Discover the land made famous by Poet WB Yeats – the place that he called “Land of Hearts Desire”. Set between Benbulben – Ireland’s “Table Mountain” and the fairy hill of Knocknarea Sligo is the perfect setting for this single centre bike tour. The many narrow country roads leading from the town take you among the rolling hills and farmland to beautiful valleys, lakes and beaches, all within easy cycling distance of Sligo town centre. If you love the freedom of a bike tour, but not the repeated packing and unpacking then this is the perfect tour for you.
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For this single centre tour you will be based in lively Sligo. Accommodation is in a 3 or 4 star city centre hotel.
To see an example of the type of hotel to expect visit https://www.theglasshouse.ie/
Note: This is an example only. You may be based in a different hotel.
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For this bike tour you are based in Sligo. It is easily accessible from Dublin, Ireland West (Knock). Use the links below to check the bus and rail timetables.
If you are arriving in Ireland at a different location to those listed below and would like advice on how to get here, let us know and we will help you to plan your journey.
From Dublin Airport
By Bus: Direct buses (Route Number 23) run to Sligo from Dublin Airport. Timetable Look for route 23
From Dublin City
By Bus: Direct buses (Route Number 23) Timetable Look for route 23
By Train: From Connolly Station, Dublin Timetable
From Ireland West (Knock) Airport
By Bus: Frequent buses (Route Number 64) run to Sligo direct from the Airport. Timetable
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To book this self-guided cycling tour with Ireland by Bike:
1: Book Online
Please use the booking form opposite. Once you have completed the form you will be asked to pay a deposit of €150 to secure your booking. Please note that this deposit is non returnable so it is important that you have all your travel details correct before proceeding to book.
2: Pay Balance
Full payment is required at least 4 weeks before your arrival date. You will receive an automatic reminder close to the date when payment is due. Once we have received full payment we will email you your bike tour accommodation list, along with your bike tour guide notes and any other essential information. We will also send you GPX tracks. These can be loaded onto your own device or on a smartphone using an app such as Ride With GPS, Bike GPX, Map My Ride, etc.
3: Enjoy Your Adventure
We will meet you on the morning of your first cycle and get you set up with your bike, notes, GPS etc. Time to let the adventure begin…
Please see our Booking Terms and Conditions.
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Day 1: Arrive Sligo
Arrive in the lively town of Sligo, often referred to as the “Gateway to the North West”, and forever associated with poet W. B. Yeats. Sligo will be your base for your bike tour. The town boasts a great selection of restaurants and pubs many of which have live music. Sligo has easy transport connections to Dublin and Ireland West (Knock) Airports.
Days 2 – 5: You are free to choose the order in which you complete each tour. The 4 tour options are listed below.
Tour 1: Around Knocknarea. 29 km
Cycle along the quiet country roads to the seaside village of Strandhill with it’s long stretch of sand famous for its surfing waves. Continue around Knocknarea the legendary hill crowned by a huge cairn known as “Queen Maebh’s Grave”. If you feel energetic a one-hour steep hike will take you to the top where a breathtaking panorama will reward your efforts. Cycle on to Carrowmore – the largest ancient burial site in Ireland – and one of the oldest in the world. 30 monuments survive here. This is an unmissable place for any with even a passing interest in archaeology. Return to Sligo for the evening.
Tour 2: Around Lough Gill. 51 km The name Lough Gill – Loch Gile in Irish means the bright or shiny lake. The lake has around 20 small islands. The best known is Inishfree immortalised by Yeats in his poem “The Lake Isle of Inishfree” A cycle around the lake brings you past several interesting historic sites from all eras of Irish history. Visit the impressive runs of Creevelea Abbey, located beside the pleasant village of Dromahair. Enjoy the wonderful views as you continue your cycle along the lake to Parke’s Castle. Continue around the lake and back to Sligo.
Tour 3: Glencar Lake Valley and Waterfall. 25/30/46 km
A cycle through the beautiful glacial valley. Like so many other places in the area Glencar acted as inspiration for WB Yeats – in this case for his poem “The Stolen Child”. Cycle along the lake shore to the beautiful waterfall. This is the perfect place to stop for a picnic or a coffee. If you are feeling energetic (or if you have an e-bike) you can climb the steep road through the woods above the lake and waterfall. If you fancy a swim a cycle around the headland taking you to Rosses Point beach on your return journey will be just the answer.
Tour 4: Dumcliffe, Lissadell and Raghly. 38/52 km
Explore the bays and beaches North of Sligo town. Pass by the beautiful church yard where Yeats is buried. This was once the site of an early-Christian Monastery. An impressive high cross and the remains of a round tower can still be seen here. On the way to Raghly point pass historic Lissadell. Around Raghly there are a number of beautiful beaches. Some are not safe for swimming but no less beautiful for that. Return to Sligo by a route that brings you right under Benbulben.
Day 6: Depart
After Breakfast it is time to leave. Taking with you your memories of the “Land Of Hearts Desire”.
Arrival Day: Sunday
Tours available: 20 April 2025 – 21 September 2025
Peak Season: 01 June 2025 – 17 August 2025
A 10% EARLY BIRD discount applies to the tour price if booked before 31 December 2024. In order to avail of the offer simply enter the discount code EARLYBIRD25 when booking. The discount will be applied automatically.
Price per person sharing: €845. €760.50 if booked before 31 December 2024.
Peak Season: €920. €828 if booked before 31 December 2024.
Single occupancy: €300. €270 if booked before 31 December 2024.
27 Speed Hybrid Bicycle: €75
E-bike: €170
We recommend spending 5 nights in Sligo in order to get the very best from your bike tour. However If you do not have enough time available you can opt to do a 4 night tour instead.
Sligo’s Yeats Country – Single Centre Bike Tour 4 nights — Prices 2024
Arrival Day: Sunday
Tours available: 20 April 2025 – 21 September 2025
Peak Season: 01 June 2025 – 17 August 2025
Price per person sharing: €760
Peak Season: €820
Single occupancy: €270
27 Speed Hybrid Bicycle: €65
E-bike: €165
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Below you will find the answer to some of the most commonly asked questions about this tour. For other more general FAQ’s please visit our FAQ page.
Who is this tour suitable for?
This tour is suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. The distances you cycle each day are relatively short. Typically 30 – 50 km (18 – 32 miles). As this is a single centre bike tour where you will be returning to the same location each evening it is possible to shorten these distances even further. The routes are hilly. For this reason we recommend using and electric bike.
Do I need to be a regular cyclist?
It is important that you are competent cyclist (as distinct from a fit cyclist) with adequate bicycle handling ability and a proper knowledge of the rules of the road. It is not recommended that you book a cycling holiday unless you have cycled at least occasionally before you arrive.
Will I be cycling along with others?
Possibly – but this is not guaranteed. At busy times of the year June/July/August is is quite likely (but again not guaranteed) that others will be following the same routes as you. In the quieter months when numbers are smaller it is quite possible that yours will be the only group on the road at that time.
Is this tour on cycle paths or public roads?
For the vast majority of this tour you are on roads that are also open to traffic. However as we focus on small back roads the traffic is almost non-existent in most places. There are some short stretches on roads with moderate traffic. However even here cycling is not difficult. From Sligo city centre it is quite a short distance to cycle until you are on quiet country roads.
Are the routes hilly?
The routes on this bike tour are hilly. Apart from a few short sections very little of this tour is flat. Some sections are more hilly than others. The gradient varies constantly from gentle to very steep. For this reason we recommend using an electric bike for this tour.
How do I get to the start?
This bike tour us based in Sligo. It has regular direct bus connections to Dublin Airport where most people arrive into Ireland. There are also direct connections to Ireland West (Knock) Airport. To see links to websites with more information and timetables click on the “Getting Here” tab above.
