Top tours in the northwest

If you want to get up close and personal with the Irish coastline, Wild Atlantic Cultural Tours has you covered. Spend the day foraging cockles and mussels for dinner, and learn how to dry seaweed as a traditional snack.

Tour times change based on the tides and weather, so make sure to wear your wellies! Wild Atlantic Tours also offers workshops in traditional local crafts, including blacksmithing, pottery and sculpting.

The Yeats Experience Day Tour takes in all the places that meant the most to poet William Butler Yeats, including his childhood homes of Sligo town, Ballisodare and Rosses Point. The beauty of Sligo's landscapes is present throughout the poet’s writing, and the work of his brother, artist Jack B Yeats.

Tour guide Damien Brennan is an expert in the history and poetry of the area and will take you on a journey of discovery. The routes vary based on season and weather so wrap up warm and wear your hiking boots!

Already known as one of the best surf schools on the island of Ireland, Bundoran Surf Co is taking their laid-back approach on the road! The Hidden Gems tour covers some of the lesser known beauties of this part of the island.

Expert guides will take you through Glenade Valley, the Glens of Leitrim, Eagles Rock and the highest waterfall in Ireland, the Devil’s Chimney, sharing stories about mysterious lake monsters and bear caves.

Starting at the picturesque village of Rosses Point, Sligo Tours will take you on a journey through the history of the Ben Bulben area. Nestled below the mountain is Drumcliffe, the ancient monastery village where William Butler Yeats was laid to rest.

From there, you'll travel to Mullaghmore and the Creevykeel Court Tomb, a Neolithic tomb dating back 6,000 years. The spectacular Horseshoe Valley with the mountain towering over the ridge will take your breath away with its majesty.

Take to the water with Sea Fishing Sligo’s fishing and sightseeing tours. Sligo Bay is one of the best places in Ireland to fish, with up to 190 species found in its clear waters. As you fish keep an eye out for the dolphins who call Sligo home!

Take a break from fishing to explore Inishmurray, a monastic island 7km off the Sligo coast. Inishmurray was inhabited from the 6th century and is packed with fascinating ruins that tell the history of the island.

What better way to see Sligo’s beautiful waterways than in a kayak? Set off from the tiny Moneygold Harbour and paddle to historic Dernish Island to explore an ancient farming settlement. Meander along Ballisodare Bay to the seal colony and watch from afar to see these wonderful beasts in their natural habitat.

You can also head away from the coast and explore Lough Gill and the beautiful scenery of Glencar Lake and waterfall.

This is the perfect tour for anyone who loves history, nature and spectacular scenery. Knocknarea Cycle Tour explores the Hidden Glen and Knocknarea Mountain, as well as the famous Queen Maeve’s Grave. The Hidden Glen is a chasm cut into the limestone rock stretching more than a kilometre into the mountain, with cliff walls more than 18 metres high on either side.

Expert guides take you through Knocknarea Mountain passage tombs and the legends that surround them. And as you gaze out on the Croaghan Mountain, Carrowkeel megalithic cemetery, Cairns Hill, the Ox Mountains and Ben Bulben, you’ll hear the stories behind the views, gaining a deep understanding of the northwest and its heritage.