Day 1 – Celtic Rider-Carndonagh, Inishowen Peninsula

  • Transfer to our offices to collect car, and enjoy our 1.5 hour safety orientation course

  • Drive to Virginia for lunch in the Lakeside Manor Hotel, then follow our Garmin route through Enniskillen and Omagh Northern Ireland

  • Skirt around Derry city

  • Continue to Carndonagh, Inishowen peninsula.

  • Check into luxury B&B accommodation

  • We recommend the Butterbean Restaurant for great food or indeed some of the local pubs offer really good wholesome home cooked local food

Day 2 – Carndonagh to Carndonagh

Option A – Experience the Inishowen 100, a spectacular drive on the Inishowen Peninsula

  • Follow our Garmin route: first stop is 5 Fingers Strand, the largest sand dunes in Europe

  • Continue north to Bamba’s Point in Malin head, most northerly part of Ireland to enjoy awesome ocean views

  • Drive on to Fort Dunree, magnificent military museum towering over Lough Swilly

  • Next is the magical Mamore mountain pass, with wonderful ocean views from the viewing area

  • Stopping at the Glenevin car park in Clonmany village, take the short walk along an ancient gorge to view Glenevin waterfall

  • Next on the list is Doagh Famine village in Doagh Isle, an authentic small Irish village to see for yourself what life was like during the 1840s in Ireland.

  • Continue to Carndonagh accommodation.

Option B – Drive to the Giants Causeway along the north Antrim Coast

  • Drive to Greencastle for the short ferry crossing to Magilligan point in Co. Derry

  • Continue along the route in your Garmin towards Ballycastle, then take the small coast road to Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. A 15 minute walk is involved but the narrow bridge walk is good fun

  • Ballintoy harbour is your next optional stop, nice place for refreshments beside the sea. Next stop is the Giant’s Causeway – which is a World Heritage Site, famous for its basalt columns

  • Continue to Bushmills with an opportunity to visit Bushmills Distillery

  • Drive along the coast to Portrush with the option to visit Dunluce Castle

  • Journey onwards to either Magilligan point for the ferry or Derry city

  • Optional tour of the walled city of Derry

  • Continue to Carndonagh via Derry or the ferry

Day 3 – Carndonagh-Donegal

  • Breakfast then depart Carndonagh

  • Follow the route south west, shirting around Letterkenny.

  • Drive to Glenveagh National Park and visit Glenveagh Castle located in the Derryveagh mountain range.

  • View Mount Errigal mountain towering above you

  • View Mount Errigal mountain towering above you

  • Continue along Barnesmore Gap to Donegal town

  • Enjoy Donegal town for two nights

Day 4 – Donegal to Donegal

  • Easy days drive, or alternatively take a rest day and visit Donegal Castle, in the town centre, Magee’s Donegal tweed shop, then take the ferry across Donegal bay from the town centre

  • Todays route, simply follow the Garmin route heading west, first town is Killybegs, Ireland’s deep sea fishing port, largest trawlers in the world fish from here

  • Continue to Teelin then Carrick village and look for sign for Slieve League Cliffs, the drive up is awesome, and the cliffs are the highest in all of Europe, 2000 ft

  • The view over the Atlantic is simply breath-taking

  • Departing the cliffs drive to Glencolumbkille, then to Ardara via the amazing Glengash pass

  • From Ardara drive to Clooney and Glenties

  • Return to Donegal town via Frosses and enjoy the surrounding Bluestack mountains

  • Relax and enjoy Donegal town

Day 5 – Donegal to Westport

  • Departing Donegal head south , Drumcliff is where Ireland’s beloved poet W.B.Yeats is laid to rest. Benbulbin table top mountain dominates the skyline

  • Must visit is the ‘Ceide Fields’ Visitor centre, the oldest and largest stone walled village in the world, 5200BC

  • Drive south through Ireland’s most remote area, from Bangor drive Ballycroy National Park, please stop at the Ballycroy visitor centre, Europe’s largest expanse of blanket bog, local people working there will happily tell you the history of this region

  • View the Nephin Beg Mountains and look out for local people cutting turf

  • The drive to Mallarany is spectacular as it winds along the sea

  • There is a nice Abbey, Burrishoole Abbey, between Mallaranny and Newport, optional but worth visiting

  • Check into Westport accommodation for 2 nights

Day 6 – Westport to Westport

  • Leaving Westport for Maam Cross we are now heading for the spiritually haunting experience of Connemara national park, a magical ancient route.
  • From Maam cross drive to Roundstone coastal village then continue to Clifden
  • From Clifden town take the aptly named ‘Sky Road’ with outstanding sea views are you drive higher and higher to the viewing area

  • Continue to Kylemore abbey for hot scones and freshly brewed tea This is a magnificent Benedictine Abbey in a stunningly beautiful wooded valley

  • Drive to Leenane village look at Irelands deepest Fjord, then pass through the incredible and narrow Doo Lough mountain pass with towering mountains on either side of you

  • Continue back now to Westport via Louisburgh and admire Irelands holy mountain ‘Croagh Patrick’ en route back to Westport

Day 7 – Westport to Bunratty

  • Departing Westport drive to Leenane then skirt around Galway city.

  • Take the N67 coast road to Kinvara village, optional visit to Dunquire Castle, you can walk up a very narrow stone stairwell to the top of the castle

  • Next is Ballyvaughan, great pub/restaurant here called ‘Monks Kitchen’( favourites)

  • Optional visit to Aillwee caves, a subterranean cave deep under the Burren, a great tourist attraction. Park up in the upper car park with fantastic views across Galway bay

  • The Burren National park is unique in the world; it is a vast limestone plateau covering 400 sq kms(250 sq miles)

  • Next stop is Poulnabrone megalithic portal Tomb, many thousands of years old. You are now in the heart of the Burren National Park

  • Skirt around Ennis and continue to Bunratty Village

  • Enjoy a four course medieval meal in Bunratty castle, or a traditional night of Irish food and dance in the Corn Barn, alternatively Durty Neely’s is a great old pub in the village

Day 8 – Bunratty to Bunratty

  • Drive to Ennistymon and continue to the Cliffs of Moher, magnificent vertical cliffs towering over the Atlantic Ocean, shortlisted to be one of the great natural wonders of the World.

  • Travel onwards to Doolin, optional and exciting ferry ride to see the cliffs from the ocean, spectacular on a sunny day

  • Follow the route north along the coast road to Blackhead, stopping at Murrooughtoohy car park. You must take a walk on this bizarre limestone beach with millions of boulders deposited from the last Ice age, and beautiful wild orchids living in cracks in the limestone rock. A short walk brings you to the ocean.

  • Continue along the route to Ballyvaughan then drive to Lisdoonvarna ( famous the world over for its matchmaking festival in Sept) via Corkscrew hill, very tight hairpins

  • Follow the route to Kilfenora, interesting visitor centre there, optional, continue back to Bunratty accommodation via Carrofin

Day 9 – Bunratty to Killarney

  • Leaving Bunratty take the road to Killimer and board the ferry for the short crossing to Tarbert in Kerry
  • Listowel, famous for horse racing, then Tralee and drive to Camp village on the Dingle Peninsula, described by the National Geographic magazine as one of the most beautiful places on the planet

  • From Camp drive to Stradbally and take the road signed Conor Pass, a mountain drive with everything you could wish for as a motorist, mountain, sky and ocean views, awesome drive.

  • From Dingle drive along the coast taking in Inch beach and on Killorglin, famous for its Puck fair, to your destination, Killarney

  • Killarney, affectionately known as the jewel of the south west is a great town, buzzing with great restaurants and pubs

Day 10 – Killarney to Killarney

  • Either take a rest day and cruise the Killarney lakes taking in the majestic Mountain views and a pony and trap drive over the Gap of Dunloe, plus a bit of shopping, relax if you wish

  • Alternatively, drive the world famous Ring of Kerry, and the incredible Gap of Dunloe, the most beautiful glaciated valley in Europe, a challenging drive but very much worth the effort

  • Continue around the route, deviate to drive the Skellig Ring, another awesome off shoot off the main Ring of Kerry

  • Continue back to Killarney accommodation

Day 11 – Killarney to Dublin

  • From Killarney drive to Mitchelstown and on to Cashel and visit The Rock of Cashel, this is where Queen Elizabeth came on her historic visit to Ireland in 2011
  • The Castle was the seat of the high Kings of Ireland for over 1000 years, well worth visiting
  • Enter Celtic Rider last fuel stop before returning the car.
  • Return to Celtic Rider

  • We will arrange the drop off to Dublin city accommodation or Dublin Airport

Pricing & Details – 11 Day Western Tour

Category A - Compact Car

  • €5,520 Two People, One Room
  • Volkswagen Golf, Opel Astra or similar
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Category B - Saloon Car

  • €7,930 Four People, Two Rooms
  • Škoda Octavia, Volkswagen Passat or similar
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Category C - Minivan/People Carrier

  • €10,410 Six People, Three Rooms
  • Ford Galaxy or similar
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Optional Extras

Although our chosen accommodation providers are a blend of four star guesthouses and hotels which were hand-selected by Paul Rawlins, it is possible to upgrade your package to a five star accommodation tour. Also, it is possible to request a night in a castle, on a golf course or somewhere that you can take a boat ride. Our team of Celtic Rider staff are on hand to assist with your every request, please inquire about any day trips or specific accommodation that you desire.

The Celtic Rider Package

  • Transfer to and from Celtic Rider Rental Station from either Dublin City or Dublin Airport
  • Accommodation in Irish owned B&B guesthouses of a very high standard, personally hand selected by Paul Rawlins, founder of Celtic Rider

  • Sit through our award winning 2 hour Safety Orientation Course specifically designed for drivers from countries that drive on the rights hand side of the road. This is guaranteed to enhance your overall touring experience here in Ireland and has proven to be an invaluable experience for all of our past clients.

  • You are covered with fully comprehensive insurance and we request no damage deposit for car tours!

  • All of our car tours set off with a full tank of fuel, please bring your car back full. There is a gas station only 2 kilometres from our premises.

  • All of our cars are set up with the latest Garmin Zumo 595. Our award winning tours are pre-programmed for each day’s route. You will receive a map and a detailed itinerary at the beginning of your tour.

  • Breakdown cover is included.

  • Celtic Rider merchandise for everyone! This is inclusive of a t-shirt, baseball cap, neck buff, fleece hoody, badges and embroidery patch

  • If you do not have enough room in your car for your luggage you are welcome to store your luggage at our dedicated Luggage Storage Room for free.

  • A full breakfast is included every morning at your lodgings.

Some of Our Small Print

Drivers must be over 25 years of age and hold a full car licence for a minimum of one year. If any passengers wish to drive this is ok subject to prior arrangement, we simply ask all prospective drivers to sign the rental agreement and take a photocopy of their driving license.

Please refer to our Terms & Conditions

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