Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
Guided from EUR € 1395
Self guided from EUR € 895
Bike tour in Ireland
Tap above to jump to different sections of this tour
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Ireland’s West Cork
It's no wonder they call West Cork "A Place Apart." Nature sets the pace in this beautiful southwest corner of Ireland – stretching from the smart south coast Kinsale to three rugged westerly peninsulas reaching into the wild Atlantic: Mizen Head, Sheep’s Head and Beara. With so much on offer, we believe you won’t find a better place in Ireland to enjoy your cycling holiday.
Hundreds of inlets, tiny coves, safe harbours and beaches are just right for long active days in the salty air. Thanks to its gentle and generous nature, this corner has a wonderful food culture. West Cork's farmers, award-winning artisan producers and chefs are leading Ireland's culinary revolution. From traditional pubs to world-class restaurants, at local farmers’ markets, and long-established food festivals, you'll be spoiled for choice for places to stop and enjoy great food right across West Cork.
There's something restorative about the temperate climate and sub-tropical gardens, the tranquil lanes thick with fuchsia and montbretia, the sudden glimpses of water through the trees, the shifting light, and the soft greens, greys and violets of bays and distant mountains.
Highlights
- Kinsale and it's harbor
- Charles Fort
- Garretstown beach
- The Abbey at Timoleague
- The beach at Owenahincha
- Drombeg's ancient stone circle
- Lough Hyne nature reserve, the only saltwater lake in Europe
- Ferry ride to Cape Clear Island, an Irish-speaking community
- Barleycove, Ireland's finest beach
- Mizen Head, Ireland's most southwesterly point
- Liss Ard House Estate, with stunning gardens
- The Skibbereen Heritage Center
- Galley Head Lighthouse
- Inchydoney Island, with beautiful beaches and a famous hotel
Learn More
Not sure which type of tour to book? Learn about the differences between guided and self-guided tours or see more cycling tours in Ireland.
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Traveler photos
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Daily program
Day 1: Arrival in Kinsale
The tour starts in Kinsale, and you can start by enjoying the wonderful atmosphere overlooking Kinsale harbor. We recommend you arrive early to enjoy Kinsale and all it has to offer. Enjoy a stroll around this beautiful town while you are here; there are plenty of enchanting shops and fine places to dine. The tour operator will deliver your bicycles, give a brief safety talk and answer any questions you may have. You will also receive information on the following day’s cycle route. Relax for the night and look forward to exploring all of West Cork’s beauty.
Overnight in Kinsale.Day 2: Kinsale – Rosscarbery (34 miles/54 km)
A quick visit to Charles Fort, Kinsale in the morning, before passing over the Bandon River, while following the coast to the Old Head of Kinsale. We will travel by the sandy Garretstown beach, so why not bring your swimming gear and enjoy a swim? We will then arrive in the coastal village of Timoleague where we will stop to view the historic abbey. The day will continue to Clonakilty where we will stop for lunch.Leaving Clonakilty, we travel through one of Ireland's most beautiful villages, Rathbarry and then over to Castlefreke. We will finish the day’s journey with a short spin along the beach at Owenahincha before arriving in Rosscarbery where our hotel will be our base for the night. There are some very quiet walks around Rosscarbery to pass away the evening.
Overnight in Rosscarbery.Day 3: Rosscarbery – Baltimore (22 miles/35 km)
We will leave Rosscarbery and travel along the coast to the idyllic village of Glandore, stopping along the way at visit the ancient stone circle at Drombeg. On leaving Glandore, we will travel over the bridge into Union Hall, a renowned fishing community. Next, we venture on to beautiful Castletownshend where we can have tea in the castle.We will continue to follow the coast and arrive in Tragumna where a beach awaits if anyone would like a swim. We will then pass through Skibbereen and stop at Lough Hyne nature reserve. Lough Hyne is the only saltwater lake in Europe. On leaving Lough Hyne we will have a short journey to Baltimore where we will arrive at our hotel. We strongly recommended you spend a few hours walking and exploring this enchanting little village.
Overnight in Baltimore.Day 4: Ferry to Cape Clear Island, Schull – Bantry (26 miles/42 km)
Leaving Baltimore we will take the ferry to Cape Clear Island. Cape Clear is an Irish-speaking community and is one of the highlights of any visit to West Cork. After exploring Cape Clear, we will hop on the ferry to Schull, another charming village where we will stop for lunch.Waving goodbye to Schull, we will then travel along the coast taking in one of the finest beaches in Ireland, Barleycove. From there, it’s on to the Mizen Head which is the most south-westerly point in Ireland where we’ll get a chance to experience their visitor center. On leaving the Mizen Head we will follow the coast through Durrus village and arrive at the hotel in Bantry. This is another great hotel with full leisure facilities. In the evening take a walk around Bantry, visit Bantry House overlooking Bantry Bay.
Overnight in Bantry.Day 5: Bantry – Skibbereen (20 miles/32 km)
On leaving Bantry we head towards Skibbereen and visit Liss Ard House Estate. Liss Ard House has stunning award-winning gardens and it is worth taking your time to explore fully. There is also a freshwater lake if you require a swim.We will have lunch in Skibbereen before getting a guided tour around this historic town. We will visit Skibbereen Heritage Centre as well as the famine graveyard which is a great monument to all those who died during this period of history.
Overnight in Skibbereen.Day 6: Skibbereen – Clonakilty (22 miles/36 km)
We will leave Skibbereen and travel through Leap and back to Rosscarbery, before we again follow the coast road to Galley Head and take in the stunning lighthouse. We will continue to Ardfield on the way to Inchydoney Island to take in the breathtaking beaches and the famous Inchydoney Spa Hotel. We will continue the cycle to the market town of Clonakilty, where our tour comes to a close.End of tour and individual departure.
Please note there is no overnight on Day 6.
Surface and terrain
The routes are mainly on secondary roads following the coast to enjoy all of the beauty of the "Wild Atlantic Way." The routes are mainly flat to hilly with no long climbs. All these roads are fully paved. This cycle is suitable for cyclists of all abilities.
Hotels
These are sample hotels and may vary by availability.
The White House, Kinsale
www.whitehouse-kinsale.ieCeltic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery
www.celticrosshotel.comCasey's Hotel, Baltimore
www.caseysofbaltimore.comMaritime Hotel, Bantry
www.themaritime.ieWest Cork Hotel, Skibberdeen
www.westcorkhotel.comInterested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.
How to get there
Tour start and end
Nearest airport and train station: Cork (ORK), IrelandYou can take a bus or taxi to get from the airport in Cork to Kinsale.
Tips on getting to and from your tour
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Dates
Self-guided: Check back for 2023 dates
Guided: Check back for 2023 datesPrices
Self-guided package
Per person, double occupancy € 895 Single room surcharge (1 person/1 room) € 175 Optional castle accommodation upgrade (per person/per night) € 50 Guided package
Per person, double occupancy € 1395 Single room surcharge (1 person/1 room) € 175 Optional castle accommodation upgrade (per person/per night) € 50 Included services
Self-guided package includes:
- 5 nights accommodation in double rooms
- 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners
- Luggage transfers
- Maps and tourist attractions
- Daily snacks and water
- Standard bike rental
Guided package includes (all services listed above PLUS):
- Tour guide who cycles with you
- Support vehicle
Bike rentals
Bikes available on this tour, and included in the tour cost (reserved in advance at the time of booking):
- Standard touring bikes, 24-speed Raleigh or Giant
- Children's bikes (upon request)
- Electrically assisted bikes* (upon request at an extra charge)
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >
Bikes come equipped with:
- Helmet
- Lock
- Pump
- High-visibility jacket
Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you bring your own pedals, be sure to bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.Helmets:
Helmets are available on this tour. However, we recommend that you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene purposes.
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Route Map
Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.
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Reviews
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★★★★★ Sylvie and Chris August 15, 2019
Beautiful Ireland
Best and healthy way to discover the beauty of Ireland and meet the irish people and their gentleness. Don was very accommodating and kept the tour fitting our level. The hotels were comfortable and the food delicious.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 12t to16 august
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ u d i July 4, 2019
Lovely landscape shame most of the cycling is on asphalt with fast cars ..
We had great time riding at CORK area, the weather was on our side also. everything was green and blooming, we all had e-bikes which was a great descision to do since first 3 days we traveled more than 70KM each day.accomodation was very good and so was the food, especially fish and sea food, we also had one night stay at a lovely castle fron 16th century on the atlantic beach.since most on the track was dedicated to the West Atlantic Way and many parts of it on the N71 we changed it and went deep into the countryside which was eaven nicer, plenty of fields and woods as we went up and downhill.it is advisable to change parts of the route to offroad routs.
- What was the date of your tour?
- june 16 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is our 8th
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 5, 2019
Thanks kindly for your feedback. We're so glad to hear that you were able to improve your experience by altering your route. And thank goodness for e-bikes; they truly are a game changer! Love that you had wonderful weather, food, and accommodations. Thanks again for the review (and the pictures).
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★★★★★ jdwright November 19, 2018
Incredible trip!
There is no better way to see a country than on a bike. The scenery was incredible and breath-taking. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15-24, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Jimmie July 13, 2018
The Magic and Majesty of West Cork
I had been around Ireland three times, by tour bus, by car, and by bicycle. There is only one way to see Ireland…and that is by bike…and that is under the direction of our tour director, Don, who created and coordinated our incredible tour around West Cork. Having been to many countries around the world, I would rate undeveloped, magical, wild West Cork as the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. It was made more so by the fact that we were cycling and could take it in slowly.
It is very hard to keep the superlatives about Don to a minimum. As a person, he is warm, supportive, motivating, and professionally efficient with a dash of mischievousness thrown in. The hotels that Don booked for us were all first class, which is what we needed after a day of cycling. At our first meeting in Kinsale, he went over the whole tour and gave us all the maps that we would need, and a very detailed description of the route and its highlights each day to be received via email the morning of the ride. It was a great advantage to have Don pick up our luggage from the hotel after we were launched for the day and have it in place when we arrived at our destination. He kept track of us along the route, and we often came upon his parked car on the side of the road, whereupon he would hop out and enthusiastically tell us how well we were doing, and fib a little about the hills to come !
Don was continuously excited telling us about the scenery that we would see and the highlights along the way. His enthusiasm was contagious and motivated our tired legs to move forward once more. My partner and I chose to do a self-guided tour, but at the hotels we would catch up with another group of four who had cycled in many other countries. To a person, they agreed that Don’s was the best.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you Don.
Respectfully,
Jim and Janice- What was the date of your tour?
- Jun 14,2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Darcyb July 1, 2018
Not to be missed!
The perfect way to experience Southern Ireland! The tour exceeded our expectations in every way.
Don, the tour operator, went above and beyond to ensure that we had the best possible tour and even adjusted our itinerary because of weather to optimize the experience The meals, especially the seafood along the coast, were delicious. If you take the tour, take the upgrade and stay in the castle one night.
The route is along the southern part of the Wild Atlantic Way and is incredibly beautiful. Because we were following the rugged coastline in some sections there were a few challenging hills, although Don tried to convince us that they were just “wee bumps”. We would highly recommend this trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Kiwi July 30, 2017
Personalized package
Amazing 7 days Every day great views, luxury hotels, gourmet food, friendly caring people. Don our local host.was always very professional, on time, clear instructions and full of inspiration. Nothing was a problem for him. You set your own pace but Don, turned up to rescue you if required. He made sure you did not miss out on any of the highlights. Likewise if you needed a more challenging route he could deliver that as well. (But I didn't need that service!!!). Thank you Don, for so many good memories.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Nil
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Jani S September 8, 2016
Amazing support!
Beautiful views every day! If we had any questions or problems, our host was always just a phone call away. We were very well cared for! I loved having the evening meals also included at the hotel where we stayed. After a long day of biking it was nice to be able just relax without having to go out in search of a Pub or restaurant for dinner.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 15, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Don j July 10, 2016
Great cycling through beautiful countryside
Beautiful countryside, great cycling for riders of all abilities, very helpful outfitter, excellent hotels and meals.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Summer 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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