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An area known as the "Sunny South East" a wonderful part of the country and a popular destination for Irish people on their holidays.
The tour starts in Kilkenny, dominated by a spectacular castle on a bend in the river Nore and has a wealth of historic buildings knitted together by narrow cobbled streets boasting many lively pubs and fine restaurants. This tour blends some of Ireland's best heritage sights with a relatively undiscovered but still stunning coastline. The cycle brings you towards the coast where our first stop is New Ross, whose famine ship gives a haunting reminder of a dark chapter in Irish history. A quaint ferry will bring us across Waterford Harbour to stop at the truly special place of Dunmore East with its lovely beaches and magnificent views to enjoy.
The Copper Coast itself is a spectacular cycle where the road twists along cliffs and then plunges into and out of coves. The picturesque seaside town of Dungarvan is where we take our rest day, before heading inland to the Rock of Cashel. This is one of Ireland's most spectacular archaeological sites, standing proudly atop a limestone hill dominating the surrounding countryside.
The cycling finishes in Cashel and after visiting the Castle there is a transfer back to Kilkenny for a final night on the tour.
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A downloadable version of the itinery is available from the Resources Tab
Itineraries
Day 1
Arrival in Kilkenny
On arrival to Kilkenny, once you have checked into your accommodation and organised your bike, you can then spend the rest of the day exploring the many sights and sounds that have made Kilkenny such a lively and popular destination.
Day 2
Kilkenny ~ New Ross (51kms)
Your cycle takes us to Jerpoint Abbey, a 12th Century ruined Abbey, before you stop off for lunch in Thomastown. The cycle takes you further south on our journey to New Ross, a lovely town on the River Barrow. Local merchants sailed their ships back and forth to the colonies often carrying Irish emigrants. A replica of one of those ships, the Dunbrody( www.dunbrody.com ) is now berthed on the quay and offers visitors to the ship an insight into life as a passenger during the late 19th century.
Day 3
New Ross ~ Dunmore East (59 kms)
The morning starts on quiet roads, cycling further south until you hit the South Coast of Ireland en route to the seaside village of Duncannon for lunch. That afternoon you keep to the coast as much as possible, taking a short ferry ride across Passage East, that brings you ever closer to the beautiful seaside town and fishing port of Dunmore East where you spend the night.
Day 4
Dunmore East ~ Dungarvan (57kms)
Today's cycle brings you along the beautiful Copper Coast and inspiration for this tour. A stunning section of the Irish Coastline, it rolls up and down along an unspoilt shoreline. Although hilly in sections all climbs are worth the literally breathtaking views. The last section of the cycle is on one of the few dedicated cycle paths in the area. Your night's destination is the attractive town of Dungarvan where you are spending two nights.
Day 5
Rest day in Dungarvan
A chance to relax in this seaside town. There is an attractive harbour area with restaurants where you can relax and watch the world go by. You can visit the Waterford Country Museum, or even download an app onto your phone and to discover the history of the town & explore some of the historic landmarks. This easy to use audio tour features contemporary accounts from soldiers, travellers and writers from times past!
Day 6
Dungarvan ~ Cashel (66 kms)
As you leave Dungarvan the cycle takes you on some very quiet and remote roads between the Knockmealdown and Comeragh mountains.
Your destination is the town of Cashel with the iconic Rock of Cashel.
Day 7
Cashel ~ Kilkenny (54 kms)
Cashel is home to the iconic Rock of Cashel, the ruined castle and traditional seat of the Great Munster Kings. One of the more spectacular tourist attractions in Ireland and one of the most visited, indeed it was one of the few places outside Dublin the Queen of England visited on her trip to Ireland in 2011!
The cycle takes you on quiet back roads all the way back to the city of Kilkenny for your final night.
- 7 nights accommodation incl breakfast
( mix of small hotels and guesthouses ) - Luggage transfer
- All route details and maps
- 24 hour service hotline
- GPS tracks available (on request)
Bike Rental is not included in the basic tour price.
All rentals come with a pannier, lock, helmet and repair equipment
On a self-guided tour we will organize your bike hire, the accommodation and the luggage transfer. Your route details will be waiting for you in your first night’s accommodation. In the route details, you will also find recommendations for lunch stops and places to have dinner. You will set off by yourself and the luggage will be transferred to the next stop by our local taxi transfers. And should there be a day you won’t be able to cycle, it is possible to arrange a lift with the luggage transfer.
You can also contact us in the office (info@cyclingsafaris.com) or on our emergency number if you need assistance.
You can start the cycling tour on any day that suits you.
If you prefer to cycle with a support van and/or guide we are happy to send you a customized quote for this.
On a self guided tour it is possible to add extra days or shorten the trip if you wish to or we can customize the route for you.
Guide in a support van / no cycling guide
We offer set departure dates for group tour bookings. If we reach a minimum of 8 people on the set departure tour date the tour will be run with a guide in a support van.
The guide will meet you each morning to give you a short briefing for the day ahead. Then you can set off in small groups or individually. Each person has their own route details. Your guide will then collect the luggage and deliver the bags to the next night's accommodation before catching up with the group again.
Although the guide will not be cycling with you, he or she will be driving the support van and will make a sweep to ensure that all is well, and offer lifts to those who want a break.
This provides a sense of freedom in that you can travel at your own pace in the security that the guide is there for you in the event that you might need them. The guide will recommend places to eat and try to find out where the best entertainment is each night.
Most importantly, the guide sets the right tone to make you feel welcome to the country and to help you in whatever way possible so that each day you are free to leave your worries behind.
If we don’t reach the minimum of 8 bookings, this tour will go ahead as the self-guided version with luggage transfers via our local taxi companies. There might be others cycling the same route, but there won’t be a guide in a support van. However, you can always contact us in the office to get assistance and if you need a lift we can organize this for
Bike rental is not included in the basic tour price
You can rent a GIANT CITY bicycles for our tours
Bikes come in different sizes and in gents and ladies style frames.
It is very important you give us your height on booking so that we can allocate the correct bike to you.
You can also rent an E-Bike
We are using EASE-E+ 2 ELECTRIC BIKE or similar please click here for more details.
We offer small and medium-sized e-bikes. Recommended body heights for our e-bikes range from 160cm - 183 cm.
Looking at a scale from 1 - 10 (1 = easiest, 10 = hardest) we are giving this tour 7 points.
The average daily cycling distance is between 25 - 60 km
There are a number of hills to climb on this tour so we would recommend that you do try to do some cycling before the tour in order to make your week more enjoyable, if possible do it on varied terrain and include some hill climbing.
With the exception of the roads in and out of the larger towns, the traffic on the route should be quite light.
We offer Garmin files on request, but you need to bring your own device.
We would seriously recommend that you bring padded cycling shorts and/or a gel saddle cover that will definitely make your day’s cycling more comfortable. Cycling gloves are also a good investment. You can also bring your own saddle which we should be able to attach to our bikes.
We provide pannier bags (not waterproof) in which you can keep your day-to-day items. Otherwise, you may prefer to use a daypack and there are back carriers on each bike for this purpose.
We do not provide rain gear so be sure to bring your own lightweight waterproofs.
Don’t forget sun cream, sunglasses, sun hat as well as a bathing suit for that refreshing dip in the Atlantic Ocean.
Our rental bikes don’t have lights – no problem on the long summer evenings, but if you are traveling in May or September, please bring your own light or high-visibility vest.
Finally, if you wish to use toe clips please bring your own pedals with toe clips which we can attach to our bikes (the pedals on our bikes do not accommodate toe clips)
You have the option of booking different room types:
Double room = Room with one big bed for two people
Twin room = Room with two single beds for two people
Single room = Room with one single bed
Triple room = Room with one double and one single for three people OR room with three single beds
Family room = Room with one double and two single beds
If the room type you would like to book is not listed on the booking form, you can specify this in the section "other detai
On this tour you will be staying in Killkenny, New Ross, Dunmore East, Dungarvan and Cashel.
Click here for a sample accommodation list.
On request, we can upgrade the accommodation.
To confirm you onto our tour, we require a deposit of 250 euro per person.
After your initial booking request, we will be in touch with payment details.
The remaining balance for the cycling tour will be due 60 days prior tour start.
Should you wish to cancel, cancellation charges will be imposed. These are calculated from the day written
notification is received by the company or their agent as a percentage of the total tour price, including
surcharges as follows:
> 60 days before departure – retention of deposit (250 euro per person)
60-14 days before departure – 50%
< 14 days before departure – 100%
To claim the balance back, you need to send the details on to your travel insurance who should reimburse you. Please make sure that your travel insurance covers the costs for unforeseen cancellation before signing up.
Great tour - great variety in terrain, scenery and places of interest. Really enjoyed a guided walk in Dungarvan.
Clare G. (Copper Coast self led 2014)
2024 SELF GUIDED TOUR PRICE
€ 1095 per person sharing in May, June & September
€ 50 per person high season supplement in July and August
€ 350 single room supplement (if travelling with others)
€ 255 solo tour supplement (if travelling alone on a self guided tour)
Bike Rental
€120 24 speed touring bike
€250 E-bike
Self Guided Tour Information
Self guided tours are available from 16th April to 1st October and can start any day of the week.
How to get to Kilkenny City:
Dublin is the best airport to fly into as has the best transport options to Kilkenny:
From Dublin airport:
There is a bus service direct from the airport to Kilkenny city available (Check JJKavanagh Coach for more info)
Alternatively, take the Airlink shuttle service into Dublin city and transfer to get direct bus/train to Kilkenny.
For more details on buses visit DublinCoach
For more details on the train visit IrishRail. The Train takes approx 2hrs 40mins.
From Shannon airport:
There is a bus service to Kilkenny city available (Check BusEireann for info or GetThere.ie)
As always please contact us in the office for more information (info@cyclingsafaris.com).
KILKENNY
Fanad House overlooks the magnificent Castle gardens. With a friendly and welcoming atmosphere it is an ideal starting point to explore the city and the copper coast.
NEW ROSS
Inishross House is a cosy, traditional, family run business established in 1967. Nestled In the heart of the town among the local pubs and restaurants its the ideal place to relax after a days cycle.
DUNMORE EAST
The Haven Hotel. Is a Tranquil country hotel overlooking the bay of the small fishing village Dunmore East. With locally caught sea food and a traditional bar with music make this a fine place to spend an evening
DUNGARVAN
The Park Hotel is a real treat. Over looking the river with a fantastic restaurant and bar its easy to enjoy an evening here. Also the is sauna and a swimming pool too if you want to unwind after a day on the bike.
CASHEL
Ashmore House is a warm and welcoming family run B&B just off the main street in the town. The rooms are bright and fresh with all the mode amenities. The house itself is full of family heirlooms which give you an insight to the Irish household