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 Date Travel / Activities 1 Mon Aug 05, 2019 Arrive in Ardara 2 Tue Aug 06, 2019 Ardara to Glecolumcille 3 Wed Aug 07, 2019 Slieve League 4 Thu Aug 08, 2019 Bluestack Mountains 5 Fri Aug 09, 2019 Glenveagh National Park 6 Sat Aug 10, 2019 Mount Errigal 7 Sun Aug 11, 2019 Horn Head 8 Mon Aug 12, 2019 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 ARDARA Arrive for overnight at your first guesthouse at Ardara. Evening meal together and a general chat about the coming week’s hikes. Your guide will meet you there at 18.00 hrs. for a Briefing Session followed by dinner with the group at 19.00 hrs. Meals: Dinner DAY 2, ARDARA TO GLENCOLUMCILLE On your first day you will follow the old pilgrimage route at Glencolumbcille, a holy site since the days of St. Columbcille in the 6th century. You will enjoy some wonderful coastal scenery along the way and visit some of the places of historical and archaeological interest that abound in this region. At the end of the hike you return to Ardara for dinner and overnight. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Terrain: Grass tracks and open mountain with rocky sections and no tracks. Some road walking. Boots essential. DAY 3, SLIEVE LEAGUE HIKE Today you hike along the famous Slieve League to complete a most impressive hike across these high and spectacular cliffs on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The views are fantastic over Donegal Bay to Benbulben and the mountains of North Mayo. Return to your accommodation in Ardara for dinner and overnight. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Terrain: Grass tracks and open mountain with rocky sections and no tracks. Some road walking. Boots essential. DAY 4, BLUESTACK MOUNTAINS HIKE A short transfer takes you to the start of your hike just outside Ardara. From there you follow a route over the foothills of the Bluestack Mountains, one of the last true wilderness regions of Ireland with picturesque views of lakes, sea and unspoilt countryside to finish in the village of Glenties. Transfer to the region known as Gweedore for dinner and overnight. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Terrain: Grass tracks and open mountain with rocky sections and no tracks. Some road walking. Boots essential DAY 5, GLENVEAGH NATIONAL PARK Driving a short distance from your accommodation, you arrive to Glenveagh National Park – a hidden gem in the heart of Donegal on the shores of Lough Beagh. This idyllic place is home to Glenveagh Castle – a remarkable place with an inspiring history. Your hike takes you along the shores to the Castle with its beautiful gardens. Return to your guesthouse for an evening at your leisure and your overnight. Alternatively, weather dependent, you may have the option to visit Tory Island. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Terrain: Grass tracks and open mountain tracks with rocky sections. Some road walking. Boots essential. DAY 6, GUIDED MOUNT ERRIGAL Today, from the village of Dunlewy you climb Errigal, Donegal’s highest and best known peak. If the day is fine, you will have views southwards towards Slieve Snaght and the brooding depths of the Poisoned Glen, while to the North you will look out over a watery plain towards Bloody Foreland and Tory Island beyond. Return to accommodation for dinner and overnight. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Terrain: Stony tracks and open mountain with rocky sections and no tracks. Some road walking. Boots essential. DAY 7, GUIDED HORN HEAD Your last day’s hike is on the promontory of Horn Head near Dunfanaghy. This spectacular headland offers some fine cliff scenery and views across the wild waters of Sheep Haven Bay to the Rosguill and Fanad Peninsulas. Transfer back to accommodation for overnight and evening dinner. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Terrain: Grassy tracks and open moorland with rocky sections and no tracks. Some road walking. Boots essential. DAY 8, DEPARTURE Departure after breakfast, transfer to Letterkenny bus station for onward connection to Derry, Donegal, Dublin and to all major towns and airports in Ireland. Meals: Breakfast Please note: It is extremely important that you read & understand the details for each day & that you are able to achieve this. If you would like to discuss your hiking level with one of our experts – please arrange a telephone conversation & we will be delighted to assist you with your holiday choice. 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. Clients booking by telephone, by website/E-mail or fax will be deemed to have signed the Booking Form and read and accepted our Booking Conditions. The person signing, or being deemed to sign, the Booking Form warrants that he/she has full authority to do so on behalf of all persons whose names appear thereon, and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and accept these Conditions. Please note that your deposit is non-refundable. 3. The balance of all monies due, including any surcharges applicable at the time, must be paid to the company or their agents not later than 56 days before departure. In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date the Company reserves the right to cancel your booking and cancellation charges will apply. If any payment is dishonoured we reserve the right to charge €45 per person to cover administration costs. 4. Travel Insurance is mandatory for all clients whilst on a tour/ holiday organised by the Company. Clients are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance. Clients are responsible for ensuring that they are in possession of private Travel insurance with protection for the full duration of the tour/ holiday in respect of at least medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, with adequate cover.