North Of Ireland Self-Guided Tour (14 Nights)

Tour code: NOISG14

Tour Overview

This is a comprehensive tour of the North of Ireland region. The routes take in the Bann Valley, the Sperrins, the Causeway Coast, the Antrim Plateau, the Glens of Antrim, the Antrim Coast Road, Belfast, the Gap of the North, the Cooley Peninsula, the Mournes, the Ards Peninsula and St Patrick’s Country.

Starting from Antrim you ride west to Toomebridge at the northern end of Lough Neagh and continue west to Draperstown at the eastern fringes of the Sperrins for a two night stopover. The loop ride is a wonderful exploration of the remote Sperrins. From Draperstown the next leg returns to the Bann Valley, following the river north to Coleraine. From Coleraine you follow the Causeway Coast east to Bushmills. Continuing east, the next leg leads to Ballycastle for a two night stopover. The loop route from here offers a choice of a trip to Rathlin Island or a testing circuit via Torr Head. From Ballycastle you ride over the Antrim plateau and down one of the Glens of Antrim to meet the coast at Cushendall. From Cushendall you follow the Antrim Coast Road south to Larne, where you hop the train to Moira via Belfast. From Moira you ride south along the Newry Canal to Newry at the head of Carlingford Lough for a two night halt. The loop ride explores the Cooley Peninsula to the west of the lough. Leaving Newry you follow the coast north to Rostrevor and then climb through the Mournes to the Spelga Pass from where you drop down to Castlewellan. The next leg continues around Dundrum Bay to Downpatrick for a two night stopover. The loop route explores St Patrick’s Country and the southern end of the Ards Peninsula. The last leg returns to Moira via the shores of Strangford Lough, the drumlins of County Down and Hillsborough.

For information on the en route scenery and attractions see the Regional Details page.
The itinerary follows routes B, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, and S
This tour is rated B – click here for tour rating description.

Ten highlights

The Beaghmore Stone Circles
Gortin Lakes
Binevenagh Plateau
Mussenden Temple
The Giant’s Causeway
Dunluce Castle
Bushmills Distillery
The Antrim Coast Road
The Silent Valley
Tollymore Forest Park
Castleward House
Dundrum Castle
Nendrum Monastic Site

Gallery

Options

To lengthen the tour, consider spending a night or two in Belfast at the beginning or end of the biking, or alternatively in the middle of the tour when you pass through the city on your way from the Causeway to the Mournes.

Outline Itinerary

Day	Itinerary	Start	Finish	Route options	En Route
1	arrive at	ANTRIM
2	route B^*	Antrim	Coleraine		Lough Neagh; Toome; Sperrins
3	route F	Coleraine	Bushmills		Binevenagh Plateau; Mussenden Temple; Hezlett House; Dunluce Castle
4	route G	Bushmills	Ballycastle		Bushmills Distillery; Giant's Causeway; Carrick-a-Rede
5	route H	Ballycastle	Ballycastle		Torr Head; Cushendun; Rathlin Island; Vanishing Lake
6	route I	Ballycastle	Cushendall		Glenshesk; Antrim Plateau; Glenaan; Glenarriff Forest park
7	route K^	Cushendall	Belfast		Antrim Coast Road; Glenarm; Carrickfergus Castle
8	route L	Belfast	Moira		Shaw's Bridge; Lagan Valley Cycleway; Hillsborough Castle
9	route M^	Moira	Newry		Newry Canal Path; Scarva; Loughbrickland
10	route N	Newry	Newry		Carlingford Castle; CooleyPeninsula; Ring of Gullion
11	route O*	Newry	Castlewellan		Warrenpoint; Silent Valley; Mourne Mountains; Spelga Pass; Tollymore Forest Park
12	route P	Castlewellan	Downpatrick		Dundrum Castle; Tyrella Beach; Ardglass; Struel Wells; St Patrick's Grave
13	route Q	Downpatrick	Downpatrick		Castleward; Strangford; Portaferry; Mountstewart; Greyabbey
14	route S*	Downpatrick	Belfast		Inch Abbey; Nendrum Monastic Site; Castle Espie; Comber Greenway
15	depart from	BELFAST

Tour Costs

Costs in British Pounds (£)
basic cost per person sharing*		895
single accommodation supplement (if applicable)		285
Optional Costs
bicycle rental (standard bicycle)		125
luggage transfers	shared charge for group	360
	additional charge per rider	15
airport transfers and miscellaneous costs		see tables

* Train fare from Larne to Moira is not included.

Click here for more details on what's included in the costs above.

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