Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way

Start your adventure along the Wild Atlantic Way! And what better way to start than taking a Cliffs of Moher Cruise. Travel along the coastal road through County Clare taking in Lahinch and the Burren - a UNESCO Global Geopark, before reaching Galway City, the ‘City of Tribes.’ This city is the perfect place for getting a taste of our culture as it’s known for its amazing cafés and bars with a thriving traditional music, song, and dance scene. 

Recommended Experience: Cliffs of Moher Cruise

Off the west coast at the mouth of Galway Bay, the Aran Islands are famous for their Irish speaking community and unique way of life. Opt to explore this Island on your own or take a mini-bus tour with a local guide. Embark on an exploration of its Celtic churches, dramatic cliffs and stunning shores.

Recommended Experience: Aran Islands Excursion

A wild land of rocky mountains and sparkling brooks, Connemara National Park will take your breath away. Here you’ll see some of our most grand scenery and take in views of mountains, bogs and woodlands. Travel through The Twelve Bens and stay in one of this region’s prettiest villages or historic properties. While in Connemara don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit a working hill sheep farm and watch border Collie sheepdogs herding Connemara Blackface sheep.

Recommended Experience: Sheepdog Demonstration

Continue traveling North along the Wild Atlantic Way to Westport in County Mayo. Enjoy a walking tour of this pretty town, filled with wild nature, ancient heritage and overlooking Clew Bay.

Recommended Experience: Walking Tour of Westport

The longest off-road walking and cycling trail in Ireland, the Great Western Greenway follows the renowned Westport to Achill railway that closed in 1937. Its stunning views of our unique landscapes makes it perfect for an active adventure at your own pace.

Recommended Experience: Cycle the Great Western Greenway

Voted one of the coolest places to visit by Lonely Planet, Donegal is packed with wild landscapes, isolated white sandy beaches and some of the world’s highest cliffs at Slieve League, towering above the ocean and offering panoramic views of both the mountains and coast. Perhaps add an extra day here to your trip, slow down the pace and experience the Glengesh Pass and this dramatic coastal region at its best.

Journey into the country’s heartbeat, and explore its tracks, trails and waterside towns along the River Shannon, Ireland’s longest river. Do, stop off at the Shed Distillery with its Medieval copper pots in deepest rural Ireland on the edge of a lake in Drumshanbo.

Recommended Experience: Shed Distillery

The beauty of staying in the Hidden Heartlands is that you have a choice to depart from Shannon or Dublin. Journey times are the same, so why not opt to stay another day in one of these locations.