Cycle the Highlights of Kerry

6 Days & 5 Nights

Discover the Ring of Kerry’s charming coastal towns by bike
Cycle to the colourful fishing villages on Valentia Island
Enjoy freshly prepared Portmagee crab and juicy Dingle prawns
Seek out the best Irish stew in the Killarney's lively pubs
Ride through Killarney National Park and visit 15th century Ross Castle

Discover the Ring of Kerry’s coastal towns and villages by bike, cycling from Cahersiveen to Killarney. Starting out in the historic town of Killarney, a private transfer will take you to one of Ireland’s most westerly coastal towns, Cahersiveen. Begin with a loop ride through the colourful harbour villages of Valentia Island where you can sample fresh, local, Portmagee crab. Leaving Cahersiveen, cycle through the rolling Kerry countryside to the vast and pristine beach at Rossbeigh. Another roll inland heads along the northern shore of Lough Caragh and via Kilorglin before arriving into Killarney. Here, ride through the native woodland of Killarney National Park where you can visit the 15th century Ross Castle and famous Muckross House. In the evening, explore the pubs of Killarney and enjoy a bowl of Irish stew with a well earned pint of Guinness.

What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

This tour is graded easy to moderate with each ride between 30-40km. Cycle across Kerry, Ireland’s finest lakeland region, ride along coastal roads and rolling country lanes. Spend each night in the heart of towns and villages located on the Ring of Kerry, where you can experience the famous Irish pub culture and watch traditional music being played. Dine on bowls of traditional stew, drink a pint of the black stuff and enjoy the warm welcome from your family run B&B.

Tour Style:

Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent tour.

Activity:

Inn to Inn Biking | A classic point to point biking tour, staying in a different location each night

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travelers, Multi-Generational

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Foodie Adventures
Wine, Whiskey & More...
Historical Journeys
Coastal & Island
National Parks & Trails

Inspiration:

Activity Level & Terrain

Graded easy to moderate, the cycling routes head along country and coastal lanes. You will experience some busier sections along the Ring of Kerry and when passing through towns and villages, so please do be mindful of other road users at all times. You will also enjoy some short sections on cycleways or cycle paths, but these are shared with other users.

Navigation

The detailed routes notes and maps are easy to follow during your self-guided adventure and we also supply GPX tracks via our easy to use Macs Adventure Navigation App, which make for an easy paper free ride. Please always pay attention to the advice on your navigation app and route notes provided.

Accommodations

During this trip you will stay in family run B&B’s and a 3* hotel. Depending on the time of year you are travelling, you may be accommodated in a hotel or inn of equal standard, within the surrounding area. Examples of some of the typical hotels and B&B's used on this tour are listed below. All overnight stays are based on a standard room.

Additional nights

On this tour, you may like to add stay an extra night in Killarney. If you would like to add extra nights at any of the overnight stays on this tour, please let us know.

Included

4 Nights in B&B’s and 1 night in a 3* hotel
5 Breakfasts
Baggage transfer
Transfer from Killarney to Cahersiveen
Information pack, and access to maps, route notes, GPX tracks on the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office

Excluded

Travel to / from Killarney
Bike hire
Lunches, dinners, snacks & drinks
Personal equipment
Travel insurance (required)

Extras

Additional nights along the route
Bike hire

When To Go

You can start your cycling adventure on any day from mid-April through to the end of September. This region of Ireland is particularly busy over the summer months, so if you are planning on travelling between June and August, it's probably wise to confirm your dates as soon as possible.

2018 departures are available from Saturday 11th August onwards. 2019 departures begin Mid-April.

Getting to the Start

For general travel planning, we recommend the helpful site www.rome2rio.com

Kerry Airport is served by a small number of airlines is only a 25 minute bus journey from Killarney

For a wider range of flight connections across Europe and North America, Cork, Shannon and Dublin Airports connect with Killarney via bus or train.

Cork Airport shuttle bus is a 20min journey to Cork Kent train station. Train services to Killarney are around 1hr30mins.

From Shannon Airport take a bus (approx. 2h50-3h40, via Limerick) to Killarney

Dublin Airport shuttle bus connects through to the Dublin Heuston Station in 20mins. Direct train services from here, reach Killarney in around 3hrs.

For bus timetables, Bus Eirann and for all train services visit Irish Rail

If you are planning to drive to Kerry, please let us know at the time of booking so we can best advise on parking options.

Luggage Transfer

Daily door-to-door baggage transfers are included in the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your baggage to a maximum weight of one 20 kilogram per person.

General Information

All bike tours are unescorted. The distances listed are approximations of the recommended routes.Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, cycle clothing and personal medications etc.

Equipment

Bringing Your Own Bike

If you wish to bring your own bike, please let us know at the time of booking as extra transfers for your own bikes from Killarney to Cahersiveen might be required.

Bike Rental

Trek FX hybrid bikes are available to rent. Each bike comes with a rear pannier bag for your personal possessions, basic repair kit and a lock. Helmets are included, although your own is likely to be a better fit. Ebikes are also available to hire, as are Trek Road road bikes.

If you would prefer to bring your own bicycle please ensure it is thoroughly serviced and is an appropriate bike for this tour.

If you do intend to bring your own bike, please do let us know at the time of booking as extra transfer arrangements may be required for any large bike cases/boxes.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Bike that you have suitable Travel Insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How fit do I need to be?

How far in advance do I need to book?

What personal equipment do I need?

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What happens if I can’t cycle a stage?