GT Web Itinerary
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THE DONEGAL COAST IRELAND Walk Hike Bike Ltd. Contact in Ireland & 24 Hour Emergency Number: +353 (0) 87-250 2434 IRELAND WALK HIKE BIKE For 25 years Ireland Walk Hike Bike (IWHB) has been welcoming guests to Ireland. The realisation of a dream for company founder Linda Woods who sought to show people the “real Ireland” rather than the traditional tourism template! These ideals continue today, showing you Ireland the way we believe it should be seen: slowly, intimately and knowledgeably. Our terrific office personnel and great guides all share the same philosophy – “to take people into those hidden parts of Ireland that few know about and give people a real “taste and flavour” of Ireland the way we know and love it”. With today’s fast pace of life & the lack of “downtime”, we at IWHB take great pride in the trust our guests show in us to create great experiences for you. All of us in IWHB are committed to ensuring our fascination for Ireland, its’ history, culture, diversity & humour, is part of your holiday. Ireland enjoys a relaxing pace of life; beautiful and varied scenery, with the sea never far from sight & a great selection of music at night. While in Ireland, we ask you to PLEASE take your time as you discover small sections of Ireland, for if you rush, the charm of the country and the people will pass you by. The best made plans will always change in Ireland, and your adaptability to enjoy chance encounters with friendly locals, incredible characters and the odd charismatic sheep is what will make your holiday a truly memorable experience!! ITINERARY AT A GLANCE Day Travel / Activities 1 Arrive in Donegal 2 Blue Stack Way Collection from end of hike 3 Letterbarra to Glenties Transfer to start of hike & Luggage to next accommodation 4 Glenties to Ardara Transfer to start of hike & Luggage to next accommodation 5 Ardara to Kilcar Transfer to start of hike & Luggage to next accommodation. Collection from end of hike 6 Carrick to Glencolmcille Transfer to start of hike & collection from end 7 Glencolmcille to Ardara Transfer to start of hike 8 Departure DONEGAL Geographically speaking, Donegal is a county of contradictions: it contains the northernmost point in the whole of Ireland – Malin Head on the remote Inishowen Peninsula and yet it is in ‘the South’ (Republic of Ireland). It is in Ulster (i.e. the nine-county province), but not in Northern Ireland. The county is very sparsely populated, with large tracts of land being uninhabited and a good deal of the open land is covered by blanket bogs. It is a perfect place to explore on foot or by bike & outside the main towns, the county is still relatively undiscovered & untouched. DAY 1, ARRIVE IN DONEGAL Arrive in Donegal town where you will be spending your first 2 nights. On arrival at your first accommodation, your hostess will give you your full Detailed Information pack. She will also be able to recommend places to eat in the town & suggest some of the pubs where you may find Irish music. Access for this holiday is made by a bus connection from Dublin Airport to Donegal. This service is available all year round. DAY 2, BLUE STACK WAY Walking from your accommodation you follow the “Blue Stack Way-Marked Way” around the shores of the beautiful Lough Eske, along the foothills of Banagher Hill, beside the Eglish River to finish in the little village of Letterbarra. On your arrival to Letterbarra you can phone for your taxi to come & collect you (unless you have already arranged this ahead of time). Return to Donegal town for your 2nd overnight. Walk Details: Approx. Distance – 22.9km | Height gain - 518m | Height loss - 457m | Max Height - 289m. Terrain: Most of today’s walk is on quiet back- roads & tracks with the last 2kms going across bog land before re-joining road to Letterbarra. The “cross-country section can be muddy and wet underfoot so we recommend boots for this walk. DAY 3, LETTERBARRA TO GLENTIES You will be driven back to Letterbarra to start walking. Following across old bog roads & through farmland, you then have a lovely walk over the foothills of the Bluestacks to arrive into the village of Glenties. If the weather is not good then we recommend you take the lower level alternative walk around the higher ground to re-join the route further on. From Glenties you can ring your taxi to bring you on to Ardara for your next 2 night’s accommodation. Walk Details: Approx. Distance – 18.8km | Height gain - 549m | Height loss - 649m | Max Height - 407m. Terrain: Some road walking, muddy and rocky grass tracks, open mountains & bogland which can be wet underfoot. Boots essential. DAY 4, GLENTIES TO ARDARA You will be driven back to Glenties to start your walk from this lovely village. From here you follow along a quiet back road to arrive at the banks of the Owentocker River. Following along beside the river, a beautiful walk brings you into the village of Ardara where you return to your accommodation for your 2nd night. Walk Details: Approx. Distance – 11.2km | Height gain - 74m | Height loss - 103m | Max Height - 51m. Terrain: Roadways & tracks, river banks which can be rocky and uneven in places. Then back to track & road walking into Ardara. Boots essential. DAY 5, ARDARA TO KILCAR Today you will be leaving Ardara to walk to Kilcar & from there transfer to your accommodation. This walk follows along the magnificent Glengesh Pass an amazing V-shaped valley with some of the most spectacular scenery you could wish to see. Continuing over bogland & through forestry you then descend to the village of Kilcar with wonderful views over Donegal Bay. Kilcar is famous for its woollen & tweed industry & your walk finishes just across from one of the factory shops here where you can get a welcome cup of tea or coffee as well as an opportunity to see their beautiful range of clothing. From here you can ring for your taxi to bring you on to your accommodation for the next 2 nights. Walk Details: Approx. Distance – 19.3km | Height gain - 481m | Height loss - 491m | Max Height - 320m. Terrain: Road walking, grass and muddy tracks, bogland & rocky paths. Can be very wet underfoot. 75% road walking today but boots are essential for the section off road. DAY 6, CARRICK TO GLENCOLMCILLE Today you will be driven back to Kilcar where you start walking from where you finished yesterday to follow a lovely coastal track out of the village & around Derrylahan hill to continue on to Crockunna. From there you parallel with the road to Glencolmcille with fabulous views as you get closer to this wonderful corner of Ireland. Descending into Glencolmcille village – you can then ring for your taxi back to your accommodation Walk Details: Approx. Distance – 15.6km | Height gain - 484m | Height loss - 485m | Max Height - 220m. Terrain: Road & track walking, also grass tracks – rocky and muddy in places, open hillside & bogland. Can be wet underfoot – boots essential. DAY 7, GLENCOLMCILLE TO ARDARA Today you will be dropped back to Glencolmcille where you start walking a beautiful and very remote route back to the village of Ardara. With glorious views across Glen Head and Donegal bay, you then descend to Port & walk through this beautiful valley before ascending Crockuna & then walking beside the Owenwee River you continue through another magnificent valley to finish close to Ardara. Walk Details: Approx. Distance – 32.0km | Height gain - 939m | Height loss - 923m | Max Height - 305m. Terrain: Road & track walking, some grassy & boggy tracks – rocky and muddy in places. Open hillside & bogland. Can be wet and muddy underfoot – boots essential. WHAT'S INCLUDED BOOKING DETAILS RESERVATIONS Reservations to be made through our booking page at www.irelandwalkhikebike.com CANCELLATIONS Should you need to cancel, cancellation charges will be imposed. These are calculated from the day written notification is received by the company or our agent as a percentage of the total tour price, including surcharges as follows: More than 56 days from start date: Deposit only 35 to 55 days from start date: 30% 15 to 34 days from start date: 50% 14 days to departure day: Nil Refund ALL CANCELLATIONS MUST BE IN WRITING BY POST OR E-MAIL. PAYMENT CONDITIONS A deposit of €150.00 per person is required at the time of booking. Balancing payments are then required no less that 8 weeks prior to the holiday start date. WHY BOOK WITH US TESTIMONIALS TERMS AND CONDITIONS Ireland Walk Hike Bike Ltd (“the Company”) formerly trading as South West Walks Ireland, accepts bookings subject to the following Terms & Conditions: 1. The contract is between the Company and the client, being any person travelling or intending to travel on a tour/ holiday operated by the company. The contract, including all matters arising from it, is subject to Irish law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts. A booking is accepted and becomes definite only from the date when the company sends a confirmation. It is at this point that a contract between the company and the client comes into existence. Before your booking is confirmed and comes into existence the company reserves the right to increase or decrease published prices. The company or their agents reserve the right to decline any booking at their discretion. 2. To secure a booking the Company or their agent requires a completed Booking Form and the necessary deposit. (Full payment if travel is within 30 days). The first named client must be over 18 years of age.