Distance: 12 miles | Terrain: Easier to Intermediate | Quay House
Meet your guides at 9 a.m. in Galway before being transported to Clifden where you stay at the charming Quay House bed and breakfast, run by gracious innkeepers Julia and Paddy Foyle. After a bike fitting and safety meeting, you head out on an introductory ride around beautiful Errislannon Peninsula. After lunch, you have time to explore Clifden, a great shopping town with a lively music scene, before meeting for dinner at a local restaurant.

Distance: 28 or 34 miles | Terrain: Easier to Intermediate | Quay House
After breakfast, you again cycle south, but much farther this time, catching amazing views of white horses in fields with the wild north Atlantic Ocean in the distance. You pass gorgeous secluded beaches and view fishing weirs as you come into Roundstone, a village known for its unique craftsmen. Besides having a truly wonderful ceramics and pottery store, Roundstone is home to the Bodhran drum workshop of legendary musician, Malachy Kearns. You enjoy a beautiful ride along the Ballynahinch River to visit the esteemed castle there, and then return along our favorite “bog road” with stunning views of the surrounding mountains before returning to Clifden. Dinner is on your own in Clifden with another chance to check out traditional music sessions at the local pubs.

Distance: 27 miles | Terrain: Intermediate. | Rosleague Manor
Departing the Quay House, we ride along the famous Sky Road, past Clifden Castle and circumnavigate another peninsula, toward the town of Cleggan as we make our way towards Letterfrack. Our destination is the utterly regal Rosleague Manor Hotel, a gorgeous estate house tucked into a quiet woodland setting overlooking the bays at the foot of the Twelve Bens, the Connemara’s majestic mountain range. Relax in the inn’s pub before dinner and enjoy this hidden gem of Ireland.

Distance: 22 or 28 miles plus optional hike | Terrain: Easier to Intermediate cycle; Easier to Intermediate hike | Rosleague Manor
We will ride along Killary Harbor catching great views in the valleys of the Maamturk Mountains. After a stop at the beach made famous in John Ford’s 1951 epic movie “The Quiet Man,” we continue along a breathtaking valley offering views of Lough Fee, a long freshwater lake surrounded by mountains and peat bogs. Not to be missed is a visit to beautiful Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded on the 1,000-acre grounds of an old castle. A highlight of the visit is a stroll through the Abbey’s 6-acre walled Victorian garden. Optional Hike: While at Kylemore, those interested can grab their hiking shoes for a one-hour guided hike up the mountain behind the manor house. We stop at the Sacred Heart statue, perched high on the mountain face to enjoy long views of the Kylemore Valley as well as get a bird’s eye view of the grounds of the estate. **This hike requires sturdy hiking shoes. Lunch is available in the abbey’s visitor center or in the charming tea house by the walled garden. Afterward, we return to Rosleague Manor and enjoy another wonderful dinner in their elegant dining room.

Distance: 25 or 35 miles OR hike Croagh Patrick | Terrain: Easier to Intermediate cycle; Harder hike | Westport Plaza Hotel
Depending on weather and conditions on the mountain, today’s choice is either cycling or hiking. For biking, we transit to our ride’s start near Leenaun to cycle along a breathtaking valley nestled at the foot of towering mountains as we make our way to Louisburgh and then on into Westport. Optional Hike: Walking up Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s “Holy Mountain,” is a hiker’s delight. We will take the 4.3 mile “pilgrim’s path” starting at the foot of the mountain in the town of Murrisk, and allow 4 to 5 hours for the roundtrip journey (8.6 miles total), with some time at the top to savor the accomplishment of reaching this most famous peak. The hike on the “Pilgrim’s Path” is not considered difficult though it features a 2,400-foot elevation gain. This is a hardy hike and utterly rewarding! **This hike requires sturdy hiking shoes. Our lodging for the night will be at the lovely Plaza Hotel in beautiful Westport. The hotel is downtown, within walking distance to all of Westport’s famous music locations. After dinner, don’t miss sipping a Guinness at Matt Molloy’s Pub which has live traditional music nightly. Keep an eye out for Molloy, a member of the Chieftains since 1979, as he occasionally drops into his Bridge Street pub to play the flute.

Distance: 23, 35, or 42 miles | Terrain: Easier cycle | Westport Plaza Hotel
After a brief transit to our day’s starting point, we head out on the recently created “Great Western Greenway,” a pristine cycle and walking path. Providing views around Achill Sound, the bike path links us to a portion of the Wild Atlantic Way — a series of small, lesser traveled roads that circle around the sound, returning us to Mullaranny where we rejoin the bike path and end our standard ride in lively Newport, with an option to enjoy more of the new bike path straight back to Westport. Enjoy a final night in this town full of epic musical venues. Dinner will be at a local pub.

After a final breakfast, we offer a transfer to Westport for train connections or Galway for air connections.