Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula

This tour offers the most spectacular landscape in the country and is home to Ireland's highest mountain range. Each day presents you with even more stunning scenery as you cycle through majestic mountain ranges and beautiful lakes coloured by the yellow gorse and purple heather that grows everywhere. This is one of our hillier tours, but all effort is greatly rewarded with wonderful scenery and colourful night stops. We avoid the main roads around the Ring of Kerry by taking you on some beautiful quiet backroads that intersect the Iveragh and Dingle Peninsulas.

Note: This tour is also available as an Self-led tour, starting any day except Saturday.

What Your Guided Cycle Includes:
- Seven nights accommodation with full Irish breakfast
- One evening meal (in Sneem)
- 24 speed touring bike with a pannier bag
- Route maps and details
- Luggage transfer each day
- Support van and tour guide

DAY 1 (Saturday) Arrival in Killarney
The cycling safari starts with a meeting of the group at 6:30pm in the Bar of the Killarney Royal Hotel. This is just a meeting up point and not where you are actually staying. After an introductory talk from the guide, an evening meal is organised in the hotel, while your luggage is transported to our nearby guesthouse(s).
If you get there early you can leave your luggage with the hotel reception and explore the bustling town of Killarney. If you have time, you could visit Ross Castle, a wonderfully restored 16th Century Norman Tower House overlooking Lough Leane. You can even hire a boat from here and row out to a 6th Century monastic site located on one of the nearby islands. Ross Castle is about 1.5 miles from the town.

DAY 2 (Sunday) Killarney to Sneem (47 km / 29 miles)
The tour starts off by following a cycle track into the beautiful grounds of Muckross House. Located on the grounds is a Franciscan Abbey founded in the 15th Century. It is now in ruins but is beautifully situated with a large yew tree rising up through the cloisters. After a stroll around the celebrated Muckross gardens there follows a wonderful cycle along a quiet cyclepath between two of the Killarney lakes before we return to the main road. A steady climb follows to our lunch stop at Molls Gap where you are rewarded with a delicious food in the restaurant with its beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. In the afternoon we cycle to Sneem looking out over panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

DAY 3 (Monday) Sneem to Glenbeigh (51 km / 32 miles)
Avoiding the main Ring of Kerry road we cycle across the peninsula. Passing along quiet country roads with stunning views of the surrounding mountains we climb to the beautiful Gap of Ballaghbearna and descend the other side into another valley with views of Carrauntoohil , Irelands highest mountain. After lunch there is a wonderful cycle through quiet fields and over old stone bridges before coming to Caragh Lake. Following the lakeside we then head west to the seaside village of Glenbeigh where we spend the night in a comfortable Hotel.

DAY 4 (Tuesday) Glenbeigh to Dingle (47 km / 30 miles)
We start the day with a short coach trip to Dingle where we are basing ourselves for two nights. After getting back on the bikes we then follow the Slea Head Route around the tip of the Dingle Peninsula. This is one of the highlights of the tour with a wide variety of archaeological sites to visit along the route and some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery in the country.

DAY 5 (Wednesday) Rest Day in Dingle
A wide variety of activities can be organised from the town. You can join an archaeological bus tour of the peninsula or you can swap your bike saddle for a horse saddle and go horse riding. There are boat trips to the largest of the Blasket Islands with its wonderful walking trails offering the most magnificent views of Dingle Bay. You can also take a boat trip to see "Fungi", the Dingle Dolphin or simply putter around the town with its many shops and aquarium. Finally for those with stiff limbs there is also a massage centre in which to pamper yourself.

DAY 6 (Thursday) Dingle to Killorglin (69 km / 43 miles)
The morning starts with a long steady climb up to the Conor Pass with its stunning views of Mount Brandon and the coastline in the distance. There follows a wonderful descent and then a nice flat cycle along the coast to the village of Camp where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon we head straight into the mountains and traverse the peninsula heading up over one side of the mountains to magnificent views of the other side of the peninsula with Dingle Bay and Irelands highest mountain range stretching out in front of you. We then descend down the other side and cycle the final stretch to our night stop in Killorglin and an evening of traditional music.

DAY 7 (Friday) Killorglin to Killarney
In the morning we cycle on quiet back roads to Kate Kearney's Cottage where you can stop for a cup of tea. We then enter the final highlight of the tour, the Gap of Dunloe, a place you will never forget. Coming out of the gap you have an incredible view looking down the Black Valley before following a small quiet route through a peaceful valley surrounded by green fields full of grazing sheep. We climb out of the valley to return to Molls Gap where we had lunch on the first day. After lunch there is a wonderful freewheel back down to Killarney. That evening we have a final farewell night on the town together before heading our separate ways the following morning.

Tour Highlights:
- Killarney
- Ring of Kerry
- Connor Pass and Dingle
- Gap of Dunloe

Group Tour Dates:
- May 28
- June 25
- July 9
- August 20