Ireland by the Sea
Romantic landscapes and gentle walking
From£1,649
United Kingdom
Ireland
7 nights
Half Board
May
Jun
Sep
Tour codes: 51100
Explore the world at a slower pace...
Call us on 01707 817311
Or, email us at [email protected]
Call us on 01707 817311
Or, email us at [email protected]
Romantic landscapes and gentle walking
From£1,649
United Kingdom
Ireland
May
Jun
Sep
Tour codes: 51100
This holiday includes an active sightseeing programme with unchallenging walks, either city tours or strolls on relatively easy terrain in the surrounding countryside. If in a mountainous area, the walks will be amongst the hills rather than up and down them. Local guides, winery visits, traditional villages and time to pause and watch the locals going about their lives are likely to feature.
Overview
The trail passes over rolling hills, through emerald woodland and between open meadows filled with sheep, to the rugged dramatic coastal cliffs. Our steps will be accompanied by bird song, the calling of the sheep and Atlantic waves lapping the white sandy shore below. One of the only places where you’ll find complete tranquillity and seclusion. Ireland is a land of history, mystery, and peace.
We stay in two centres’ during our holiday to explore as much as possible without long daily transfers. Our first centre is the small traditional fishing village of Portballintrae located close to Bushmillls and just south of Giants Causeway. You’ll step back in time and enjoy a retreat in the little sea side resort with its half moon beaches and less than 1000 residents. We stay in the modern four-star Bayview Hotel with incredible panoramic ocean views.
Our second centre is the beautiful golden beach village of Marble Hill, close to Dunfanaghy. This haven is popular with lovers of bird watching, water sports and nature. We stay at the four-star elegant Shandon Hotel and Spa with unspoilt scenic coastal views.
Our holiday has a perfect blend of sites, history and coastal walking. We’ll explore the impressive Giants Causeway and follow a route along the dramatic coast between the 'red sails in the sunset' town of Portstewart and the bustling seaside resort of Portrush. We’ll take a boat across to the unspoilt Rathlin Island and walk within the unique and truly beautiful Ards Forest Park. We’ll slow the pace with an enjoyable tour and tasting at the 400 year old Bushmills Distillery. Come and explore the romantic landscapes of Ireland with us.
Click the button below for a detailed Holiday Information Sheet containing all the particulars about this trip.
NOTE: Itineraries and Holiday Information Sheets can vary by a specific date chosen
Itinerary & Travel
Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the outlined itinerary and advertised programme, local conditions can change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. This may mean that routes and timings need to be amended or the order of days may change, sometimes at short notice. All local transport costs, entrance fees and tipping to local providers are included in the cost of your holiday.
Accommodation
Below is a summary of the accommodation featured on this holiday across all departure dates. Please refer to the Itinerary for more detail about each night's accommodation for each departure date.
We stay on a half board basis at the Bayview Hotel, located on the shore along the famous Causeway Coast, next to the picturesque harbour of Portballintrae. This modern hotel includes a Porthole bar and restaurant with large panoramic open windows with incredible views of the Atlantic ocean. The hotel has a spa treatment room and a variety of treatments are available at an additional price, payable locally.
We stay in classic and comfortable en suite bedrooms. These bright rooms are decorated with modern décor and furnishings, and include a TV, safe, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, mini fridge, coffee machine, and free Wi-Fi.
We stay half board at the Shandon Hotel and Spa, located in Marble Hill near Dunfanaghy. Refurbished in 2016, this modern and elegant hotel includes two bars and a newly opened restaurant, all with panoramic picture windows with extraordinary views of the surrounding bay and countryside. There is a relaxing lobby area with a traditional fireplace, an ideal setting for the daily afternoon tea (additional price). Guests also have access to the spa area, including a vitality pool, heated loungers, foot spa, sauna, salt grotto, hot tub, relaxation room and a variety of spa treatments (additional price), an ideal place to relax after a days exploration.
We stay in standard modern en suite rooms. Small, but elegant and decorated with pastel colours and modern furnishings. Bedrooms include free Wi-Fi, TV, hairdryer, and tea/coffee making facilities.
Trip Information
All Adagio holidays are expertly designed to allow you to immerse yourself in the destination. Leisurely exploration of the must-see, as well as lesser known, highlights together with relaxed enjoyment of local food and wines is what we have in mind.
There may be days of sightseeing on foot around a spectacular city or unchallenging strolls on easy terrain in open countryside interspersed with distillery visits, guided tours, boat trips and cafe stops.
The walks on this holiday are at the higher end of the Adagio grade. The distance and the duration of the walks are fairly long and include a mixture of terrain. We recommend supportive walking boots or shoes, plus the usual kit such as waterproofs and walking poles. The kit list can be found at the end of this holiday information sheet.
We use a mix of privately hired vehicles, taxis, and public transport which gives us some flexibility in our itinerary. We have a wonderful programme of walking, sightseeing and visits planned to let you fully experience the area along with opportunities to relax at our wonderful hotel and enjoy your surroundings.
Holiday Budgeting
Local transport costs, entrance fees and tips to local providers are included in your holiday price. You may wish to budget for any meals and drinks not included in the holiday arrangements, non-included entrance fees and any optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally. A general guideline for lunches and drinks is £10-£20 per person per day.
Local Transport Costs
We include the local travel costs using private hire coaches each day.
Our Adagio Leader will arrange everything. You just need to be at the right place at the right time.
Tipping
We include tips in the holiday cost and your Adagio Leader will take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff and to local guides and drivers. If you feel that someone has gone out of their way to make your holiday enjoyable or help you in anyway, please feel free to give a personal tip to the person should you wish. If you are having an independent lunch or other service not included in the holiday arrangements, tipping is at your own discretion.
Group Size
We believe that the best things come in small packages, and our Adagio holidays prove just that. We limit our groups to a maximum of 18 persons, plus the Adagio Leader, so that everyone has the opportunity to mix, share their love of travel and return home with new friendships. Small groups also have less detrimental local impact, allows us to use public transport on some days, eat at small local restaurants and, we believe, offers a better experience.
Your Leader
An Adagio Leader will accompany you throughout the holiday. They are all experienced travellers with a love for exploring and will help capture the true essence of the destination with their stories, knowledge and insights. They are well-organised, pay great attention to detail and enjoy being with people. They are there to help make your holiday as enjoyable and stress free as possible.
Leaders Evening Briefing
Your Adagio Leader will discuss the programme for the following day with the group at each evening briefing. This will be your opportunity to find out more details and ensure the planned activities suit your walking ability. Also, if you have any questions or concerns on clothing or lunch arrangements, this can be discussed then. If you wish to opt out of the organised group programme, this is fine, just let your Leader know.
Getting to your Holiday
Our return flights are with Easyjet from London Gatwick to Belfast International Airport. On arrival we transfer by private coach to Portballintrae, close to Bushmills. This will take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Our return transfer on departure day from Marble Hill will take approximately 2 hour 20 minutes.
Details of your baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days before departure. If you intend joining and leaving the party in Ireland, we assume, unless you have advised us otherwise, that you will meet and leave the party at our hotel. If this is not your intention, please let us know in writing at least 5 weeks before departure.
Luggage Allowance & Tickets
When booking a flight or rail inclusive holiday with us, details of your travel arrangements and baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days prior to departure.
Personal Details Check
Please ensure that the personal details we have on file for you are up to date and that you have provided the information we need to secure your holiday travel and accommodation arrangements.
Please check your passport details, date of birth and any other important details necessary for us to accurately manage your holiday booking are correct at the time of booking (including health and dietry requirements). You can view and update information already provided, and add details not yet asked for, by using the Manage My Booking facility on our website www.adagio.co.uk, or by calling our Sales and Reservations team on +44 (0)1707 386700. When you receive your booking confirmation please check the details as soon as possible.
General Passport Advice
It is a good idea to carry photocopies of the personal details pages of your passport page (with your photo on). Should you lose your passport, this may assist with the issue of replacement documents and your return to your home country. Passport and visa requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements.
General travel and destination advice for UK nationals is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/travel and at www.gov.uk/travelaware.
Breakfast and dinners are included in the holiday and are taken at the restaurants in the hotels. A variety of traditional and contemporary dishes are served, made from locally sourced produce and fresh ingredients. Lunches are not included and can be taken as picnics.
Footwear
Comfortable, broken in, walking boots or shoes with a good sole are recommended for this holiday. Walking shoes or other comfortable footwear will be suitable for sightseeing days.
General Kit List
We recommend you bring the following items with you:
Water To Go
An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a refillable bottle containing its own water filter such as a Water-to-go bottle available from www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water source and save the environment from disposable plastic bottles.
We have negotiated an exclusive 15% discount with our partners Water-to-Go for you as a thank you for helping the environment. Please go to their website at www.watertogo.eu and enter the code RWH17 when ordering. In addition, Water-to-Go will match the discount with a donation to our charity, Heart & Sole, which will allow us to continue to make a difference in the countries you visit on our holidays.
Travel Document Checklist
To ensure your holiday gets off to a good start, please make sure that you bring the following documents and information with you:
The Map Shop
If you cannot find the maps or books locally we recommend:
The Map Shop
5 High Street
Upton upon Severn, Worcs
WR8 0HJ
England
Tel: 01684 593 146
Website: www.themapshop.co.uk
E-mail: [email protected]
If you key many of the local places mentioned in this holiday fact sheet into YouTube, you will find a vast array of spectacular footage of the area.
Further Health Advice
For further advice please visit:
You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to wash your hands.
Travel Insurance
Although insurance is not compulsory for this holiday for UK residents, we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover you in eventualities such as unexpected cancellation.
Travel Insurance
Please make sure you are insured for guided walking. It is important that you bring your travel insurance documents with you on holiday, including your policy number and 24-hour assistance telephone number.
EHIC Cards
Please take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you; it will help you in the event of you needing medical assistance during your holiday. Please note that the EHIC has an expiry date, so please check that your card is valid for the duration of your holiday. Please note however the EHIC should not be considered a substitute for medical or travel insurance.
For more information please visit ehic.org.uk.
Responsible Travel
We're committed to operating responsible tours in all our destinations as best we can. Our holidays are designed for you to discover the essence of the country you are visiting. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate environment. We feel that the most important starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website.
Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust
Unlike many tour operators we have our own trust through which RWH Travel Ltd’s (inc Adagio) profits are channelled back into a variety of outdoor, walking-related or environmental conservation projects in the UK. The focus of the Trust’s financial support is Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and their role in promoting the benefits and importance of walking to the British public.
In addition the Trust welcomes applications for small grants from local organisations in the UK who need support for walking-orientated activities. This includes the establishment of footpaths and bridleways, funding for rebuilding bridges and renovating huts, as well as bursary funding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for children who could not otherwise afford to do it. Please visit the ‘About Us’ section of our website and click on the Charitable Trust link for more details.
Heart and Sole
We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to be able to use our profits to help make a difference to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart of the communities in the countries we visit. Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a long term, direct impact to these communities, particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way.
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Useful Information
Capital
Currency
Language
Time Difference
Visas and Passports
January
Avg. Rain: 70mm
February
Avg. Rain: 51mm
March
Avg. Rain: 51mm
April
Avg. Rain: 46mm
May
Avg. Rain: 49mm
June
Avg. Rain: 51mm
July
Avg. Rain: 58mm
August
Avg. Rain: 65mm
September
Avg. Rain: 62mm
October
Avg. Rain: 75mm
November
Avg. Rain: 74mm
December
Avg. Rain: 73mm
Capital
Currency
Language
Time Difference
Flight duration
Visas and Passports
January
Avg. Rain: 106mm
February
Avg. Rain: 82mm
March
Avg. Rain: 80mm
April
Avg. Rain: 62mm
May
Avg. Rain: 64mm
June
Avg. Rain: 67mm
July
Avg. Rain: 69mm
August
Avg. Rain: 88mm
September
Avg. Rain: 85mm
October
Avg. Rain: 111mm
November
Avg. Rain: 103mm
December
Avg. Rain: 110mm
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