The Great Western Greenway Adventure
The Great Western Greenway Adventure
Self-guided bicycle tour in the west of Ireland along Ireland’s most scenic cycle path. Highly recommended for families.
- 5 Days / 4 Nights
- Easy
- Electric / gravel bike / hybrid bike / road bike
Cycle tours as a family offer time together creating treasured memories, keeping the needs of the entire family in mind. Bicycle tours are a great way to interact and connect. While cycling the Great Western Greenway through craggy bogland and along pristine beaches and dramatic sea cliffs, you will find historic monuments such as abbeys and castles from the reign of Granuaile as well as ancient megalithic tombs, scattered throughout the landscape. Our family bicycle tours were created to suit every member of the family, smaller kids and the big kids! This tour includes really interesting cycle routes, family-friendly accommodations with fabulous hosts.
Starting Dates
April – October
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- Price per adult sharing €950
- Child sharing parent’s room €450
- Children sharing twin/triple room €550
- Adult price based on 2 adults travelling
Tour Itinerary
DAY 1 - Arrival - Westport
Westport is one of the most popular towns in Ireland and has been voted the best place to live in Ireland. It is known for its friendly people, great food, pubs filled with lively traditional Irish music, and its scenic location on the banks of Clew Bay. To the south it is overlooked by the picturesque Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain. The town is also home to the iconic Westport House which can trace its roots to the legendary Pirate Queen, Granuaile.
Depending on your arrival time in Westport we will meet you in the afternoon or the next morning for a personal introduction to your bicycles and the week ahead. Stay the night in a central guesthouse, dinner at your own choosing in one of the many restaurants.
DAY 2 - Westport - Mulranny
(30.8km/19mls Gradient +280m/-266m)
The Great Western Greenway is a traffic free cycling and walking trail which follows the route of the old Westport to Achill railway which closed in 1937. The cycling greenway opened in 2011 and quickly became a very popular destination for cycling enthusiasts. The 42km greenway showcases some of the most idyllic scenery in the west of Ireland but offers gentle gradients owed to its origin as a railway. The route takes you through bogs, woodlands and active farmland, to the quaint seaside town of Newport. After lunch you will visit the 15th Century Burrishoole Abbey and loop around the picturesque Furnace Lough before continuing on to Mulranny, a seaside village nestled at the foot of the Nephin Mountain Range.
DAY 3 - Mulranny – Achill Sound
(15km/9.3mls Gradient +86m/-117m)
Before you depart Mulranny visit the beach and walk the Mulranny Causeway through the beautiful saltmarshes for unforgettable views. On today's cycle you will be treated to spectacular vistas of rugged coast of the Curraun Peninsula, and dramatic rough seas of Black Sod Bay until you arrive at the bridge to Achill Island.
DAY 4 - Achill loops
Loop 1: 20km (12mls) Gradient +198m/-198m
loop 2: 25km (15mls) Gradient +264m/-264m
Loop 3: 51km (32mls) Gradient +736m/-736m
Explore all that Achill has to offer from its five blue flag beaches to breathtaking sea cliffs in Ireland. To start, you will cycle south along the coast past Grace O’Malley’s Towerhouse and then north along the stunning and unforgettable White Cliffs of Ashleam. You can cycle further north around the Doogort East Bog and then visit the Slievemore Deserted Village on your way to Keel and then continue on to the white sands of Keem Bay. This serene beach was featured in the Oscar nominated film, Banshees of Inisherin, and has been voted best place to swim in Ireland. This area also has an excellent short hike to the nearby Moytoge Head for panoramic views of the bay and coastline. Return to Achill Sound for the final night of your trip.
DAY 5 - Departure - Achill
Breakfast and departure for your onward journey. Leave bikes at your accommodation and we will collect them later. There are buses back to Westport from where there are busses and trains to Dublin.
Tour Details
Included
Accommodation & Meals
4 nights ensuite guesthouses/B&Bs/hotels inclusive of 4 breakfastsÂ
The accommodations included on your tour may be small hotels, guesthouses or B&Bs. They are clean, comfortable, family run businesses that we have been using for many years. They are all very highly rated and are well set up to cater for cycling holiday guests.
Each room will have its own private bathroom and shower. Breakfast is included in the package. Sometimes the small hotels will have a small restaurant and bar too. All the venues are located in the centre, or very close to the centre of a small village or town with local bars, cafes and restaurants all within easy walking distance.  Â
In some locations, accommodation can be upgraded to 4/5 star on request.Â
Meet & greet
Meet and greet with one of our local experienced guides on day 1 for bike fitting and tour briefing
Bicycles & Equipment
Trek FX2 Hybrid Touring Bike – Included in tour price Â
The FX2 is strong, stable, fun and perfectly suited for Irish roads. Customised for our tours with puncture resistant tyres, mudguards and rear rack. Also available with ladies specific frame.  Â
Includes: Helmet, bike lock, pannier, repair kit. Â
Upgrade Option 1: Trek Checkpoint Gravel Bikes + €90Â
For riders seeking performance, versatility, and comfort on mixed terrain, the Trek Checkpoint is a superb upgrade. This lightweight gravel bike features drop handlebars, wider tires for extra stability, and a responsive frame ideal for Ireland’s quiet country roads and occasional gravel paths. It's perfect for guests who want a faster, sportier ride without sacrificing comfort on longer days in the saddleÂ
Upgrade Option 2: Trek AL3 Road Bike + €90Â
The Trek AL3 is a sleek, lightweight aluminum road bike designed for speed and efficiency on paved roads. With drop handlebars and a smooth-shifting Shimano drivetrain, it's ideal for cyclists who prefer a more aerodynamic riding position and want to cover longer distances with ease. A great choice for guests seeking a faster, road-focused experience while exploring the west of Ireland.Â
Upgrade Option 3: Trek Electric Bikes + €160 Â
We use the best quality E-bikes on the market. These bikes are pedal assist meaning they travel a lot further when you push the pedal compared to a regular bike.Â
Comfortable, strong and stable bikes combined with a quiet, powerful Bosch motor and a fully integrated high-capacity battery ensure many miles of care-free cycling. On a full charge they are good for 80km+.Â
Luggage Transfers
We provide you with our luggage tags at the beginning of the tour and we transfer the bags from accommodation to accommodation each day. Guests usually bring 1 or 2 bags per person.
Roadside Assistance
Local support & roadside assistance in the unlikely event of a breakdown
Tour pack
Digital Navigation App with routes & tour info (paper maps on request at time of booking, €20 pp). Recommendations for the best places to visit, eat and drink along the way.
Starting Location
Westport – there are regular trains from Dublin to Westport
Departure Location
Achill – there are regular busses from Achill back to Westport from where there are regular trains to Dublin
Tour Accommodations
This self-guided family cycle holiday in Ireland is designed to stay in comfortable, friendly, wonderful guesthouses and small hotels such as underneath. Accommodations could be upgraded if you prefer.
Brooklodge B&B Westport
The B&B is conveniently located just a five-minute walk from Westport's town center, making it easy to explore local attractions and dining options. The rooms are clean and comfortable, each equipped with en-suite facilities. Enjoy hearty full Irish breakfasts, with options including omelets, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, and homemade brown bread.
Mulranny Park Hotel
The 4 star Mulranny Park Hotel is perched on a unique site overlooking Clew Bay & Croagh Patrick Mountain beyond. Located in the most scenic section of the route, only a few steps away from the sand and sea of the beautiful Mulranny Beach which has been awarded the coveted blue flag and is ideal for family breaks. The hotel has a 20-metre swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, plunge pool and fully equipped gymnasium as well as fabulous seaweed baths and treatment room.
From €950
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Frequently asked questions
Information about Self-guided bicycle tour in the west of Ireland
Pricing
It depends. But our 3 night tour starts from €800 per person and our 7 nights tours start from €1,500 per person. Luxury tours with castle and country house accommodation start from €2,950. Prices include Trek bike hire, ensuite accommodation, and full Irish breakfast daily. Luggage transfers and e-bike upgrades are available as add-ons.
Every tour includes a quality Trek bike fitted to you personally, ensuite accommodation at hand-picked guesthouses and small hotels, full breakfast each morning, digital navigation with route notes, a day-one local guide briefing, ferry tickets, transfers, luggage transfers (unless otherwise specified) and on-call support throughout.
Luxury tours carry a higher price reflecting the accommodation — historic castles, country manor houses, and boutique hotels rather than guesthouses. Our luxury tours start from €2,950 per person. For guests celebrating a honeymoon, milestone anniversary, or special birthday, most tell us it was worth every cent. Bespoke private luxury tours can be designed around any budget — contact us directly.
Yes — we take a booking payment of €100 per person to secure your booking, with the balance due closer to your start date. Contact us directly to discuss availability and we'll confirm the payment schedule. We accept all major cards including through our secure Stripe payment system.
No hidden costs. Dinners, lunches, and personal spending are not included — you're free to eat where you like each evening, and our route notes include recommendations for the best local restaurants and pubs. The only decisions to make upfront are which bike to choose. Everything else is clear from the start.
How to Book
The best way to start is to email us at tours@greenmarblecycletours.com with the tour you're interested in and your preferred travel dates. We'll check availability, confirm the start date, and if you're happy to proceed, send you a payment request for the booking deposit of €100 per person. Simple as that.
Email us anyway. Tell us your dates, number of people, room requirements (double, twin, or single), and a comfortable daily cycling distance and we'll design a tour around you. We typically come back within 24 hours, though complex itineraries, large groups, or enquiries during our busiest months of February, March, and April may take a little longer.
We accept card payments via Stripe — secure, straightforward, and the most common method. Bank transfer is also available for guests who prefer it, and wire transfers work fine for guests booking from the US. We'll confirm all payment details when we correspond by email and nothing moves forward until you're completely happy.
Final payment dates are linked to your tour start date: April tours by 1 March, May and June tours by 31 March, July tours by 30 April, August tours by 31 May, September tours by 30 June, and October tours by 31 July. We'll remind you well in advance and send a payment request at the right time.
We'll ask for guest heights for correct bike sizing, bike type preference, dietary requirements to pass on to your accommodation, and a contact phone number for the road. We'll ask for these at the right stage of the booking process — you don't need to have everything ready on day one.
Once your deposit is received we confirm your booking and provide advice on what to bring, how to get to the start of your tour, and how to get home from the finish point afterwards. After final payment is received, we send full accommodation details for every overnight stop on your tour.
We reconfirm your day-one meeting time with your local guide for bike fitting and tour briefing. At that meeting we provide a support phone number, walk you through the navigation app, fit and adjust your bike, and make sure you have everything you need before you set off. It's a relaxed, thorough start to the trip.
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