atlantic Ocean in this part of the world and our walk for today is on a loop around the end of the peninsula. Get into the holiday mood with a relaxing day of fresh sea air and picture-postcard views over the Atlantic sea. In the afternoon we will drive the northern side of the Peninsula and finish our day in Glengariff. Overnight in Glengariff
Distance: 6 Km/3.7 miles, Ascent: 210 m/688 ft
In the morning we will take a short boat ride to Garnish Island, world-renowned for its gardens which are laid out in beautiful walks and its stunning plant life which are rare in this climate.
The afternoon is spent in the Glengarriff Nature Reserve. We will explore places like Lady Bantry’s Lookout from where we will have panoramic views over the village of Glengariff, out to Garnish and Whiddy Island and across Bantry Bay. We will walk through an area known as the Big Meadow. The unique feature of this part of the walk is that it is through an area of old grassland that has not been fertilised or tilled in living memory. The Big Meadow is home to wildflowers, anthills, oak trees and meandering streams. Overnight in Glengariff
Distance: 8 km/4.9 miles, Ascent: 195 m/639.
The Dingle Peninsula, ‘the most beautiful place on earth’ (National Geographic) was voted among the top 100 destinations in the world by Trip Advisor. Our walk takes us to Inch Beach, that was used in the making of Ryan’s Daughter. This is a very relaxing and easy walk. Distance: 8 km. In the afternoon we will visit some of the famous sites that dot the peninsula, including Minard Castle, the Great Blasket Centre, An Riasc (an early Christian centre) and more. We will stay overnight in the bustling town of Tralee. Overnight in Tralee
Our next stop is at the famous Cliffs of Moher. One of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions and the highest sea cliffs in Europe that rises to a height of just over 200 m/600 ft. Here we will enjoy a 2-hour walk to the cliffs including a trip to the visitors' centre and Ó Brian’s Tower. In the afternoon we will visit the famous Poulnabrone Tomb and do a short walk on the limestone pavements of the Burren landscape. We will stay overnight in The Burren, County Clare. Overnight in the Burren
Distance: 7 km/4.3 miles, Ascent: 80 m/262 ft
After another hearty Irish breakfast, we will depart for Dublin, arriving at Dublin Airport between 1 and 2 pm.
