Harley Davidson Tour of Ireland and Scotland

What to expect on this itinerary
Travel some of the greatest motorcycling roads in the world on your 14-day Scotland and Ireland tour. These countries are all about the journey, not just the destination. You can expect to see dramatic coastlines, castle-studded highlands, and rolling valleys of improbable greens, winding around lochs to villages from yesteryear. The wondrous wealth of landscapes is packed tightly together and the roads are quiet on your ultimate motorbike tour.
Customizable Itinerary
Belfast – Checking into Ireland and a Black Taxi Tour of Belfast History
Belfast is a small city with a big personality. You’re transferred to a central hotel and will spend the afternoon in an iconic vehicle. The Harley-Davidson waits for tomorrow as today you explore in a Hackney black taxi, a local guide taking you to neighborhoods that became the front line during the 30-year Troubles. On one wall there’s a mural of a local hero. 500 meters away you find that hero was responsible for multiple deaths. A wall still divides these two sides of Belfast, and a black taxi tour takes you behind the scenes of what happened, who was involved, and why it never seems to go away. Eye-opening and evocative, it’s an experience synonymous with Northern Ireland’s capital.
What's Included:
Ballintoy Harbour – Stunning North Coast Drive Including Game of Thrones Locations
Ballynahinch – Riding Ireland West Coast
Ballynahinch – Riding and Possibly Hiking in Connemara
Kenmare – Riding to Aughnanure Castle and the Cliffs of Moher
Kenmare – Exquisite and Empty Roads of the Southwest Atlantic Coast
Dublin – Through Central Ireland and the Guinness Storehouse
Dublin – A Day Away From the Bike in the Irish Capital
Belfast to Loch Lomand – Ferry to the Famous Lake
Glencoe to Inverness – Beauty of the Scottish Highlands
Inverness – Cruising Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle
Cairngorm to Edinburgh – Across Stunning Mountains to the Capital
Edinburgh – Rest, Relax, Put Your Feet Up
Edinburgh – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Enjoy ten days riding Harley-Davidsons around Ireland and Scotland
- Take a rest from the bikes in vibrant cities, Belfast, Dublin, and Edinburgh all having their own unique charms (the Guinness Storehouse just one example)
- The route has been handcrafted, so you’re almost exclusively on quiet scenic roads
- Ride Ireland’s beautiful coastlines, taking in wonders like Giants Causeway, the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Beara
- Cruise up and down through the Scottish mountains, in the Highlands and the Cairngorm range
- Take rural roads through Ireland’s and Scotland’s forgotten interiors, where castles wait and provide accommodation for the night
- Circle famous lakes like Loch Lomand and Loch Ness; traverse stunning national parks like Connemara
- A choice of Harley-Davison bikes are available dependent on your style
- This private motorbike tour runs at a relaxed pace and most days are flexible
Detailed Description
A road twists along dramatic cliffs, the roar of the bike meets the roar of Atlantic waves. It’s quiet out here, nothing but you and your bike. Descending past a deserted beach the road then turns inland, through a patchwork of impossible green hues. Castles dot the valleys, some of them in ruins. Dry stonewalls and black and white cows are ubiquitous over the next 30 minutes. But then the rural road turns some more and you’re back along the coast, cruising to a colorful old fishing village for the night. That’s the experience in Ireland anyway. For Scotland, replace those rugged coastlines with rugged highlands and mountain scenery, then add a handful of lochs, where peaks reflect off the glassy water surface.
Ireland and Scotland are unrivaled for a leisurely journey by motorbike. These countries are best experienced on a journey; rather than standout cities, these are countries made special by the landscapes. You need wheels to make the most of the travel experience. Roads are quiet and often empty, leading you to ruined castles and quiet gems hidden amid the valleys. There’s a sense of the great open expanse, generating that feeling of freedom synonymous with all the best motorcycle journeys. Yet Ireland and Scotland aren’t particularly big. You don’t need long and tiring days of riding. There isn’t a need to cover 500 empty miles so you can reach the next beautiful place. You just need to roll along and take it all in.
This is the ultimate bike tour of Ireland and Scotland, handcrafted for two weeks of travel and ten days of riding. You have a choice of Harley-Davidson bikes for the journey; other bikes can also be arranged although the cruiser styles of the Harleys are perfectly suited to the languorous days of riding. You’ll take the same bikes by ferry to Scotland, a short journey on the water meaning you don’t need to get accustomed to the quirks of two bikes. Accommodation is in a selection of upmarket hotels and offbeat charms, such as converted castles on the Irish interior.
First Ireland, a day in Belfast before the North Coast drive past Giants Causeway provides a wondrous introduction to Irish landscapes. Pass locations from the Game of Thrones before a relaxed afternoon around Ballintoy Harbour. Ride Ireland’s West Coast with a day going in and out of Connemara National Park. Next, you will drive through one of the world’s most scenic routes, Ireland’s southwestern Atlantic-facing coastline. Then it’s through patchwork fields to two nights in Dublin, with a day to rest the legs and explore the city with the Guinness Storehouse likely to be high on your list.
Drive north back to Belfast and the two-hour ferry, Loch Lomand a sublime destination for your first ride on Scottish soil. Take long turns around the lake and stop at viewpoints high away from it all, Scotland in quintessence stretching out below. You will drive through Glencoe and the Scottish Highlands to Inverness, a journey that epitomizes the idea of traveling slowly and taking your time. There is Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle on the route back south, then the superb Cairngorm mountain range to cross on route to Edinburgh. It’s here that you kick out the stand for a final time and relax; you’ve covered the best of Ireland’s and Scotland’s roads and have a full day in Edinburgh before starting the journey home.
Consider learning more about the Ireland and Scotland tour companies whom we partner with, who seek to create a customized experience just for you.
Starting Price
$8,000 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 1100 reviews
We just finished 10 outstanding days in Ireland on a trip that was completely organized and facilitated by Zicasso's travel company. We built the trip around a one-day visit to the Open and, with a lot of advice from our travel company, we visited Dublin, Belfast, and Galway. From each of the cities, we had day trips that were led by a private guide from the company.
Our guide made this trip outstanding. He drove us for seven of the 10 days to the many sites we visited. He was so much more than a good driver. His knowledge of everything we did was extensive and really helped prepare us for what we visited. Additionally, we added and deleted on his recommendation, and all of those moves made the trip better. Some of the deleting, in particular, was because of the weather, and he adjusted to something that made the trip even better. He had a real gift for recognizing immediately our likes and preferences, and adjusted accordingly. Our favorite phrase, which we seemed to say on a daily basis, was, “You did it again," which was in reference to daily tips and/or stops that we made, all of which enhanced our visit to Ireland. He was very professional, punctual, and personable for the entire seven days. He was, without question, the best driver/guide we have encountered in our many trips to Europe. On a personal level, we had great conversations right from the beginning and he seemed more like a good friend than just a driver. I give him my highest recommendation.
As for the travel company, they created a comprehensive plan that addressed the many wonderful sites for us to see in that section of Ireland. Very little of their initial proposal was changed. They were always available when we had questions or concerns before and during the trip. This is a first-class and professional travel agency. I would recommend anyone traveling to Ireland contact this company.
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The trip was put together by Zicasso's travel company with much thought and numerous suggestions.
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The trip was lovely. Working with Zicasso's travel consultant was delightful from start to finish. She had really great ideas for things to add to the itinerary and was great about incorporating things to see and places to visit that we already had in mind. It was truly a collaboration between the two of us to form the perfect itinerary.
I've worked with a lot of other travel companies to arrange custom itineraries for trips and this was one of the best. The app was very handy for quick changes and communication when we were in Scotland.
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The trip was absolutely amazing!! The lush green landscape, the authentic food, the amazing golfing, and the amazing people. Zicasso's travel company was “spot on“ for our wants and needs, including the unique places we stayed at along the way. The transportation was seamless and the drivers were friendly and engaging!
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The trip was everything we wanted it to be and more.
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There was great planning by Zicasso's travel company, with just the right amount of activity, without exhausting us. And great accommodations.
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