Description
Ireland Biking Private by Butterfield & Robinson
Price from: US$8,495 per person (based on 4 people, double occupancy) Request your date for exact pricing. (Prices may fluctuate due to currency exchange rates)*
Prices from: 2 travellers – $9,995pp – 4 travellers – $8,495pp – 6 travellers – $7,995pp
Start: Dublin
Finish: Dublin
Duration: 7 Days/6 Nights
Request your date for exact pricing directly from Butterfield & Robinson.
“All itineraries can be customized to your group size, departure dates and interests (a custom quote will be provided). OnceOff members must identify themselves in the application form under the section “Additional Information”. Bookings are made directly with Butterfield & Robinson.”
Your Journey
In the hyperbolic internet age, it doesn’t take much for a person, place or thing to be called “iconic,” but seldom do such things offer the sort of truly defining experiences that justify their idealized image. Consider Ireland the exception that proves the rule. In Ireland, you hear it in the laughter of children as they play in the street; you find it in the pubs—at the bottom of a pint, or in the keen sense of community that surrounds you as you drink it; you hear it in the song that sets you into a trance and see it in the ensuing dance that hypnotizes; you read it in the literature of a country that started weaving yarns the very second it developed language; and you feel it in the air as four seasons of weather manifest themselves in a single day. It is a place of contrasts that fit together like puzzle pieces, much like the giant rocks that helped form the landscape ages ago. Authenticity abounds. Grab a pint and hold on!
The Midlands
Days 1 – Based on your flight, we will meet you at the airport and bring you into the heart of the land, to the 600-acre estate of Ballyfin at the feet of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the middle of the great green island. We will spend the next two days exploring the estate and all it has to offer; with horseback riding, falconry hiking and of course cycling available, it will be a true Irish experience. After our arrival we will head out to meet our steeds for an afternoon ride on the grounds. This ride will explore some of the gardens around the lake, and perhaps offer a peak at the falconry on the property, where we can fly some of the falcons and hawks they have trained, or even an owl. If horseback riding is not your cup of tea, this afternoon there is a bike option on the country roads in and around Ballyfin. Tonight we will dine at the hotel.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Activity: Options of biking, horseback, walking.
Castle Life and Exploring the Estate
Days 2 – After our hearty homemade breakfast, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. In store is a great bike ride loop over rolling terrain on quiet roads, or you may prefer to walk in the mountains up to the peak. After lunch we’ve got a competition in store: we will head down to the archery targets and learn how to hit a bull’s-eye. Or, if you are keen to get back on the bikes, we have another route going through a few of the small villages near the estate. Tonight we will dress our part for dinner and feel like lords and ladies in an episode of Downtown Abbey!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Activity: Options of biking, horseback, walking.
HOTEL | Ballyfin Set at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the midlands of the country, this is a perfect gateway into the heart of Ireland, and where better to start the adventure than on 600 acres of an old Irish estate? Adventures abound on the property and our first few days will be filled with horse riding, biking, archery, falconry, and more!
The Twelve Bens
Day 3 – After breakfast, we shall say goodbye to Ballyfin and head west to the land described by Oscar Wilde as ‘a savage beauty’, Connemara, a spectacular mountain and moorland wilderness. We shall enjoy lunch at a beautiful fishing lodge run by friends of ours, in the spectacular Lough Inagh Valley. Overlooking the windswept mountains take time to breath in this wild landscape. After lunch we shall cycle at our leisure through the Connemara Mountains along quiet back roads and rolling terrain to our next home, Ballynahinch Castle. You can of course stop here or, if your legs are feeling up to it, continue on to the quaint village of Clifden along a road that winds through ancient bog land. Enjoy a well-earned pint in one of the cosy pubs before returning to your castle retreat. Dinner this evening will be in the main dinning room of Ballynahinch Castle.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Activity: 10 miles 108ft Ascent; 151ft Descent Fishing & the Beaches of Southern Connemara
Day 4 This morning we have time slotted with our favourite ghillies (fishing guides) who have been fishing the famed waters of Ballynahinch River for generations. After a morning on the beat, fly-fishing for salmon and sea trout, we will enjoy lunch at the castle and then head out again on our bikes. Our suggested cycle today will take you to the southern shores of Connemara where the 12 Bens, or Na Beanna Beola in Irish sweep dramatically down to the grey rocky coastline and white sand shores of Galway Bay. We shall stop in the village of Roundstone to see local fishermen at work and to visit a local musician; Malachy Kearns or “Malachy Bodhran”. Malachy is Ireland’s only full time Bodhran maker (a skin drum) and he shall explain his craft amidst the smell of goatskin, glue, varnish and perspiration. We shall then cycle onto the tiny village of Ballyconneely and the Connermara Smoke House, to learn the art of smoking salmon, delicious! Tonight dinner will be a casual affair in our castle’s pub.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Activity: 15 miles 374ft Ascent; 361ft Descent.
Turf Cutting, Killarny & Cliffden
Days 5 – This morning, we will head out from Ballynahinch north towards county Mayo. Our cycle will begin in the village of Leenane that sits at the top of Killary fjord. Films like the “Quiet Man” and “The Field” were filmed in this iconic place and you will notice why as you bike along the edge of the fjord and past the Connemara National Park. We shall visit a local farmer, Tom, to see his sheep dogs rounding up sheep and experience the ancient art of cutting turf from the dark earth bogs. It’s a bit like mud bogging, and it is for sure a good time! Killary Sheep Farm a traditional working mountain farm with approx 200 ewes and lambs roaming freely in the mountain overlooking Killary Fjord. We shall then bike onto the fairy tale Kylemore Abbey. From its beginnings as a romantic gift in the 1860s to becoming home to the Benedictine Nuns in 1920, Kylemore is steeped in history and tales of tragedy and romance. We can enjoy lunch here beside the Victorian Gardens or continue onto the Quaker village of Letterfrack in the shadow of Diamond Hill.
This afternoon, you’ll choose how you would most like to experience the views from the Sky Road (so named for the fabulous views from its heights that reach up to the sky). We can either take a walk along the route or once again climb on our bikes. In either case as we loop around the peninsula we shall enjoy spectacular views of Clifden Bay and the Atlantic. For our final evening in Connemara, you’ll enjoy a fabulous seafood dinner and some traditional Irish music in the village of Clifden.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Activity: 13 miles 459ft Ascent; 328ft Descent (additional cycle options along the Sky Road)
HOTEL | Ballynahinch Castle Surrounded by 350 acres of beautiful wooded grounds, Ballynahinch Castle offers all the attractions of a large private estate. Its rooms are tastefully and individually furnished in casual country elegance, and its superb restaurant offers fresh local produce.
Day 6 – Bid fare-thee-well to the wild west as we travel across the great Emerald Isle back to Dublin and check into the Merrion. This afternoon we shall join a local historian for a guided tour of his Fair City of Dublin. His tales will bring us back in time bringing these historic city streets to life. You will explore Temple Bar, Grafton Street, Saint Stephens Green, and the ancient corners of Trinity College. There will be the option to stop at a number of interesting sites including the Book of Kells, the National Art Gallery and Merrion Square. The walk will be tailored to your particular interests taking in what most intrigues you about Ireland. Tonight you have the opportunity if you so choose to dine in Ireland’s only 2-star Michelin restaurant, Patrick Guibauld’s.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Activity: Dublin Walking
HOTEL | The Merrion Located just off Merrion Square, one of the most prestigious areas of Dublin, this gem of a hotel made up of four adjoining Georgian terrace houses has managed to retain all of its authenticity while the interior is furnished with all of the latest technology and modern expected in a deluxe establishment comforts (including a spa and infinity pool).
Farewells
Day 7 – After breakfast we will take you to the airport for your journey home, with the sights you have seen and the music you have heard along your journey still ringing in your memory!
Meals: Breakfast
The Details
Price from: 2 travellers – $9,995
4 travellers – $8,495
6 travellers – $7,995
Start: Dublin
Finish: Dublin
Best time to visit: June through September US$9,595 (based on 4 people, double occupancy)
LEVEL OF ACTIVITY This trip is rated Recreational, meaning it’s appropriate for travellers who enjoy a good walk or ride, and feel comfortable while on the move. Daily biking distances usually vary from 10 to 25 miles, with options on some days for as much as 40 miles. The terrain is generally flat, with a few hills along the way. The difficulty of the ride often depends on which way the wind is blowing. The walking routes are mostly flat undulating tracks.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
All hotel accommodation Meals as indicated Services of B&R-trained local guide(s) Support vehicles during bike rides Use of a customized bicycle and helmet All special events and private tours All transportation from rendezvous to drop-off.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
International flights Cancellation insurance Items of a personal nature Gratuity for your guide(s) & fishing ghillies
Designed by Tyler Dillon A true world wanderer, B&R Guide turned Private Trip Designer Tyler Dillon amassed a wealth of knowledge in his decade spent traipsing the globe, and now harnesses his expertise and passion in designing immersive adventures.
About our Private Trip Collection The ready-to-book trips in our Private Trip Collection offer all the hallmarks B&R’s known for – great hotels, unparalleled immersion and unforgettable experiences – with the flexibility of going on your own schedule and with your own travel companions. Think of these trips as prêt-à-porter from your favourite designer: simply pick your dates, back your bags, and go.
WISH TO HAVE A CUSTOM TRIP PREPARED TO YOUR REQUIRED NEEDS?
Please Review the Butterfield Website here: BUTTERFIELD & ROBINSON HERE or CALL 1-800- 387-1147 quoting you are a OnceOff Member.
* Please note that your final itinerary may vary slightly from this one as we continuously research and develop each trip. Inclement weather—though we’d like to think there won’t be any—may also necessitate minor alterations. All pricing in U.S. dollars exchanged into Euro equivalent. ©2015 Butterfield & Robinson Inc.
