Cycling in Ireland: The 10 Best Routes and How to Plan Them

Cycling in Ireland means small roads, big Atlantic views and short hops between villages with a pub and a bed. The classic riding is on the west coast, where Kerry, the Burren, Connemara and Donegal run out into the ocean.

This guide covers ten routes worth planning a trip around. The first five we run as self-guided tours; the other five complete the list. They are numbered for easy navigation, not ranked.

Is Ireland Good for Cycling?

Yes. Biking in Ireland is best on the local L-roads of the west, single-track lanes between stone walls or fuchsia hedges where almost every view ends at the sea. Our tours ride 13 to 70 km a day on them.

The trade-offs are hills, wind and showers, which come and go far more often than whole wet days. Met Éireann notes that the prevailing wind blows from between south and west. Greenways such as the Great Western Greenway make fine day rides, but most of a week in the saddle is on quiet country roads.

The Best Cycling Routes in Ireland at a Glance

Distances are for each route as we ride it or as it is signed, at a touring pace.

The Best Cycling Routes in Ireland

We run the first five as self-guided tours, with hotels booked, luggage moved and GPS routes in an app.

1. Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring

• Distance: ~270 km (168 mi), ~3,160 m of climbing

• Duration: 8 days, 6 riding days of 27 to 63 km

• Route: Tralee to Killarney, anticlockwise round the Iveragh Peninsula

• Surface: Paved roads and rural lanes

• Difficulty: 3/5, rolling with a few real climbs

• Best for: A first Irish cycling holiday

The Ring of Kerry is Ireland's best-known road loop. Our tour rides it anticlockwise from Tralee, past Lough Caragh to Glenbeigh and along the Atlantic to Cahersiveen, below Ballycarbery Castle.

Day 4 takes the Skellig Ring, the quietest and most dramatic stretch of the week, over the Kerry Cliffs above Portmagee with the Skellig Islands offshore.

Then come Waterville, the climbs above Derrynane Bay, Sneem and Moll's Gap to Kenmare. The last day crosses the Black Valley and rides down the Gap of Dunloe into Killarney, on lanes the tour coaches cannot use. Choose it for the Kerry everyone talks about, at a moderate pace.

2. Beara Peninsula and the Gap of Dunloe

• Distance: ~226 km (140 mi), ~2,800 m of climbing

• Duration: 7 days, 5 riding days of 34 to 59 km

• Route: Killarney loop via Kenmare, Castletownbere and Glengarriff

• Surface: Quiet paved roads

• Difficulty: 3/5, steady climbs, short stages

• Best for: Kerry scenery with far fewer cars

Beara, shared between Kerry and Cork, sees a fraction of the Ring of Kerry's traffic. Our tour opens through the Gap of Dunloe to Kenmare, then follows the north shore past the Ardgroom stone circle and the painted houses of Eyeries to Castletownbere.

A loop day reaches Ballydonegan beach and the Beara Bowl below Eagle Hill. A short ride to Glengarriff leaves the afternoon free for the Garnish Island ferry, and the last day crosses Killarney National Park past Muckross Lake. Choose Beara for empty roads and a slower pace than the Ring.

3. Connemara, Inishbofin and the Doolough Valley

• Distance: ~218 km (135 mi), ~1,780 m of climbing

• Duration: 7 days, 5 riding days of 33 to 52 km

• Route: Clifden, Leenaun, Westport and Cong, back to Galway

• Surface: Paved country roads

• Difficulty: 3/5, undulating rather than steep

• Best for: Lakes, mountains and an island in one week

Connemara, the rugged west of County Galway, packs the most varied scenery into short days. From Clifden the tour loops to Cleggan for the Inishbofin ferry, then passes Kylemore Abbey to Killary Harbour, often called Ireland's only fjord.

Day 4 rides the Doolough Valley, one road between dark mountains and the lake, towards Croagh Patrick and Westport. The last two days pass Lough Carra and Cong, then follow Lough Corrib, the Republic's largest lake, back to Galway. Choose it for the widest mix of landscapes in one week.

4. The Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands

• Distance: ~155 km (96 mi), plus a 12 km cliff hike

• Duration: 7 days, 5 riding days of 13 to 48 km

• Route: Galway loop via Kinvarra, Doolin and Inis Mór

• Surface: Paved roads and island lanes

• Difficulty: 2/5, our easiest Irish tour

• Best for: A relaxed first tour, mixing cycling and walking

This is the gentlest week of cycling we offer in Ireland. It follows Galway Bay to Kinvarra and Dunguaire Castle, then crosses the bare limestone of the Burren to Ballyvaughan and Doolin, a village known for its traditional music.

Day 4 is a 12 km hike along the Cliffs of Moher, which rise to 214 m. A ferry then crosses to Inis Mór for a ride to the cliff fort of Dún Aonghasa, and the last day returns through the Irish-speaking villages west of Galway.

5. Donegal: Sliabh Liag to Glenveagh

• Distance: ~314 km (195 mi), ~4,400 m of climbing

• Duration: 8 days, 6 riding days of 30 to 70 km

• Route: Donegal town to Letterkenny via Carrick and Glenties

• Surface: Paved roads, a cycle path out of Glenties

• Difficulty: 4/5, the longest days and most climbing

• Best for: Fit riders who want Ireland at its wildest

Donegal is the hardest week we run in Ireland. It follows Donegal Bay to Killybegs, Ireland's largest fishing port, and Carrick, the base for a hike to Sliabh Liag, among Europe's highest sea cliffs.

The route crosses bog to Maghera Beach and Glenties, loops to the Kilclooney Dolmen, and rounds Crohy Head to Annagry. The finale passes Mount Errigal, Donegal's highest peak, and Glenveagh National Park on the way to Letterkenny. Choose it for big days and few other tourists.

The next five routes we do not run as tours, but each makes a fine self-planned trip.

6. Wild Atlantic Way (EuroVelo 1)

• Distance: ~2,500 km; EuroVelo 1 runs over 2,300 km in the Republic

• Duration: 3 to 5 weeks

• Route: Kinsale in Cork to Inishowen in Donegal

• Surface: Roads of every size

• Difficulty: 4/5 over the whole distance

• Our tour: All five tours above ride sections of it

The Wild Atlantic Way follows the west coast for about 2,500 km, and most riders take it a week at a time, as our five tours do. Our guide to cycling the Wild Atlantic Way covers it section by section, with distances, direction and timing.

7. Mizen Head to Malin Head

• Distance: ~570 km direct; up to ~925 km on coastal versions

• Duration: 1 to 2 weeks

• Route: Mizen Head in Cork to Malin Head in Donegal

• Surface: Mixed, mostly quiet roads

• Difficulty: 4/5, long days

• Best for: Riders who want a start, a finish and a story

"MizMal" is Ireland's end-to-end ride, from the south-western tip to the most northerly point of the mainland. There is no single official line: the most direct roads give about 570 km, coastal versions about 925 km.

Riding north keeps the prevailing wind mostly behind you. The finish is Banba's Crown on Malin Head, with nothing beyond it but the Atlantic.

8. Dingle Peninsula and the Conor Pass

• Distance: ~150 km from and back to Tralee

• Duration: 2 to 3 days

• Route: Tralee, the Conor Pass, Dingle, Slea Head and back via Inch

• Surface: Paved roads

• Difficulty: 3/5, one long climb

• Best for: A short trip from a railway station

Dingle fits a whole Irish cycling holiday into a long weekend. From Tralee, on the railway from Dublin, the road climbs the Conor Pass, at 456 m Ireland's highest paved pass, and drops to Dingle town.

The Slea Head loop of about 50 km circles the peninsula's tip past Dunquin and the Blasket Islands. The ride back passes the long sand spit of Inch Beach.

9. Causeway Coast (Belfast to Derry)

• Distance: ~190 km (120 mi)

• Duration: 3 to 4 days

• Route: Belfast to Derry~Londonderry along the Antrim coast

• Surface: Coast road, busy near Belfast

• Difficulty: 3/5, climbs out of the Glens of Antrim

• Best for: Castles, cliffs and the Giant's Causeway

The Causeway Coastal Route runs about 190 km from Belfast to Derry~Londonderry, through the Glens of Antrim and past Carrick-a-Rede, Dunluce Castle and the Giant's Causeway.

The A2 out of Belfast is busy, so Larne makes a quieter start. The Belfast to Derry railway brings you back, and ferries from Cairnryan land at Belfast and Larne.

10. EuroVelo 2: Galway to Dublin

• Distance: ~231 km, about 135 km of it traffic-free

• Duration: 3 to 4 days

• Route: Galway to Dublin Port via Athlone, Mullingar and Maynooth

• Surface: Greenway and canal towpath east of Athlone, quiet roads west

• Difficulty: 1/5, virtually no hills

• Our tour: The Connemara and Cliffs of Moher tours finish in Galway, its start

EuroVelo 2 crosses the middle of Ireland and is the one easy multi-day ride on this list. East of Athlone it follows the Old Rail Trail to Mullingar and the Royal Canal to Maynooth, all traffic-free.

Ten train stations sit on the route, so any day can be cut short.

Best Time to Cycle in Ireland

The season runs from May to September, when all our tours run. May and June are the pick: Met Éireann records them as the sunniest months, and the roads are quiet before the school holidays.

July and August are warmest but busiest, with coaches on the Ring of Kerry, so book rooms well ahead. September is quieter and still mild, but wetter. In June it stays light until around ten in the evening on the west coast.

Whatever the month, pack for showers. Riding north along the west coast keeps the prevailing wind mostly behind you, which is why most long-distance riders head north.

Roads, Traffic and Safety on an Irish Bike Trip

Ireland drives on the left. The hazards are narrow lanes with high hedges, blind bends, tractors and sheep, so ride as if a car is round every corner. In July and August, avoid the main Ring of Kerry road in the middle of the day, when most tour coaches are on it.

Cyclists may ride two abreast, but single out for overtaking traffic. Lights and a red rear reflector are required after dark. The Road Safety Authority asks drivers to leave 1 m when passing at up to 50 km/h, and 1.5 m above that.

How to Get There

Dublin and Shannon airports have direct flights from North America. Kerry Airport is under 20 km from Tralee and Killarney. The table shows the main ferry, train and bus links, with typical 2026 journey times.

Bikes travel free on InterCity trains, but you must book a bike space online, and some trains have only two. On our tours the rental bike is delivered to your first hotel.

How Much It Costs

Our five Irish tours include the nights with breakfast, daily luggage transfers, the digital guidebook, the GPS app and support. Bike rental, single rooms and transfers are extras, and meals, island ferries and the tourist tax are paid as you go.

There are no tolls or permits for cyclists on any route here. Rooms are the cost that changes most with the season. In July and August, B&Bs and hotels in Kerry and Galway charge their highest rates of the year, and the best ones sell out weeks ahead. A trip in May, June or September costs less and leaves more choice.

What to Pack

Pack for rain in every month: a waterproof jacket, a warm layer, full-finger gloves and quick-drying shoes. Lights and a rear reflector are compulsory after dark.

For bike touring in Ireland, our tours use gravel bikes or e-bikes, which suit the rough lane surfaces. Pack sun cream too: the cool sea breeze stops you feeling the sun, so it is easy to burn on a cloudy day. Download an offline map before you set off, because phone signal drops out on remote peninsulas such as Beara and west Donegal.