Escorted Walking Holidays / Burren and Connemara
	Overview
Burren and Connemara	8 Days / 7 Nights	Grade B/C: Hills / Mountain walking
With easy accessibility from both Shannon and Galway, a walking holiday in the Burren and Connemara provides the walker with easy access to some of the most stark and beautiful landcapes that Ireland has to offer. The Burren comprises of approximately 300 square kilometres of karst landscape in County Clare. The rolling hills of the area consist of natural limestone pavements interlaced with the unique flora of the Burren - which supports Alpine and Mediterranean plants in this small corner of Ireland. With the world-famous cliffs of Moher falling to the Atlantic and dotted with caves, dolmens and megalithic tombs the Burren will continue to surprise you with new treasures each day. Connemara is the home of the Connemara National Park - over 2,000 hectares of mountain, bog, heath and grassland scenery. With the rugged Twelve Bens mountain range, the lake-rich Roundstone Bog and the golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean, you know you are in Connemara by the unique and ever-changing light that plays over this wonderful landscape. But Galway (and especially Connemara) is one of those amazing places where you can be walking in true wilderness one moment and the next you find yourself in a busy and colourful village - alive with fun and laughter! It is truly a world apart and offers walking the like of which you will not find anywhere else. "Connemara is a savage beauty", Oscar Wilde

Day 1 (Arrival)
Arriving at Shannon Airport, there is a courtesy transfer at 12:00 noon by our transport. You are then transferred north to our first night’s accommodation in the town of Ballyvaughan. We have an evening meal and a discussion about the week's walking ahead.

Day 2 (16km Gleninagh)
Our first day's walking brings us over the spectacular Gleninagh Mountain where we can explore several ancient stone forts before we descend to Black Head. We are treated to spectacular views across Galway Bay to Connemara’s Maamturk and Twelve Bens mountain ranges and also across to the famous Aran Islands sitting in the wilds of the Atlantic Ocean. At the end of the day we transfer back to Ballyvaughan for dinner.

Day 3 (20km Turlough)
Heading out from Ballyvaughan we start to ascend and we enjoy a spectacular walk over Turlough Hill as we start to head into the heart of The Burren. Along the way we enjoy wonderful views over to Abbey Hill and Galway too. In the evening we head back to Ballyvaughan for our evening meal.

Day 4 (12km Galway and Maamean)
We change our base today by heading off to Leenane in the morning, and have the opportunity to visit historical Galway City on the way. We then head into the heart of Connemara and have an afternoon walk on Maamean (situated between between Maamturks and Twelve Bens. We then return to Lough Inagh and our base for the next two nights.

Day 5 (16km The Famine Trail)
Today's walk is a different flavour in that we follow 'The Famine Trail' along the shores of the magnificent Killary Harbour - Ireland’s only fjord. This is a walk filled with spectacular landscape and with many historical stories to tell. We return again to Lough Inagh and our evening meal.

Day 6 (12km Inishbofin)
Today is an easier day as this is your island day. Weather permitting, we organise a trip to beautiful island of Inishbofin - one of the largest islands off the Connemara coast. Inishbofin is rich in history, myth and archaeology and has a population in the region of 200 people. At the end of a wonderful day we return to Clifden for dinner and our overnight stay.

Day 7 (14km Roundstone)
On this, our final day of walking, we head up and along to Errisbeg Mountain and Dogs Bay Beach. Our route today overlooks the famous Roundstone Bog and the village of Roundstone (steeped in musical history).

We finish with a farewell meal back at our accommodation in Clifden.

Day 8 (Departure)
The tour is completed following breakfast and we transfer you back to Galway Bus/Rail station at approximately 09:30/10:00. From Galway there are an excellent connections to all major airports and cities ( the transfer time by bus to Shannon Airport is 2hrs 15mins approximately).

Prices and options

We offer a number of different start dates for our Burren and Connemara escorted walking holiday throughout the year. To see the current available start dates please check out the latest schedule which also has our up-to-date prices.

Included in this guided walking holiday are

• 7 nights' accommodation, based on two adults sharing, in Irish Tourist Board approved hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs (normally with en-suite facilities).
• Meals consisting oof a full Irish breakfast each day, packed lunch on walking days, and an evening meal. Drinks are not included.
• 6 Days Walking with an expert Irish Guide who accompanies the group for the duration of the holiday.
• Luggage transfer each day, route description and maps. Ferry transfer to Inishbofin Island.
• Courtesy transfer (only on Saturdays) at 12:00 from Shannon Airport to your first accommodation. Transfers to Galway Bus/Rail Station at the end of holiday (within our timetable).

For more information on Ireland visit the Tourism Ireland website at Discover Ireland - www.discoverireland.ie.
Flight schedules and information on Shannon Airport.
For information on trains to Limerick and Galway, visit the Irish Rail site.

Back to top

Schedule and Prices