Walking in Connemara

If you want to see the unspoilt and rugged beauty of Connemara in all its glory whilst taking relatively easy walks, with very few elevation gains and losses, then you should definitely take this tour. The warmth of the Irish people is second to none, the food and pub culture is incredible and the variety of walks along peninsulas, on islands and in the foothills the mountains, all capture the spirit of this truly magical part of Ireland.

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveller this holiday would be suitable for is: 12 Years

This walking trip is graded easy to moderate with gentle walks that can be completed at your own pace. It is advisable to build up your fitness before setting off, we recommend taking walks that are similar in duration to what you will be doing on this holiday to make the most of your time and walks in Ireland. If you would like to have some flexibility it is possible to add some additional rest days.

Some short sections of the walking routes follow minor country roads (also known as bitumen), typically when leaving or entering local towns and villages and on Day 2 when walking along the Sky Road. This reflects the fact that rights of way are almost non-existent in Ireland. The road walking is scenic and mostly along quiet lanes with little traffic. Always take extra care and be mindful of other road users.

If you are thinking of travelling solo, please consider that mobile phone coverage may be patchy in remote areas along the trail. We also welcome small groups on the trail, ideally no bigger than 8-10 travellers due to accommodation limitations. Booking in advance is a must!/p>

The accommodations on this tour are a variety of hotels, B&Bs, and guest houses. In Clifden the accommodation is of a higher standard as there are a number of choices. On Inishbofin and in Leenane the accommodation is simple yet very comfortable. All-in-all they offer a particularly warm welcome, traditional hospitality, and delicious full or continental Irish breakfasts.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

We will be happy to accommodate your party with single rooms if requested, and a single supplement applies. This trip is also available to solo walkers, and a supplement is again payable (as some costs are not shared). Please note that singles may not be of the same standard as twins/doubles.

Meals

A hearty Irish breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options.

Most of your accommodations will be more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Alternatively, you can buy lunch in local shops/cafés. For dinner, there are nearby pubs and restaurants in each location.

The routes on this tour are not way-marked, except when walking along the Western Way. Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks, and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you won’t get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

This walking tour is best enjoyed between May and September. In our opinion, one of the best times to visit this region is in spring when colourful wildflowers are in bloom and the beaches look incredible at this time of year. July and August are the busiest months and accommodations tend to fill up fast, but you can appreciate long hours of daylight. For a quieter experience, September is an ideal month, and it has the advantage of the crowds beginning to thin.

You have the flexibility to start on any date, subject to availability. We recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment, especially when travelling in a group.

Irish weather is typically unpredictable year-round so be prepared for any conditions and you will be pleasantly surprised. No matter what month you choose to travel, being near the coast means it can get wet and windy at any time of year. It is important that you check the local weather forecast before setting off each day.

There is access to Galway from Dublin Airport on a Citylink bus. They run every hour and the journey takes about 3H. From Galway there is a Citylink bus to Clifden, which takes 1H30 and they run every 2-3 hours. Other useful travel websites are Bus Eireann and Irish Rail.

Should you wish to fly into Shannon Airport, there is also access from here to Clifden.  Take a bus from Shannon Airport to Galway (1H40) and then the Citylink bus as described above from Galway to Clifden.

From Leenane, a private transfer is included to Clifden, a 30-minute drive. Citylink buses are available from both these locations to Galway, from where you can travel by bus to Dublin or Shannon Airports.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 18kg per person.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.