Ireland: Cliffs of Moher, the Burren & Aran Islands

Arrive in Shannon and make your way to Doolin—once a bustling fishing village and now a center of Ireland’s famed trad (or traditional) music scene—with an included taxi.

After an orientation meeting, you might warm up with a walk 45 minutes along a paved country road, or take a four-minute taxi ride to the renowned Doolin Cave (at your own expense). Locally known as Pol an Ionain, roughly translated as “Ivy Cliff Cave,” this limestone cave at the western edge of The Burren is home to the longest free-hanging stalactite in Europe—known as “The Great Stalactite.” For its responsible management, the cave has been awarded with eco-tourism accolades and serves as a compelling introduction to the spectacular limestone wonders of County Clare. Take your time exploring here, then return to town to get your healthy dose of craic—a good Irish sense of fun! During your three-night stay here, be sure to take in the raucous strains of fiddle and accordion at a local establishment. A trio of pubs will place you right at the center of Irish culture: McDermott’s, McGann’s, or Gus O’Connor’s.

8.2 miles, moderate, 1,150-ft. elevation gain and 1,300-ft. elevation loss or 4.7 miles; moderate, 400-ft. elevation gain and 850-ft. elevation loss

After a full Irish breakfast curated from your hotel’s gardens and neighboring farms, your hosts arrange a taxi to the Cliffs of Moher trailhead, about 20 minutes away at the southern end of the cliffs. Walking along this scenic icon of Ireland along the Wild Atlantic Way is sure to be a highlight of your trip. This famed wall of sandstone and shale soars up to 700 feet above the Atlantic surf for some five miles and hosts a profusion of seabirds. Your choice of walks today let you experience this magnificent wonder at a pace that suits you.

If you’d like a longer route, our local driver delivers you to Hag’s Head, a rocky promontory said to resemble a woman looking out to sea. From here, enjoy dramatic views of the cliffs to the north. But don’t lose notice of the massive sea arch at the tip of the headland, and another as you look a bit farther north. Pause during your exploration to admire the Moher Tower, the remains of a fort that—along with many others along the Atlantic—helped to protect the coast from attack by Napoleon. Today, the tower is occupied by the native chough and other birds.

After returning to the main trail from the head, continue north, taking in sweeping views as the lashing Atlantic surf provides a soundtrack to your hike. Look out for migrating minke and humpback whales in the autumn. Avid birders will want to have binoculars at the ready for up-close views of the more than 30 species of birds: guillemots, kittiwakes, peregrine falcons, fulmars, and shags among them. Puffins are part-time residents on Goat Island just offshore, appearing between late March and mid-July. More than 30,000 breeding pairs from 20 bird species pass through here annually.

In about three miles, arrive at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, nestled into a hillside. We have included your entrance fee to this fascinating exhibition that chronicles the natural and human history of this captivating and breathtaking region. You’ll want to spend some time here immersing yourself in a full sensory experience. Be sure to visit the Cliffs Exhibition, housed in a huge domed cave at the center of the building, and check out the video and virtual reality features.

If you prefer a shorter walk today, your driver will instead bring you to the Visitor Experience this morning. No matter your choice, you walk from here about 4.7 miles back to Doolin, passing the stone O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835. This historic folly enjoys an ideal perch at the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher and offers views of the Aran Islands on a clear day. Once you arrive at the Doolin Trail, follow it into the village.

Included Meals: Breakfast

4.5 miles, easy, 350-ft. elevation gain and loss or 7.3 miles, easy to moderate, 350-ft. elevation gain and loss

After a leisurely breakfast, hop the 10:00 a.m. ferry (included in the tour cost) for a 20-minute sail to the smallest and most easterly of the Aran Islands, Inis Oírr (Inisheer/East Island). Modern conveniences came late to this enchanting little enclave. It wasn’t until 1997 that electricity was fully connected. It has long subsisted on a farm culture, despite that much of the island has only six inches of topsoil. Today, day trippers come to this classic fishing village for its footpaths and phenomenal views of flower-filled fields and the Cliffs of Moher back on the mainland. Known to many as the last outpost of Irish culture, it is one of Ireland’s last remaining Gaeltacht areas, the name given to places where Irish is still the first language.

Disembarking, you are greeted by a pristine, white-sand beach lapped by crystalline waters. Colorful currachs, or fishing boats, bob in the current, fresh from their morning at sea. You can get right down to walking, choosing from the two “National Loop Walks” that depart from the pier. Each trace neat limestone walled boreens, or little roads, scenic coastal trails and various cracked limestone landscapes that evoke the spirit of the Burren, which you visit tomorrow. As you stroll, you just might come across the clip-clop of a pony and trap, a popular way to get around the island.

Choose your trail based on your desired pace: You’ll want to be back at the pier to catch the 4:45 p.m. ferry back to Doolin.

Lub Ceathru an Phoillin (7.3 miles). Follow beautiful limestone boreens past age-old stone walls, a sandy pathway, and flora-lined road. Rounding the eastern side of the island, you pass some of the island’s most historical buildings; the Plassy shipwreck, thrown onto the island by a 1960 storm; Loch Mór, the only freshwater lake on the island; lush meadows of wild grasses, clovers, and vivid flowers; and the village of An Formna, which offers splendid views of An Loch Mór. Reaching the western shores of the island, detour to St. Enda’s holy well of Tobar Éinne and be on the lookout for the growing colony of grey seals on your way back to the pier. As you explore, have your binoculars ready so you can catch glimpses of birds and other creatures, from the gannet with its black-tipped wings to cattle and horses.

Lub Ceathru an Locha (4.5 miles). Choose this path if you want to soak in the island’s beauty at a more relaxed pace—with ample time to literally stop and smell the roses, or in this case the milkwort, royal-blue gentians, buttercups, orchids, and more of the 400+ flower species. You enjoy much of the same beauty and splendor as on Lub Ceathru an Phoillin, but spend more time on the eastern half of the island, perhaps lingering in the village of An Formna or at the 14^th-century O’Brien’s Castle at the island’s highest point.

If you have time after your walk, take some time to explore the tiny shops and pubs of the main village, adjacent to the pier and below the old lighthouse and O’Brien’s fort. Back in Doolin, enjoy another dinner on your own, perhaps at one of Doolin’s lively pubs, the perfect opportunity to drink in the local culture of trad music, and to sample a hearty dish and a local ale.

Included Meals: Breakfast

6.9 miles, easy to moderate, 500-ft. elevation gain and 800-ft. elevation loss

After breakfast, taxi about 10 minutes to the privately owned 15th-century Ballinalacken Castle, towering above the countryside of County Clare. From here, you walk into the Burren, a massive pasture of limestone karst whose name comes from the Irish word for “stony place.” This is the only place in Europe where alpine and Mediterranean flora grow alongside each other. Its remarkable landscape of steel-gray rock exposed by the last ice age provides a fascinating environment for walking. You set out to follow an especially scenic segment of the Burren Way, a 28-mile footpath that traverses this otherworldly setting of quiet country lanes and creviced limestone floor through which grow colorful splashes of fragile wildflowers.

From Ballinalacken Castle, you climb northward along a quiet rural road lined with stone walls. Take your time to admire the charming houses, farms, and open fields grazed by cattle. You pass the peak of Slieve Elva—the highest point in this area at 1,128 feet—enjoying westward views that stretch out across the Atlantic Ocean to the Aran Islands and eastward vistas across scarred limestone hills. By walk’s end, you descend onto Fanore Beach on the northwest coast of the Burren, where the ocean washes over a karst beach head. This is also where the Burren’s only river—the Caher—empties into the Atlantic. Here, you can rest and relax or perhaps explore the sand dune complex and the oldest archaeological remains in the region. You might even spot some crinoid, brachiopod, and coral fossils in the bedrock! Later, your driver picks you up for a 25-minute drive to your hotel.

This evening, savor a special dinner at your hotel, a gracious 18th-century manor house on the outskirts of the charming fishing village of Ballyvaughan. The award-winning restaurant offers a multi-course seasonal menu prepared with local ingredients, perhaps Barbecue Irish Beef or Wild Irish Halibut.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

3-5 miles, easy to moderate

Get to know The Burren on a more intimate scale when you walk some of its most scenic pathways with Shane Connolly, a well-known guide who is not only a local farmer, but an expert its history, flora, and fauna. You’re sure to learn some myths and legends of this beguiling region, too.

As Shane regales you with fascinating facts and lore, you cover between three and five miles across an isolated landscape. You pass fissured limestone, megalithic structures, and plant life that is unique to this terrain. Shane guides you along paths marked and unmarked, taking you to spots that only a local would know. He may lead you through a pretty meadow up Abbey Hill for stunning views of the mountains of Connemara and sweeping plains of rock. You might also ascend to the cliffs of Black Head, with splendid views of the Aran Islands. Along the way, you might spot Connemara ponies or goats on limestone terraces. You return to your hotel midday, leaving you the remainder of the day to relax and explore the charms of Ballyvaughan.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a generous breakfast featuring eggs, meats, and pancakes from local sources, taxi to Shannon (about one hour, 10 minutes) to make your flight, train, or bus connections.

Included Meals: Breakfast